Meanwhile back home

"O, Wind if winter comes, can spring be far behind"

Percy Shelley

I have been enjoying an increasing collection of Amaryllids, some of the tender varieties I bloom in the winter in the house and grow on the patio in the summer months. These sure do brighten the dreary winter days of January and February of which Western Oregon has so many. 

Sprekelia formosissima
This is a fun one to see bloom in the middle of winter, like a Whirling Dervish dressed in Red,
The Aztec lily is a winter stunner

The Hippeastrums are a new found favorite. I got a few of the hybrid ones on
A deep discount clearance sale after christmas. But the bloom when you need the
Flowers the most. After the Holiday season is over but before the spring has come.

I took a walk around the garden to see what was poking up this weekend,
Some of the early crocus are up and in bloom now. 

Just playing around with the Macro lens and the F stop at 2.8

I know it's artistic and doesn't really capture the whole of the flower
But I went looking for the Macro details and the only way to get this one was to focus on the
Stamens. 

Narcissus willkommii
Adds its heady perfume to the greeenhouse in the winter. 

The winter rock garden is looking great.

The weather wasn't half bad this weekend even thought the forecast called for thick skys laden with heavy rains, the Sun was out for almost all of Saturday and Sunday was dry all morning. Temperatures in the mid to upper 50's had the honey bees flying (yeah!!! They made it through the winter) and some early spring buds starting to swell. 

Cheers, 

Mark