As close as I can come today is a surprise bloom on a crab cactus - aka Christmas cactus - that lives on the kitchen window sill. I forgot to feed it in September but it had one lone bloom about a month ago. Suddenly this weekend it decided to give me a Valentine's present.
It was a warmish afternoon so I got about an hour in the garden - unfortunately doing fall work deadheading the perennials. The garden is already looking better and I am having to tie my hands to keep from going out and raking off all the winter leaves and debris. I need them in place for a few more weeks - especially since spring seems not to have heard the groundhog's pronouncement.
A few signs of spring are beginning to show up, tho. There are tiny tips of daffodils all over the yard - probably all Tete a' Tete - the mini-daffodil that I love and have planted in nearly every bed. The forsythia and quince have buds and there is a touch of color in the camellia buds. They should have bloomed weeks ago, but have been very stubborn, along with their hellebore neighbors.
Best of all, tho, I see life in the hybrid magnolia tree that I have sheltered for the past two years. It is a variety that is supposed to be wonderful in this area and blooms with a deep rose flower. It has doubled in height in the past two years - to about four feet - and has added limbs each year. But I see today that a "tip" that I thought was a leaf-to-be is suddenly fuzzy. Fuzzy usually means flower! If that's the case, there are two more smaller ones on the tree, so cross your fingers.... maybe I will have flower(s) this spring.
So, here's the deal. I've been wanting the join the Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day project since last year, but kept forgetting. Bloom day is the 15th of each month. More than 100 garden bloggers participate by posting photos of what's blooming for them on that day.
Today, Belinda at Wild Acre joined and reminded me again. So, rather than wait until March when I will surely have something to share, I decided to cheat a bit. I am sharing my inside bloom and promising to do better for the rest of the season. If you are not familiar with Bloom Day, hope over to May Dreams Garden and see what's going on.
