Winter Blooms to Chase the Blues

Paper whites
Though this winter is not nearly as cold as last, I made sure that I would have some greenery and blooms throughout the 'dreaded season', starting with some delicate and fragrant paper whites.

 They were started a week before Christmas in a variety of glass vases.

 To my surprise, they grew tall and strong - three feet in some cases.

 They were in full bloom by New Year's Eve, providing a fresh and fragrant display for my mantle.

I also started two amaryllis bulbs, one red and one apple blossom. These took more time to bloom, but were well worth the wait.

The red one was the first to bloom. No fragrance to speak of, but the terrific display more than made up for it.

Around the same time, I was offered some forced bulbs: narcissus, tulips, muscari and hyacinth (which were out like a shot).

Little muscari.

 The perfume of the hyacinth filled the library.

 Then the two-tone amaryllis came out.

 Here we are, all together as I'm writing this post. My 'feel good' corner.

But I have another 'feel good' area. This one is in my studio window. Brian bought me two gorgeous cymbidium orchid plants for my birthday. I need some beautiful ceramic planters to put them in.

Orchid flowers last two to three months so they will carry me well into spring.

And then there's my upstairs 'feel good' corner at the end of the hall. My azaleas topiary which spends summer outside, does well inside at that window. This shot was taken last year.

This year again. By the end of February it will be covered in red blooms.
If you're like me and have difficulty getting through winter, I've found that recreating nature indoors really helps.

This post is dedicated my little Violet, my shadow, my sweet and sassy show-off.
I miss you terribly.

2006 - 2015