Saturday, February 15, 2020

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day & Foliage Follow-Up February 2020: Winter Blooms & Views!

February Garden
Welcome to another Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day and Foliage Follow-Up for the month of February. With one of the mildest winters on record here in the northeast, Hellebores are in full bloom and perennials are starting to show their presence. According to the words of Dali Lama, "Just one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day." This quote is so true, as one of the first things I do each morning is gaze upon my garden, which brings me great joy. As winter winds down with promises of a not too distant spring, come along and see what my Long Island garden has to offer!
Hellebore 'Shooting Star'
The first stop is to view the glorious blooms of Hellebore 'Shooting Star'. This is one of the best garden investments I have made over the years, so that I could see blooms in winter, and this perennial gets the job done. When not flowering, the foliage stays evergreen on the northern side of the property, which is another plus.
Evergreens and Hellebores!
Here is a wider view the the Hellebores in front of a border of evergreens and flowering shrubs. There are three Hellebore plants in this location, supplying plenty of buds and blooms from January to March!
Welcoming Committee
Along to the western side of the property, my frequent visitors will probably recall the story of how my husband surprised me with this irresistible garden statue last winter. I love seeing it right outside the back door each morning and its amazing how something so simple can make one smile!
Welcomed Guests
During the winter months, bird visitors are always welcomed in the garden, and these House Sparrows love the Weeping Pussy Willow tree by the back patio. It is a favorite nesting place, especially in spring.

Winter Berries on Nellie Stevens Holly
As we move along to the back garden, Nellie Stevens Holly berries are nice and plump for  the winter months and Dwarf Cryptomeria (Cryptomeria japonica 'Globosa Nana'shows its golden-bronzed winter foliage.
Cryptomeria japonica 'Globosa Nana' 
In the foreground, this garden kitty has a special meaning. It was a gift from my mom many years ago and it brings back fond memories of her each time I pass it by. 
Garden Gal
This statue of Garden Gal has also been around for many years as she continues to delight visitors with her basket of Mondo Grass. Wanting to give a different perspective, this is the view from the northeastern side of the property. Euonymus 'Emerald Gaiety' is in the foreground and the large piece of moss rock was added last summer to add a little dimension to the garden.
Blue Globe Spruce
Being a huge fan of evergreens of different shapes and colors, one of my favorite additions is this Globe Blue Spruce, which displays its brilliant blue-green foliage all year round and grows to a compact 2-3 feet in height and width. Here is a close up view of its interesting needles.
Weeping Japanese Maple
Wintertime doesn't mean there can't be interest. This eight foot tall Weeping Japanese Maple displays its twisted trunk during the colder months when its foliage is absent.
Signs of Spring to Come!
In the southern exposure garden there are some early signs of spring as Sedum 'Brilliant' rosettes start to make their presence known...
Hyacinth Buds in February!
and the Hyancinths are emerging! As I had mentioned at the beginning of this post, this has been one of the mildest winters on record...with the exception of yesterday and today with temperatures not getting above freezing. Nonetheless, the spring bulbs are confused and quickly rising up out of the soil for their spring debut. But wait...it's way too early!
Front Walkway
Once in a while the skies darken as a brief passing shower changes the lighting along the front walkway. The beauty of a virtual tour is that I get to share this with you, even though it happened a couple of days ago. 
Winter View
Along the front, Skylands Golden Oriental Spruce and Coral Bark Maple 'Sangu Kaku' continue to display their evergreen foliage and coral-red bark, which the colder temperatures make more prominent...and indoors the mature Jade plant produces a rare treat!
Indoor Blooms on Jade Plant!
This Jade plant is approximately thirty years old and produces white star-like blooms during the winter months when conditions are right. The secret: This plant is in a southwestern window in full sun. The lower nighttime temperatures in the room during winter combined with increasing hours of daylight in February triggers the blooms. The plant itself is 3.5 feet tall by 2.3 feet wide. I have propagated many plants from cuttings over the years. Propagation is simple...cut off a section of stem approximately 3-4 inches in length and allow it to cure for one to two days. Moisten the cut end and dip into rooting medium, place into a light soil mix and water. The new plant will root in approximately two to three weeks. I water my plants every two weeks, allowing the soil to dry out in between.
February Garden
Thank you for visiting and I hope you enjoyed your tour of my February garden! Special thanks go out to our hostess Carol at May Dreams Gardens, who makes it possible to see blooms on the 15th of every month with her meme Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Also, special thanks to Pam Penick at Digging who has hosted Foliage Follow-Up for all these years, a meme I will still continue to honor. I am also linking with some other wonderful hosts and hostesses at Floral Friday FotosMacro Monday 2, Mosaic Monday at Letting Go of the Bay Leaf, Nature Notes at Rambling WoodsDishing It & Digging It on Sunday with Angie the Freckled Rose, Image-in-ing weekly photo share every Tuesday with NC Sue and Gardens Galore Link Up Party every other Monday with Everyday Living. I am also happy to join the Homestead Blog Hop  and Weekly Photo Link-Up at My Corner of the World on Wednesdays.
   
