Winter Flowers

One of the things that I really love about gardening here in Portland (we're USDA Zone 8b meaning we don't get colder than 15-20 F) is that we can grow some plants year around, like winter pansies. When I first moved here from Massachusetts where everything died to the ground (and worse) every winter, I knew that I'd found a gardener's paradise! The camellias start blooming in December and our spring is typically months long. I love it! 

Granted, the weather seems to be shifting a bit, and the summers certainly seem much warmer than they were 15 years ago. I don't know what this winter will bring, but these beautiful orange 'Glacier Pansies' will be gracing the garden this year. They match the color scheme of my newly installed back garden. I've just gotten a shipment of bulbs that include crocus that are just about this color. Can't wait to plant them and wait for spring! You know they're be pictures of those!