February 14, 2014

Hey, we're almost blooming over here

cyclamen1

Do you see it?

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How about now? No?

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Getting closer ...

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Yes! We almost have Cyclamen blooms! Lovely bud, don't you think?

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And what do you see here?

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Do you see them now?

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Aren't they sweet?

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Yes! Tiny Lemon flower buds!

Of course these aren't terribly impressive.
But at least something is (almost) blooming on Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!

To see what else is blooming around the world,
visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

54 comments:

  1. Exciting to see things bud up again, inside and outside! The cyclamen looks like it will be a flower very, very soon. I love the table the plant is sitting on!
    Is there a fragrance with the Lemon budding?

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    1. I hope so. The table was from a dear family member, and it fits the spot so well. The Lemon doesn't have a scent yet (that I know of -- I've had a cold for a few days). But I hear the Lemon blossoms are quite fragrant, and I'm looking forward to that!

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  2. Hi Beth, congratulations on flower buds on your lemon tree! I assume it is placed in your sunroom? And your cyclamen seems very happy there too, soon it will be covered in flowers.
    I hope the cold weather will loosen its grip on you soon – and stop sending more rain over to us, we have both had enough by now!
    Have a great week-end, take care, Helene.

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    1. Thanks, yes, the Lemon tree and the Cyclamen are in the sunroom. The southern exposure with bright sun seems to be doing wonders for both. Yes, I hope the terrible rains will abate for the U.K. I'm glad you're OK, but it sound like gardening has been a little soggy. When the sun comes out, your garden will be like paradise!

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  3. I put up a post, but the news is very bad.

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    1. Sorry about the Poinsettia and the Cyclamen! I'm hoping your Cyclamen will come back with some trimming, though.

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  4. Hi Beth, at least they are giving some promise, in a little while they will be in full bloom. I smiled at your style with the cyclamen, just like us when waiting for our hoyas to fully open. With the hoya groups we are almost the same, who can't wait for the flowers to open, sometimes when the plants are just new we already post the new growth. They take time to put flower peduncle, and more time from flower shoot to blooming, so we are like in deep winters waiting for the ice to melt.

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    1. Yes, the promise of blooms is so encouraging. I totally understand your anticipation with your Hoyas! I agree--so much of the magic is in the waiting, isn't it? And then that moment when they break into bloom. So much fun!

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  5. A bud holds mystery and promise that makes it even more interesting and beautiful than the full flower.

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    1. I agree, Lee. Especially just before the flower opens. It's so fun to watch the transformation!

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  6. At this time of year, even the tiniest promise of a bloom is worth celebrating! How nice to have some buds on your lemon tree! I was going to do something similar with my amaryllis--I've been taking photos of it as it's grown the last few weeks. But not a single flower stalk, so that idea got scrapped:)

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    1. I know, I probably shouldn't be so excited, but I really didn't have anything blooming until now. It's our first go with a Lemon tree, so I hope it will continue to be healthy. I'll bet all of a sudden you'll have a quick growing flower stalk on that Amaryllis--they grow so fast once they get going!

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  7. Definitely won't be long until you have a lovely little flower blooming there ! Thank goodness for inside gardening !

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    1. Yes, the blooms make the late winter a little easier to take. The Cyclamen was one that I bought last winter, so I'm thrilled that it survived the summer and is now blooming again!

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  8. We don't have Cyclamen here. It's great as indoor plant. Thanks for sharing

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    1. We have some cold-hardy ones, but this one is a florist's Cyclamen, I think, so I have to bring it in during the winter. It seemed happy on my back shaded screen porch during the summer, and now getting indirect southern light in the winter.

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  9. This should make you feel better...there is nothing blooming here, inside or out. Flowers are super high, and poor quality, and well outside is all white, but soon that will change.

    Jen

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    1. Soon that will change. That is soooo encouraging! Thanks, Jen. And it does help to have blogger friends who face the same long winters. Soon we'll be comparing notes about our Daffodils. :)

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  10. Have you had the Meyer Lemon tree for a long time? Any luck in the past with lemons? These are my favorite lemons! And when you grow them yourself...oh they taste so so good!

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    1. We just bought the Lemon tree in November as our holiday gift to each other. So, I don't have much experience with it. A friend told me about her success with a Lemon under similar conditions, so we decided to try it. I love fresh-squeezed Lemonade!

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  11. Hi Beth, I'll take any blooms I can get this time of year, and yours are beautiful. Another five inches of snow fell tonight; but it won't last forever, right?

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    1. Me, too, Karen! They're tiny now, but I imagine the changes will be more noticeable now as the days grow longer. We got a little snow, too, but not that much! But I think we're supposed to get 4-6 inches tomorrow. It will take a while for it to melt!

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  12. I hope you will soon have flowers outside as well as in. How lovely to have a lemon tree, gorgeous smelling flowers then fruit as well.

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    1. Yes, it will be fun to smell the Lemon flowers. We'll have to wait until at least mid March for outdoor blooms, but the indoor blooming plants will help us make it through the rest of the winter. :)

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  13. This time of year we really do have to value every hint of a bloom. It is hard to imagine that shortly the outside will be filled with flowers.

