Winter? What Winter?

We're having an incredible winter this year - around 10 inches of snow total, most of that from just a dusting at a time, and warm temperatures! Well, warm being a relative term - most of the time in the 30s or 40s (1 to 7 C), when it is normally 10 or 15 degrees colder than that! But winter days that are warm and snow free are treasured around here, and we've been lucky to have a bunch of those unexpected treasures this year!

The plants sure take advantage of that fact. The Johnny Jump Ups can always find an excuse to bloom...

And mixed with some bright Heuchera leaves, they make a sweet little mid winter bouquet

 

 The Mole plants still look good - even though they survive winter, they normally get all flaccid (ha! that's a funny word) and shriveled up (still funny), but not this year.

Speaking of Heucheras (Coral Bells) {{above and below}}, I know I gush about them every single year, but it still fascinates me how perfect they look no matter what season it is.

Does this look like something that's been SNOWED on?

...or FROSTED on?

The Narcissus also look like they're ready to go

The Yuccas look good most winters. One of these days I'm going to plant just these and Heucheras in the front of the house, and it will look (almost) like summer all year long!



My "Blue Eyed Blonde" Campanula  looks great, too, even without the blossoms. 

...And my Palm Tree? It (and the Banana - not pictured) is tucked away until the threat of Winter is gone for good. They are both supposed to be "hardy" in our zone. I'm not that worried about the Palm - this is its third year, 

but the first winter for the Banana! We'll find out in a couple of months how well they fared. Anyway, if the Banana can't make it thru THIS year, it would never be able to take a "normal" winter, anyway!