As another year begins, it seems an appropriate time to look at the moments that captured my attention in 2019. I've been impressed by the retrospective reviews other garden bloggers have pulled together this past week but was a daunted when I thought of wading through 158 posts and many, many more photos to select those that resonated most with me. I took a haphazard approach, looking at blog post titles and pulling up only those that rang a bell for one reason or another, then selecting just a few photos each month that I found appealing or that told a story. Here we go!
January 2019
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| Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' was the splashiest flower that isn't really a flower in my garden |
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| Last winter we had more rain than I can remember since I started gardening. I visited Madrona Marsh, a nature reserve in the middle of the busy urban center of Torrance, California and found the wetland marsh restored and full of migrating birds. |
February
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| I used some of my Leucadendron flowers to create tulip look-alikes |
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| Regular rain gave us some pretty sunsets |
March
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| Hummingbird moths (aka sphinx moths) visited my garden |
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| The unique blooms of Ferraria crispa (aka starfish flower) made an appearance |
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| And, after years in the ground, Leucospermum 'Brandi' finally bloomed |
April
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| Flowers bloomed like gangbusters beginning in April, making it much easier to pull together a colorful vase (or 2!) each week |
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| I loved how this combination of Arctotis 'Pink Sugar', self-planted Gazanias, and Lotus berthelotii came together |
May
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| Echium webii commanded attention in the back garden |
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| but Alstromeria 'Indian Summer' provided competition |
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| as did Melaleuca thymifolia |
June
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| I lost the friend who'd given me the ruffled Leucanthemum x superbum shown here in a vase I prepared as a tribute |
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| The garden was at its peak on the summer solstice |
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| The Agapanthus arrived en masse |
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| Succulents and flowers mingled comfortably |
July
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| Our remodel moved into high gear as our kitchen was demolished |
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| The garden wasn't yet markedly impacted by our remodel activity |
August
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| The mimosa tree (Albizia julibrissin) we'd cut back by half after a shot-hole borer infestation survived to bloom again |
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| Suddenly, there were spiders and spiderwebs everywhere |
September
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| The garden was all about Dahlias |
October
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| Early morning arrivals by construction crews meant I captured more sunrises |
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| As flowers waned elsewhere, the bush violets (Barleria obtusa) bloomed |
November
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| Zinnias kept blooming |
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| As our remodel came close to completion, I turned my attention back to the garden, finally working on renovation of the bromeliad/succulent bed on the northwest side of the house trashed by raccoons earlier in the year |
December
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| As Christmas beckoned, we finally declared the remodel (mostly) done |
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| Pipig and I had a scare, she had surgery, but she adapted to her fur-less stomach with the help of a heating pad |
That a wrap! Now that our remodel is done, I look forward to spending more time in the garden and hope to get out and about to see what's happening in other gardens too.
Best wishes for a wonderful new year - and decade - to all of you!
All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
A Happy Year to you too Kris! Hopefully 2020 will be a more peaceful and productive year in the garden.
ReplyDeleteThanks Elaine. I hope you enjoy your garden in 2020 too.
DeleteSuch gorgeous photos of your garden Kris, some of which I remember enjoying during the year. And your new room looks so lovely, a place to relax and enjoy the garden and views. I wish you happy gardening in 2020 with a continuation of the good conditions you’ve been enjoying.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jane. I'm wishing you and the entire country of Australia the best too! May today's terrible disasters form the basis for a new approach in your country and the world over.
DeleteA beautiful and rather eventful year, by the sounds of it. Personally, I'm happy to bid 2019 goodbye. The first day of the new year held some hope for me. I'm hoping it continues that way. Here's to a better year for us all, Kris! And by all, I mean ALL creatures on this Earth. A daily meditation on that Wilson's Wonder and Agave combo would restore my sanity on a regular basis - that is smack-down gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteMy garden had its high points, Anna, but I'm not at all sorry to see 2019 in the rear view mirror either.
DeleteHope you have a wonderful 2020, full of more peaceful times, interesting garden visits, and happy gardening in your own garden.
ReplyDeleteThanks Alison! I hope your own excitement with gardening grows as each day lengthens.
DeleteWow, you made the year just zoom by! Oh that demo photo. Aren't you thrilled it's all behind you now?
ReplyDeleteI'm very happy to have the remodel over, Loree! I'm pleased with the results but I NEVER want to do that again.
DeleteHappy New Year, Kris! You made it through the remodel, Pipig is on the mend, and the garden is going to be amazing in spring after this rainy winter -- it's all good!
ReplyDeleteAs long as we ignore the political scene, yes, it's all good, Denise!
DeleteThat demolished kitchen would make me weep - but it is all behind you now.
ReplyDeletePipig must be relieved too.
What was really scary, Diana, was that the side of the house containing the kitchen, dining room and living room remained open to the elements - and critters - for almost 2 months!
DeleteAs always, your garden pictures inspire me. I hope this year I can continue to pull things together both outside and in, leading to easier maintenance and more enjoyment. I'm so glad your remodel is done - it looks fantastic - and that things are looking up for Pipig. Look for silver linings (or fantastic sunrises) if things seem challenging, but I truly wish you a year of smooth sailing.
