Carol of May Dreams Gardens hosts GBBD on the 15th of every month so I am a day ‘late’ in showcasing what is blooming in my garden around the middle of the month.
Although there is still colour and fragrance from winter shrubs, it is the naturalised bulbs that are increasingly beginning to make themselves known, such as the snowdrops in the woodland edge border shown above, which are just beginning their display and supplementing all the special ones in the border nearer the house which are mostly at their peak. Here are just four of them, clockwise from top left Cornwood Gem, Ginn’s Imperati, Walrus and Scharlockii with its split spathes:
I had noticed splashes of colour from Cyclamen coum here and there last week…
…but having inspected my Crocus tommasinianus I was delighted to find that the emerging foliage had now been joined by emerging flowers, completely out of nowhere! These are in planted in the streamside grass but are also in what is now the shrub border but which was previously also grassed. A pleasant surprise indeed!
Also in the shrub border are those clumps of Iris reticulata ‘Katharine Hodgson’ that I showed recently, looking as if they are multiplying nicely:
Although mostly finished, there is still a little colour on some of the witch hazels but especially on Arnold Promise, which is invariably the last to start flowering although mine seemed to be well in advance of other bloggers’ specimens this year:
Fragrance is also still emanating from the sarcococca, unlike the winter flowering honeysuckles which have been a rather a non-entity this year:
There is almost always a primrose flowering somewhere in the garden but they are working up to their peak at the moment, shown here in the woodland:
A few more hellebores are coming into bloom now but most have still not pushed their flower buds out of the soil yet – it certainly seems as if this winter was not at all to their liking.
Aren’t they lovely though? So generous with their blooms and the length of their flowering period, so whenever the rest of them arrive they will have been worth waiting for.
However, I never have to wait long for blooms on my faithful friend ‘Freckles’ which, like the primroses, seems to be bloom all the year round:
Rambling in the Garden 
Your Sharlockii are more advanced than mine, mine are only just starting to show white in bud. It seems to be a good year for Iris reticulata, mine are also multiplying nicely which will encourage me to buy more!
Yes, I am encouraged to buy more reticulata too!
Isn’t it a joy to see some real colour on the ground at long last? Freckles deserves a medal!
And a gold medal at that!
Your garden is way more advanced than mine. So lovely to see all the spring flowers. Such a delight!
The few extra degrees in temperature makes such a difference, even though there’s no feeling of actual warmth yet
Bulbs are such a wonderful addition to the garden, especially at this time of year. Your blooms are delightful! Happy Bloom Day!
Yes, and an encouragent to plant more of course!
It’s all very lovely, especially those snowdrops! Thanks for sharing them with us for bloom day.
You are welcome
Yes, the bulbs deserve a big round of applause. I especially like your Freckles too:^)
😀
While one of my hellebores have bloomed the rest aren’t ready yet either. There isn’t much blooming here. You have a good start to the year. Happy GBBD.
It’s strange how different hellebores have responded this year
Great to see the spring bulbs again – even in February, I think my favorite is the Cyclamen.
Yes indeed, and the cyclamen are like little jewels
Snowdrops and hellebores… 🙂 and cyclamen and the rest of them – all lovely, Cathy! I’m admiring your special snowdrop border; it’s still too early to think about a collector’s border yet here though – telling myself I must get the rest of the basic garden structure in before anything like that!
Thanks Amy. The snowdrop border came about because I wanted to keep my named varieties away from the natives and over time the number of specials grew to become a ‘collection’
Unusual abundance (at least from where I sit) for this time of year.
And yet generally things are rather later this year than in recent years
I have been delighted to find crocuses in my garden, mostly deep purple but one yellow and one lilac, what looks like winter aconites (I may have pulled some of those out thinking they were weeds), some dwarf daffodils and a winter honeysuckle which has been flowering for months. I envy you your sarcococca. Smelled one in a garden last week from quite a distance and boy was it lovely! Almost done a complete year here now, so I don’t think there will be any more surprises. I just hope the tulips I planted do well. Hyacinths are looking good too. I would like more hellebore, the pink and purple ones are lovely and as you say flower for ages.