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    1. Yes, so true Carolyn! I know the Hellebores, Crocuses, and Snowdrops are budding under the snow, but it will be quite some time before the snow melts. But it will be worth the wait! :)

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  14. Lovely specimens Beth for GBBD. Soon we will have blooms outdoors!!

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    1. Anticipation is tough this time of year, isn't it? I wonder if we'll have any outdoor blooms to share on March 15? If not, some of our indoor plants might be in full bloom! Happy GBBD, Donna!

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  15. Those buds are teasing you Beth - I'm sure it won't be long until your garden comes back to life.

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    1. Yes, so true Angie! The outdoor garden seems to transform overnight--as soon as we get a really warm stretch and the snow melts. It's always a fun show to watch!

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  16. Hi Beth, I always get a thrill to see swelling, followed by budding. Evidence of life and growth! Love this post.

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    1. Thanks, Sue. Yes, it is so wonderful no matter what. Indoors or outside, in pots or plants in the ground--it's always fun to watch the changes!

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  17. Congrats!! there is nothing more exciting that a bloom full of colour. Enjoy!

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    1. Thanks, Lula. Now if we can just keep them thriving through the rest of winter...

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  18. Hooray for blooms! Cyclamen is a beautiful plant; I have very few indoor plants, but I wish I had them spreading through my woodlands.

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    1. I don't have many either, Deb, for various reasons. When I noticed the buds on the Cyclamen plant I was very excited because it's one I purchased last year. It made it through the dormancy period on my back porch through the summer, and lived to bloom another day!

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  19. I love cyclamen buds, so complex, like the wonderful way the seedheads uncoil to lie along the ground and tempt the ants. I think we have to take the encouragement where we can at this time of year, so three cheers for the tiny flowers and buds!

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    1. Yes, we do need encouragement. I agree--everything about Cyclamen plants is fascinating. It makes me want to watch a time-lapse, to see the cycle of the plant's life.

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  20. Hear! Hear! I second Deb's comment! There is less winter ahead than there was yesterday. Spring is on its way, even if only inside. :o)

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    1. Thanks, Tammy! I needed that encouragement. It is wonderful to see the days lengthening, even if the snow and cold continue ad nauseam. ;-)

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  21. Love cyclamen. Fascinating to see the lemon flower buds too. There's (almost!) always something.

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    1. True! Almost always. And if we can't see it, we know it's waiting for us under the snow. That keeps me motivated sometimes--the anticipation of seeing the plants emerge in the springtime. :)

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  22. You must be ready to lose your mind at this point in winter! Thank goodness for cyclamen! Even though I've been gardening for a long time now, I am always so exciting when I spot a teeny-tiny bud.

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    1. Ha, yes, that is true Sarah! Oh, I agree--I will never grow tired of seeing new growth, new buds, and new blooms. I feel like a kid again every time!

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  23. Is this the first year you have lemon flowers? I would give anything to smell their fragrance.

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    1. Yes, first year with the Lemon tree! It was actually the fishman's idea to get one, and I'm so glad. We're both looking forward to our first Lemon blooms, and of course our first Lemons! No fragrance yet--although I wouldn't notice it right now because I have a cold. ;-)

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  24. Hooray! Every little bit of nature helps us get through these terribly l-o-n-g winter days. A coworker of mine has a cyclamen on her desk and it's in bloom for a surprisingly long time. I hope yours brings you much joy. ... And the lemon blossoms are so sweet. I hope you get over your cold soon.

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    1. Thank you, Grace! I've never had much luck with Potted Cyclamens or African Violets in the past, so the new blooms were surprising. I think I found a good spot for it. It's my first experience with the Lemon tree, and I'm enjoying it. The cold is getting better, thanks.

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  25. I too am happy to see my indoor blooms at this time of year. Soon the snow will be gone and all the bulbs will rise. At least we can all hope it is soon. Winter started her fury early this year.

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    1. Yay--looking forward to those first flowering bulbs poking through the soil! I hear we have to make it through at least one more polar vortex blast next week. And we often have snow into March. Oh well... :)

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  26. Well I admire your resolve in playing the GBBD game no matter how humble your effort may be. Hopefully next month will see an improvement.

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    1. Ha! It's a great meme, and it's fun to join in even if all I have is a hint of a bloom. ;-) I probably won't have outdoor blooms until late March, but the indoor ones will hopefully show some progress. Our long winters can be a drag, but they're followed by incredible spring blooms.

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  27. Uwielbiam cyklameny i mam w domu. Niestety coś nie tak robię, bo nie żyją u mnie długo i nie kwitną ładnie. Śliczne jest zdjęcie pączka tego kwiatka. Pozdrawiam.
    I love cyclamen and I have at home. Unfortunately, I'm doing something wrong, because I do not live with me a long time and do not bloom nicely. Cute is a photo of a flower bud. Yours.

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    1. I've never had luck with the indoor Cyclamens before, either. I must have found a good spot for it--cool (4C to 16C) sunroom, facing south but on the north side of the room away from direct light, light watering, occasional misting. Now if I can just keep it going until it actually blooms...

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