As spring is such a big event here, I ran a series of posts each Wednesday for six weeks featuring the new arrivals as they emerged. I thought I'd just skip my usual long-drawn-out Bloom Day post this month but I couldn't quite force myself to do that. With just a couple of exceptions, this post is limited to the plants with the splashiest floral displays at the moment; however, it's still longer than I'd expected. As I've said on other occasions, in April it would almost be easier to say what isn't blooming in the garden than identifying what is. I'll limit my commentary so you can more quickly spin through the photos.
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| Arctotis 'Large Marge' is so profuse and bright I wouldn't be surprised if it could be seen from space |
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| By comparison, Arctotis 'Pink Sugar' is demure |
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| All my Cistus are currently in bloom but 'Little Miss Sunshine' is literally blanketed in flowers |
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| The foliage of Coleonema album (aka white breath of heaven) has a lovely scent but that isn't true of its flowers |
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| Cotula lineariloba is committed to world domination |
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| All the Cuphea 'Starfire Pink' have sprung back from the hard pruning the shrubs received |
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| Variegated Echium candicans 'Star of Madeira' is finally blooming after teasing me for weeks |
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| Ditto in the case of Echium webbii |
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| Both the Hippeastrums in pots and in the ground continue to roll out blooms. Clockwise from the upper left are: 'Aphrodite', 'Flamingo Amadeus', 'La Paz', and 'Luna'. |
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| After the first flush of Iris hollandica 'Sapphire Blue' were done, another group emerged here and elsewhere, whereas other cultivars have mostly died out already |
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| Pacific Cost Iris (I. douglasiana) 'Santa Lucia' and 'Wilder Than Ever' are still blooming in various areas |
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| All the lavenders have sprung into bloom. This is Lavandula dentata (I think). |
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| Leptospermum scoparium 'Pink Pearl' |
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| Leucadendron Brandi Dela Cruz' (also called 'Royal Hawaiian Brandi') |
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| Leucospermum 'High Gold' |
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| Leucospermum 'Spider Hybrid' |
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| Leucospermum 'Sunrise' |
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| Lobelia laxiflora |
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| Phlomis fruticosa (aka Jerusalem sage) |
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| Polygala myrtifolia (aka sweet pea shrub) has self-seeded a little too extensively here |
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| Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata' (aka mint bush) |
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| Hybrid Salvia 'Bee's Bliss' |
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| Three of the flower-filled barrels in my front garden, showing off Scabiosa 'Flutter Deep Blue', Argyranthemum 'Dark Pink', and a mix of snapdragons, Salvia 'Skyscraper Orange' and Pelargonium 'Little Pink Splash' |
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| Although small, species tulips Tulipa clusiana 'Cynthia', draw my eye nevertheless |
I'm skipping my "best of the rest" color collages and most of the other, smaller contributors this month. For more Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day posts, visit our GBBD host, Carol at May Dreams Gardens.
All material © 2012-2025 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
I wondered how you'll manage this bloom's day post, after featuring a 6-week flower extravaganza... you managed beautifully; very restraint considering how you are surrounded by blooms everywhere you look :-D
ReplyDeleteI checked on my own Cotula: it is a diminutive cultivar called 'Tiffindell Gold'; I'll keep a watchful eye on it for now.
Echium candicans 'Star of Madeira' is stunning! Pacific Cost Iris 'Wilder Than Ever' is a real looker, and you've amassed a gorgeous collection of Leucospermum. Today'Sunrise' is my favorite (a sucker for orange...)
Do you keep the dried Phlomis blooms stocks at all?
Chavli
I never had the problem with 'Tiffindell Gold' I had with the Cotula beating larger flowers. I've let Leonotis leonurus stalks stand after the flowers drop but I generally cut the Phlomis stalks down after flowering, although I can't really say there was a logic behind that. As I'm afraid the Fire Department many object to leaving anything dry standing when they inspect my garden for its fire resistance, I'll probably cut all dry stalks back promptly this year ;)
DeleteAh, a lovely peek at everything. So much going on, my Echium is still in the teasing stage. Your Leucadendron and Leucospermum just keep on giving! I think the Tulipa clusiana 'Cynthia' is lovely, is the bloom long lived?
ReplyDelete'Cynthia' has lasted longer in the garden this year than 'Lady Jane' but I think that was attributable to weather conditions. 'Lady Jane' bloomed during a brief hot, dry period and quickly disappeared but 'Cynthia' arrived once the temperatures fell again and she's kept on going. Both usually do relatively well as cut flowers too, holding up for at least a week in a vase.
DeleteWow! You do have everything blooming and I love it all, especially the Star of Madeira', which is stunning! Your garden always amazes me. Happy Spring and happy blooms!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lee! Echiums are made for my climate, although both of those featured in this post kept me waiting quite a while for their blooms this year. Maybe they were as put off by this year's low rainfall as I am.
DeleteLovely! I'm a huge fan of all the Irises and the Leucadendrons. And that Tulip is truly special, too. Soon, we will have many more things blooming here, too. Love this time of year. :)
ReplyDeleteSpring is wonderful regardless when it arrives. Enjoy the season, Beth!
DeleteGorgeous blooms as always, Kris! And as usual many varieties are very unique to me. I especially love those irises.
ReplyDeleteMy climate is so very different from yours that it's surprising we have any plants in common at all. However, I do have daffodils (now mostly done for the season) and pansies. While I've had a little success with the small species tulips, I've never had much luck with the "fancy" larger tulips - this year I even planted 3 pre-sprouted bulbs I picked up at my local garden center, only one of which has bloomed (and it was deformed).
DeleteAll hail the "flower floozies", as Annie's used to call them. :) Those Pacific Coast Iris are real stunners.
ReplyDeleteHope your dear husband is feeling much better.
I'm proud to be counted as a flower floozy, HB ;) My husband is meeting with his PCP this morning and hopefully will be able to chart a relatively pain-free future (at least as it relates to ulcers). Given the current state of our union, I'm surprised I don't have an ulcer too.
DeleteMany of these plants I'm not familiar with. Such beauty! I'm especially drawn in by the Pacific Coast iris and the species tulip. All I can say is "wow".
ReplyDeleteI need to invest in a wider range of Pacific Coast Irises, Alana. they do take a while to settle in even here along the coast but, once they do, they're very reliable.
DeleteI currently have a pair of Leucospermum 'High Gold' (or similar) from Trader Joes in a vase on my dining table. I cannot imagine having as many leucospermum blooms to chose from as you do, just growing in my garden!
ReplyDeleteBoth Leucospermum 'High Gold' and 'Sunrise' hold up in vases for a particularly long period. Their parentage is similar - they're hybrids of L. cordifolium and L. patersonii. Their only negative is that squirrels seem to consider the interior cones a delicacy but at least those critters wait until the flowers decline.
DeleteApril is such a lovely bloom time out west... one of these years, I hope to make a return visit. It has been too long! Eliza
ReplyDelete