Easy-does-it Bloom Day

February 15, 2010


Were it not for my daughter, who insisted on planting a rainbow of pansies in her little patch recently, I’d have nothing blooming this Bloom Day.

But she did, and I do. Cheery!

Other than that I have the promise of flowers: here, on the ‘Candy Corn’ trailing abutilon, red flower buds dangle like earbobs next to heart-shaped leaves…

…and here, on the gopher plant (Euphorbia rigida), flower buds are swelling.
Slowly, slowly, spring is returning to my cold-blasted garden. It’s a little late this year. The groundhog was right. To see what’s blooming in other gardens around the world, visit May Dreams Gardens, hostess of Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.
And remember, tomorrow is Foliage Follow-Up. Join me in posting your favorite foliage pics for February. Make it easy on yourself: you don’t have to show everything; just pick your favorite winter foliage, bark, berries, etc.—whatever is getting you through February or, just maybe, making this your favorite month in the garden. Hey, it’s possible!
All material © 2006-2010 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

0 responses to “Easy-does-it Bloom Day”

  1. Even the buds on the abutilon look a little heart-shaped, perfect for Valentine’s Day. And your daughter’s choices make for a perky bloom day. Even without gobs of flowers I’m sure you’ll have some great foliage as usual to share on the 16th!

  2. Caroline says:

    Buds, buds, buds – the promise of spring! It won’t be long now. Happy GBBD!

  3. lotusleaf says:

    Your daughter made the right choice. The pansies are lovely.

  4. joco says:

    Good on your daughter: Pansies are really amazingly goodnatured and willing, aren’t they?
    Didn’t I read that you have (had) snow? They flower even through that? I ought to try some again.
    No snow so far. I think Austin is one of the few places that didn’t get any in the recent storm. —Pam

  5. Lisa at Greenbow says:

    Favorite month in the garden???!!! Not. Maybe if you lived downunder. Here we have a fresh 3-4inches of snow this morning. Luckily I got out and took a picture of my only bloom yesterday. I did see some promises of spring before they were covered once again. Happy GBBD.

  6. Debbie says:

    Pam,
    Happy Bloom Day! Your photos are always so enticing and today is no exception. I love the candy corn abutilon. I’ve never heard of it before so I’m off to look it up and see what the flowers will look like.
    The blooms are quite charming in red and yellow, Debbie. Here’s a picture of the ‘Candy Corn’ abutilon in bloom. —Pam

  7. Les says:

    I am also in debt to the humble little pansy. Happy GBBD!

  8. Such a smart daughter you have. The pansies have cheered me up this cold snowy morning in Philadelphia. Enjoy your blooms today! Kelly

  9. Darla says:

    I too have promise in the gardens….slim pickin’s on the blooms though. Lovely pansies your smart daughter planted..

  10. Cindy says:

    The pansies are lovely. The promise of fat little flower buds is the best thing to keep us going these chilly up and down days of winter.

  11. Dave says:

    The pansies are very bright and cheery! We’re covered in snow right now – not much in the way of blooms. I think we may have some pansies still blooming but they are under the white stuff.

  12. My bloom day selections were posted yesterday, but with a little snow on them. Enjoy http://compostinmyshoe.blogspot.com/2010/02/flakes-of-wonder.html I think I am the only blogger with no pansies in the garden this year. Not sure why?

  13. Nell Jean says:

    You can’t beat Pansies and Promises in February.
    Happy Bloom Day.

  14. I love Abutilon, though it’s annual here and way way too early for it. Pansies are also a perennial (or should I say annual) favorite!

  15. Gail says:

    I do like the abutilon..It looks good in bud, too. Your daughter was smart! The pansies are pretty at this time of year. All mine have been dinner for the peahen! We celebrate daily that we found a country home for her. Now we must catch her. gail

  16. Katie says:

    You have a smart kid! 🙂

  17. Happy GBBD: Your daughter sure knows how to pick ’em! I am really hoping that next month will find us with something green outdoors — even if it’s just the moss visible after snow melting. The current temps are not too promising at the moment.

