Morning jewels

The last several days have been cold, at least by Florida standards. But a warm front pushed in last night and triggered some rain showers. When I woke up my yard was shrouded in fog and the plants looked like they were covered in diamond dust as the morning sunlight danced through the residual water droplets. I had to snap a few photos before heading in to work. As much as I'm a night person, I really do love morning moments like this.

January -- Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

As I said in my last post, it's the quiet season in my garden. That being said, there are a surprising number of things blooming. We had some cold snaps back in October and November (kind of early for us), so I didn't really expect much to be blooming until spring hit. However, we did have some warmer temperatures in recent weeks so perhaps the plants all think that spring is here. At any rate, here's what's blooming.

Fragrant olive

Ah, this has got to be one of my favorite plants in the garden. Sure, it's not the most attractive -- it's tall, and spindly, reminding me of a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. But boy, does it smell wonderful. It's amazing that such tiny flowers can pump out so much sweet, intoxicating aroma. If you live in Zones 7B-9B and don't have one in your yard, I highly recommend putting one in--especially by a front door or walkway where you'll catch a whiff of it when you pass by. 

Beach sunflower

I transplanted a few scrawny plants from the office into this bed back in March. They've really filled in and have been blooming non-stop ever since. In fact, I might have to thin them out if the predicted freezes don't take care of this for me.

'Louis Phillippe' Rose

Sigh. What can I say about this rose? I do nothing to it and it rewards me by blooming yearround with its spicy blooms. Amazing.

Saucer magnolia

This pretty magnolia is tucked into the back corner of my yard, so some years I hardly notice its blooms. Thankfully, I spotted it this year. It bloomed last year around the same time. It's also sometimes called a Japanese magnolia.

Glorybower

This vine is still going strong. It usually gets fried by cold temperatures, but I guess my yard has somehow been spared from the colder temperatures that Tom has had at his house.

Sandanqua Viburnum

I'm not particularly fond of this bush, but it's a respectable foundation plant in my front yard so I'll leave it there for now. Interestingly, it emits a skunky smell when pruned.

Azalea

These poor little blooms will likely get zapped later this week if the temperature drops into the upper 20s for two consecutive nights, as predicted.