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!
Ann Mackay: Inspired by Nature 
Never seen such a gorgeous photo of mahonia as that top photo. Wow, that’s stunning!
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Thank you Liz! Photographing your own garden means that you get new chances to get it right every year… 🙂
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A burst of cheerful yellow! Lovely, Ann!
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Thank you Indira – hope you have a bright and cheerful New Year! 🙂
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A happy New Year to you too Ann!
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Thanks Stephanie – hope your year is full of happiness and artistic fulfillment! 🙂
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Wishing you a late but no less bright happy new year.
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Thank you Jill! And I hope that 2020 is full of happiness for you! 🙂
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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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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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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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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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Fabulous yellow flowers! Lucky you to have them around to cheer you up when its a gloomy day. Happy New Year Ann!
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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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Brilliant little blossoms!!
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Thank you – I’m glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
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