New spring arrivals (week 5)

I was going to bring an end to my spring arrival posts last week but, wherever I turn, there's still something new to see.  And then we all can use a bit of cheer these days, can't we?  I've even tucked some fresh foliage shots into this post.

First up are the flowers:

This is Ageratum corymbosum, a plant I purchased from the former Annie's Annuals & Perennials many years ago.  I'm still awaiting news on the status of the company that acquired the mail order rights to Annie's collection of plants late last year.

I planted 50 of the tiny bulbs of Allium neopolitanum in 2022 and fear I may ultimately regret their vigor

On the other hand, Babiana stricta seems to have done me a favor and spread its seed to a bed on the other side of my flagstone path

The first of the weed-like Centranthus ruber on my back slope are flowering.  It's a lightly irrigated area and I thought it needed color so I moved seedlings there not long after we moved in.  Their vigor is another thing that feels overwhelming at times.

I'm looking forward to a prolific display from Hippeastrum papilio (aka butterfly amaryllis) in future years

Bearded Iris have generally made a spotty showing in my garden but I couldn't pass up this Iris germanica 'Gilt-Edged' variety last year during a late season bulb sale.  An unidentified critter dug up and ate half of one of the 3 bulbs but the other 2 are blooming.

I pruned my 2 Leptospermum scoparium 'Pink Pearl' shrubs in late winter, which may have been a mistake but I'm getting a spring flush at last

Melianthus major (aka honey bush) gets cut nearly to the ground in the fall but always springs back (pun intended)

I think this is Osteospermum 'Zion Copper Amethyst', which has returned to flower exuberantly each year since 2015

I've had a harder time growing Phlomis purpurea (purple Jerusalem sage) than the yellow-flowered Phlomis fruticosa.  I moved this plant from one bed to another 2 or more years ago and it looks like it's finally going to do something this year.  In contrast, one of my neighbors can barely contain hers on a sunny slope. 

The tiny Stenocactus multicostatus (aka brain cactus) I got earlier this year has already flowered

Tulipa clusiana 'Cynthia' is blooming better than her cousin, 'Lady Jane', this year

A lot of the plants I featured in earlier new arrivals posts have exploded since then.  I photographed a few to provide examples.

It's hard to capture just how blue Ceanothus arboreus 'Cliff Schmidt' is on my back slope

Cercis occidentalis (aka western redbud) has a lanky shape but it's still pretty in full flower

Cistus x skanbergii responded well to a little rain and sun

My garden is heavy on evergreen plants but I do have some deciduous trees and plants.  Here's a sampling of those in the process of producing a flush of fresh foliage:

I'd have sworn that dwarf Japanese maple, Acer palmatum 'Mikawa Yatsubusa', had nothing but bare branches last week 

I love Japanese maples but they do well here only in isolated settings where they're protected from harsh summer sunlight and high winds.  Acer palmatum 'Sango Kaku' (aka coral bark maple) on the east side of our garage has done very well.

Years ago, I planted several artichoke plants (Cynara cardunculus var scolymus) on my back slope from a 6-pack of plugs and they still return and produce chokes each year (unless a plant collapses from their weight)

New bright green leaves clothe the Japanese persimmon, Diospyros kaki 'Fuyu'

On the other side of the fence, sits another persimmon, Diospyros kaki 'Hachiya'.  The trees produce disc-shaped flowers but they're not very showy.

Our total rainfall for the water year to date, counted from October 1st, 2024, is a sad six and a half inches, less than half of what we'd normally expect.  I think the garden's doing as well as it is because the rain arrived just as the days began to grow longer and plants were waking up.  I've made my own humble contributions by dumping much of the rainwater I collected on the driest areas of my garden.  After a very brief heat flash a week ago, our cool temperatures returned, often accompanied by a morning marine layer, which has probably also helped the garden avoid excess stress.  However, some plants have been notably slow to bloom.  I've just about given up on calla lilies (Zantedeschia aethiopica) and two of the Echiums teasing me with flower stalks for weeks now have yet to bloom.  I won't even speak of the sweet peas!

All material © 2012-2025 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party