Aloes in bloom - South Coast Botanic Garden in early February

I took advantage of the one day break between our first and second atmospheric rivers last Friday to visit South Coast Botanic Garden, which is about five miles from my home as the crow flies.  It was mostly sunny, although not at all warm, but I wanted to check out the garden's aloe collection while the majority of the plants were still in bloom.

As if offering an advertisement, there was a large aloe in full bloom at the entrance to the garden

I had to guess at some plant IDs, as many labels seemed to be missing.  I think these are Aloe cameronii.

Aloe 'David Verity'

Aloe 'Erik the Red'

This one had a label that said "Aloe hybrid"

I couldn't ID this one and my phone's ID function wasn't helpful

Aloe petricola

Aloe vanbalenii

The garden as a whole wasn't especially colorful at this time of year but that doesn't mean there weren't flowers here and there.

These 2 ornamental cherry trees (Prunus campanulata hybrids) are blooming

Narcissi, mostly paperwhites, were in full bloom in the meadow area adjacent to the amphitheater.  The circular paved area is new, at least to me. 

This coral tree (Erythrina caffra) was just coming into bloom

Miscellaneous flowers, top row: Acacia podalyrifolia, Brugmansia, and Chasmanthe
Middle: Euryops, Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi, and Magnolia doltsopa
Bottom: Melianthus major, Rotheca myricoides, and Salvia 'Amistad'
(All IDs are best guesses)

The not-so-elegant but pleasantly warm tropical greenhouse contained a noID Billbergia and several Phalaenopsis orchids

There were a few tiny yellow flowers on this plant but what stood out was the foliage.  My guess is that this is Senna artemisioides.  I have one that doesn't look this good, probably because it's overcrowded.  I need to move it.

I didn't walk the entire eighty-seven acres of the garden this time.  Even approaching noon, it was still cold and the wind was picking up but I strolled through a couple of other areas.

I miss the garden's lake, which was drained years ago when its rubber liner broke down.  There have been discussions off and on about bringing it back in a manner that'll accommodate storm flows.  Meanwhile, the first atmospheric river left behind plenty of mini-lakes, including some visible through the fenced area undergoing construction of the new children's garden (lower right).  It's supposed to open sometime this year but I didn't see the progress I'd anticipated.

I walked by the area adjacent to the upper meadow and across the road from the rose garden and was startled to realize that the entire area to the right of the corner bed occupied by a palm tree and agaves had been replanted as shown in the 4 boxes on the right.  I spotted succulents (including additional blue chalksticks and various Opuntias), grasses, Leucadendrons, and some Salvia leucantha.  

For as long as I can remember, much of that area was a mass of Salvia leucantha (aka Mexican bush sage), as shown in this photo taken last September.  The new planting also stretches into a portion of what was the Mediterranean Garden (with the rest of that area now behind the construction fence).

I expect I'll wait another couple of months for spring's arrival to visit again.  Between the rain and the disruption caused by the ongoing construction project and removal of both the Troll and Astra Lumina exhibits, the garden's flow was awkward.  It's always a nice place to walk, if just for exercise, but I found myself backtracking each time I met a construction impasse or another lake-sized puddle.

At present there's a projected forty-eight percent chance of rain next Friday/Saturday.  Our rain year total to date is 12.51 inches so it's looking likely we're going to have "normal" rainfall this year after all, if not a bounty.  As we await the next storm, I hope to get some planting done (once we dry out just a little).

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