{"id":2317,"date":"2007-12-15T12:33:37","date_gmt":"2007-12-15T18:33:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.zanthan.com\/gardens\/gardenlog\/?p=2317"},"modified":"2017-07-19T20:31:38","modified_gmt":"2017-07-20T01:31:38","slug":"garden-bloggers-bloom-day-december-2007","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zanthan.com\/gardens\/monthly-comparison\/garden-bloggers-bloom-day-december-2007\/","title":{"rendered":"GBBD 200712: Dec 2007"},"content":{"rendered":"

\nCarol at May Dreams Gardens<\/a> invites us to tell her what’s blooming in our gardens on the 15th of each month.\n<\/p>\n

\nThis is the special southern edition for all you who are under snow this weekend. Actually GBBD came just in the nick of time here in Austin. Our high temperatures this week have gone from the 80s to the 40s to the 80s to the 40s, eventually ending the week with two average days in the 60s. Forecast for tonight, however, is our first freeze of the season before we resume highs in the 60s. I’m not too worried. Zanthan Gardens is very close to downtown Austin which forms a heat sink. We also got some rain last night; temperatures fluctuate less sharply when the ground is moist. (Remember, the ground never freezes in Austin). The temperatures might dip to freezing for a few hours but I suspect only the tenderest plants (like the basil) will be in any danger. I’ll bring the potted plants in and cover up the strawberries in any case.\n<\/p>\n

\n\"rose
I had my doubts whether or not the David Austin rose, ‘Heritage’, would last until today. It did! It opened four days ago. ‘Heritage’ has the nasty habit of dropping its petals before the flower has faded. I’m glad this one stayed opened long enough to make it to GBBD. One of the great thing about winter roses in Austin is that the flowers last several days. In the summer they typically open and wilt in the heat in the space of a few hours. All over Austin roses have been in full bloom this month, especially the heirloom rose ‘Mutabalis’.\n<\/p>\n

\n\"rose
Most of the roses have buds on them which might freeze. The rose that’s been in full bloom all month is the lovely white China rose, ‘Ducher’. This is my second instance of this rose. I lost one last year to rose dieback. This one is planted on the opposite side of the the yard against the north fence. In my experience, ‘Ducher’ has always bloomed best in the winter so I moved it against the north fence where it could get plenty of winter sun. ‘Ducher’s’ flowers have a lemony rose scent. I particularly like how twiggy and full the bush is. The new foliage always has a nice red tint to it which makes it pretty even when it’s not blooming.\n<\/p>\n

\n\"Helianthus
Also new for December are two sunflowers which I planted in September to provide some fall color. This yellow one is ‘Goldy Honey Bear’ which is supposed to be 4 to 6 feet tall but which has grown only to a height of 13 inches. Remembering that sunflowers often grow in waste spaces, I planted them to hide some of the garden house construction detritus. Apparently caliche and rock forms a poorer soil than even sunflowers can handle. The entire packet of seeds produced only two flowers which look more like dandelions than sunflowers.\n<\/p>\n

\n\"Helianthus
I had better success with ‘Moulin Rouge’ which was planted in long-established garden loam.\n<\/p>\n

\n\"paperwhite\"
Making a bid for spring before winter has even started is the first paperwhite. I’ve been watching this bud all week and if it opens more fully in today’s sunlight I will post an update photo this evening.\n<\/p>\n

\n\"viola\"
\nAll the hardy annuals I planted last month–the sweet alyssum, pinks and violas–have established themselves nicely and continue to bloom. The paperwhites have sprouted up among the violas, as have a lot of larkspur seedlings. And the leaves are still falling off the trees. So this bed is a mix of seasons, which is appropriate for December in Austin.\n<\/p>\n