Wordless Wednesday: Summer's Shaggy Look

Arbutus 'Marina' #1

Arbutus 'Marina' #2

Arbutus 'Marina' #3

Arbutus 'Marina' #4

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

Bloom Day - February 2024 (Late Edition)

In my coastal Southern California climate, we generally see the early signs of spring by mid-February.  This year is no exception, although colder-than-usual temperatures and a late start to our rainy season has the floral stampede lagging behind last year's display.  Nonetheless, I expect I'm still giving gardeners in much of the Northern Hemisphere a run for their blooms.

I've assigned starring roles to half a dozen plants.  Keep in mind that this award is governed by a jury of one.

My blue Anemone coronaria make me happy whenever I pass them in my cutting garden.  They've been producing flowers continuously for more than a month now.  I've been cutting them for vases every week, even when I don't share them as part of the "In a Vase on Monday" meme.

The 4 Arbutus 'Marina' trees lost all their blooms when they were pruned in late October.  The flowers reappeared en masse with the recent rainstorms. 

I love the foliage of Aeonium arboreum but I'm not entirely fond of the succulent's dunce-cap shaped, florescent yellow flowers; however, they're prolific and the bees love them

The sulfur yellow flowers of Euphorbia rigida stand out beautifully against the bluish succulents in my garden

Similarly, Euryops chrysanthemoides 'Sonnenschein' adds a sunny element to the shady area outside the lath house

Felicia aethiopica is still going strong.  I'd always assumed that these would make poor cut flowers but I learned they do quite well in a vase, which makes me love the small shrubs even more.

New blooms are showing up almost daily.  Here are some of the newest arrivals:

The flowers of Ceanothus arboreus 'Cliff Schmidt' are mostly congregated at the top of the tree-sized plant, which made it awkward to photograph.  The bees don't care.

I'm amazed every year when Daphne odora blooms as I never thought it'd survive in my garden.  My only concern is that something always nibbles at the leaves.

Clockwise from the upper left, other new arrivals include: Arctotis 'Pink Sugar', Calliandra haematocephala (aka red powder puff), the first Freesia, Centranthus ruber, Ipheon uniflorum (aka spring star), Pyrethropsis hosmariense (aka Moroccan daisy), and the second Freesia to bloom

Even I was surprised by a few particularly early arrivals.

The first sweet pea blooms (possibly part of Lathyrus odoratus 'Mermaid's Dream' seed mix), first Leucospermum 'Sunrise' flower, and first Sparaxis tricolor bloom

As usual, the backbones of my garden have shown up.

The flowers of Grevillea sericea are small and pale in color but they're currently abundant

Grevillea 'Scarlet Sprite' produces more flowers every day

Clockwise from the upper left, other Grevilleas currently in bloom include: Grevillea alpina x rosmarinus, G. 'Peaches & Cream', G. 'Superb', G. rosmarinus (dwarf form), and G. lavandulacea 'Penola'

I'm still not quite ready to cut back the massive Leucadendron salignum 'Chief'

Leucadendrons 'Summer' Red' and 'Safari Sunset' also look too good to cut back yet

I've begun to cut back Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' already and will probably finish the job before the month is over

The Osteospermums are still taking their time to flesh out.  I expect some of the small shrubs could use replacing but there isn't a good selection of the double-petaled varieties I like best yet.

Camellia williamsii 'Taylor's Perfection' dropped a lot of flowers during the earlier rainstorms but it hasn't thrown in the towel yet

What's missing from this post by comparison to last February's bloom report are the Hippeastrums.  I've cut half a dozen stems since January. I've got plenty of buds left but only one plant currently has a bloom.  I'll be moving all of those in pots under cover before the next storm arrives on Sunday.

Hippeastrum 'Evergreen', a Cybister type originally hybridized in South America

As always, I've assembled photos of flowers with lower profiles as part of collages organized by color.

Clockwise from the upper left: Aloe striata x maculata, Antirrhinum majus, Cuphea 'Honeybells', noID orange Gazania, Lobelia laxiflora, and Metrosideros collina 'Springfire'

Clockwise from upper left: Argyranthemum 'Angelic Maize', noID Narcissus, Gaillardia 'Spintop Copper Sun', Gazania 'Gold Flame', noID yellow Gazania, and Senna artemisioides (aka feathery cassia)

Antirrhinum majus, Fuchsia 'Windchimes White', and Nemesia 'Nessie Plus White'

Top row: Antirrhinum majus, Arctostaphylos bakeri 'Louis Edmunds', and Arctotis 'Opera Pink'
Middle: Bauhinia x blackeana (aka Hong Kong orchid tree), Boronia crenulata 'Shark Bay', and Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold'
Bottom: Cuphea 'Starfire Pink', Hebe 'Wiri Blush', and noID Kalanchoe (maybe K. fedtschenkoi)

Clockwise from the upper left: Argyranthemum 'Grandaisy Red', Helleborus 'Anna's Red', magenta Pericallis hybrid, and Ribes viburnifolium (aka Catalina currant)

Top row: Delphinium grandiflorum, Echium handiense, and Geranium 'Tiny Monster'
Middle: Lavandula multifida, Limonium perezii, and Pericallis hybrid
Bottom: Polygala myrtifolia, Salvia rosmarinus (aka rosemary), and Viola cornuta 'Penny Peach'

That's it from me for this month's bloom day coverage.  Two more atmospheric rivers are due to arrive back-to-back this weekend.  Those may leave me with soggy flowers once again, or spur other plants to burst into bloom.  We shall see.  Best wishes for a pleasant weekend and, if you haven't already done so, check in with Carol at May Dreams Gardens for more Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day posts.

