A Week of Flowers: Looking back at March & April 2023

I'm joining Cathy of Words and Herbs once again for the sixth day of her Week of Flowers series.  Spring usually arrives early in my part of coastal Southern California.  In 2023, in the midst of a really good rainy season, my garden exploded with blooms in March and April.  It was hard to winnow down the list of welcome flowers and, as you'll see, I was only partially successful there.

The bulbs starting blooming in earnest in March, beginning with the Freesias and Narcissi and following up with a host of others on their heels.

Freesia foliage has been developing in my garden since October.  The first flowers usually show up by February.  I've noticed that some colors tend to bloom earlier than others with a full complement on display by late March.

Narcissi roll out on a varied schedule beginning in March with a larger display in April.  Shown on the left is 'Beautiful Eyes' (Jonquilla type) and on the right is 'Geranium' (Tazetta type).

Scilla peruviana (aka Portuguese squill) was in full bloom by late March this year.  I'd planned to divide this clump but never got around to doing it and, as the foliage has already been up for 2 months now, I decided not to risk impacting the 2024 display.

Anemone coronaria (aka poppy anemones) are less predictable as to their bloom schedule.  Clockwise from the upper left are a blue variety which was supposed to be 'Lord Lieutenant' but wasn't, 'Mistral Bordeaux', 'Mount Everest', and what might have been 'Rarity'.  I planted new tubers this year, including another batch sold as 'Lord Lieutenant', and I'm curious as to whether the flowers will show the multiple petals that variety is known for this time.

I seem to buy more Dutch Iris every year, which is not to suggest that those I've planted in prior years died out - they haven't.  Those shown in the top row are 'Eye of the Tiger' and 'Pink Panther'.  Those in the second row are 'Mystic Beauty' and the ones in the third row are 'Sapphire Beauty'.  This year I've added 'Casa Blanca', 'Rosario', and 'Tiger Mix'.  There are some other varieties I can't immediately call to mind too.  It seems I have a Dutch Iris addiction.

I can't grow the large fancy tulips - I just can't give them the winter chill they need - but I've had some success with species tulips, specifically T. clusiana.  'Lady Jane' (left) and her cousin 'Cynthia' (right) have flowered in my garden every spring since I planted the bulbs in December 2019.

However, I can't limit the early spring parade to bulb flowers alone so here are three other standouts among the genera that commonly put on a good early spring show.

I've been growing Arctotis 'Pink Sugar' (bottom) for several years.  Last year I added Arctotis 'Large Marge' (top), which proved to be just as prolific.  I was sloppy about pruning both after they finished flowering this year and I can only hope that their recent trimming won't delay or limit blooms in the coming spring.

All but one of my Leucospermum (aka pincushion plants, members of the Protea family) bloomed last year.  The non-blooming shrub was pruned late.  I now have 5 of these shrubs.  The 2 shown here are 'High Gold' (top) and 'Spider Hybrid' (bottom).

Osteospermum prefers cool temperatures.  I've already had some blooms this fall but nothing like the spring display reflected in this collage.  I prefer the double-petaled varieties because, unlike the single-petaled types, they don't close in low light.  These are short-lived perennials and, although some self-seed freely, they don't always replicate the form of the original plants.

I promise that my list for the seventh day of the Week of Flowers series on Thursday will be shorter.  Check in with Cathy at Words and Herbs to see the flowers she's showing off.

All material © 2012-2023 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party