Late January Garden Tour: Come On!

Posted on by Cheryl Capaldo Traylor

Hi friends,

Happy Almost February!

The good news? I’m busy writing! I’ve picked up several more magazines to write for, and that’s a good thing. I’m working on a garden essay right now that I’m really excited about that will appear in one of the new magazines. Plus, I’m about 90% finished writing three articles for two of my regular mags. I’m writing, and getting paid for it! And, I’m making time to write memoir and personal essays. I work most days 9-6, including some weekends, with a nice long lunch and walking break. I’m getting better about deadline stress. I finally created my writing life that I dreamed about for years. 

The bad news? Aaargh! I’m not keeping my blogging promise. BUT, today, here I am. Come along with me on a quick tour through my late January garden.


Winter aconites (Eranthis hyemalis) are among my favorite winter-blooming plants. It isn’t difficult to tell they are in the buttercup family. I like them especially before they open fully, as in the photo below. Their sweet, dainty green collars are actually leaf-like bracts that really accentuate that bright yellow flower.


Ahhh…sweet crocus. Always a delight to step outside on a frigid January day and see these diminutive guys blooming their little hearts out.


Snowdrops. Which one? If you would’ve asked me last year, I would’ve had an answer. This year, they are lovely snowdrops. As I grow older, I’m more comfortable with latin nomenclature ambiguity.


These snowdrops I remember, or I can recall,  by looking at their slender, twisty leaves. They are Galanthus gracilis.


An early hellebore. I think these gorgeous flowers should be renamed heavenebores. I mean, aren’t they so heavenly? Although, they sure are tough-as-hell plants. So we can keep the name. I wrote a blog post on the variety of hellebores in my garden. Click here to view some of out-of-this-world beauties from my garden.

And this? This little tree creature appeared on my walk one day last week. How adorable! Thanks to whomever “placed” him there on the tree. If your intent was to make me smile, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. 🙂

Thanks for letting me show you around my garden. I’m so happy you came with me.

See you next time…

44 thoughts on “Late January Garden Tour: Come On!”

  6. Life is good, Cheryl! You are living your writing dream and enjoying your colorful garden splendor! Thank you for sharing it and particularly with those of us who are watching the snow fall heavily today amidst predictions of ice and freezing rain. Happy to say I’ve finally gotten notice of your new post so hopefully that bug is worked out too. All the best to you for staying on the path and loving your journey. 🙂

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  8. Cheryl, Your photos are amazing. Congrats on the magazine work. $$$ so important & hard to get paid assignments these days. I know what you mean about blogging. Reading and writing them. I love doing it but it gets put last on list sometimes. I just discovered a writer I admire blogged and her best posts were turned into a book. It’s so good. I would buy any bloggers books of their best posts! Just hopping around internet takes time and then I’m sidetracked and etc etc. but if I can pull it up on my Kindle, heck yes.

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  9. Congrats on getting your writing life in order. That’s a big accomplishment, to have the life you’ve dreamed of and it includes growing in your gifts.Huzzah! And I look at your winter garden – well, this accounts for the difference in temperature – all the little newbies peeking out. There is not one sign of spring life to be found here (though an awful lot of moss in an awful lot of places, I noticed yesterday.) I love Hellebores – so pretty. Tx for the tour!

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  13. Great job on the writing success, and I’m impressed with your gardening knowledge! So many little flowers peeking out already there; I would not have expected that. Nice treat mid-winter!

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    1. Thanks, Lex! A lot of folks are surprised that here in Cary NC, we can garden year-round. Winter is my favorite gardening season:) I was an estate gardener for nearly 14 years, I learned a lot! I’ve also forgotten a lot since that time, 4 years ago. Ha!

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  16. Congratulations – well done – hurrah! You have created your future Cheryl I am so happy for you 🙂 I love how you have shown these brave flowers surrounded by the reality of the season, the bared and cold earth…… they really do lift our hearts in the dead of winter. I’m already in February, having my first morning coffee of the month and hoping the heat will abate a bit with some rain and a promised subsequent cooling of the air ….. We’ll see.

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