We haven't yet reached that point in early spring where every day brings new surprises but I feel we're getting closer. It's been sunny and our temperatures are back in the upper 60sF (18-20C). The warmer temperatures are gradually producing the blooms I expect in our climate at this time of year.
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| Arctotis 'Pink Sugar' is back! Those shown here are in the back garden. Those in the front garden finally threw in the towel after coming back for a few years in a row so I'll be looking for replacements in my the local garden centers. |
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| All my Hippeastrums (commonly known as Amaryllis) are grown outside so they take awhile longer to bloom than plants grown in heated indoor conditions. This is Hippeastrum 'Rozetta'. |
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| I couldn't remember what this bulb was when it first appeared. Then it clicked that I'd planted 10 bulbs of a small tulip I'd never seen before. These are Tulipa humilis ‘Alba Coerulea Oculata’, currently blooming on very short (one-inch) stems. |
It's been comfortable to work in the garden, at least until the Santa Ana winds pick up in the afternoon. I focused on digging up the Sesleria 'Greenlee Hybrid' grasses in the front and back gardens this week. It's tedious work so I didn't protest when my husband jumped in to help.
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| The "before" photos of the areas covered in the grass in the back garden are shown on the left and the photo on the right is an "after" shot. As succulents are planted in the areas surrounding the bare sections, my plan is to plant both with complementary succulents but I have to go shopping first! I'll use some cuttings from my garden but this is a good opportunity to add new varieties. |
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| These are the before and after shots in the front garden. I may just keep things simple and plant more creeping thyme in the bare areas but that decision is open to reconsideration. |
There's also progress on the Agave blooms to share.
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| The bloom stalk on the large Agave 'Blue Glow' in my south-side garden is shooting up fast. The photo on the left was taken on January 16th, when I first noticed it. The photo on the right was taken yesterday. I'd guess-estimate it's now over 7 feet tall. |
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| The photo on the left here shows Agave mitis 'Multicolor' on November 22nd, when I first noticed it was preparing to bloom. It's stalk has developed more slowly and remains relatively slender. The photo on the right was taken yesterday. It may be 6 feet tall now. |
I was going to order in a truckload of mulch this week but as I currently plan to be out and about on a few days, I decided it wasn't a good time to block the driveway for the days it'll take to spread three cubic yards throughout the garden. With no significant chance of rain on the near-term horizon, that chore could wait another week, or two.
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Two agave blooms! Succulent shopping ahead... fun times in the garden. I'm itching to get out and start cutting things back, but there's the concern of doing it too early and then having another cold spell that damages new growth (should there be any).
ReplyDeleteMy fingers are crossed that many more of your plants return from their brush with death than your expect, Loree. I think you're smart to be cautious about jumping into cutting anything back until you see old man winter walking out the door, though.
DeleteIt's nice when our partners offer to assist. I save some "heavier lifting" chores for when those offers are made :-D
ReplyDeleteThe Sesleria 'Greenlee Hybrid' grass was a good idea in theory, though sometimes the picture we have in our head doesn't measure up to how the plant behaves in our gardens. It will be much improved now that it's gone.
Will you collect agave seeds and propagate?
Chavli
I'm hoping that both agaves produce bulbils and maybe even pups. I've been told that 'Blue Glows' vary on that score but there are already at least 2 pups popping out the side of mine and the neighbor up the street got a dozen bulbils from hers (many apparently picked off by neighbors), which has me feeling I'll be lucky there. I'm more concerned about what, if anything, I'll get from 'Multicolor' as the bloom stalk isn't like any other Agave bloom I've seen.
DeleteI love that Arctotis... such a beautiful color blend. It is exciting that your garden is poised to leap into full spring bloom! Eliza
ReplyDeleteIn prior years, February has been a very promising month but I think the colder temperatures have slowed everything down this year. But maybe that'll make a really spectacular March!
DeleteUpper 60s--sounds perfect! Love the "before and after" shots. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWishing some warmer temperatures will be on their way to you soon, Beth!
Delete'Pink Sugar' splits pretty easily if you need more. Mine just started flowering also--such a striking flower. So far rabbits have not eaten any of them unlike last year. Maybe the coyotes are doing their job.
ReplyDeleteYou did a good thing removing the Seslaria--looks better without the grass. But oh darn, now you are forced to go plant shopping! The horror! The horror! 😜
I've seen less evidence of rabbit activity here of late, HB. We hear owls every night and, although I've yet to actually spot one, my next-door neighbor told me one dropped rabbit "leftovers" in the middle of her lawn the day before last.
DeleteI tried a little local shopping today but the shelves are still rather bare and most of the pickings are plants that will be curling up their petals within the next month or so. How I wish garden centers would sell spring plants now instead of waiting until they flower!
It so nice when the weather lets you get out and do the jobs on your list. 60° sound heavenly to me. Rain turning into snow at the moment here.
ReplyDeleteI'd have to entirely reimagine how I spend my time during the winter months if I lived in your climate, Linda, but I guess I might get some of the long-standing projects on my back shelf done at last.
DeletePlentiful winter rain followed by sunshine and spring-warm temperatures seems like a gardener's (and a plant's!) dream. All those brightly colored flowers are just what I need as relief from the white landscape outside my windows.
ReplyDeleteOur winter weather conditions are less mono-chromatic than winter-white, Jean, but after almost 3 solid weeks of gray skies and rain, we're appreciating the touches of early spring color too.
DeleteWhat a cool color combination on that tulip! I usually avoid planting them because they tend to disappear rather quickly. But, maybe that would be something to try in our rock garden with lots of sharp, pokey gravel.
ReplyDeleteI also loved the view of the city and the garden colors in the one Agave photo.
Although the fancy tulips are impossible to grow here, I've found that the species tulips, particularly T. clusiana, return regularly. Whether T. humilis will be as reliable remains to be seen. Occasionally, my local garden center offers pre-sprouted "fancy" tulips, which I've enjoyed while treating them as an annual. I've tried planting those larger tulip bulbs a few times and, even after the required exposure to cold temperatures in my refrigerator, our Santa Ana winds inevitably knock out the flowers while they're still in bud.
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