It will still take few more weeks before the daffodils start to bloom up here in the north.
Tete-a-Tete Daffodil (Narcissus Tete-a-Tete) is always the first one to open its flowers.
Bought one for the balcony and once it has bloomed will take it to the summer cottage and replant it. It will bloom nicely next year as well.
Hope that you all have had a good holiday season and have managed to enjoy the Christmas!
My Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) bloomed just before the holidays bringing a bit color to the gray winter we are having.
It is one of those plants that requires very little and blooms nicely if you neglect it a bit before the blooming season.
Have a very good new year 2021!
Usually I travel some place warm during this time of the year but the virus has changed my plans. Luckily the autumn has been exceptionally warm up here in the north.
Panicle hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata) have bloomed but I managed to take few pictures when visiting the summer cottage nearly two months ago.
Also bought a new variety for my dad in the spring with bigger blooms than the ones we currently have.
I still have few pictures left on my phone from the summer. It was actually not that good year for the sunflowers but Sunspots (Helianthus annuus ‘Sunspot’) made it.
For a sunflower Sunspot is a short one but the blooms are big, nearly the size of a tall ones.
It is a bit shame that they bloomed late and there is no hope for harvesting any seeds for the next year.
The Giant Sungolds (Helianthus annuus ‘Giant Sungold’) finally started to bloom.
It was not a good year for sunflowers. The spring was cold and that caused a slow start. Therefore there was not enough time to grow. Which is unfortunately quite usual up here in the north.
Luckily the Giant Sungolds seem to be able to open their first and largest blooms just before the first frost.
They are almost three meters tall and look so good.
The Elkes (Geranium sanguineum ‘Elke’) have been blooming all summer.
I like the bright color of the blooms which stand out nicely. They are though a bit sensitive when it comes to rain but new blooms emerge quickly to replace the damaged ones.
The variety seems to be very suitable for the area and does not require much attention. Some of the plants have survived in a sandy soil without any additional nutrients or care.
Up here in the north days are getting shorter and cooler. Luckily the weather has been nice — not too much rain and some sunshine.
The Fall Phloxes (Phlox paniculata) are blooming. The white ones always start followed by the other colors.
Next year I will try to find more varieties to have more colors.
The Monkshood (Aconitum × stoerkianum) is doing well this summer. It is one of those old flowers that have been grown up here in the north for a long time.
The bumblebees adore the flowers and there is constant buzz among the plants.
Monkshoods protect themselves with a cocktail of poison though. The whole plant is poisonous and a small dose of the root is enough to kill you. In other words not a suitable plant if you have small children playing in the garden.
It has been awhile since I have had any Cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus) growing.
It is a native plant for the region and I remember it from the childhood.
Nowadays you can have it in several different colors but the blue one is the original color.
Gardening in the North 