Survey of Flowers Blooming for the Holidays

Jane McGary janemcgary@earthlink.net
Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:45:09 PST
Jim Shields asked,
>I would like to hear what flowers are blooming for the holiday
>season.  What do you have in your garden that blooms for Christmas/New
>Years?  What are in the florists?

Flowering in the garden at Christmas in the foothills of the Oregon 
Cascades are, dependably, Viburnum x bodnantense 'Dawn' (Dawn 
viburnum) and Galanthus 'Allenii', as well as a sasanqua-type 
camellia that is espaliered under the deck overhang for shelter. All 
of these are sweetly fragrant; I think they're pollinated mostly by 
gnats, which are active through winter here.

Some individuals of Cyclamen coum may flower at this time, in the 
ground or in pots. Bulbs that are always in bloom at Christmas in the 
bulb frames include Crocus laevigatus, Crocus ochroleucus, and 
Narcissus cantabricus. Selections of Narcissus cantabricus have 
already started flowering here and will continue, in various clones, 
into late January. They are very nice little container plants and 
increase fast, and they're also fragrant in warm conditions. Iris 
unguicularis usually has a flower or two at CHristmas.

Jane McGary
Northwestern Oregon, USA


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