Mahonia flowers

A Bright New Year

Posted on by Ann Mackay

When everything outside is looking wintry and dreary, the mahonia bush right at the back of our garden boldly flaunts its gleaming yellow flowers. Give it a bit of sunshine, and those flowers are reminiscent of a yellow highlighter pen – practically fluorescent!

The mahonia provides a touch of brilliance and an attention-grabbing focal point to the garden at a time when it’s really needed. The little flowers are like a patch of concentrated sunshine. (I think it must be mahonia x media ‘Charity’.)

So I shall use these cheerful winter flowers to wish you a very bright and joyful New Year. May 2020 bring you health and happiness!

Mahonia flowers
A close-up of the tiny flowers of mahonia.

Published by Ann Mackay

Photographer, mixed-media art adventurer and completely daft about plants.......

16 thoughts on “A Bright New Year”

  4. The color is lovely. I’d never heard of it, not being a gardener, but I can see how it would make a cheerful addition to a landscape. I found a tiny bit of yellow blooming in my ‘front yard’ yesterday, and I haven’t a clue what it is. It was equally cheerful, though, and a pleasure to see.

    It’s hard to believe we’re almost to the New Year, but so it is. I hope yours is healthy and happy, as well.

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    1. Thank you! The shrub was well established in the garden when we arrived here and it is really prickly, so quite hard to prune or work near – but I would hate to be without its colour at this time of year. Hope your year is full of happiness!

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  5. Wow! That is hard to believe as a winter flowering shrub but there it is. I realize your winters may not be as frigid as ours but it is still cold and most plants have taken a much deserved siesta. How nice to see such beauty at this time. Happy New Tear, Ann!

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    1. It’s pretty mild here for much of the winter – and our winters over the whole county aren’t as cold as they were when I was a kid. Mahonia is pretty tough – though I can’t remember seeing any in Scotland. I can remember the first time I ever saw a winter-flowering cherry on a visit to London as a girl – I was amazed! 🙂

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    1. They are very cheering to see and the only flower at that end of the garden in winter. (We have winter jasmine – also yellow – and a pink flowered viburnum too, but they’re in a different bit of the garden. I love winter flowers! Happy New Year to you too Syd! 🙂

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