      Looking for some winter reading?-Visit my Author Page

Author: Lee@A Guide to Northeastern Gardening,© Copyright 2010-2020. All rights reserved.

45 comments:

  1. Good morning (it is in Holland),
    It's great to see what happens in your garden at this time of the year. Also in Holland no wintertemperatures but mild and stormy weather.
    Have a wonderful day.

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    1. Good morning Marijke! Your roses are so beautiful and I can see why you love them so. Thank you for stopping by my blog. It's always nice to meet another gardener!

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  2. Your 'Welcoming Committee' is so sweet, Lee.
    Love hellebore, they really show us that spring is coming. Your 30-years Jade plant surprised me. Never thought it can have flowers that look pretty. Do they have fragrance? My clivia is in bloom too.

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    1. Thank you Nadezda! Your Clivia blooms are so beautiful and I also love your photo of the sweet bird. I had a Clivia plant for the longest time and enjoyed it so. Maybe it's time for a new one. The Jade blooms do have a mild sweet smell and last for a long time, so I get lots of enjoyment from them. Keep enjoying your beautiful blooms and keep thinking spring!

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    1. Thank you! Your beautiful roses and porcelain couples are perfect and I love the poem. It is the perfect intro to a perfect post! It's always a pleasure to stop by for a visit and perhaps have some virtual tea!

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  4. Your winter garden has beautiful bones, Lee. I especially admire the pussywillow, which isn't something I have much chance of growing successfully in my part of the country. We share a Japanese maple and hellebores. The latter are off to an early start in my garden this year too.

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    1. Thank you Kris. It is always a pleasure to visit your garden, especially in February when we will have to wait another three months to get all those beautiful blooms! I especially love the color on the Ceanothus arboreous 'Cliff Schmidt', which really caught my eye. Thanks for the pick up on this 47 degree winters day!

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  5. Those landscapes are lovely and lush green ,are treat to eyes.That bloom on jade plant is new to me.Happy blogger blooms day.

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    1. Happy Bloom Day Arun! Thank you for sharing your lovely photos. I always enjoy visiting your garden, especially in the wintertime to see what's blooming!

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  6. How very lovely!! Even in winter there is beauty to be found in the garden if you look! Thank you and have a wonderful week!

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    1. I am so glad you enjoyed the views Cathy. I enjoyed your post. It is always interesting to learn the historical background behind these older churches. Enjoy your retreat.

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  7. A lovely garden and a funny welcome by the frogs .
    Happy MosaicMonday

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    1. Thank you Erica. I enjoyed the visit to your blog with the poems and your lovely photos. Glad you got through the storm safely.

