Another windy, cool and rainy day in the neighborhood---while my Petoskey garden is getting slammed with a 'bomb cyclone'.  Urgh.  Our fantasy two weeks in Spain and Portugal which should have been chilly were warm to hot and sunny, day in and out.  So it goes. As I sort through photos of our trip, I keep finding these great flower shots that keep my gardener's heart beating faster. Here are another couple to motivate us all. Camillias were at home in Asia but hardened varieties bloom from Portugal (here the stunning gardens at Sintra) to Long Island.  Morning glories flower on this stunning chandelier in the Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal. Whether in Mediterranean climes or the howling winter storm along Little Traverse Bay, bringing the garden indoors is one way of extending the growing season.

Winter is on the run in the Southwest. Friends are posting snowy shots of walks in the dunes at Petoskey State Park. Visions of spring in Portugal and Spain are still dancing in my head. The plants were familiar---from a vinca that is taking over the world in Northern Michigan to interesting succulents. Bougainvillea were not blooming as yet. But then a lot was. I am going to share a few.
From left: Golden Chalice vine growing on a pergola was absolutely spectacular;  at center, an interesting bulb-like flower (any ideas what it might be?). Now Bergenia I know---a crop of it blossoms in the Memorial Garden in Bay View every year.