  18. Jenny says:

    Good for your daughter. She is going to make a great little gardener. Pansies are such jolly little plants with their smiling faces. Happy Bloom day.

  19. Smart girl, your daughter. What would we do without pansies, in the winter?

  20. Pam, it still looks warmer there than here. I’m tired of snow, but the sun is shining. It’ll be a great bloom day after all. A happy one to you and yours.~~Dee

  21. Town Mouse says:

    Cheery indeed! What fun. I actually have the same thing going on, lots of buds and not so many blossoms. But I love the promise of things to come…

  22. Good for your daughter–those pansies are very cheerful. 🙂
    Speaking of abutilon, I still have to figure out how to get you some of my a. megapotanicum. Any thoughts on propagation? (I haven’t done that yet with abutilons, so if you have, I’d appreciate some tips…)
    Hi, Kim. I do not know about propagating abutilons. I thought layering might be a good way to do it, but I haven’t put it to the test. Are yours blooming? —Pam

  23. Pamie G. says:

    The Candycorn Abutilion is beautiful. I must purchase one of these for my gardens with year. I am still working on plans and hope to give you a buzz some time in the spring. We are working on getting topsoil brought in for the grass to be areas. With 4.4 acres and a clean slate, there is much to do. I did have something to post for Bloom Day over at http://www.gardenwithme2.blogspot.com thanks to a suggestion by Schumachers Nursery here in New Braunfels. It is everlasting…Happy Gardening my friend and thanks for all your inspirations!

  24. What cheery photos. I’m a huge fan of Johnny Jump Ups – half hoped the ones growing in my window might be ready for this bloom day. Ah, well, there’s always next month… 🙂 Nice to see the hints of spring. I doubt my snow will melt before May.

  25. I just love Euphorbia rigida and it’s chartreuse flowers. I have some pots of Violas happily blooming away and love how they brighten up the garden. Looking forward to Foliage Follow-up tomorrow.

  26. noel says:

    aloha pam,
    love your close up detail shots of the pansies…no succulents in bloom today?
    Nope, not today. They seem to prefer the heat of summer for blooming…and it’s chilly here today. Brr! —Pam

  27. Birdwoman says:

    It’s hard to beat those sweet little pansies for the winter color and cheer they bring. I’m actually partial to their little cousins, the violas. I have them tucked in all over my yard, just to remind me that there other colors besides brown in the world.

  28. We dont have much in flower either but lots of promising buds

  29. Jayne says:

    Your daughter’s pansies are lovely. Pansies are the only thing blooming in my garden too.

  30. Jean says:

    I hate it when the groundhog doesn’t see its shadow, ugh! There’s quite a difference from last year to this year, isn’t there? I DO know that spring will be here but really, since the daffodils are still only 3 inches tall I’m beginning to wonder. Pretty pansies.

  31. Amy F says:

    I tend to forget about pansies and violas until I see them in someone else’s yard…and then wish I’d had the foresight to plant a little patch of them for this time of year! Can’t wait for spring in Austin…

  32. Becky Lane says:

    Earbobs? Haven’t heard anyone use that expression since I was a kid!

  33. Yea for pansies! I just love them. You’ve got another great little designer in the family. I’m amazed at the abutilon. My garden got especially cold, though, so I’ll have to enjoy yours until mine recover.

  34. Yay for Pansies and little girls! I’m so glad you’ve got a budding gardener on your hands who loves pansies as much as I do! Beautiful photos…

  35. Lovely photo of the abutilon buds. Pansies may seem like such a common plant that we often don’t think about planting them – until a less ‘jaded’ gardener reminds us that they really are very pretty and their early spring color can be just the thing we need after a long winter!

  36. Diana says:

    Pam – the Pansies are pretty, no matter how much you fight against annuals, you can’t deny that! And I wish I’d gotten THAT Abutilon, Robin’s is pretty like yours and mine is dead or dormant — either way, pretty ugly and certainly not blooming. Maybe it will come back.

  37. Lynn says:

    God bless Pansies and daughters with ideas!