16. January 2017

In bloom in January

small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, photography, garden, arizona, gbbd, garden bloggers bloom day, january, flowers, senna, nemophila — Senna nemophila

The weather has been perfect so far this January, and the plants are relishing it. While I feel that I need to improve my selections for wintertime bloom (it is, after all, a prime season in the desert), the showing for this month is quite cheering.

small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, photography, garden, arizona, gbbd, garden bloggers bloom day, january, flowers, gaura, oenothera lindheimeri — Gaura, lavender, and a rain-dark Arizona sky...

My seed-started, cool-season annuals have come along slowly, whether started indoors or out, so no blooms from them yet. I meant to buy more plug annuals for winter bloom, but that did not materialize, and winter bloom has been left mostly to the shrubs and perennials. On the whole, they are doing a good job of it.

small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, photography, garden, arizona, gbbd, garden bloggers bloom day, january, flowers, eremophila, valentine, emu bush — Some early bloom from Eremophila maculata "Valentine"

small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, photography, garden, arizona, gbbd, garden bloggers bloom day, january, flowers, hamelia, patens, firebush — and some very late bloom from Hamelia patens

small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, photography, garden, arizona, gbbd, garden bloggers bloom day, january, flowers, senna, nemophila, cassia — Senna nemophila is flowering just in season

small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, photography, garden, arizona, gbbd, garden bloggers bloom day, january, flowers, cuphea, vermillionaire — Cuphea ignea "Vermillionaire"

small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, photography, garden, arizona, gbbd, garden bloggers bloom day, january, flowers, justicia, chuparosa, californica — Winter blooming Justicia californica

small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, photography, garden, arizona, gbbd, garden bloggers bloom day, january, flowers, russelia, big red, hummingbird plant, coral fountain — The everblooming Russelia equisetiformis "Big Red"

small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, photography, garden, arizona, gbbd, garden bloggers bloom day, january, flowers, eremophila,hygrophana — And Eremophila hygrophana has turned out to be everblooming as well

The shrub roses have been a bit shy about beginning to bloom. Most of them need a good pruning and, as the weather looks set to stay mild, they will probably be clipped back soon and given their first feeding of the year. The hybrid teas seem to bounce back into bloom much more quickly, a trait which they share with the miniatures.

small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, photography, garden, arizona, gbbd, garden bloggers bloom day, january, flowers, rose, hybrid tea, mister lincoln — Mister Lincoln

small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, photography, garden, arizona, gbbd, garden bloggers bloom day, january, flowers, rose, miniature, kordes — "Lavender" miniature from Kordes

small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, photography, garden, arizona, gbbd, garden bloggers bloom day, january, flowers, rose, english rose, william shakespeare 2000, david austin — William Shakespeare 2000

small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, photography, garden, arizona, gbbd, garden bloggers bloom day, january, flowers, rose, hybrid tea, sterling silver, fragrant — Sterling Silver

small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, photography, garden, arizona, gbbd, garden bloggers bloom day, january, flowers, rose, miniature, — unidentified J&P miniature

About the only annuals giving color in the garden now are a couple of pelargoniums. Despite their tendency to look a bit weather-beaten, and perhaps because of their unsophisticated exuberance of color, I love the standard hortatum types.

small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, photography, garden, arizona, gbbd, garden bloggers bloom day, january, flowers, pelargonium, geranium, hortatum

small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, photography, garden, arizona, gbbd, garden bloggers bloom day, january, flowers, pelargonium, hortatum, geranium

It's a lovely time for Salvias, despite the fact that they've not quite made up for a slow start. Our very dry summer and warm autumn slowed them down quite a bit, I think. Nevertheless, clockwise from upper left: Salvia greggi, Salvia "Summer Jewels" sic, Salvia greggi "Autumn Moon", and Salvia farinacea.

There are lavenders...

small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, photography, garden, arizona, gbbd, garden bloggers bloom day, january, flowers, lavandula, dentata, lavender — Lavandula dentata

small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, photography, garden, arizona, gbbd, garden bloggers bloom day, january, flowers, lavender, lavandula, goodwins creek gray — Lavandula x "Goodwin's Creek Gray"

...and lantanas: a white variety and "Denver Red".

