Sunday, November 27, 2011

Daffodils in November??

Spent Thanksgiving in Wilmington, NC, hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

On Saturday we visited Airlie Gardens to see the camellias in bloom. The gardens were wired with lights everywhere, it was early morning so we did not see the displays lit up. We were taken in with the dozen or so bottle trees on display with lights all stuffed into the bottles on the trees. The bright sun prevented my getting a good photo of the bottle trees.


The Airlie Live Oak had several clumps of daffodils blooming under it. I did not find them to have be recently planted paper whites as these plants were firmly weeded in. Not sure what to think about these blooming in November? I'd enjoy any insight about them?

This was not isolated to just Airlie Gardens, a yard along the way back to where we were staying had some daffodils blooming as well. Then later on a walk in the neighborhood I found more daffodils in bloom....

Here is a 4 + inch camellia bloom found at Airlie Gardens.


And from our garden 'Kanjiro' one of our best camellias, this is a 3 inch bloom. Moondance had 7 blooms while were were gone, but they all looks bad, the new camellia likely needed watered.

16 comments:

Lisa said...

Randy,
I definitely think the warm fall is encouraging early flowering... the winter annuals (think Lamium -- have fully emerged flowers), we've seen Gelsemium in flower, and I think I saw some early Japanese apricot flowers in the distance across from the grocery today. Hmm,

Lisa

tina said...

It's really strange to see them in bloom already. I have them popping out of the ground here but no where near blooming. I wonder if it is the variety?

Karen said...

It may be very strange to see them blooming (around here, that won't be until April/May, but I love the sight of them in flower. Any flowers this time of year are just a magnet for me.

Beth at PlantPostings said...

Wow, that seems very odd! Gosh, I hope that means we're all in for a mild winter. But nature has a way of fooling us sometimes. Lovely photos, though.

Rock rose said...

What perfect blooms. Not a mark on them. I see mine poking through the ground but I certainly don't want them to bloom until the spring.

Anonymous said...

I love to see the daffs in Spring, so it seems odd to have them blooming now is a southern climate.

Bonnie K said...

People aren't the only things that get confused. I had a crabapple the bloomed while it had ripe crabapples. I guess you just get to enjoy.

Jean Campbell said...

Old Tazetta narcissus do not need the cold period that other cultivars require. I don't know what the trigger is that tells them to come up and bloom, perhaps day length?

Tatyana said...

Wow! I would get confused: did I miss the winter?

ryan said...

We get daffodils in bloom this time of year in the Bay Area. Paperwhites and a couple of other types. I think it's usually in places where they get irrigation but also have good drainage, they get a head start on the season.
I like that phrase 'weeded in.'

Curbstone Valley Farm said...

My paperwhites always came up early when I lived in California's Central Valley. They'd be long done by Christmas. So far though, my Daffodils seem to come up in Feb-Mar, not November!

F Cameron said...

I love to visit Airlie in the off-season. Lovely daffs and camellias.

Have you seen the http://www.vanishingbees.com/ website about the documentary on the Vanishing Bees?

Carol said...

Dear Randy,
It is odd to see those sweet daffs now. I hope you will find out why? Lovely Camellia blooms and photos . . . I love yours the best. How graceful. I had meant to drop in to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. Glad you and Meg had a good holiday. Carol

Q said...

Very strange seeing daffs in bloom for Thanksgiving! These are very pretty ones too. I have forced tulips in my house getting ready to bloom. They are Not weeded in!
Your camellia is gorgeous...I bet the bottle tree with lights was really interesting...
I love how your cold frame is working out. I have a few kale plants in the veggie garden and all the garlic we planted are sprouted. I think a cold frame is a great idea. I need one.
Happy December,
Sherry

Les said...

I have paperwhites blooming in the garden and today I saw two Camellia japonica blooming, one was 'Debutante' and the other was the same one as the one you show here from Arlie Gardens. Do you know its name?

eileeninmd said...

It is strange to see the daffs blooming in November. They are pretty. I guess this warm weather is confusing the plants. Lovely photos of your flowers.