Almost 36 months of continuous bloom. Since the witch hazel began flowering in Janury 2004, our community garden has always had something blooming. We've got flowers right now! These tough winter months are covered by the fall witch hazel, spring witch hazel, and snowdrops.

One set of snowdrops always blooms in January. They are not in a sheltered south-facing spot, but out in the open. I don't know whether it's the genes of that cultivar or some mystical microclimatology, but they are faithfully flowering by Tyra and Ed's birthday (Jan.16). These are the ones that our stupid evil rabbits always nibble off. They are not edible! Why do they do that?!?!

Other snowdrops begin around Valentine's Day. If, it is a warm February, winter aconite, spring meadow saffron, and netted iris may bloom. By St. Patrick's Day the garden is in full bloom and stays that way until deep into November. Raydon's favorite aster, Milka aster, and monkshood hang on long enough for the witch hazels to take over.

If it above 28 degrees F and sunny, witch hazels will open. It may only be for an hour a day, but if it is warm enough theyl'll bloom. Once the temp drops they roll the petals back up. If the temp drops to single digits, the sepals will close tight and leave only a sliver of color visible.

We are not the only ones. I have watched spring witch hazels in Evanston and they usually have some flowers open in January. 12 months of bloom in Chicago is as simple as the average garden with a few different types of asters and witch hazels.

This year is a little special though, becuase another one of our Chicago gardens, Rae's Place, has its own twelve month streak going. There is no witch hazel anymore (a point of contention that I must remedy this year), so other plants have taken on the cold months. Snowdrops started last February. Chrysanthemum pacificum held on until mid December. Earlier this month a mislabled Helleborus purpurascens began flowering and the buds of the Ivory Prince and stinking hellebores are ready to pop.

In my short time gardening, I remember January being a bleak month in which nothing thought about blooming. And I used to cut witch hazel branches in March not January. This may be a temporary trend; we'll see. But if it keeps up, I will be able to add leatherleaf mahonia and edgeworthia to the winter mix