Bloom Day - December 2024 (Early Edition)

For the record, I'm two days ahead of schedule for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, hosted on the 15th of each month by Carol at May Dreams Gardens.  This month the outlook in my garden is very pink.

My Camellia sasanqua came with the garden and I had no IDs for the the 2 cultivars I inherited.  An Instagram commentator suggested a name for this one, which sent me down a rabbit hole.  While the ID that was offered didn't fit based on the specifications I found online, I determined that this one might be 'October Magic Rose'. 

I also think the other 2 Camellia sasanqua could be 'Early Wonder'

Correa pulchella 'Pink Eyre' lagged behind my other Australian fuchsias but it's blooming heavily now

Leptospermum scoparium 'Pink Pearl' usually blooms lightly during the fall and more heavily in spring but the 2 tall shrubs are putting on a pretty good show this month

The bracts of Leucospermum salignum 'Blush' are doing a good job of mimicking flowers

I had to use a telescope setting on my camera to capture a photo of the flowers of Bauhinia x blakeana (aka Hong Kong orchid tree), all of which can only be found in the upper reaches of its branches

Here are some more pink flowers:
Top row - Argyranthemum 'Aramis Apricot', Cuphea 'Honeybells', and Gomphrena 'Itsy Bitsy'
Middle - Medinilla myriantha, Pelargonium hortorum, and P. 'Little Pink Splash'
Bottom - Pentas lanceolata, Persicaria capitata, and Protea neriifolia 'Claire'

There were several standouts in the garden that weren't pink.

Aloe vanbalenii x ferox is finally letting its color show

I wasn't able to get the rust-resistant snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) I prefer this year but I picked up a dozen mixed plugs in November when it came time to prepare my cool-season cutting garden 

I found some lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) at my local garden center in November too and scooped up 8 plants, just now getting their bloom on

Meanwhile, Senna bicapsularis is still flaunting cheerful flowers in December

As usual, there were a few blooms I hadn't anticipated.

Haemanthus albiflos (aka paint brush lily), which I often don't catch in flower until it's already bloomed out 

Two daylilies flowering off-season: Hemerocallis 'For Pete's Sake' on the left and a paler than normal H. 'Persian Market' on the right

Mahonia x media 'Charity' didn't flower at all last year for some reason

This is an unusual shrub I picked up somewhere years ago, Ruscus hypoglossum (aka butcher's broom).  It produces tiny flowers in the middle of its leaves.  It creeps out some people who feel the flowers look like insects but I think it's interesting.

I've once again dumped my other floral photos into color-coded collages.

Top row - Barleria obtusa, Evolvulus glomeratus, and Felicia aethiopica
Middle - Lavandula multifida, Osteospermum '3D Silver', and O. 'Violet Ice'
Bottom - Pelargornium peltatum 'Lavender Blizzard', Polygala myrtifolia, and Vitex trifolia

Clockwise from upper left: Argyranthemum frutescens 'Everest', noID Cyclamen, Correa 'Ivory Bells', Fuchsia 'Windchimes White', and noID Impatiens 

Clockwise from upper left: Alstroemeria 'Indian Summer', Cuphea 'Vermillionaire, Faucaria tuberculosa, Grevillea 'Superb', Nasturtium 'Alaska', Senecio amaniensis, and Tagetes lemmonii

Clockwise from the upper left: noID Anthurium, Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun', Grevillea 'Ned Kelly', Metrosideros collina 'Springfire', Pelargonium peltatum, and Primula vulgaris

The holiday season is speeding forward, leaving my head spinning.  Best wishes to all!  For other GBBD posts, check in with Carol at May Dreams Gardens on December 15th.

All material © 2012-2024 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party