I think this is Exacum affine (Persian violet.) I couldn't find a straight answer whether it was even a perennial when I was looking last year. If that is what it is, it doesn't look like it's going to be able to do enough to be considered hardy at my location. It still has some time, we'll see...

Not long after my last post, it quit raining regularly. Exacum shriveled up.

My mystery plant did end up being a Physostegia, just like Stone said. But not obedient plant, the only Physostegia I knew about. It's false dragonhead, P. digitalis. I really love it! It's blooming now, when not much else is. The bees love it.


Soon it will be time to spot winter plants starting to come up for their season.

Brugmansia in a pot. Funny, ground plants don't usually get around to showing a 1st leaf until at least late April.

A few more. Canna


Sedum sunsparkler firecracker. This is a tough plant, survived being frozen solid in a wire basket "pot."


Crinum "patch."


Older Crinums in a more protected spot.


Gladiolus.

Forgot this earlier, Spiranthes. It's a self-situated plant in a window box. The window box fell off of my shed a few months ago, but landed upright and apparently the Spiranthes that I noticed in there last year is still OK, and has spawned an offset.

Supposedly a terrestrial orchid. I think it's just cute, such tiny flowers, tiny overall plant.

Spring Ladies' Tresses (Spiranthes vernalis)

It was 56 again today in February
...so I took a look around

daffodills some showing the flower heads


oriental poppies


hazelnut bush


columbine
Record breaking warm February
I normally see this in March

gardengus said:

columbine
I normally see this in March

Hmmm...
I probably should take pictures.... I have columbine flowers....

I've seen some of my hellebores sending up new buds, but I'm keeping everything covered for at least another month here in the Midwest.

This is typical February here

Last year this time

Cinda,
Are you in the path of the heavy snow forecasted for tomorrow? We're supposed to get up to 2" of rain in our area.

rain forecast for us tomorrow the snow looks to hit about an hour north if they don't change their minds (and they often do )

I checked on the tulips I planted last fall and thankfully they're not coming up yet. I half expected to see them growing because of the warm weather this year. We've at least been having a cold day maybe once a week where it'll be in the 20s, then back up to the 40s and 50s. So I'm hoping those cold days keep them safe for now.

We're usually knee-deep in snow this time of the year also, but I've only shoveled once this season so far, that's a record. We did have snow on the ground 3x, but 2 of those it was warm the following few days and it melted and saved me from having to shovel.

I am beginning to wish it was snow we have 3'' of rain today and still coming down

That would have been a lot of snow , I think 1 inch rain equals about 10 inches of snow.

I hate snow...
Very grateful to live where I only see it once in a couple-few years..

Got some pictures!

a patch of columbine in the brush....

Columbine flowers among the climbing rose on the deer fence...


Buckeye leaves...

Angel trumpets (Brugmansia) in a giant pot


jewels of Opar (Talinum) in another giant pot


Amaryllis that I moved last weekend


river lily (Hymenocallis)


polka dot plant (Hypoestes)

I found both of my Gold Bleeding hearts starting to come up.

Wonderful!

Somehow, this Pothos (Epipremnum) is still alive. I like sticking little bits here'n'there in the landscape for summer fun but most of them don't survive.

This guy hasn't even pushed through the ground yet, but he's already blooming!
(Scopolia carniolica - a spring ephemeral).

I saw these yesterday while I was cleaning up. They're beside an aster that I just planted last year.

There's also an oriental Lily close by. Could this be either of these plants or just a weed? There's several around this area.