It must have been an exciting year for you, watching what emerges in your garden – there was very little here when we came. I do hope your tulips do well – will this be the start of their second year? By the way, I accidentally deleted one of the comments you left when I was trying to retrieve it from spam – sorry 😐
First year for tulips! Hopefully some will emerge.
Your garden looks well ahead of ours Cathy, we have had too many wet, dull days. Thankfully the scent from the Sarcococca by the front door is wonderful whatever the weather.
Must check back on the blog, as the actual picture is quite mixed, I think – some things are definitely later but others seem more forward
Such a nice surprise to see these spring flowers in your garden!I cannot wait to seeing mine, but here we are still having a lot of snow!
Sorry about all your snow, Anca – we have only had a very brief light dusting
One can never have too many bulbs – at least I think so! It looks like spring has arrived to where you are. We’re a little behind here in Oregon, this year.
I think you are right about bulbs, Anna
Bulbs can so easily be overlooked when planning a garden but there are so many; something for every month of the year and with so little work. Plus most conveniently disappear when not in flower leaving space for other things. Your garden is full of colour Cathy. Love Freckles!
Yes, and yet I realise I have thought almost exclusively of spring bulbs – needs to be remedied, methinks!
Goodness I forgot all about Bloom day this month. At last things are starting to perform but looking back at last year’ s Bloom day they are not nearly as advanced. Still we now have the pleasure of watching the hellebores opening up day by day. I love all your winter treasures.
Yes, I haven’t actually checked back on last year although I do remember that some hellebores were flowering in December – well, I think I do! I only thought of GBBD when someone else posted…
“Freckles” is very pretty! Ist it fragrant?
I have never noticed a fragrance although others have mentioned it
There is a real sense of promise in the air now the snowdrops and aconites are out. A sure sign of the joys to come.
Yes, that’s a good way of putting it
Looking good Cathy. You’re doing much better with your irises than me. People tell me they just don’t return reliably but today I found a chewed bloom and a new mousehole right next to the clump so I reckon my initial suspicions were correct. They’ve already had most of the crocuses 😦
Just luck with the irises here – and no pesky mice (well, not ones that eat my bulbs anyway!)
lots of lovely blooms Cathy, and I imagine some nice perfumes too, your snowdrop cpllection has grown and making some beautiful little clumps now, I’ve had corms/bulbs spring up from areas I’ve worked over, they seem to survive being disturbs,
there is a book in Stornoway library ‘Bulbs for all seasons’ I have had it on loan several times over the years, it is interesting just how many bulbs, corms etc. there are, many I’d never heard of and some like rhizomes I’d never thought of in that category, Frances
Thanks Frances – I find snowdrops (the common ones) popping up in other parts of the garden, probably from moving soil around. I want to look into more bulbs and rhizomes for other seasons – your library book sounds useful!
My tommies were the same Cathy appearing overnight or so it seemed 🙂 ‘Arnold’ looks such a fine fellow.
It’s odd, as I had been inspecting the leaves regularly – then whoosh! we have flowers 😀
Cathy your garden is packed full of gems. I love primroses and have just purchased some to put along the area where your ferns are.hellebores are so delightful but I agree they are yet to really come through.
Oh I could have sent you some primroses, Dorris – still could, if you would like some more…
Always room for more primroses Cathy. That would be lovely
Your wish is my command, Dorris 😉
That’s exciting thanks x
Oh and Freckles, I am loving that, just need to find a home for one
As well as the seemingly endless blooms it is also evergreen, so perhaps you have something you want to cover or disguise…?
Hmm but needs to be a warm spot
Don’t think so, as mine is on a pergola and open on both sides, facing roughly north and south and has never noticeable suffered from the cold
Oh in that case I’m going to give it a go
Better get one then, will be guided by you!
Your garden is much more progressed than mine. So flawless to see all the spring blooms. Such an enjoyment!..
Thank you – I certainly enjoy it!