A Bedraggled December Bloom Day

I knew there would be a difference between my December 2008 Bloom Day post and what I have to show you today, but I am shocked at how tremendous that difference is. It's anything but colorful on my corner of Katy this Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. The weather has been dismal and abysmal the last week or so and I haven't been able to spend much time in the garden. When I do step outside for a few minutes, I'm vividly and repeatedly reminded that Mother Nature always gets the last word. She may take a little time to get that word in ... lull you into complacency ... and then WHAM! a plant you were certain had come through the freeze unscathed shows unmistakable signs of having been scathed and scathed again. I won't say that I regret having let the gardens fend for themselves but I might actually cover a few plants the next time a freeze is predicted. In the meantime, here's a slideshow of the few blooms I actually have as of today.



Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is the creation of Carol, who blogs at May Dreams Gardens. Mosey on over and see who else is blogging about their blooms (or lack thereof).

Comments

Wow! You really have a lot going on in your garden! Much more than I have--we have had so much cold weather on the north side of Austin, that everything has been knocked back for the winter--so much different than last year. I have lost a lot of plants, but that's okay, I am dreaming of seed catalogs to come in the mail. Lovely Marie Pavie rose--I bought one at the Rose Emporium a couple of months ago, amd am looking forward to some beautiful white blooms next summer.
Carol Michel said…
Winter can be brutal, can't it. You still have way more bloom than I could ever even imagine in December!
Gail said…
There has been strange and disconcerting late autumn weather. You do have beautiful flowers to make us smile, but, I so understand that it wasn't what it was last year or a few days before the freeze. I was commenting to Frances the other day...that I am not sure anymore what to plant.

Have a good day and I hope you get some time in the garden..It's very cold here.

gail
I know it's still a shock to you but all in all you still have quite a few blooms. Especially your roses! I had La Marne at my old garden - what a trooper rose it was. I see that your Mexican Mint Marigold is still hanging in there. Most of mine is black now but I managed to salvage a few leaves for a fish soup this weekend!
I'm surprised the Osteospermum was damaged. They're pretty tough. But on the bright side, you've got Rudbeckias, and Coneflowers and a couple of gorgeous Roses still going.
Cindy, MCOK said…
MGRR, I'm grateful for the roses because without them, there wouldn't be much going on. Marie Pavie has been in several different spots in the garden. I love her fragrance but I could wish for a bit less blackspot!

Carol, I truly cannot remember ever experiencing this magnitude of a freeze in the 12 years I've spent growing this garden.

Gail, the weather has indeed been strange and I'm more than a little trepidatious about what is yet to come this winter and what kind of garden I'll have when it's all said and done.

Jean, this La Marne has been moved a couple of times in the 7 years or so I've had it. It was a much taller bush in its original spot but I think this may be the year it comes back into its own. I hope so.

MMD, I thought the Osteospermum would be hardier, too. Although I do have several Purple Coneflowers here and there throughout the garden, that Rudbeckia is the Lone Gunman, so to speak, on MCOK!
Rose said…
Good to see so many blooms that did survive your awful weather, Cindy! And it's always fun to see some plants I've never heard of before--was that a shrimp plant? But I also notice some of the effects of the cold weather in Texas, like the fried cuphea. Now you know why in late fall or spring Northern gardens often look like someone's having an outdoor slumber party:) I have a collection of old blankets that get pulled out when an unseasonal freeze is predicted.