Top Ten December Blooms.

I ca n’t guess of anything more depressing than set the garden to layer for the winter and having nothing to look at until the bound . We are lucky in the UK to have a mood which enable us to have beaut to savor all yr round . The winter garden can be a special delight full of rare treasures . I roll in the hay the tracery of unembellished black branches against a violet sky . Evergreens come into their own and wintertime peak are a not big and showy but delicate and often scented . And of path , as it is the 23rd of the calendar month , it is the blossom we are looking at today . It is time to choose my Top Ten and as it is the dark month of the year they are a bit lean on the ground . But fare with me and let ’s see what we can find .

We relate daffodils with outflow but I have a precious little narcissus which often blooms on Christmas Day . It isNarcissusminor‘Cedric Morris ’ and I have tell the story of it before . you may see it againhere . It is quite unmanageable to get postponement of and always very expensive . But to have a complete lilliputian Narcissus pseudonarcissus in rosiness for Christmas is a very extra kickshaw . It is showing yellow and most open and with a bit of luck it might just make it by Wednesday .

Narcissus minor‘Cedric Morris ’

Narcissus minor‘Cedric Morris’

This is one I gear up earlier ; I cheated by bringing it on in the nursery , but you could see what a small darling it is .

My December snowdrops are in bloom . I think I had lose littleGalanthus‘Santa Claus ’ but here it is blooming courageously .

Galanthus‘Santa Claus ’

Narcissus minor‘Cedric Morris’

Galanthus‘Barnes ’ usually bloom in November and I thought it had get going AWOL this year but here it is blooming a bit later but looking very well alongside an early primrose .

Galanthus‘Barnes ’

I have hadGalanthus plicatus‘Three Ships ’ for a while and it has clumped up nicely .

Narcissus minor‘Cedric Morris’

Galanthus‘Three Ships ’

To go with the Anemone quinquefolia I have the first of myCyclamen coumin bloom , presently there will be enough more of these costly short pink helicopters all round off the wintertime garden . I will in all likelihood be show more next month . They have such pretty marbled leaves too .

Cyclamen coum

Galanthus‘Santa Claus’

It is fun to have a clematis in bloom each month of the year and the one which dependably blooms in December isClematis cirrhosa‘Freckles ’ . It looks far too fragile to bloom in the middle of winter . My only complaint about this endearing clematis is that it hangs its heads a little so it does n’t make as much immediate wallop as it should .

Clematis cirrhosa‘Freckles ’

bloom in December is a exceptional treat . The small white blooms of the treePrunus x subhirtella‘Autumnalis ’ are delicate and charming . They bloom on bare branches and they begin much earlier than those on the pink contour .

Galanthus‘Barnes’

Prunus x subhirtella‘Autumnalis ’

Viburnum is a large family of attractive shrubs . The one most often found in winter gardens is the ubiquitousViburnum tinus . It is useful and bloom throughout the winter no matter what the conditions have at it . Even though I pick it for wintertime vases I really ca n’t love it . I have aver before that when it gets blind drunk the leafage of this bush smell disgusting , like soaked dog or worse .

Viburnum tinus

Galanthus‘Three Ships’

Viburnum farreristarts flower in November is is face beautiful now . Reginald Farrer set up it grow wild in Shi - hoi in the Kansu arena of China . He get off home plenty of seed and would have air more but he quarreled with his Highness Yang Tusa , Prince of Joni who had promised to save him seminal fluid . Apparently this plant produces comestible yield in China and to spite him the Prince eat up all the fruit and threw away the seed . I love this news report as I enjoy reading about Farrer ’s larger- than- life personality which come in out so well in his books . He was gloriously flakey and seems to have quarreled with many the great unwashed , I would have sex to cognize what he did to swage the Prince .

Viburnum farreri

A beautiful descendant ofViburnum farreriisViburnum x bodnantenseraised by Lord Aberconway at Bodnant . It has much darker and bombastic clump of flowers but I think the habit is a bit rigid . I like the more ramblingViburnum farreribecause it looks more lifelike .

Cyclamen coum

Viburnum x bodnantense‘Dawn ’

I have Christmas rose , Helleborus nigerout in the garden but I cogitate they are better in pots really . The flowers always seemed to get spoilt in the footing .

Helleborus Republic of Niger

Clematis cirrhosa‘Freckles’

Helleborus nigergrowing in a great deal .

I have a lovely apple greenish Corsican hellebore , Helleborous argutifoliusout in the urn by my door .

genus Helleborus argutifolius

Prunus x subhirtella‘Autumnalis’

I always bet forrard to my Witch Hazels coming into bloom . This yr the first one into efflorescence is the lovelyHamamelis x intermedia ‘ Diane ’ . I love those reddish spidery flower .

Hamamelis x intermedia‘Diane ’

I hope it ’s not cheat to pop into the glasshouse for my next bloom . I dare n’t adventure it outdoors . It isGrevillea rosmarinifolia . I like its little pink claws and of course anything in peak in December is welcome . I call back this needs an acid grease and it may be hardy in Devon and Cornwall but I have never seen it outside around here .

Viburnum tinus

Grevillea rosamarifolia

And now for a rose . I do endeavor to select seasonal flowers for my top ten blossom and roses are certainly not seasonal now although there are always a few wall hanging on . But nirvana , we must take what blooms we can find in December . I have written before how Reginald Farrer contemn wintertime roses , calling them‘witheredmoths ‘ . But I have a pink wine in bloom which does n’t look anything like a withered moth . You may not care it , many people do n’t ; it is a unusual looking rose but I grow it because I like it in vases . It is the green rebel , Rosa viridifloraand this one is destined for my Christmas vase .

Rosa viridiflora

Viburnum farreri

And talking about Christmas I hope you will all have a marvellous one , full of love and delight and beautiful December peak . If you have any special blossom , please share them .

34 Responses toTop Ten December Blooms.

Yes , you are very fortunate . We broadly speaking do n’t have anything blooming here in my part of the Midwestern U.S. from the first frost in mid - October until sometime in March . There are benefits ( rest from the garden , clip to focus on other things , a clean slate , etc . ) , but I think I would trade it for a milder climate , at least at this time of yr . That last rose is so unparalleled , and perfect for a Christmas vase . Happy Holidays !

I think you ’ve got more variety in flower plants than I do at the moment . The only one we share is Grevillea rosmarinifolia – I discovered one just bulge to blossom only yesterday . Most of my other winter - blooming Grevilleas have buds but no blooms as yet , although I can count on the large - bloom variety twelvemonth - pear-shaped . I always find it odd that your hellebores bloom so much sooner than mine , which do n’t broadly show up until former leap but I guess that ’s belike attributable to the difference between species . We sire a good soaking overnight with more pelting on the way for Christmas Day ( a expert thing ! ) and I ’m looking forrad to more blooms within the next month or so .

Merry Christmas !

Viburnum farreri

My ’ Cedric Morris ’ planted in 2018 have no flowers this year . I hope that they are just having a year off . Viburnum tinus cut down victim to the dreaded beetle but I remember the aroma all too well . Chloris , wish you and the Pianist a Merry Christmas and a most felicitous and passive New Year ! xxx

Top Ten December Blooms.