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  8. Love the garden statues and the Japanese weeping maple. I have this thing about trees, the bigger and more twisted the more they fascinate me.
    Dawn aka Spatulas On Parade

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    1. I am glad you enjoyed the views Dawn. I loved your adorable mosaics!

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  9. Gorgeous shadow photos.
    Happy Sunday

    Much🕺🏽💃🏽🕺🏽love

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  10. you've really developed a 12-month garden of beauty

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    1. Thank you so much Carol! That really means a lot. I love your tropical Hibiscus. The color is striking! Here on Long Island we grow them outdoors in summer and bring them inside for the winter months. It's nice that you can have them outside all year long.

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    1. Thank you Endah. I enjoyed your post. It's nice when certain flowers bring back childhood memories.

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  12. Wonderful photos, I love the statues!

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    1. Thank you Rita. I loved your collage with all the shades of green!

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  13. Hello, beautiful tour of your garden. I love the helebores and the cute statues. The maple tree is lovely. Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy new week ahead!

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    1. Your winter views are breathtaking Eileen. Thank you for stopping by and for your kind words. Have a great week!

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    1. Thank you Gillena. Funny, our paths have crossed twice in one week! Happy Mosaic Monday and have a great week too!

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    1. Thank you Suzy! I enjoyed your photos of the lavender fields. We have a lavender farm here on Long Island which I hope to visit one day.

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  16. Your photos have made a beautiful mosaic! Love the Blue Spruce and twisty trees! The little birds are neat to see too. Everything looks very different from where I live! Enjoy your evening!

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    1. Thank you Diane! I always enjoy what one can run into during a hike. Your photos were amazing!

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  17. Love seeing all the spring plants sprouting. Things are happening fast here in Arizona, but I'm sure when I get home to British Columbia at the end of the month there won't be much action yet. - Margy

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    1. It's starting to look a little like spring around here, but March is usually unpredictable. Hoping that the milder temperatures continue!

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  18. It is amazing to see so much blooming there already! The hellebores are beautiful. I hope a cold front doesn't cause a freeze in your area and hurt all the early bloomers. Your frog statues made me smile!

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    1. Hi Pat, I am hoping the same thing. Last year it got awfully cold in March and April. I couldn't get over your winter views...looks like a winter wonderland!

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  19. Lee - so glad to see you return to Mosaic Monday! We are under a lot of snow at the moment, and I spent the day skiing at our local resort! So, it is surprising to see your spring growth … I am looking forward to it, but I know that is still a long way off!!!

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    1. Thank you for hosting Angie. I enjoyed your sweet post! Have a wonderful week!

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  20. Thank you. I am glad you enjoyed them! I am enjoying your interesting and informative posts!

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  21. I'm loving everything about your garden! The colors and the decorations are so great to see :)


    Feel free to share at My Corner of the World

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    1. Thank you so much Betty! You made my day! Thanks for hosting too. I always enjoy the visit!

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  22. Love the beautiful landscapes. It certainly is starting to look like spring!

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    1. Thank you Veronica and thank you for visiting. Some days feel like spring and it's only a short time away! Have a great week.

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  23. Your early February garden is stunning, Lee. And such beautiful hellebores. As you know, I envy your zonal status giving you a longer blooming season than I have here. My hellebore buds are getting fat but wont bloom for a month or more. It has been a mild winter so far, however. Spring, my favorite season, is in the air. P. x

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    1. Thank you Pam for your kind words. I loved visiting your garden and reading your story. Signs of spring are evident in your photos but I agree it can't get here soon enough! I have been outside on the milder days pulling weeds from the garden and accessing what needs to be done in the spring, which really gets one into contemplating "full speed ahead!" Speaking of spring, high winds arrived overnight and the temperatures plummeted, so hopefully it's just temporary!

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Thank you for visiting. I love reading your comments and knowing you have been here, and will try to reciprocate on your blog. If you have any questions I will try my very best to answer them. As always...HAPPY GARDENING!