Catching up to Garden Bloggers Bloom Day hosted by Carol at May Dreams Garden … I am enjoying the bright red bracts of this Poinsettia tucked into a flowerpot by St. Lawrence Pottery. These bracts or specialized leaves, are not flower petals as is commonly assumed. The bracts surround the actual Poinsettia flower, the small yellow cyathia, and serve to draw attention to them — plant advertising. They turn color due to changing periods of light and darkness, a response known as photoperiodism.

Paperwhites are just beginning to bloom indoors. An Evergreen Amaryllis is starting in a “Santa pot” with a handlebar mustache. Its blooms will be an unusual spring green. Nothing is blooming outside in the garden except for a few hardy, frozen Coral Honeysuckle blooms.

As a Northern gardener I spend quite a bit of time arranging outdoor window boxes and baskets with layers of greenery and seedheads. These are not only my Christmas decorations, but my “winter blooms” adding color to the garden’s muted winter palette. To view a slide show, simply click on the first image below. You will be taken to an enlarged viewing screen. Click the arrow to the right of each image to continue on to the next slide. (Please note the slideshow may not work properly on your mobile phone.)

A rustic basket on the back porch steps.

A simple wreath made with grapevines, cedar boughs and pine cones.

Log pedestals in the Woodland Edge hold wire baskets filled with annuals during the summers and greenery during the winters.

Another log pedestal in the garden topped with basketful of greenery strategically placed in front of Red Osier Dogwood.

The shed window box decorated for winter.

Grapevine stars adorned with fresh greens and pine cones decorate the workshop/garage.

I love the red sedum leaves among the green boughs in this basket. The sedum should come back in the spring.

A coal bucket filled with greens on the front porch.

A standing rustic basket I have had for years is filled with pine cones and decorative spheres all year round. A few fresh evergreens are added in winter. The nest (to the left), which is just about the best decoration a gardening girl could ask for, was left to me by Mrs. Robin. Yes, she did raise her young right here in this basket by the front door! I have not moved the nest.

What will be blooming next month? Possibly an orchid? Or the Evergreen Amaryllis?

Author: Kathy Sturr

Author of the Violet Fern blog, gardening addict and aspiring artist.