Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day January 2014

About time I started blogging again and what better way to return than another 15th of the month Garden Blogger's Blooms Day.

It's bleak midwinter here in Plymouth.  Cool, wet and, occasionally icy.  No snow but we'll probably get some before winter's passage.  I just hope it doesn't go on as long as last year.

So, very little in flower, but what there is is interesting.  Starting with my Camellia sasanqua on the shed wall:

Camellia sasanqua combined with Clematis cirrhosa 'Freckles' on the shed wall

It's flowered well this winter, starting in late November, peaking in December and with buds still opening.  Intertwined is Clematis cirrhosa 'Freckles'.  This photo was actually taken late last year but the effect is still the same.  Oddly, none of my other camellias are showing anything but tight buds.  Maybe they know something about the coming weather that I don't.

Meanwhile, on the windowsill in Maria's workroom - she and the younger daughter make custom designed jewellery (https://www.facebook.com/chainmailled ) - Alocasia x calidora, a large leaved arum that I use for exotic interest in the summer garden, flowered to produce a pair of typical arum spathes.  This has lasted till today.

Alocasia x calidora flower spathe

Iris unguicularis  has been flowering on and off for a few weeks now.  The clump usually looks very untidy by this time of year - I needed to strip it before I could get a shot - but the flowers are fresh and bright and a welcome mid winter sight.

Iris unguicularis

Finally, winter jasmine, Jasminium nudiflorum, is still bravely putting on a winter show under the living room window.  I think it's probably hardier than I am.

Winter jasmine, Jasminium nudiflorum

As always, click the pictures to embiggen.

As ever, my thanks to May Dreams Gardens for hosting the Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day meme.  Head over there to see what's flowering in many more gardens round the world. 

PS

Sorry about the visible watermarks.

/Rant begins

It has been necessary due to the continued theft of images by large, commercial, for profit, websites who steal without payment or credit and then expect to get away with their copyright infringement simply by taking the images down when contacted.  Unfortunately, that's no longer an option.  If you are a commercial business* you will be invoiced at the exactly the same rate as if you had licensed any of my images currently available through Alamy.  Plus damages.  Plus my lawyer's fees.  Plus expenses.

Which all sounds very threatening.  It's meant to be.  Sorry, but stealing my images to increase your profits means you have lost the right to negotiate on price - and, trust me, it's far cheaper to settle quickly before my lawyers get involved.  And, whatever you do, don't strip the metadata or remove my copyright notice.  I could end up owning your whole company.

Rant over/

*Hobbyist, enthusiast bloggers are not businesses.  Just ask for permission.  Tiny, specialist nurseries deserve every support they can get and will always get highly preferential rates.  In fact, if there are any in Devon or Cornwall who would be interested in exchanging photographic access to the nursery for high quality images for use in your advertising please let me know on johnrichmond100@gmail.com.