SoCalGardenNut said:Calliope Hummingbird loves my blueberry flowers.

Amazing SoCal

We were blessed with a very mild winter so far, but the real cold has just started. It is going to be down to -10C these days. It wouldn't be that bad if we have snow. Like this, the ground will be solidly frozen without snow to protect the plants. Not good, not good at all. I am getting anxious. I picked up two Christmas trees when the neighbor discarded them. I am going to cut the branches to cover the plants.

Thanks Jasmin. It's raining and cold(for us)here too. It's 49 degree last night.

Here are some signs of Spring in my garden.

Dou Lu in the pot. It's buds still look good.



Ostii woody peony has lots of buds




Color on a daffodil bud



Colorful bed of naturalized hellebores



Snowdrops



I have started to cut off the old foliage of the hellebores, and it really makes the flowers pop in the garden

SoCal...oh gorgeous picture...so fun to see! My Coral Sunset had several buds last year that stayed small, turned dark and fell off. It could have been either the weather (ours can be crazy in April) or too small of root...it was tiny when I got it.

Oh, I bought a witch hazel last year and it was half broken in the summer, I glued it with regular Elmer's glue and it is blooming now, tiny blooms, but blooming!

SoCalGardenNut said:Thanks Steve, we did purchase a combo with a 70-300 mm lens. It helps to be farther from the birds otherwise they move very quickly. We know there are birds due to chirping, but we can't see very clearly.

They do tend to make a quick, little "chirp" of a noise. I had thought at times, it was just their way of announcing themselves, & of vocally greeting you.

LG, exciting to see the new buds for tree peonies. I still don't have anything.

SoCal, I was so young when I took Photography lessons, I've forgotten about lenses. Though I'm more familiar with them for eyesight these days.
My dad had 20/40 vision, in his younger days. While I wasn't so fortunate. (Must have been that warning "You're sitting too close to that TV, or it'll ruin your eyes !)

i mainly recollect that side buds, occasionally suffered from that so called "bud blast", on side buds.
Since those (P. lactiflora) were well established, I figured the soil was too dry. I'd checked it, & sure enough needed deep watering, badly.

LG, if 'Dou Lu' is that Chinese one, I'm thinking of, then I'd be just a bit green with envy.

I had to get some herbaceous today. With just a couple of P. lactiflora roots, 'Felix Crousse', & 'Monsieur Jules Elie'.

Hi Shawn, yes that is the Pea Green peony. Let's hope it survives the temperature swings that will happen in February and March.

LG, I figured as much, since I had seriously considered ordering it, on more than one occasion. (I think that particular source discontinued offering them, though I've forgotten, exactly why.)

Since January isn't even over with, & those buds are so far along developed, I'd consider moving it somewhere that doesn't get frozen, being potted. (If need be.)

I don't really know many ideas of ways to protect them, when planted in ground, such as Jasmin has. Besides mulching heavily, but carefully...
Here, they wrap the top of the Palm trees & such in burlap, & plastic, then secure it.
(If we can "feel" windchill, can plants, also ?)

Hopefully, I've only just about a single months time to go, before I will consider with some confidence, "Last Frost", to be most likely over with.
I'd like to start sowing "hardy" annual flowers, & lettuce seeds outdoors.

SoCal, I guess you're likely well past that "frost" date !
I thought I do recall a rumour that a few snow flakes even fell, just beyond the border, near Tijuana, MX. Though that may have been quite some years ago.

I've been told Hummingbirds just love Dudleya flower spikes.
(BTW, I just may have seeds of the endemic species, of Dudleya pulverulenta, if you're good at it !)

Thanks Steve, I'm tasked to grow more flowers so the hummingbird birds can come. They do come very close to my California room where my husband likes to sit.

This morning I checked and I do have one bud of Pink Hawaiian Coral, nothing for High Adventure, they are both in the front garden. I also have an Etched Salmon emerging, not sure if there will be a flower bud or not. It's ok if I don't have one this year.

I have this flower to enjoy this year, I planted last year and I got very little showing. Just took this picture after the rain yesterday.

Command Performance that I purchased from the Lily Garden is budding, there maybe a flower bud too. I can't wait. The rain last night must be good for the plants.

It's sunny and I finally got a good picture of Pink Hawaiian Coral bud, this one I bought from Song Sparrow.





Caroline Constabel Itoh, this one I bought from Oh My Peonies, I see an emerging bud, exciting, can't wait.




Firebelle, this one I bought from Hollingsworth 2 years ago.

It's going to be 38 tomorrow, it will be good for my peonies, lol. But I will be freezing.

Good for you, SoCal!

I hope they continue to develop.

LG and SoCal..so much fun to see your peonies! (And rose) Reminds me it is going to be spring even if it is 22f outside right now...I frost protected like crazy last night.

Thanks Annie, it was cold here too, we had frost on the roof, it was 35.4 this morning. I checked this morning and all my peonies seem to be doing ok. But what do I know, I'm a newbie. This week there will be more rain and cold weather. I think by Feb, it will be Spring weather.

Ooh how beautiful spring. The peonies are starting showing their buds and the fruit trees are full of blooms. The sun is shining and flocks of migrating birds are coming back. Happy and smiling people enjoy the weather

Mine looks like yours Jasmin!

Your patio looks great in the snow, Jasmin.

It will be all green before you know it! January flew by!

Yeap, just this week and next week will be February.
Here is a picture of my daughter's roommate's parents swimming pool area in Las Vegas today.