Daffodils in January? and some signs of the mild winter...

[cordyman]

Daffodils, and I can't even remember planting these




Osteospermum is still going does this thing ever die back?





Viburnum tinus flowering profusely




Gazanias with buds on







Ensetes all doing well this year, creeping super slowly in the south facing bedroom

[bordersboy]

Was mild here also until last night. My pond fish were happily swimming about like it was springtime until this morning and the pond froze over. It must have been about -5c last night,heavy frost with white lawn all day and ground heave too.That will have set my daffs back under ground

[stephenprudence]

Same here Cordy, Gazania here are actually fully flowering, as they have south facing aspect.

I recall Gazanias often overwintered in flower before 2009, but I don't remember what they looked like after more than one season in the ground! So hopefully we can tell.

Osteospermum is often killed by the first frost, so it shows how mild it has been. In very mild parts Osteospermum will be a perennial, for example in Llandudno, there are swathes of Osteospermum (often flowering) throughout Winter. Edit: yours looks like the hardy O. jucundum, so yes they do just keep going.

Here one added thing, is that Lampranthus roseus is still growing, along with Pachyphytum overiferum.

The interesting thing about Virburnum tinus, is how everyone shapes them into a shrub... there are some quite frankly huge trees around here, and they've been there for some time.. an invaluable plant even in an exotic garden, not only for overhead cover, but also for Winter interest.

[Mixed moso]

Quite a few things in my garden that would normally have died back are still green - Zantedeschia, Farfugiums and the small basjoos I left outside. There are buds on my Crinodendron.

[stephenprudence]

Quite a few things in my garden that would normally have died back are still green - Zantedeschia, Farfugiums and the small basjoos I left outside. There are buds on my Crinodendron.

Believe it or not, it's actually quite normal to have buds on Crinodendron at this time of year, they're very slow developing (in our coutnry anyway), but then there's a profusion of colour in late Spring. The fact Crinodendron is doing this though, is the sign of a healthy plant.

[Mixed moso]

That's good to know, thanks! This will - touch wood - be the first time I've managed to overwinter one so I was both chuffed and surprised to see that it was not only alive but thinking about flowering.

[stephenprudence]

That's good to know, thanks! This will - touch wood - be the first time I've managed to overwinter one so I was both chuffed and surprised to see that it was not only alive but thinking about flowering.

That's the same feeling I had, very pleasantly surprised when it overwintered in its first year with me, Ive come to realise that this is a seriously tough plant! One that will grow for many years!

[multim]

There is a garden in my village where daffodils are already in flower! These usually are in flower in January but this year, due to the mild Winter, they are especially early. Quite what variety they are I don't know - a cheery site they are.

[kata]

Mine are just showing a tip,

Some Tulips are now growing,

I saw the first sign of Spring yesterday in one of my pots...Snowdrops and they were also out in someone else's garden.

Too early yet really.

[Blairs]

Daffodil stalks here, no more than an inch or 2 though.

Some unseasonal pics from my garden:

[kata]

Those look great Blairs well done,

You just can't keep the Calendulas down, I still have two in flower at the front step that flew in as seed.

[RozDevon]

Just noticed the first camellia out, deep red with yellow stamens, facing inwards so only noticed it when poking about in the border looking for a fern to dig up!
Coronilla citrinus flowering well, lovely scent, one of my favourites.
No bulbs showing yet here.
Nothing else flowering yet.
Very cold today, got hailstoned thisafternoon so gave in when my hands froze!!!!

[cordyman]

Forgot to take pics of the Geraniums, they are still flourishing

[cordyman]

Daffodil stalks here, no more than an inch or 2 though.

Some unseasonal pics from my garden:

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Looks like early Spring

[cordyman]

Same here Cordy, Gazania here are actually fully flowering, as they have south facing aspect.

I recall Gazanias often overwintered in flower before 2009, but I don't remember what they looked like after more than one season in the ground! So hopefully we can tell.

Osteospermum is often killed by the first frost, so it shows how mild it has been. In very mild parts Osteospermum will be a perennial, for example in Llandudno, there are swathes of Osteospermum (often flowering) throughout Winter. Edit: yours looks like the hardy O. jucundum, so yes they do just keep going.

Here one added thing, is that Lampranthus roseus is still growing, along with Pachyphytum overiferum.

The interesting thing about Virburnum tinus, is how everyone shapes them into a shrub... there are some quite frankly huge trees around here, and they've been there for some time.. an invaluable plant even in an exotic garden, not only for overhead cover, but also for Winter interest.

So the Gazanias are indicated pre 2009 winter thus far, lets see how long they last into Feb

I have a few Osteospermums still going, the purple spoon, pink spoon, and a white flowered variety, the name escapes me.

My Viburnum Tinus forms a great screen on the boundary, very bush like, but had to cut some large sections out last Spring, which got culled by heavy cold in 2010 and died off. Seems to be flourishing again now and growing into the empty void of the dead wood.