Bloom Day - February 2026 (Early Edition)

The relatively heavy rain we had early in the season followed by a stretch of warm temperatures delivered us an early Spring.  Now, Spring generally arrives early here on the coast of Southern California but it struck me as accelerated this year.  I took a lot of photos and, even though I crammed many of them into color-themed collages at the end of this post, this is still a long one so my apologies at the outset.  If I hadn't moved up my Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day post by two days because that better accommodates my schedule, it might be longer still!  I'm seeing new blooms every day - in fact, I noticed three Dutch Iris buds (not included here) while preparing this post yesterday.

I'll start with the star players, listed alphabetically by species.

Two Agave desmettiana 'Variegata' on my front slope are now in full bloom

The Anemone coronaria are peaking.  Clockwise from the upper left are: 'Azzurro', 'Bordeaux', 'Mr Fokker', 'Lord Lieutenant', 'Mona Lisa' (maybe), 'Rarity', and 'Rosa Chiaro'.

Almost but not all of my snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) are putting on a good show

 

The African daisies (Arctotis) are up and running with 'Large Marge' in the lead and 'Pink Sugar' coming up behind

The Marguerite daisies (Argyranthemum frutescens) do well until summer arrives.  Left to right are: 'Aramis Apricot', Beauty Yellow', and 'Mount Everest'.

I can never capture the vivid blue of Aristea inaequalis in photographs

I discovered all the Auranticarpa rhombifolium shrubs (aka diamond pittosporum) in flower by accident when I went to check on another plant

Camellia 'Taylor's Perfection'

Both Cistus x corbariensis (upper left and top right) and C. x skanbergii (bottom left and middle right) are currently in full bloom.  Cistus 'Grayswood Pink' (lower right) is blooming more lightly.

Mixes of Dianthus barbata

Freesia blooms are popping up here and there throughout my garden, despite the extensive damage gophers have done to the bulbs  

The Gazanias planted in prior years are making their comeback

Gomphrena decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy' blooms all year here (except immediately following their annual haircut)

Grevilleas, top row: G. alpina x rosmarinifolia, G. 'Peaches & Cream', and G. 'Poorinda Leane'
Middle: Grevillea lanigera and G. 'Scarlet Sprite' (including closeup of the latter)
Bottom: Grevillea sericea and G. 'Superb' (including closeup)

Hippeastrum (aka South American amaryllis), clockwise from the upper left: 'Amadeus Candy', 'Aphrodite', 'Flamingo Amadeus', and 'White Nile'

We removed one Leptospermum 'Pink Pearl' late last year after we pulled out a fence and I've considered removing this one but it's flowering better than ever now so I'm conflicted

These are 3 of my 5 Leucospermums.  From top to bottom are: L. 'High Gold', L. 'Spider Hybrid', and L 'Sunrise'.

This is the most robust of my Limonium perezii (aka sea lavender) but not the only one

The Osteospermums have also mounted their cool season comeback.  Clockwise from the upper left are: O. '4D Pink', a mix including O. '4D Purple', O. 'Serenity Purple', O. 'Violet Ice', and an interesting self-seeded cross including what looks like O. 'Berry White'

Polygala myrtifolia has self-seeded everywhere

Rhodanthemum hosmariense (aka Moroccan daisy)

Scilla peruviana (aka Portuguese squill)

There were a few surprises.

Aeonium escobarii (I think), blooming without producing a single offset

Early daylilies, Hemerocallis 'Persian Market' and H. 'Spanish Harlem'

A small shrub I only vaguely remember planting years ago and apparently never recorded, flowering for the first time.  My guess is that it's Isopogan formosus.

Protea 'Claire' has borne flowers since early November.  It's sporting its last 2 now.

I cut this Teucrium fruticans 'Azureum' (aka azure bush germander) to the ground a couple months ago with the intention of digging up its stump and never got around to step 2.  It currently looks better than it ever did before.

I'll end with my jam-packed collages.

Top row: noID Ceanothus, Felicia aethiopica, and Geranium 'Tiny Monster'
Middle: Lavandula stoechas, Lobelia erinus, and Pericallis hybrid
Bottom: Salvia 'Bee's Bliss', S. 'Mystic Spires', and Vesalea floribunda

Top row: noID pink Alstroemeria, Boronia crenulata, and Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold'
Middle: Cuphea 'Honeybells', Daucus carota, and Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi
Bottom: Persicaria capitata, Sparaxis, and Xerochrysum bracteatum

Top row: Coleonema album, Dietes grandiflora, and Euphorbia rigida
Middle: Green and white Eustoma grandiflorum (aka lisianthus) and Fuchsia 'Windchimes White'
Bottom: Pelargonium 'White Lady', noID Westringia fruticosa, and Zantedeschia aethiopica

Clockwise from the upper left: Aeonium arboreum, Alstroemeria 'Inca Sundance', Gaillardia 'Top Spin Copper Sun', Chrysocephalum apiculatum, Narcissus papyraceus, Oxalis pes-caprae, Rudbeckia 'Juliana', and noID Viola

Clockwise from the upper left: noID Cyclamen, Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder', Metrosideros collina 'Springfire', the first bloom of Eschscholzia californica, Lotus berthelotii, and Pelargonium peltatum

If you made it through this post, congratulations!  If you want more, I did a pre-Bloom Day post on a smaller group of flowers I photographed earlier this week (not included in this one).  For other GBBD posts, check in with Carol at May Dreams Gardens on February 15th.

