Bloom Day - December 2013

With much of the nation hunkered down under sheets of ice and snow, I can't whine about the limited supply of blooms here in my part of southern California.   In September, following a heat wave, I complained that finding blooms suitable to include in the Bloom Day post amounted to a scavenger hunt.  Finding blooms in my December garden presented something of the same challenge.

Much of what is blooming seems to be pink, with the biggest masses of color represented by Camellia sasanqua, Correa pulchella 'Pink Eyre, Pelargonium peltatum 'Pink Blizzard' and Schlumbergera x buckleyi.

Camellia sasanqua (no ID) with blooms somewhat worn by the recent rains

There are masses of bloom on this Correa pulchella 'Pink Eyre" but you have to get close to the flowers to fully appreciate them

Close-up of flowers on Correa pulchella 'Pink Eyre'

Pelargonium peltatum 'Pink Blizzard' is still churning our flowers in both pots by the front door

Schlumbergera x buckleyii on the side patio

Grevillea lanigera 'Mount Tamboritha' has bloomed continuously since it was planted in early January

Some other pink-flowering plants are just entering another bloom cycle:

Argyranthemum frutescens 'Comet Pink'

Camellia japonica 'Taylor's Perfection' will be blooming soon

Cuphea x ignea 'Starfire Pink' is coming back after the hard pruning it received in October

Coleonema pulchrum 'Sunset Gold'

The tiny blooms on Greveillea lavandulacea 'Penola' are just beginning to open en masse

Leptospermum scoparium 'Pink Pearl' is finally putting out more than a few sporadic flowers

Others are well past their prime:

Celosia argentea var. spicata is more tawny than pink now but I still hesitate to pull it out

These should be Lisianthus 'Echo Pink's' last blooms

Pentas lanceolata 'Kaleidoscope Appleblossom' has proven to be hardier than other varieties in my garden

There are some orange and yellow bloomers too.

Grevillea 'Superb' with Nandina domestica

Anigozanthos hybrid (Kangeroo Paws) with Papaver nudicaule (Iceland poppy)

A late-blooming 'Joseph's Coat' rose hanging over our truck's front bumper

Tagetes lemmonii (dwarf form)

And there are a few white and purple blooms here and there.

Argyranthemum frutescens 'Comet White'

Gomphrena 'Itsy Bitsy'

Hebe 'Patty's Purple' (photo-bombed by Geranium 'Tiny Monster')

Lavandula multifida (fern-leaf lavender)

My garden workhorse, Osteospermum ecklonis '3D Silver'

Osteospermum 'Serenity Purple'

Pansies

Westringia fruticosa 'Naringa' in the vegetable garden

Perhaps the biggest story this December is that my favorite citrus fruit is ripening fast.

Washington navel oranges

Mandarin orange (no ID), fruiting earlier this year

The pink-fleshed guava is also coming along but I leave that to the squirrels as I have yet to develop a taste for it.

Guava 'Mexican Beaumont'

Yes, I'm lucky.  Please visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens, the host of the monthly Garden Blogger's Bloom Day event to find what's blooming in her garden and other gardens around the world.