Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - December 2011

Welcome to Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day for December 2011.

Here in my USDA Hardiness Zone 5b garden in central Indiana, I'd expect by now to have a scene like this one from December 2010, when there was snow on the ground and the temperatures were consistently below freezing.

But as they say, that was then and this is now and nothing is ever the same, even though from year to to year we think it is.

There are always differences. Sometimes the differences are slight and you don't notice them, like a little leaf that falls from a tree onto the lawn.  Sometimes the differences are so big they smack you in the face, like a low hanging limb across a garden path, so there is no way not to notice them.

This year is quite different from last year, like that low hanging limb. It's been warmer all month, except for a day or two, and we've had no measurable snow fall. Yesterday, temperatures were in the high 50's and then it rained.

But regardless of the weather or maybe because of the weather, I have a new plant that actually, truly is blooming outside in December. I'm pretty excited about it.

May I introduce you to the one and only bloom that I can find in my garden in December?

Helleborus niger 'Josef Lemper'

Commonly called the Christmas Rose, this is Helleborus niger 'Josef Lemper'.

I just planted it this fall, so it is still a young 'un but it has several buds on it.

According to Skagit Gardens, who sent me this plant to try in my garden, it is hardy to Zone 4 and blooms from December through February. By the way, it looks droopy in the picture only because when I had an opportunity to photograph it in daylight, it was weighed over with a heavy frost. Normally, it is quite perky for a winter plant.

With this plant in my garden, I may finally, actually, fulfill the quote from Elizabeth Lawrence, "We can have blooms nearly every month of the year".

No more will December find me taking pictures of dried up roses and skeletons of flowers gone to seed. No more will January and February find me hunting for flowers only inside. Now I'll have something blooming outside, too.

This hellebore means that winter is now a whole new flowering season with new possibilities, at least in my garden.

What about your garden? Are you snow covered or still enjoying outdoor blooms?

Whatever your circumstances and however your garden looks during these December days, I hope you’ll join us for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day this month.

All are welcome!

It's easy to participate. Just post on your blog about what is blooming in your garden on the 15th of the month and then leave a link in the ‘Mr. Linky’ widget below, plus a comment to give us a hint as to what we might find in your garden in December.

“We can have flowers nearly every month of the year.” – Elizabeth Lawrence

Update December 16.

Thank you to all who participated in bloom day. You all help make the 15th of the month a special day. You also help show that December has more blooms than many of us thought.

My hellebore turns out to be much prettier and sturdier and photogenic than I ever thought, especially today. Here's an updated picture.

Helleborus niger 'Josef Lemper'

Thank you again to all who join in every month for bloom day.