Late January in the garden

This has been the first winter I've taken an active part in my yard and for most of the plants it was their first winter as well. On the few nights we've hit freezing- like last night- I've been out covering the tenderest plants up with sheets and blankets and a "Planket" I bought just for that purpose. Although I have a few plants that appear to have gone south with the cold, the majority of them look like they survived thus far. The Hibiscus lost most of their leaves but they have new ones started. One of the passion vines died back to the ground but the other two are still green and still growing.

I was very surprised to discover I have Hyacinth coming up in one of the beds by the house. I planted these bulbs last Spring, and they bloomed beautifully before dying back. I just clipped the green and it looks like they are going to show up again this year! These were the most beautiful flowers- I can't wait to see this generation.

If you recall, last Fall, I was going to have a nice little salad greens bed, and my son brought home broccoli to try too. Well the rabbit ended up eating it all, but I never pulled the plants, and they have started to grow back nicely. So if the rabbit leaves them alone and they don't freeze I may just have Spring greens.



And my little P. nelii, who is trying so hard to put up a bloom, actually has two little buds growing larger by the day. I am so excited to see the flowers and I really hope the buds open.

My Lithops also has hidden treasures- this one just cracked open today. I can barely see the new one inside but it is there!

Walking around the yard I see so many signs that Spring is near, especially with the afternoon temps being in the 70s. However we can plummet to freezing at night awful quick, which brings me back to my senses. It is close though- close enough to smell!