ReplyDeleteThanks Barbara! I'm not sure how Pipig's going to feel when we start her chemotherapy but I've been told that cats "tolerate" it better than humans. I'm not sure I can consider that an endorsement, though :(
DeleteA beautiful review, Kris. It was quite the remarkable year on various levels, wasn't it? Let's hope the coming year is smoother-sailing. ;) Hugs and chin-rubs to Pipig.
ReplyDeletePipig appreciates the attention, Eliza!
DeleteOh Kris, your photos are outstanding as are your subjects. I am glad you survived the remodel with all your hair and your marriage in tack. It certainly must have been been trying but with that beautiful garden of yours to keep you grounded I was sure you would survive. Best wishes for a Plant and Garden filled year.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lisa! I won't be doing any more remodels that's for sure!
DeleteKris, it is a perfect idea to sum of your whole year achievements. You did a lot in your garden, really great job! I am impressed how does your house look like inside. You are very lucky because of this amazing view outside the windows. When it comes to me I also love to create boucquets. Yours are definitely better than mine but I also like made similar one to this with Leucadendron flowers and daffodils. However, I used narcissus called bridal crown from https://gardenseedsmarket.com/narcissus-bridal-crown-daffodil-bridal-crown-5-bulbs.html . It has flowers in a bit different shape, they are more round than typical ones. What will bring this year? Hope it will be better than the previous one!
ReplyDeleteAs the saying goes, "great minds think alike," Molly! ;) May 2020 deliver wonderful new arrangements for both of us.
DeleteIt has been some time since I popped into your garden-and your house. I took a second look at the starfish flower-what a beauty. And a second look at pink sugar and the gazanias. Horror of horror when the ceiling came down in your kitchen!But now such beautiful spaces and a new year of house and garden, not to mention Mondays in a vase. Happy New Year.
ReplyDeleteThe remodel was a long-running mess, Jenny. I'm so glad it's done at last.
DeleteHappy new Year! My favorite was definitely the Hummingbird Moth! I saw one for the first (and only time) about 15 yrs ago and it seemed so strange. I never got a good look at it - so seeing your photo was great.
ReplyDeleteThe hummingbird moth is an intriguing creature, Hans - I was utterly perplexed when I first caught sight of it. I hope we both have sightings in 2020!
DeleteFun looking back at your gardening year Kris. I liked that you included the harbor views. The Leucadendron and dahlias are real standouts. Also love that bush violet shrub, amazing.
ReplyDeleteThe look back was fun for me too, Susie. When my garden's in the doldrums as it is now, it's hard to remember how vibrant it can be in other seasons.
DeleteHappy New Year to you and yours! I enjoyed your review and the Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder is perfect in January! I think my favorite months are April through June...but I do LOVE them all!
ReplyDeleteApril through June are almost always my favorite months here, Lee, but that was especially true this year when July through mid-December were all about our remodel!
DeleteHappy New Year! !saw your post from May 2017 about the dwarf jacaranda "Bonsai Blue" you planted in late 2016. I'm looking to get one, as you pointed out, there is some conflicting information out there about the height where it tops out, as well as its rate of growth. Monrovia describes their cultivar as "Quickly reaches 10 to 12 ft", but other sources say it tops out at 6 ft. How is your bonsai blue doing? How big is it now? I love the idea of a 10-12 ft jacaranda, but it really doesn't work in my situation if it tops out at 6 ft. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMy tree's been in the ground for just over 3 years now and it's still a little less than 3 feet tall. It came in a 2 or 3-gallon container and was probably close to 2 feet tall when I bought it. I wouldn't characterize one foot of growth in 3 years as "quick." At the time, Monrovia's tag predicted 6' x 5' at maturity and, although I've also heard it'll grow taller, you can't prove that by my experience. While it may have received less water in the early years at the height of our drought, we got a lot of rain last winter (at least relative to the norm here) but I didn't see a significant growth spurt in response.
DeleteThanks! The label from Monrovia has definitely changed from a few years ago, when it used to call out a 6ft max height. I think i'll have to do with a regular jacaranda rather than bonsai blue - I feel like it will be easier to keep it pruned to a 12-15 ft height, rather than trying to get a bonsai blue to grow more than it is intended to. Thanks for your help!
ReplyDeleteGood luck! I adore Jacarandas (despite their messy ways). I tried a full-sized one in my former, too shady and too small garden without success. That one did grow fast!
DeleteBelated look at this (busy pruning/planting). Beautiful review of your 2019 garden. Hope Pipig is feeling good.
ReplyDeletePipig's back to her sassy self. We have a consultation with the veterinary oncologist next week - I suspect she will not be pleased.
DeleteWonderful retrospective -- and I'm in love with your April combination of strong pinks and oranges.
ReplyDeleteThat Arctotis/Gazania/Lotus combination is one of my favorites too. Unfortunately, I went a little crazy pulling up the ratty Arctotis 'Pink Sugar', assuming I could readily replace it but no one seems to have that cultivar available, at least at the moment.
Delete