A year of blooms - and other things

This year, as every year does, held challenges for the gardener. And yet, in spite of uncooperative weather, a plague of weeds and occasionally insects - not to mention garden "helpers" who didn't always follow instructions - it turned out to be not an entirely bad year in the garden. Here are some of my favorite pictures from each month.

In January, the Christmas poinsettias were still in full bloom.

I do love the sweet little leucojum blossoms that brighten dull February.

By March, the redbud was in full bloom, a cafeteria for bees.

April is amaryllis month. This frilly one held hidden treasure between petals of its blossom - a little green treefrog. Love those eyes!

In May, the water lilies began blooming.

And by June the crocosmias were finishing up their blooming. 

What would July be without sunflowers and bumblebees enjoying them?

By August, the blossoms of the beautyberry had begun ripening into its eponymous berries.

Bright coral vine blossoms covered this section of garden fence in September.

Justicia 'Orange Flame' was a star of the garden in October.

Shrimp plant blooms were part of my November Bloom Day post.

And December saw my 'Graham Thomas' rose bush with its best flowers of the year.

When a gardener looks at her garden, the tendency is to see everything that is wrong with it - every plant that is in the wrong spot, every plant that isn't living up to its promise, every weed and every insect-chewed leaf. But it is nice once in a while to stop and remind ourselves that there are a few things right with the garden as well. It gives us hope that things might get even better in the new year. 

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