January 2018 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Maggi Young]

I'm surprised to see so many pictures around on Facebook already of Eranthis hyemalis - only a tiny few just beginning to show here - this little group are the first to appear - they are around 2 cms tall and their shape make them look less like emerging leaves and more like little yellow Soldanella flowers! They appear more green on the photos but to the eye they are quite yellow.

[ruweiss]

Today in our meadow garden: 13.00 hour, 3°C, much too early for our taste.
We never had so early flowers in the past years.
Busy moles are a big problem for us.

[Hoy]

Not much in flower here yet as we got a fair amount of snow last week.




Narthesium ossifragum in snow




The lake is not frozen though. It hasn't been that cold.




Mossy rocks

[Hoy]

Not all plants are snow covered



Huperzia selago on a rock outcropping.




Blechnum spicant




Looks very cold but it is +2C actually.






The fjord is also open.

[Diane Whitehead]

What an unusual-looking plant Huperzia is.  It used to be called Lycopodium, but
does not look like any lycopodiums we have growing here.

[meanie]

I haven't been around much as I'm up to my neck in court and solicitor paperwork for my brother who has major grief with the ex-wife at the moment but as it has been so cold and dark there ain't been much to show!
Outdoors right next to the house Salvia 'Amistad' is still blooming surprisingly well..............
Salvia 'Amistad' by longk48, on Flickr

In the unheated greenhouse a small Salvia coerulea is in bloom. It really needs more light to look good as the blooms are a little deformed.............
Salvia coerulea by longk48, on Flickr

In the front porch (enclosed but unheated) Ceropegia woodii is blooming well...............
Ceropegia woodii by longk48, on Flickr

The same goes for Kalanchoe x houghtonii and Kalanchoe daigremontiana...............
Kalanchoe x houghtonii by longk48, on Flickr

Kalanchoe daigremontiana by longk48, on Flickr

[Chris Johnson]

Very nice - some winter cheer.

[Robert]

Trond,

Great winter scenes! 

Not much going on here. Winter finally arrived with snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. We might get some snow at the farm. It has been too many years since it last snowed at the farm.



A few Cyclamen coum are blooming in the garden.



A Heuchera seedling with nice foliage.

[WimB]

Spring seems to have sprung...in January...   

[Maggi Young]

Certainly looks like Spring in this photo  I received from a  German friend today -  this is  from Mahlberg..

[Leena]

Lovely lovely spring views!
I also liked Robert's Heuchera leaves, they are so good all year if you don't have snow. They are also good plants here in the spring and late autumn, my favourites.
Weather is very changing here, yesterday it snowed 25cm, then it rained and a lot of that snow melted. Now it is couple degrees above freezing but next week it is again going to be at least -10C.

[Yann]

Spring is here 

[Robert]

Not much in the way of winter this year. Currently we are at 78% of average precipitation to date. The weather forecast is for dry and record, to near record, high temperatures for the next two weeks or more. Drought conditions have returned to our portion of California.

With very little cold weather, many plants are starting to bloom or coming into growth extremely early. Silene lanciniata ssp. californica generally blooms much later in the season. Other plants of this species in the garden are still very dormant. Our small city garden has it own micro climates.



I noticed this flowering stem on Primula (Dodecatheon) hendersonii elongating. This is an early blooming species, however this early is extreme. The other forms of Primula hendersonii from higher elevation sites are just emerging from the ground. We do get a good extended blooming season from all the different forms of this species. We must have gotten just enough chilling hours as seeds of this species are germinating at this time too.



I scattered seed of Eschscholzia caespitosa throughout colonies of Dichelostemma capitatum, Allium falcifolium and Allium uniflorum. This combination should look great later this season.



A seedling of Allium serra from the coastal mountains getting ready to bloom. This too is extremely early. I'll be glad to ID it too, as the foliage is not correct for Allium serra. Whatever its identity it looks nice and I hope the flowers are attractive. Things (labels, etc.) get mixed up from time-to-time. 



Many Narcissus continue to bloom in the garden. The label on this pot of Narcissus is N. cantabricus. It has very nice white flowers.

[meanie]

The first thing to bloom properly in the garden this year and I almost missed it - Asarum splendens.............
Asarum splendens by longk48, on Flickr

[Robert]

meanie,

I have not seen any flowers on any of our Asarum species yet. But then everything seems out of synchronization this season. Eranthus hyenamis is not even showing above ground. One of the Magnolias is blooming in fits and starts like it did not get enough chilling hours. Lomatium macrocarpum is starting to germinate.