December 2025 Bloom Day

 

Streptocarpus 'Wow'

It's the 15th of December, Bloom Day for garden bloggers, when we show what is blooming in our gardens, hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Garden blog. There is nothing in my USDA Zone 6B garden in Virginia in bloom--in fact, yesterday we woke up to a thin dusting of snow outside and it's bitter cold today--16 degrees!

 

Streptocarpus 'Wow'

 You can see the expansion of Herb's bed very clearly in this shot taken from my studio's window, with the path not quite finished. That'll have to wait until warmer weather comes around.

 

Back yard on the morning of Dec. 14.

 

My Thanksgiving cactus was full of flowers a couple of weeks ago, but those have dropped off and new buds probably won't open for another couple of weeks.

 

Thanksgiving cactus in November.

There are a few blooms around in my indoor garden: a couple of orchids, a Streptocarpus and an Episcia. Two of m orchids are blooming, the Oncidium hybrid just barely--three little flowers.

 

Pink Phalaenopsis orchid

Oncidium hybrid orchid

The Episcia hangs down over the two-story foyer along with a pothos vine.

 

Episcia on balcony over the foyer

Looking down at the foyer.

My foyer garden offers a refuge from the wintry conditions outside for both my plants and my spirits. On a sunny day it's lovely to be surrounded by these!

 

Lower level of foyer

 

I've still to find an affordable Helleborus niger for my garden, a plant that might bloom at this time of the year outdoors. Still looking, though. 

May your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmases be white!

December 2024 Bloom Day

Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata hybrid)

It's an icy and snowy afternoon outside in my Zone 6B Virginia garden on this December Bloom Day, hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams blog. There is not a living blossom to be found out there! And not much in my indoor garden either. Above is what my Thanksgiving cactus looked like earlier in the week when it was sunny, but by today, most of the blossoms have fallen off and only a few buds remain.

Still, the winter season has its own beauty, and this corner of my yard with this combination of the 'Goshiki' Osmanthus with my 'Nelly Stevens' holly full of berries and the dried flower heads of Hydrangea are very attractive if you overlook the deer barriers. It's too cold and miserable out there to take many photos.

 

Goshiki osmanthus with 'Nelly Stevens' holly

The back yard from the deck

 

My funky bonsai collection is still outside on the deck, but I should move it into the garage soon for their winter home, where they'll be safer from the elements.

 

 

The large old Bearss lime tree is putting out lots of blossoms and setting fruit, but the rest of my houseplants seem to have gone on strike.  Usually I have at least one orchid sporting flower buds at this time of the year, but last summer I separated two of my most overgrown ones and gave the orchids to my sisters. The leftover plants will need another season of growth before they can produce any blooms.

Bearss lime blossoms.

One of my 'Optimara' African violets has a few blooms, but sadly, it's riddled with mealy bugs, despite having been sprayed with insecticidal soap just a couple of weeks ago. I tossed a bunch of my African violets in the fall because of the severe infestation, but I hate to toss the few plants I've left--I've kept these 'Optimara' varieties growing for over thirty years by taking cuttings!

I don't even know if Optimaras are produced much in the horticultural trade any more--I don't see them being offered in nurseries or catalogs. I may have to try some biological controls like insect predators for mealy bugs. If anyone has tried this on indoor plants, I'd be curious to know what results you obtained, please comment.

 

'Optimara' African violet

That's it for this December Bloom Day...soon the winter Solstice will arrive and the days will start to get longer once again, while I dream of spring.