It never fails that, as soon as I publish my Bloom Day post, I find flowers I somehow missed. Or, just as frequently, flowers bloom a day or two after the middle of the month. The number of "misses" is particularly high this month. The flowers seem to be virtually knocking down the garden gate. Perhaps this is a response to the spate of unseasonably warm weather we had in the days leading up to Bloom Day - our cool season flowers want their time in the limelight before hot weather gains a foothold here and they have to creep back under cover to prevent themselves from frying.
Here's a taste of what has popped up since I prepared my Bloom Day post:
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| Okay, maybe I just missed this Argyranthemum frutescens 'Madeira Red' in a pot at the bottom of the slope |
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| But how could I have missed Camellia 'Taylor's Perfection'? I've been waiting since late December for its blooms to open. |
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| Just a couple of days ago, in a comment on another blog, I said I'd seen no sign of flowers or leaves on our Cercis occidentalis, then I walk thorough the garden the next morning and see this |
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| Perhaps I can be excused for missing the small pale flowers opening on this Cistus x skanbergii |
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| And these equally pale, small-sized noID daffodils, nearly hidden beside Stipa tenuissima |
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| I didn't include Gaillardia aristata 'Gallo Peach' in my Bloom Day post because there were only one or 2 flowers showing then but now there are dozens of blooms and buds. This Gaillardia, which has shown itself to be much more vibrant than G. 'Mesa Peach' is my favorite plant this week. |
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| Yes, I featured Gazania 'New Day Yellow' in January's post but it deserves another showing. This particular bloom is more than 4 inches in diameter - it's screaming for attention! |
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| Even Graptopetalum paraguayense is blooming |
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| I'd noticed buds on Grevillea 'Superb' when I was taking my Bloom Day photos but the first of these has now opened |
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| Hebe 'Patty's Purple' isn't flashy and I guess I just missed the fact that it had started blooming again |
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| The tiny flowers of Ipheion uniflorum are easily missed |
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| Limonium perezii never gets the respect it deserves |
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| But how did I miss the blooms on this Phalaeonopsis that sits on my own desk? |
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| To be honest, I took several pictures of this Philotheca myoporoides 'Profusion', a relatively new acquisition, for the Bloom Day post - the plant wasn't nearly as photogenic in full sun as it is under the cover of a marine layer |
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| Phlomis fruticosa has just produced its first tentative blooms |
There are a LOT of buds as well. Two more
Grevillea,
'Ned Kelly' and
'Bonfire', are developing buds, as is my new
'Hot Pink' Callistemon. There are even buds on my sweet peas. However, my guess is that the next plant to burst into bloom will be the
Ageratum corymbosum - it's close, I think.
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| The buds on this Ageratum began forming in early January |
I think spring is here.
(My apologies - and sympathy - to those experiencing dreadful weather elsewhere. I hope you understand that spring needs to be celebrated when it makes its appearance. That happens on a different schedule for all of us. Your time will come!)
All material
© 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
Dear Kris, it is always interesting to see what is blooming in your garden at any given time. You have such a variety of plants growing in your yard, it is really fascinating. My favorite today is the Ageratum. The blooms and the leave color are such a cool combination. I also really like your camellia 'Taylor's Perfection'. Wishing you a nice weekend!
ReplyDeleteChristina
The buds of the Ageratum corymbosum haven't opened yet but I'm expecting that event any day, Christina. The foliage is beautiful even when the plant isn't in bloom.
DeleteBeautiful! Good to know I'm not alone in my ability to miss a few...
ReplyDeleteIt happens every month in my case...
DeleteThat's a beautiful orchid. Strangely I've had one open since bloom day too.. a white cymbidium flushed with pink. It's like counting the birds for the Birdwatch.. somehow they seem to know and deliberately bide their time.
ReplyDeleteOrchids always seem to surprise me with their blooms - if mine have a schedule, I've yet to detect it. In the case of the Phalaeonopsis, the flowers stalk and buds appeared so long ago, I just stopped paying attention.
DeleteKris, it's wonderful to see all the variation in blooms. Good for the soul to see these lovely colors.
ReplyDeleteI hope you see colors other than white and gray soon, Susie!
DeleteIt's easy to miss a few blooms on bloom day! Now that the days are getting longer, and something new seems to be popping up just about every day, we almost need a couple of bloom days a month to see it all. You've got lots of exciting things happening in your garden!
