Flowers in January

So many of my friends from other parts of Canada ask me how I handle the winters out here on the west coast. “How can you stand it? It’s such a damp cold.”

“Yup,” I smile. Damp is good. Damp means that the temperature is still above freezing.

The last week or two has been warm even for Tofino. My witch hazel bloomed a couple of weeks ago. Which is normal; it usually blooms the first week of January. But riding my bike around town yesterday, I noticed there are actually a lot of flowers in bloom right now.

So I got back on the bike today, camera in hand. These are no amazing photos – I only took my point-and-shoot out – but I was sure surprised, once I started looking. Remember, this is Canada, in the middle of January!

In a short little lap around town, I came across dozens of different types of flowers in bloom! I didn’t even photograph every single one, and there were four that I did not know the names of, either. But, of what I could recognize, I found: witch hazel; pink, blue, yellow and white primroses; pink and white heather; rhododendrons; azaleas; viburnum; geranium; three types of daisy; lavatera; pansies; violets; periwinkle; fuschia; California lilac; lobelia; calendula and hellebore – even one red rose and some mums trying hard. Oh yes, and strawberries (on my own back deck!).

Counting the four I didn’t know the name of, that is 26 different flowers in bloom here in Tofino right now.

Amazing what you see, once you start paying attention. Hope you enjoy the pix.

[One day later] Oh, I just couldn’t help myself, I had to go out and take more flower pictures again today. So here is instalment two of the Tofino Flowers in January photo essay. I found crocuses and even blackberries in bloom! Counting them, as well as Scotch broom (oh no, invasive but pretty), two more types that I don’t know the name of, and the snap dragon that I forgot to mention yesterday, that makes a total of 31 different types of flowers in bloom in Tofino right now! Enjoy…