This time of the year, I go outside as little as possible. I don't like being damp and cold and that's just what it is. We've had a couple good snowstorms and temperatures below 0° (F). We also set some new record highs just recently, but the previous cold weather was enough to kill off perennial foliage and flowers, save for a hellebore here and a primrose there.
You would think.
As I walked past the flower bed on the east side of the family room while I was out helping Romie install a new bird feeder, a spot of color caught my eye. What I saw just shocked me. The English Daisies (Bellis perennis) that I'd planted by seed last spring were blooming. And it wasn't just one freaky bloom...
...there was a second...
...and a third!
And if you look closely, there is yet another one forming. This is the same plant that I'd earlier complained didn't make it through the winter the year before, so you can imagine my surprise at finding blooms in mid-January.
Plants are sort of like kids sometimes - they'll make liars out of you. I may have said before that English Daisies won't survive zone 5 winters, but here's photographic proof that they're doing a darn good job of it this winter!
"Bejeweled"
15 comments:
Well, the cheeky little things! They're pretty brazen, flowering in January. Like you, I find them iffy here, and I didn't think to look for the plants when I was outside mulching this afternoon. I did smile at my hepatica, and epimedium, and the heaths and heathers looked great before I tucked their blanket of hay around them. I don't mulch everything, just the newer or more iffy plants and the conifer garden where the ericas and callunas are because they catch all the wild wind, otherwise. Snow is expected here tomorrow so this is good timing.
Wow! What wonderful January blooms! I'm glad you ventured outside to see them.
What a wonderful surprise. I bet your heart went pitty patter. Mine sure would if I found something actually blooming in my garden right now. :)
Kylee: Oh the joys of gardening. Surprises, color and flowers defying the elements. I love it! Those daisies must have woken up in your spurt of warm weather... it doesn't take much for the hardy does it?
I hope they make it through the cold snap that is coming this week. What a wonderful sight to see in January! :-D
Jodi ~ It's snowing here now. Just a nice, pretty, slow snow. One of my heathers is just most luscious shade of red right now. I wish I had more of it! I've got epimediums that look green and one that looks brown. I hope that's not a bad sign for it...
Robin ~ I'm glad too, Robin! Even though it's snowing right now, I think I'll go out and see how they're doing.
Lisa ~ Oh, it did! It's amazing how a little fuschia flower can just make your day that way!
Meems ~ I love surprises like this! But this one isn't all that hardy! I wish I'd paid more attention to them before we had the warm weather. I kind of doubt it had a whole lot to do with this, though. I mean, we've had enough cold nasty weather prior to that that those things should have been long dormant or even dead. Oh well!
Mamma Sarah ~ They've already made it through some very cold nasty weather, so I doubt this new cold air will bother them a whole lot. It will be interesting to see how they fare!
That is so cool! We grow just a few flowers to attract bees and other nice bugs to the veg garden, but your blog always makes me want to grow more! I'm putting these on our seed list--they look just awesome.
You would not be seeing those daisies flowering so early here in England. Such a pretty sight for this time of year.
Nancy ~ Exactly. A gift for sure!
Meg ~ An enabler? Me? Bwaaahaaaahaaaaaa!!!
Barbara ~ I would have said the same thing, Barbara. We are in zone FIVE and believe me, this is very abnormal! They're my new favorite flower. LOL.
Amazing! Persistent, indeed. Your new favorite flower? Ha!....that sounds like me. Since the word favorite infers only one, I keep changing favorites. :-)
What a nice surprise, Kylee - and if the snow stays light, you'll have something pretty in the garden for Blooming Day tomorrow, right?
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Oh my goodness what a serendipitous surprise for you, Kylee! And such a lovely color to be peeking its head out among the mulch during this otherwise bleak time of year in the garden. I love how equate plants with children because they'll make liars out of you. This one certainly has, hasn't it?
Cindy at Rosehaven Cottage
The flower's revenge! It must have heard your plans and decided to act quickly!
Katie at GardenPunks
WOW! That's amazing--I would have said that they wouldn't overwinter in my zone, let alone yours! Congrats! :)
English daisies die here in summer's heat; do you get lake effect cooling in summer? I'm jealous.
Don
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