Bloom Day - January 15, 2012

Bloom Day in January means inside blooms here in Rhode Island. The temperatures are in the single digits today after a mild week. I even picked carrots two days ago. Things change fast this time of year. There are a few plants blooming with the pink cyclamen shown above leading the pack for number of blooms. I love this little seasonal plant and I don't stress over its short life span here. There is not enough room on the shelves to nurse it after all the blooms have faded so into the compost it will go. It was a gift and one I love. I have a few paperwhites blooming and these have little fragrance. I know some do not like that scent but they rarely spend the time to pot them up. Really, if I am going to the trouble of forcing a  paperwhite, anticipating the scent of spring with each new inch of foliage, with buds forming full of the promise of sweet fragrance and then...nothing, the disappointment is great and hugely out of proportion to the act of plunking a few bulbs in pebbles in a pot. This could be a sign of cabin fever. I need to get out more.  Here is a Phalaenopsis orchid blooming. This is one I have had for a while which speaks to its ease of re-bloom. I need to pick up a few more of these. The flowering maple has a few flowers and while this is a dismal shot taken in less than ideal light conditions, I love these scarlet bells. This variety is a bit gangly and loose. I will cut it hard next spring when it goes outside to summer on the patio. Summer is a long way off but the sun is rising earlier and setting later and that is very welcome. Many thanks to Carol over at May Dreams for hosting yet another Bloom Day.