Best wishes for a pleasant weekend.  After getting 0.47/inch of rain earlier this week, we're expecting more starting this Sunday and I couldn't be happier about that.

All material © 2012-2026 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

View from my office window

I inevitably spend a fair amount of time sitting at my home office computer over the course of a week.  There are two large windows to my right, which means I often find myself staring at the view of a particular section of my garden.  The activity at the three bird feeders frequently draws my attention, and if their chirping doesn't do that, the cat's chattering at the birds from her seat at the window does.  As I write this, the birds are staring at me, seemingly wondering if I'm going to refill their feeders before they're entirely empty.  However, what's repeatedly had me staring out the window this week hasn't been the birds so much as the mix of colors around the feeder.

This is the view in question.  What grabbed my attention on this occasion was the gladiola at the center of this shot.  Its bold color drew my eye but what really stood out was that it's blooming in early February!

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day falls on Sunday which, if forecasters are to be believed, could be the start of several rainy days for us.  I've already been gathering photos for an early Bloom Day post targeted for Friday but, instead of burying the floral display outside my window within that post, I thought I'd share the details with you in this much shorter one.

This was one of a mix of Gladiolus nanus bulbs I planted in March 2025 for early summer blooms.  I hadn't expected a yellow and coral flower in the mix.  Last year it bloomed in late June.  I believe this is a variety called 'Las Vegas'.  Yesterday, I ordered 10 more bulbs of this specific variety as it's perfect for this bed, especially if it makes a habit of flowering in tandem with the plants around it.

The Arbutus 'Marina', pruned hard in late November, is back in bloom with its coral-pink flowers, beloved by hummingbirds

The hummers also appreciate the flowers of Lantana camara 'Irene'

I haven't yet cut back all the colorful bracts of Leucadendron 'Blush'

and I apparently missed trimming back a few of the stems of Leucadendron 'Jester'

Leucospermum 'Royal Hawaiian Brandi' is just starting her bloom cycle

Lobelia laxiflora, cut back in December, is also mounting its return

There's a good chance of light rain during the wee hours tonight before the larger rain system in the offing for the coming week moves in.  The cloudy gray skies I see out the window lend some real credibility to that claim.  I don't expect it to be much but, as our last rain fell in early January, whatever we get will be welcome.  I'll end this post with a wider shot of the garden beds in view outside my office window before I take my camera out to capture photos of other parts of my garden in preparation for Bloom Day - and fill up the bird feeders of course.

All material © 2012-2026 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

In a Vase on Monday: Spring explosion

Admittedly, Spring arrives early in coastal Southern California but it feels especially early this year.  I call it Spring when I spot new flowers whenever I walk through my garden, which is generally at least two times a day.  Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is just around the corner and maybe when I tabulate what's flowering for my post, I'll discover that this year isn't an anomaly but, at the moment, it feels like one.  Finding flowers to fill my vases wasn't at all difficult - what was difficult was deciding what to rule out this week.

As much of the US is still shuddering in the face of very cold weather, it's remained warmer-than-usual here.  Unfortunately, we still haven't had any rain and even our marine layer, when it's appeared, has been light, usually clearing at my elevation by the time the sun rises.  However, there are two decent chances of rain on the horizon within the next ten days.  I focused on the Hippeastrums that might be marred by rain, should it actually show up.

Hippeastrum 'White Nile' got the starring role in this arrangement.  I hadn't originally planned to pair it with snapdragons but they've taken off in the past week and, all too soon, the sweet peas are going to demand some of the space the snaps currently occupy so cutting them seemed a good idea.

The back view is much like the front

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: dark and light pink Antirrhinum majus, Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold', green Eustoma grandiflorum (aka lisianthus), Hippeastrum 'White Nile', and Narcissus papyraceus

The second Hippeastrum is flashier than the first, although I was happier with how the first arrangement came together than I am with the second.

Hippeastrum 'Flamingo Amadeus' is dramatic but I had a harder time finding other flowers that provided the right contrast with that orangy-pink color.  More white might have been better.

Back view

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', white Freesia, Grevillea 'Superb', Hippeastrum 'Flamingo Amadeus', and Leucospermum 'Spider Hybrid'

For more IAVOM creations, check in with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

All material © 2012-2026 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party