The forsythia is blooming like crazy around here. It often blooms during a warm spell in winter, but I am still surprised to see it in mid-January. -Ais.

My honeysuckle is blooming, my Bradford Pears have buds and there is a pretty varigated bush with pink blooms by my driveway. Not sure what bush it is, need to find it's ID. link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:555374}}

That's a Daphne odora 'Aureomarginata'. When the buds open, the fragrance is positively divine.

that is one beautiful plant!

A good third of my winter sown seeds started sprouting because of the few days we had in the 70's here in Summerville last week. Had to bring them into the greenhouse, silly plants! Didn't count on having to pot things up until March. Oh well, now I have a really big jump on spring! lol

X

guess i'm really glad i'm behind on wintersowing!! my cornus mas look like they're ready to bloom. tammy

That daphne is one beautiful plant. I keep saying I'm going to get one but haven't yet.

Oh thank you! Daphne. I'll go research it. So glad it had a name. It is so pretty.

it'll break your heart. it's gorgeous, and smells like heaven, but just when it gets to a nice size and you think you've gotten through the worst time, it'll up and die in a matter of a few weeks. they are known for doing this. i lost my 3' shrub last spring after enjoying it for 8 yrs. i've only seen 2 in 2 different gardens that survived longer(out of talking to many people about them). i love it b/c it usually blooms on or near my birthday. i'd found an all white variety at home depot shortly before my old one died and planted it about 10' down in the same bed. we'll see how it does. it's got some weird witch's broom thing going on on some of the branch ends. some of those died and the newer growth looks normal. very strange- it had it when i got it. it's the only pure white version i'd seen, and was the only one left so i grabbed it & took a chance. i replaced the old one with an edgeworthia. if you do lose one don't replant in the same spot with another daphne- it's some type of fungal thing, and it will just reinfect the new plant.

if you watch you can get them fairly reasonable(for daphne) at home depot and lowe's. they are expensive shrubs, because they grow very slowly. watch in another mo or so and you may be able to pick one up on clearance. for that fragrance and look i'll always have one somewhere, i'll just plan to plant one every 4 or 5 yrs so i always have it going. i have a friend who i snagged one of the other clearance ones for and she's keeping hers in a large pot(they have to have good drainage). definitely get one- just don't feel bad if you get one and it dies. tammy

My variegated lacecap hydrangea is leafing out, despite pile of leaves on top - guess no blooms this year. :-(

Yeah, my stupid hydrangeas are leafing out too. We'll just have to wait and see... -Ais.

Ais, Reading your note made me think - yes - stupid - that's exactly what they are to leaf out in January - stupid. So I went right out and called them that and felt strangely better. Maybe it's this head cold or the head cold medicine. Anyway, this weather today did allow me to get a new hardware cloth compost barrel built, another seed tray started in the greenhouse, two camellias planted, and 4 more wintersowing bottles done.

I have a mini rose bush that is leafing out. I checked just a week ago and they were all had some tiny leaves, but today this one is halfway covered with them, and quite large leaves too! These were cheap $3 mini roses that I got at Home Depot in 4" pots last year and they grew to over a foot each and bloomed nonstop up until that ice storm we had. Actually, I had frozen roses when that hit, it was gorgeous...wish I had a digital camera, need to press hubby on that.

My hydrangea is not waking up yet, but I did scratch her on the surface to make sure she's still green. Guess she's one of the smart ones. All my bulbs of course are up, and after the rain they came right up through the extra thick layer of leaves I have over them. Guess there's nothing to be done but hope and pray for no more freezing weather.

What does the almanac say about the weather this winter?

June-u-ary. Insane.

I'm in virtual zone 9b so far this winter!
Of course last year we had warm Dec & Jan, but the coldest Mar and Apr I can recall.

I don't think my fruit trees will be happy about the lack of chill.

warm weather....just spent today cultivating and weeding in the veggie and herb garden. I plan to plant a little spinach, lettuce, and onion in the next week or so to see how it goes. Usually I wait until St. Patrick's Day, but then that one seed planting guide suggested Feb 1 so I'll test drive a few seeds and "stagger" the plannings.

I'm kinda bummed about all this. I've waited since Spring '05 to order my first Peonies and was looking forward to seeing them this Spring, but since their foliage has sprouted a good 12 inches, I've heard they most likely won't bloom this year after the foliage is killed by the freezes. I know they're young & might not have bloomed this year anyway, but I would have liked to see them have the chance.

Other than those, I have Hyacinths, Daffs & Phlox that are spouting now. I can't recall ever seeing an awakening this early before. Seeing things start up outside makes me feel like I should be starting my seeds indoors already, but it's still too early. I get to start in a month....yippee!!

where-
you could always put some protection over them if a freeze is predicted. the blooms are so worth the effort :)
marsha

crazy weather indeed - I have clematis that is sending up new shoots from the ground. My first year wintersowing and at least 75% of the 100+ containers have sprouted - some getting the first set of true leaves. Saw 2 grasshoppers, frogs are active in the pond, the cameleons are out - just nutso. I really have to slap my hands to keep them from pulling too much mulch away and doing a 'spring' clean-up...

Lynne

The Japanese apricots have exploded. Interestingly, they are late - usually bloom mid-January for me. Guess they waited for cold weather, then got tired of waiting. (I have lots of 1-ft seedlings for the swap - silly little things are trying to bloom too.)

Daffodils, hyacinths, and hydrangea all think it's spring. Half of my winter-sowed seeds have sprouted. I'm going to be VERY busy! My sister said the last time we had weather like this there was a blizzard in March!

"X",

Winter Sown plants are hardy. The seedlings don't need to be brought in out of the cold. They will do just fine. It is much colder here and every year my larksurs, bachelor buttons and other hardy annuals come up and winter thru until spring, as well as my perennial seedlings that self-sow. I have parsley, feverfew and sweet annie up right now and hollyhocks.

Tender Annuals should not be sown until late winter or early spring. The cold will get them. But the hardy types do just fine.

So don't put them inside. That's the whole point of winter sowing plants that are hardy, so you don't have to baby them along and won't have to mess with hardening them off come planting time in Spring.

~SweetAnnie4u