What's in flower this Christmas

Hi all

I started this thread as I have just taken a photo of a little rose growing in a chimney liner. It has struggled all summer and now is flowering its socks off

 - A true Christmas rose

 Sorry about picture very dark and raining here today

Bravo!!! A real survivor... Congratulations! (And tell people your secret)

I say that looks really happy in that pot,I have seen a few roses blooming  including my own small climbing rose which is growing through my pyracantha.

No secret, just planted it in usual mix compost, soil and horse pooh and left it to it. No flowers on it all summer so I thought maybe the damp didn't suit it. it's not sheltered so......

What a pretty little rose. Had a look round today, but nothing actually in flower here apart from a few violas in pots and buds on a viburnum tinus.

viburnum x bodnantense dawn are great in the winter

Left overs include achillea, knifophia, erysimum, Daphne 'Eternal Fragrance' and the last few cyclamen hederifolium, the last are in their 5th month of flowering. More seasonally we have, Mahonia (I think it's 'Charity'), Viburnums x bodnantense and tinus, primroses and cyclamen coum. Lots of catkins swelling, garrya, hazels, birch and alder. I cut alder and some field maple with the wings still on to make the Christmas 'tree'. This will be done when I get round to it.

Disappointments are Loniceras frangrantissima and x purpusii which haven't even got flower buds. 

Shortest day soon, after that it's spring.

The shortest day (December 21st, the Winter Solstice) is actually the first day of Winter.  Spring begins on the Vernal Equinox (meaning the length of the day and night are equal), which is on March 20th.  For completeness, Summer begins on June 21st, the Summer Solstice, when the Sun reaches it's highest point in the sky and Autumn begins on September 22nd (Autumnal Equinox) when day and night are again of equal length.  Lots of interesting stuff including folkore about seasons and scientific explanations of why the day/night aren't exactly equal on the Equinoxes here:

http://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-seasons

That's theoretical spring. My spring will be when  can go out without a coat, the birds are nesting and all manner of things are germinating.

Once that first snowdrop is out my Spring has sprung .

Lovely roses BJay - that's made me want to go outside tomorrow and see if I have anything in flower.

The rose is one of 3 I bought from much maligned JParkers. The variety is the Fairy, 1 pink, 1 red and the photo. I am now very pleased with all 3 

2 are in chimney liners, so there is no base, just placed on soil.

I also have Feverfew, Erysinum, Rose 'Winchester Cathedral (1flower). the frost last week finished off most

Past shortest day, into January and seed sowing starts Wahay

I still have some nasturtium and geraniums flowering!

Psychological or not, from tomorrow I feel so upbeat days are longer, X'mas is a coming and another day LESS to the spring......roll on, my cup is nearly full, only 9 weeks to March!!

Merry X'mas all you lovely people and a happy, happy, warm and sunny new year

Jatnikapyar; What a lovely photo!

Thank you Artjak, (novice response!) that was 2011.........this year the wood pigeons had an early X'mas feed in November.....bless

Hi,

Can you tell me the name of this lovely rose?

I have tree camelias, but one is now flowering since november, it is a problem because the frost is damaging the white flowers who turned brown.

I wish you a Merry Christmas

From Belgium

The cuttings from our Hydrangea kept on the windowsill  in the garage as we have no cold frame  yet, are about 5/6 inches tall  and 2 are  budding, i also had a small weak one in a pot in the lounge its coming on very  strong and also  has a bud ,I'm going to leave this one indoors to see if will grow and  be ok over Christmas  or should i take the buds off ,anyone grown Hydrangeas  indoors before,all the rest are normal,