Wildflower Wednesday – January
It does not matter that it is January, something is always going on in the garden. Is there anything more tranquil than a morning stroll in your own garden? It’s in the details.
Rabbiteye Blueberry Vaccinium ashei buds
There will be blueberries. They are Rabbiteye. Great plant, ’nuff said.
Southern Wax Myrtle Morella cerifera buds
My much beat upon wax myrtle, added last year for the warblers and kinglets. While they may have gotten beaten up last summer, they are wax myrtle and tough. They will come right back and thrive. I planted two in spring but am not sure if these are male or female. The flowers are completely uneventful and grow along the stems. Berries are tiny and dark blue but great food for birds that don’t visit feeders often if at all. Hopefully they are female so I will have berries but I will probably plant a third from another source to make sure I have both sexes and pollination. Either way, bees will love it when they flower.
Fothergilla major ‘Mount Airy’ buds
I love fothergllia with its dusty look, knobby twigs and buds.
Clethra alnifolia seed pods
Seed pods left on the summersweet for the finches. In spring I will trim it back a bit since it blooms on new growth but not until it has been exhausted as a winter bird food source.
Native azalea buds
Can I hear a YAY!? The dead native azaleas I picked up as a ‘please get these off the lot’ deal at a local nursery. No idea which one, they are white. I thought for sure they were gone. They barely had any roots and no foliage but the bloomed like mad for me last year and the fragrance…well you can keep your gardenias. It was amazing. Native azalea are fussy but apparently I got lucky with placement on these. They are thrilled to be here. I am trilled to have them.
Yarrow Achillea millefolium
I collected most of the seed off the yarrow. I only have two plants which I bought at a local nursery in order to start my pollinator garden. Now that I have collected seed I can grow them and have fields of yarrow but meanwhile I left some pods for the birds.
Dogwood Cornus florida buds
And I am in the south so here come the dogwoods. They are so big and dramatic as the bracts bud out over the winter.
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Love this post…Seriously, I think that buds, twigs and seed heads are beautiful. It still amazes me that folks cut them down in the fall before the birds have finished off the seeds or the stalks have provided cover. We just have to keep on showing them photos and hope they see the beauty. Welcome to WW!
Gail recently posted..Wildflower Wednesday: The Rare Alabama Croton
I also think the seed pods look good. maybe it’s me, but I love texture in a winter garden. Of course when the finches come to feed that adds color as well!
I have so enjoyed perusing your blog! What part of N. GA do you garden? We are on the Hall/Jackson County line (now zone 8a / formerly 7b). It is always wonderful finding a fellow Georgia blogger. I look forward to following your adventures!
Karin/Southern Meadows recently posted..Wildflower Wednesday: Crane-fly Orchid
Lovely post, Karyl! Love all of your budding photos…and plant choices!
Jan recently posted..Wildflower Wednesday Celebration: January, 2013