Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - January 2016

Helleborus × ballardiae ‘HGC Cinnamon Snow'

Welcome to Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day for January 2016.

Here in my USDA Hardiness Zone 6a garden in central Indiana, the question of whether we would get through the whole winter with no snow or ice has been answered, rather emphatically.

Mother Nature recently slapped us with cold and punched us with some snow and now it appears winter is here and will be here for days on end.

But like a bully who eases up for just a bit to catch his breath, Mother Nature did provide a bit of a warm up today, sending temps back above freezing.  Tomorrow, though, the temps are forecasted to drop again and thus begins the roller coaster called winter.

I dashed outside in the fading light of day and took a picture of what I think is Helleborus × ballardiae ‘HGC Cinnamon Snow', one of the Christmas's roses.  I do like the hints of pink.  I also found one snowdrop, the bud tightly closed, and took a quick look at the Camellias. I won't know until spring if they were harmed by this cold spell or the future cold spells sure to come.

We gardeners are never without flowers, are we? And where we have true winter, most of us keep indoor flowering plants, too.

Indoors, my Lily of the Valley, Convallaria majalis, is blooming.

Convallaria majalis

I first purchased pre-chilled pips for Lily of the Valley a few years ago, and have treated myself to a dozen of them every year since. The pips are quick to grow and provide a nice reminder of spring with every sniff.

The Kalanchoe is also blooming.

Kalanchoe

It grows a bit wild in the sunroom with long, light-seeking stems and no longer resembles the little tuft of leaves and blooms it was when I first got it, part of a foliage arrangement from my mother's funeral four years ago.  I've half neglected it and yet it blooms.

Another plant that blooms in my sunroom every single day, year round, is the Crown of Thorns, Euphorbia milii.

Euphorbia milii

I think the pink variety is the most commonly sold, but a few years ago, I found and purchased one with pale yellow blooms.

Euphorbia milii

I planted them in the same pot and there they happily grow.  If you would like to grow a houseplant that will thrive even when neglected and always has some flowers on it, try Crown of Thorns.  Just remember, it does have a lot thorns, so it isn't quite as huggable as some other plants.

And that's what I have blooming on Garden Blogger's Bloom Day on this cold January day.

Guess what? If you've been joining in for bloom day since the beginning way back in February 2007, you now have an astonishing nine years of bloom day records online.  Yes, I had to count those years several times backwards and forwards to convince myself this meme has been going on for nine years.  '07, '08, '09, '10, '11, '12, '13, '14, '15.

Thank you to each and every blogger who has joined in whether from the very beginning or just last month.  You all make bloom day fun and something I look forward to each month.

Yes, I'm going to continue for the tenth year, starting in February.

Until then, what blooms do you have in January? Are they all indoors? Or do you have blooms outdoors to show us? Indoors or outdoors, we'd love to see them.

It's easy to join in.  Just post on your blog about what's blooming in your garden and then come here and leave a comment to tell us what you have, and put a link to your post on the Mr. Linky widget so we know where to find you.

As always... We can have blooms nearly every month of the year. ~ Elizabeth Lawrence