This is my first time participating in bloom day and I probably picked one of the toughest months to start. There's just not much in bloom right now. On top of that, I've only lived in this house going on three years now so there's still much planning, planting and garden beds to be made. It's definitely been fun thus far. My subdivision was built on what was once farm land less than 10 years ago, so for the most part I've had a blank canvas to work with. With all that, I was still able to round up a few things that I would like to show off. In this process I learned that if you take a little more time to look around, there may be more color in the winter garden than you think.
The first and most exciting thing going on in my landscape now is my Japanese flowering apricot (variety Peggy Clark). It's a winter blooming tree but this year it's blooming earlier than in previous years. Normally it starts blooming in mid February. I'm really not sure why it's blooming so early. Whatever warm spells we've had this winter weren't long lived; however, I did relocate the tree last spring to a different area of my front yard. Maybe the "root shock" has caused it to bloom early this year. Who knows...but its been a pleasure to watch. 
Below is my Mediterranean pink heather. This is a little winter blooming shrub (mature height of 10"). It's very easy to grow, makes for a nice border, stays green year around and produces small little blooms for most of the winter months.
Here are some potted pansies that live on our front porch. An easy to grow winter annual and does great in pots.
Below are some holly shrubs that are part of my front foundation garden bed. I'm not sure what variety they are. These holly's were already established when we moved in the house. Their great berry producers and the mockingbirds and robins frequently snack on them.
My Carolina jasmine (gelsemium sempervirens) are still hanging on to a few blooms. These vines bloom heavy in early spring and put out a few more blooms in the fall. I have these vines climbing a trellis I constructed using lattice to hide my outside gas tank. I chose this vine for the trellis because it's fast growing, it's evergreen, and its native.
Nandina 'compacta' is another evergreen. I love the contrast that it has this time of year - bright red berry clusters against dark green leaves. We made a nice holiday arrangement this year using its leaves and berries.
Lets not forget the birds. They can provide all sorts of winter color to our garden. It's obvious that I enjoy feeding them, but I also like to plant various trees and shrubs that will provide food and cover for them in winter. More about that another time...
Go here to see other great garden blogs and see what's blooming in their yard.
