The Last of the Hardiest

November started out marvelously with highs in the 50s(F) and one day even hit 66°(19C). The second week the switch flipped and the real November showed up with a vengeance. Most nights have been in the teens, but we also got two nights that dipped into single digits (9F=-13C)–that’s unseasonably low for November and was the death knell for many perennials that had been looking presentable up until that point.

‘Pink Frost’ hellebore, however, looks more than presentable.

Helleborus x ballardiae ‘HGC Pink Frost’

I just love the rosy pink on the outside of the bud.

‘Pink Frost’ opened its first flower in October. This is flower #2 with a third on the way.

I bought this at my grocery store shortly before Easter and planted it in the Cabin Fever bed once the soil had thawed. The Helleborus Gold Collection (HGC) plants are often sold as Christmas pot plants, too, but I’ve never been able to keep one happy in the house until spring.

I have other hellebores that normally bloom in November but I don’t even see buds on them. However, Helleborus x sahinii ‘Winterbells’ has been blooming since–well, actually I can’t remember a time when it wasn’t in bloom, which is pretty amazing for a hellebore.

Yes, it’s a mostly green flower, but hey–it’s a flower and it’s November.

But ‘Winter Bells’ has a serious flaw–it flops.

The shorter new growth is nicely upright, but the older stems flop over while they continue to bloom.

I wonder if I cut back the stems at a certain point in its growth cycle, I would then get more shorter stems with new growth. I need to figure out when that ideal time for cutting back is.

The pansies and violas are making a heroic effort, but those two 9-degree nights just about did them in.

These pansies have been blooming since a neighbor left them on the door step for May Day.

I bought this container in mid-October knowing it would only last a month. I just couldn’t resist 75% off! If I have time before deep snow and consistently bitter cold arrive, I’ll plant the heuchera and combine the violas with the pansies.

But that’s a pretty big if.

Finding a dandelion blooming in November is a very cheering thing.

That’s it for outdoor blooms. I took all my amaryllis outdoors for the summer, and I was surprised to discover ‘Cherry Nymph’ had a flower stalk just emerging.

It’s now on the fourth and last bloom.

I couldn’t tell you how I got it to bloom–all my houseplants are treated with benign neglect–but the ‘Nymph’ series of Hippeastrum is generally well-regarded.

You might also like . . .

• Five Surprising November Blooms
• 8 Plants That Look Good After Bitter Cold
• Garden Color in Dreary November
• How To Fight The Winter Blues: Pot Up Some Amaryllis
• How to Pull Your Potted Plants Through the Winter

Inspired by the words of Elizabeth Lawrence, “We can have flowers nearly every month of the year,” Carol of May Dreams Gardens started Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. On the 15th of every month, garden bloggers from all over the world publish what is currently blooming in their gardens. Check it out at May Dreams Gardens.

from Cold Climate Gardening http://ift.tt/2zJlIlA