Garden Bloggers Bloom Day -- January 2017

My first Garden Bloggers Bloom Day of 2017 finds me with very few blooms. There are probably some Mahonia flowers out there in the garden, but it's very cold out there, and I didn't feel like wandering around with the camera. There are only two plants flowering in the greenhouse.

I forget the name of this Alstroemeria, but the foliage at times has a touch of purple

Is this the very last of Pelargonium sidoides? It's been like the Energizer Bunny.

Carol at May Dreams Gardens hosts Garden Bloggers Bloom Day on the 15th of every month. Check out her post here.

Rootin' Tootin' Brugmansia

Before I moved my Brugmansias into the garage for the winter, I cut a few bits and pieces off and tried rooting them. I don't really need any more, as long as the three big ones I have survive the winter in the garage, which they should. They made it fine last year. But in case they don't, it's always good to have a couple of babies coming on. And if I have extras that root successfully, I can always give them away at the spring plant exchange.

Anyway, usually I root them in water first and then transfer them to a pot of soil, but I thought for the sake of experimentation I'd try rooting a couple in water and a couple in soil, to see what happened. Interestingly, I had similar success rates. I started with two of each, and ended up rooting one of each successfully. The other two rotted.

Got that? Two rooted, and two rotted.

Before putting this Brug away for the winter, I cut off this awkwardly placed branch and took some of the small bits and pieces off to root them.

I know this one rooted successfully in soil because it has started producing new leaves. See the leaves on the right that I cut in half? That's all it had originally when I put it in the pot.

Here's the one that rooted in water, it's all potted up in soil now

Brugs are one thing I've had success rooting. I've tried rooting lots of things, but it doesn't always work. I have a few other things in the greenhouse coming on, but not all were successful.

Have you tried rooting cuttings?

Making Tracks

For my Wednesday Vignette I'm sharing a picture taken a few weeks ago of bird tracks in the snow.

Anna at Flutter & Hum hosts Wednesday Vignette. Check out her post here.

Nigel Made Me a Thing

For Christmas Nigel got himself a cool new toy, called a desktop CNC (Computer Numeric Control) machine, or desktop mill. It makes stuff by drilling and cutting away from acrylic, wood, or metal, based on a CAD design on the laptop. The first thing he made was something for me -- this little acrylic plaque. Isn't it the sweetest thing?

I put it on a shelf out in the greenhouse, just in case (according to Nigel) I forget who I am while I'm out there.

Now I'm on the hunt for free clip art that can be adapted to be used with this neat new device.

The New Year Begins With a Pop

We woke this morning, the first day of 2017, to crunchy snow on the ground, and still cold temperatures. We had no plans to go anywhere today, so of course the very first thing I did was get dressed and grab the camera to go out and take photos. We are about to get a string of days with some very cold temps. When I went to bed last night, the coldest they were predicting was 14 degrees Fahrenheit, but now they seem to have raised that to 17. At any rate, this snow might stick around for a while. We'll see.

The front garden in a thin, snowy blanket

Anamanthele lessioniana

Panicum virgatum

Joe Pye Weed

Trachycarpus fortunei

Eucalyptus

Bare Redbud branches limned with snow

After taking pictures of the front garden I popped into the greenhouse for a quick little warm-up and to check on things. I sowed seeds last week and lo and behold! The Calendula has popped!

This is Calendula 'Indian Prince' from Chiltern Seeds, a change from the usual 'Solar Flashback,' which are still self-sowing all around the place. If you follow the link to the Chiltern website, you'll see 'Indian Prince' is a bright orange flower with a red reverse on the petals. I couldn't resist that. And there is one sprout so far of Tithonia 'Goldfinger,' a short orange Tithonia, also from Chiltern.

If you follow my blog or are friends with me on Facebook, you probably know how much I dislike snow. Strangely, I actually felt excited when I saw it this morning. Of course it helped knowing I had nowhere to go.

I sowed seeds last week, realizing they would give me something to look forward to in the new year, but I didn't think they would sprout so quickly, and on New Year's Day at that.

I'm going to consider it an auspicious beginning.