Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - December 2017

Welcome to Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day for December 2017

Here in my USDA Hardiness Zone 6a garden in central Indiana, the Christmas rose, Helleborus niger, is pretty much the only bloom outside.

It looks a little cold in this picture, with tightly closed buds, and a few faded blooms, but I suspect if the sun keeps shining, those buds will open up, as they usually do on sunny days.

The rest of the garden is dormant, waiting for snow, for ice, for winter. I'm not dormant, but staying mostly inside because inside it is nice and warm.

For some reason, this year I've gone a bit of a buying binge with three poinsettias and one cyclamen to add a little cheer for the holidays.

They've done a lot of hybridizing with poinsettias to come up with some nice color combos, like this pink and white one.

And of course, there is all white, too.

And white with red mottling or is that red with white mottling?

Regardless, I like poinsettias as long as they aren't painted or cover with glitter.

I've also decided I like cyclamen as a holiday plant.

I learned from experience though that if you don't keep it watered, it will wilt considerably. But fortunately, it recovers nicely with a big drink of water.

I realize now that I need to pot up some amaryllis bulbs and I have some Lily of the Valley pips that should be arriving today. I'll pot those up and soon enough, have some more blooms, perhaps for January?

Meanwhile, out in the sun room, the Crown of Thorns euphorbia is in bloom.

It's always in bloom, 365 days a year.

What's blooming in your garden as we reach mid-December? We would love to have you join Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day and show us. It's easy to participate. Just post on your blog about the blooms in your garden on the 15th of the month, and the come here to May Dreams Gardens to leave a link in the Mr. Linky widget and a comment to tell us what you've got.

And always remember -- "We can have flowers nearly every month of the year." ~ Elizabeth Lawrence.