Good girl!

She is.... even though she's not as cuddly as many of the rescues I have had, she has completely stolen my heart.

That's it: no more babies! Not that they all aren't babies, lol....

So, does anyone have anything left? I've taken to my houseplants and shopping, uh oh...

Cute puppy
The hellebores pushing through the snow







Not a perennial but good winter color

I saw this very lovely and colorful perennial at the UC Davis Arboretum last Sat 14Jan2012:



And this is the description that goes with the plant:

Lovely, lovely plant. They grow here.

That is a great plant and I had no idea it bloomed in winter. SMH.

Not here it doesn't, it blooms mid summer or so - unless this is a special cultivar, maybe?

This link helps clarify winter bloom

"...it survives temperatures well below freezing quite well. However, the flowers cannot take a frost, and because they bloom during December, January and February there is no practical reason to grow this red-hot poker unless you live where winters are very mild..."
http://www.sequimrareplants.co...

Yes, no winter bloom here on Red Hot Pokers.

Well I thought it would work for me if it worked for someone in zone 7, but I don't know where in zone 7 does she live. I goggled UC Davis Arboretum and it says its in California. I live right between 7b&8a but I mostly go with the zone 7 plants because once in a while we will dip down and I don't want to lose plants, The average temp puts us in zone8 but the temps are not here ALL the time. The link from eclayne is very helpful.

You get some ocean influence which we don't get here in my zone 7a and I think that makes a big difference. Still, ...

I get plenty.

Lucky you!!! (there's a reason that smiley is green, *sigh*....)

eclayne said:This link helps clarify winter bloom

"...it survives temperatures well below freezing quite well. However, the flowers cannot take a frost, and because they bloom during December, January and February there is no practical reason to grow this red-hot poker unless you live where winters are very mild..."
http://www.sequimrareplants.co...

http://www.ehow.com/list_74577...

They say this Christmas Cheer is zone 5-10, but eclayne pointed out they bloom in winter buy cannot handle frost, so that would explain why california zone 7 is ok but not virginia zone 7, its too humid here.
I still want one!!

I will check out other cultivars, hopefully I will find something that likes my zone and has the 'WOW' factor.

That link was for Sequim rare plants. If Sequim got the unusual snow and ice that nailed so much of Washington this past week, I don't imagine their flowers are very happy this year.

I visited a lavender farm in Sequim a few years ago. It was amazing. I swear I could smell that lavender from a mile away.

Karen

Sounds wonderful!

I found a torch lily more suitable for my area! It's 'Lola' and it gets 4-6 feet tall, sounds like the wow factor that I have been looking for.

This is the company, they have one negative but that's ok. We shall see!

http://www.edelweissperennials...

Color doesn't show well, here, but the bloom is pale lavender. Not exactly a true winter plant , but took the photo yesterday. It HAS been an exceptionally warm winter, even for us.