January flowers

[Jennie]

Over the past week I have been taking advantage of my job as a delivery driver to record every flower that I've seen. The list runs to over seventy different plants!

White Deadnettle - Red Deadnettle - Red+White Valerian - Smooth Sowthistle - Prickly sowthistle - Ox-eye Daisies - Common Daisies - Hogweed - Wild Radish - Cow Parsley - Ragwort - Yarrow - Canadian? Fleabane - Blue Fleabane - Bramble - Nipplewort - Dandelion - Periwinkle - Groundsel - Winter Heliotrope - Red+White Campion - Meadowsweet - Herb Robert - Hairy-leaved Bittercress - Knapweed - Hedge Mustard - Pyrethrum - Mallow(White) - Mugwort - Primrose - Gorse - Creeping Thistle - Speedwell - Chamomile - Ivy-leaved Toadflax.

Seen in Gardens

Various pink-flowered Ornamental trees - Viburnum(various) - Abelia - Mahonia - Fatsia - Winter-flowering Honeysuckle - Malva - Camelia - Choisya - Hypericum - Pyracantha - Rosemary - Berberis - Winter Jasmine - Yellow Jasmine - Roses(various) - Kerria - Heather - Fuschia - Pot Marigold - Erigeron(Mexican Fleabane) - - Polyanthus - Bergenia - Campanula - Yellow Corydalis - White Periwinkle - Antirrhinum - Snowdrop - Osteospurnum - Daffodil - Narcissus - Centuria - Hebe - Hollyhock - Wallflower - Stinking Hellebore - Pansies+Violas - Crocus - Clematis(various) - Geranium - Pelargonium - Stocks - Scabious - Alpine Strawberry.

Also saw these -
A type of Broom?



A type of Chrythanthemum? About 8" high.



Any ideas?

[Dorts]

Very impressive list Jennie, especially for the first weeks of Jan.!
The Broom is possibly Genista 'porlock', a very early-flowering variety.
The other is one I have used as a bedding-plant, but cannot remember the name, it's closely related to Chrysocephalum with its everlasting flowers, it doesn't normally survive cold winters.
Dorts.

[Jennie]

Thank you Dorts.

The Broom was very attractive to several large Bumble Bees.

What concerns me is how many flowers will still be around for the insects etc. when Spring comes? Assuming we still have a winter to come.........

[Dorts]

Originally Posted by Jennie

Thank you Dorts.
What concerns me is how many flowers will still be around for the insects etc. when Spring comes? Assuming we still have a winter to come.........

There will be plenty I can assure you.
Dorts.

[aeshna5]

The top plant is Coronilla valentina ssp. glauca. The one in my garden (of more modest stature than yours) is also in flower now.

[PMG]

I did a 'double-take' while driving out to Martin Mere when I passed one lone Cow Parsley in full flower! I thought I was seeing things for a min!!

Paulne

[Dorts]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

The top plant is Coronilla valentina ssp. glauca. The one in my garden (of more modest stature than yours) is also in flower now.

I used to grow Coronilla glauca in a greenhouse and it completely took over. I didn't think it was very hardy, hence my other suggestion.
Thanks.
Dorts.

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Dorts

I used to grow Coronilla glauca in a greenhouse and it completely took over. I didn't think it was very hardy, hence my other suggestion.
Thanks.
Dorts.

It's fully hardy down here in sheltered places at least + mine came through recent severe winters (certainly by southern standards) totally unscathed. I was shown some self sown specimens in London a few years back, but haven't seen many examples of this.

[LynM]

I still have trailing lobelia in flower in my garden, next door have several different roses in bloom and a pot of parsley that I bought before Christmas and put outside thinking it had died, is beginning to shoot! It een survived that horrendous weather last Tuesday as I hadn't bothered to cover it up!

Noticed that one yellow crocus is in bud too and the bulbs I planted last autumn are well up.

Jennie....have you seen the daffs in Melplash yet? They are usually very early anyway. I've not been that way for a few weeks, but maybe going later in the week.

[Jennie]

Hi Lyn - yes the Melplash daffs are out, but the best ones to see are in Yeovil, from the White Post roundabout to the Crematorium.

There has been only one fairly hard frost here as yet, the only things killed off were the Nasturtiums!

Aeshna5 and Dorts - is the Coronilla glauca attractive to many insects? I may try growing one if so, although "sheltered" is not a word I would normally associate with my garden.