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

 

Bloom Day - November 2022

While the volume of flowers in my November garden feels less than it should be at this time of year, when I compared the plants in a starring role this month to those I showcased in November 2021 and 2020, the list isn't much different.

Let's start with the plants putting on the best show at the moment.

The 4 Arbutus 'Marina' (strawberry trees) in my garden are laden with flowers.  The hummingbirds are currently at war over access to them.

The Barleria obtusa (bush violets) got an earlier start this year with the first flowers appearing in October but they're still colorful, if showing the first signs of wear

Bauhinia x blakeana (the Hong Kong orchid tree) begins producing flowers as soon as temperatures drop in the fall.  Most of the flowers are well above my head but occasionally one hangs low enough to allow me a closeup photo.

As the Camellia sasanqua shrubs were impacted by our recent water pipe replacement project, I was worried that their normal flowering schedule would be impacted but the flowers have appeared as usual, if in somewhat reduced numbers.  There are 2 varieties, similar in color, but I'm not able to identify either as they were here before I was.

Correa, commonly known as Australian fuchsias, aren't easy to photograph as the flowers are often hidden by leaves but they're also reliable fall bloomers.  From left to right are varieties 'Dusky Bells', 'Ivory Bells', and 'Wyn's Wonder'.

Euryops chrysanthemoides 'Sonnenschein' blooms on an erratic schedule seemingly correlated with our unpredictable rainfall

In a departure from the norms of my garden, I've buds but no flowers from Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream' to share this month; however, Grevillea alpina x rosmarinifolia and G. 'Poorinda Leane' (top row) are getting started and of course G. 'Superb' (bottom row) is putting on its regular show

The Leucadendrons are doing their best to fill in for flowers.  Clockwise from the left are Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset' with L. 'Blush', a closer look at L. salignum 'Blush', and L. s. 'Summer Red'

'

Most of the Osteospermums are taking their time recovering from the hot, dry summer but O. '4D Violet Ice' is ahead of the pack

Pelargonium peltatum (ivy geraniums) also appreciate cooler temperatures

Despite my efforts to control its height and shape, Senna bicapsularis is once again reaching gangly limbs into the sky.  This is a host plant for the cloudless sulphur butterfly (Phoebis sennae).

Tagetes lemmonii (aka copper canyon daisy) is off to a slower start this year

Some people sneer at the scent of Tulbaghia violacea (society garlic) but it's a vigorous drought-tolerant plant and it produces fresh blooms every time I deadhead it

As usual, the garden presents a few surprises.

Dahlia 'Lavender Ruffles' is still blooming while all its brethren have been tucked away in the garage to wait out their dormant period

Planted from a small pot received by mail order 2 years ago, Medinilla myriantha (aka Malaysian orchid) has produced its first bloom stalk

My roses have done terribly this year but, following the recent rains, this noID lavender-pink variety produced a single small bloom

 

The flowers in the background are sparser than they were in 2020 and 2021 but they're still worth recognizing.  Here they are in collages organized by color.

Clockwise from the upper left: noID Duranta erecta, Felicia aethiopica, Hebe 'Grace Kelly', Lavandula multifida, noID Phalaenopsis, and Vitex trifolia 'Purpurea'

Clockwise from the upper left: Cuphea 'Starfire Pink', Persicaria capitata, noID Cyclamen, and Gomphrena decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy'

Clockwise again: Achillea ptarmica, noID Angelonia, Argyranthemum frutescens 'White Butterfly', and Westringia fruticosa 'Morning Light'

Clockwise: Achillea 'Moonshine', Berlandiera lyrata (chocolate daisy), Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun', G. 'Spintop Copper Sun', Gazania 'Gold Flame', Lantana 'Irene', and Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum'

 

For more Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day posts, visit our host, Carol of May Dreams Gardens.

All material © 2012-2022 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Wednesday Vignette: Moss, mushrooms, berries & bells

The garden responds to rain - even when it's not much - with subtle embellishments.  Moss and mushrooms probably aren't very exciting to most people but they aren't something I've seen much of recently. 

The dirt path between the driveway and the lath house is now covered with emerald green moss, which is surprisingly cushy

Mushrooms have popped up everywhere

Not to be outdone, seemingly overnight, shrubs and trees are clothed in berries and bells.

The Auranticarpa rhombifolium shrubs, leftovers of the original hedges planted by prior owners, are nondescript most of the year but they're covered in pumpkin-shaped orange berries this time of year.  As the berries dry, they break open to display sticky seeds.

The strawberry trees (Arbutus 'Marina') are cloaked in bell-like flowers.  It may be a product of my imagination but the flowers seem more profuse this year, possibly due to cooler-than-average temperatures, early rain, and a delay in my usual tree-trimming schedule.

Fall offers as much joy as spring, especially when rain adds its magic.

For more Wednesday vignettes, visit Anna at Flutter & Hum.

All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party