ReplyDeleteThat's true, Peter - at this time of year, we need a weekly bloom round-up.
DeleteYou have so many plants in bloom it's easy to miss a few. That's a good thing mind you :)
ReplyDeleteYes it is!
DeleteNo apologies needed for your fabulous spring! We have 8 inches of snow and it's still coming down but that's life. It kept my garden insulated when we dropped below zero and everything will be well watered. I love love love how much color you have! :o) Phlomis looks so soft and fuzzy.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't seem that there will be any need to worry about drought back east, that's for sure. In our case, this winter is already being called California's 4th driest on record and SoCal has received even less rain than the northern part of the state.
DeleteWIth so very much going on and changes from morning to afternoon, it is easy to understand that certain plants will claim attention while others might be temporarily overlooked.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to me that orchid plants brought into the house with developing bloom stalks will often flower out without our noticing for a day or longer. We seem to look at those without really seeing them once they are brought indoors, and I'd have thought the opposite would be true. Which reminds me to check all my inside plants for water, once things get going in the garden I am bad about remembering to care for my indoor plants!
Oh, I'm neglectful of the orchids outside as well, Deb. They really deserve more attention than they get from me.
DeleteLots of great flowers! Your photo of the Cersis occidentalis is especially beautiful, both the subject and the composition.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Evan. The Cercis is a nice understory tree here, although my 2 are a little scraggly yet. I suspect they were planted only 2-3 years before we acquired the house. I look forward to seeing them beef-up a bit.
DeleteKris you have so many flowers growing at any given time, I am amazed you can show them all...thanks for these additional blooms as we are being blasted again by more snow.
ReplyDeleteIt's unbelievable how much snow the east is getting, Donna. It seems even worse than last year. I hope the storms abate soon and you begin your melt!
DeleteThough our temperatures didn't go up quite as high as yours, we've had the same situation here with a nice cooling off over the past couple of days... and the plants are loving it! I'm not surprised a few more popped out for you ;-) Oddly enough, the plant that most catches my eye is your Hebe - very quiet, perhaps, but it looks very attractive in the photo! The Gazania is a stunner, of course; mine are not blooming - they're in the front patio and not getting enough sun, I suspect...
ReplyDeleteThat Hebe is a good, solid addition to the garden, Amy. The foliage always looks good and it flowers for much of the year while never upstaging its companions. I think we all need shrubs like that!
DeleteWhat a kind remark about nasty weather elsewhere! It's fun to see all that you have blooming. Your Gaillardia made my heart stop. How beautiful! Any chance your garden has bloomed enough to do a panoramic view? Happy gardening!
ReplyDeleteI do a series of wide shots at the start of each month, Flower Freak. The March views will be a mixed bag, though, as the roses and some other shrubs weren't cut back until late January and haven't yet recovered.
DeleteWhat a butiful Camellia Taylor's Perfection!!
ReplyDeleteI would be happy if i could have some in my garden and think how nice it would be with a Cercis occidentalis hanging branches above.
Best regards
Mariana
That would be a pretty combination, Mariana!
DeleteI call this phenomenon "You should have been here tomorrow." I overlook things, something blooms suddenly the next day, life goes right on with or without me.
ReplyDeleteThat would have been a cute title, Jean. I did find more I missed just this morning - my red/orange Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paws) are putting out blooms. I hope that means the yellow ones will start blooming soon.
DeleteI love your spring blooms! It is always a delight to see flowers, especially here, today, with such dreary cold weather outside. I checked my own 'Taylor's Perfection' a few days ago, and the buds are still tight. Spring will be a while for me, but hopefully not too long!
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy coming here and seeing your flowers, most of which are so different from the ones here. I love your Madeira Red daisies!
ReplyDeleteWith the recent cold weather it seems hard to believe that spring is only a few weeks away here. Spring has certainly arrived where you are!
How lovely. It always amazes me how your seasons seem all muddled up together when I see the different flowers blooming together.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing everything in bloom - in my garden, a Limonium that I nursed through winter has only just put on its first flower at the end of summer; but your Ipheion are only a few weeks early compared to when mine normally start to flower! You have so many beautiful plants and such a beautiful garden - it's always such a treat to visit :-)
ReplyDeleteKris, No apologies needed. Those of us who are still many weeks away from garden blooms survive on hope provided by those of you enjoying spring. Keep it coming!! -Jean
ReplyDelete