I am excited about some newcomers: Aloe "Firebird", just planted; Narcissus "Autumn Colors", opening blooms in various spots in the East Border; and Limonium perezii, planted last autumn and now blooming for the first time. The Limonium became a must-have since I have often admired it on Kris's blog!

small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, photography, garden, arizona, gbbd, garden bloggers bloom day, january, flowers, aloe, firebird — Aloe "Firebird"

small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, photography, garden, arizona, gbbd, garden bloggers bloom day, january, flowers, narcissus, autumn colors, bill the bulb baron — Narcissus "Autumn Colors"

small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, photography, garden, arizona, gbbd, garden bloggers bloom day, january, flowers, limonium perezii — Limonium perezii

And finally, as I was getting the pictures for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, someone else arrived in the garden. And for once I had my camera handy at the right time, and our little jewel on wings was not overly shy!

Happy GBBD!

small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, photography, garden, arizona, gbbd, garden bloggers bloom day, january, flowers, hummingbird, costas, calypte costae, lavender — Costa's Hummingbird (Calypte costae) and Lavender "Goodwin's Creek Gray"

Weather Diary: Sunny; High: 60 F (16 C)/Low: 48 F (9 C); Humidity: 55%-100%

Previous Post: The Rosewood Tree in January

Next Post: In a Vase: Winter Simplicity

Tags: rose, miniature, Salvia, SterlingSilver, eremophila, gbbd, Hamelia, Oenothera, lantana, williamshakespeare, Lavandula, MisterLincoln, Senna, Limonium, Narcissus, winter2016/2017

Comments: 10 (Discussion closed)

#1
Kris P (Monday, 16 January 2017 20:49)

Your closing shot of the hummingbird and the lavender is magical, Amy! The combination of winter temperatures and rain has done marvelous things for your garden. By comparison, I've had just a couple of sorry blooms on my roses and my Gaura and Cuphea vermillionaire are both bloom-less at the moment.
#2
Amy@smallsunnygarden (Tuesday, 17 January 2017 02:04)

Kris - I'm quite impressed by your GBBD showing anyway ;-) I wanted to leave some comments on your posts, but for some reason I am no longer signed in and will have to wait till I can take care of that... tech failure... My roses have been few and far between, especially the big DA roses, all winter. I'm hoping this rain and warm winter will coax spring flowers into bloom soon! As for the Gaura, it has a mind of its own about bloom time!
#3
Hollis (Tuesday, 17 January 2017 10:30)

Wow--the hummingbird with lavender is terrific! (btw I love purple)
#4
Ian Lumsden (Tuesday, 17 January 2017 12:50)

The bright flowers take some beating but that little hummingbird walloped them! Exquisite. And matching flowers too. Goodness.
#5
Amy@smallsunnygarden (Tuesday, 17 January 2017 22:50)

I was so thrilled when I saw that color match, Hollis ;-) I didn't leave till he did, and I took pictures the whole time...!
#6
Amy@smallsunnygarden (Tuesday, 17 January 2017 23:06)

Ian - Yes, those hummingbirds take precedence of just about everything in the garden. I fight a tendency to grow nothing but tubular scarlet flowers to please them... so it was doubly wonderful to find him on the lavender!
#7
Diana Studer (Wednesday, 18 January 2017 15:37)

10 out of 10 for death by purple.
What a wonderful moment to capture!
#8
Amy@smallsunnygarden (Wednesday, 18 January 2017 18:10)

Big smiles, Diana - so glad you like it! There will be more as soon as I can put the post up; the polite little fellow stayed long enough for me to get some fair shots...
#9
Annie_h (Sunday, 22 January 2017 10:55)

So lovely too look through these pictures and see these beautiful blooms when its so cold over here in the UK where I am. I love the photo of the Gaura and Lavender against that dark grey sky. Very atmospheric!
#10
Amy@smallsunnygarden (Tuesday, 24 January 2017 10:55)

Annie - So sorry I missed your comment here for awhile! And glad to share some winter flowers, as of course I find the UK gardens so refreshing during our difficult summer months!