What is blooming in your garden now?

I can't believe how many things have a bloom or two.

That was snapdragons.
Well, this is my Bird of Paradise in my dining room, but it looks great1

Iberis.

Hebe I can't recall which species.

Potentilla neumanniana is just getting started blooming. They are so tiny it's hard to photograph them on a cell phone.

Skimmia japonica.

Choisya ternata "Sundance" in dry shade. Not blooming I know but it is fabulous. Much nicer than the one that gets sun.

Libertia ixiodes "Goldfinger"- also not blooming. It is much more orange than the photo captures, and really looks bright next to all the green.

MLM, nice pictures! I will have to go out and look. My helleborus should have a few blossoms coming! Hope you had a great holiday season.

Nice to see sunshine and color. Hasn't this weather been great. A rare December indeed!

Yes, just fantastic. Not so good for skiing. Off to look over the gardens for color.

I finished raking the front yard today and was looking at a flowerbed to clean next. By gosh there was a hellebore blossom just out a few inches. Pink so far. I have my camera and batteries but no cord to put the pictures into the computer. Will have to ask someone about how to replace it. I also have one dandelion blooming. ^)^

I've seen a couple robins in my cherry tree - early for them this year.

I have tons of robins also. And crows. The man across the street feeds them every morning. I also have a pair of jays. They are pale blue with white and black markings. Couldn't believe it when I first saw them. They are here most every day.

Witch Hazel The smell is heavenly!!

Ooohhhhh, I love that witch hazel!!! What kind is it?

I'm not sure. It is so old, planted 30 years ago from my Dad.

My winter jasmine is brightening up a corner for me.

Does anyone know what the flocks of noisy birds are that sit in the tops of trees then swoop around together, landing on the ground and pecking around for a bit, then swooping back up in the air in undulating patterns, then return to the trees? They won't stay still long enough for me to focus on them with my binocs. Kind of smallish, brownish. The whole bunch chirps a lot when they are in the trees. At my place they favor cottonwoods, which are my tallest trees.

BH
I think they are starlings. I have them here and they just swoop in and clean out all my feeders. Thugs!!

I think they are too small to be starlings, although it could be. They won't stay still long enough for me to figure out what they are. They also look more brownish and starlings are usually so irredescent. They do have a pretty song, and that fits with starlings. I'll keep trying to focus in with my binocs.

That winter jasmine is beautiful. One thing I like about living here is I have seagulls. Always had those where I grew up. I have flocks of what I think are wrens that flit around like that. They are busy, busy, busy.

SC, I think you are right and they are starlings. Whenever they flock to the top of the tree, they are so backlit I can't make out much detail, but they do have long pointy beaks. I also went online and watched some videos of massive starlings flocking in England - very similar to what I'm seeing. Impressive flying, beautiful coloring, pretty songs....but sure wish they'd all fly back to Europe.

Yes, back to England!! The smaller birds will not come when those guys are there. I may have to buy some smaller wire to put around the feeders. They keep telling their friends and family to come to the free meal.

I have fuschia, primroses, snapdragons, osteospermum, hellebore, and dianthus in bloom. A very strange winter, indeed. I just planted onions, leeks, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, parsley and lettuce under cover yesterday. So nice to see the sun in January. Tulips started coming up in late November, and are about an inch tall now. Weird!!!!

A pretty little viburnum, which smells heavenly.

Boy, you are way ahead of us, Deb.

Those flocking birds finally landed all in my front yard, and yes, they are the dreaded starlings. Already fighting over nesting spots. I don't have problems with them at my feeders, but they sure make a mess in our barn. The ceiling insulation appears to be their favorite nesting material or site -- we end up with big dripping gobs on unsightly fiberglass on everything. Wretched creatures.

DH and I had fish and chips yesterday for lunch. I threw all the leftover fries out in the backyard and they were gone in fifteen minutes. Crows, starlings, jays and sparrows. Got pictures of the house and ordered a cord so I will soon start a thread for the yard. We are having that very large deodora cedar taken down on Monday. Should be interesting.

Willowwind,
Looking foward to your pictures. We have snow! About 2 inches and maybe more to night.

Wow, SC. We have only a trace of what fell last night. Maybe we'll get some over night. I do like a nice snowfall. Makes me smile.

We had a tiny trace this morn which soon melted into a sunny day. I also love the snow, but stocked up so I wouldn't have to drive in it.

I went to work today to get ready for Tuesday in case I can't get in safely until the last minute, and ended up driving home in a shower of funny snow pellets. Luckily the cloud hadn't yet moved over the hill on my road, so getting through the last stretch was okay.

Celebration for me tonight. I completed my fourth on-line course, exam and paper e-mailed in by the 10:00 deadline. Hooray!

Good for you! Another step closer to the finish! Must feel great!

Congratulations mauryhillfarm. Good job. We had snow today for about two hours. Didn't accumulate a lot and soon melted.

Thanks. I only have a little more than one more year to go.
We have a funny patchwork of snow on the island. Some places got a few inches, others closer to the water have only a dusting.

I've cleared 3-4 inches of snow off the car 3 times now. The snow collapsed one of my cloches, but the other one stands proud. No driving out here at all.

My witch hazel has finished blooming. Not much going on in my yard yet. I'm kind of surprised that the daffodils haven't bloomed yet. It's a very cold day today. But the crocuses look good.

Close-up of a crocus.

Two of my favorite primroses.