Wednesday Vignette: Christmas Flowers

Last Thursday, I turned a corner and was startled to see the first blooms on hybrid Camellia 'Taylor's Perfection'.  I thought it'd be weeks yet before the shrub bloomed but, when I checked my 2016 record, I found that the blooms are right on schedule.

I took this photo late in the day so the light wasn't great but the flower's shape was indeed perfection

I took my camera out on Christmas morning to see if any other blooms had made an appearance since my Bloom Day inventory.  I found just a few.

I had some difficulty getting a clear photo of the flower on Billbergia carioca as the camera wanted to focus on the plan'ts spotted foliage

Unlike the Camellia, the powder-puff bloom on Calliandra haematocephala is a couple of weeks early

However, the noID Narcissus is making a well-timed entrance

Erigeron glaucus 'Wayne Roderick' isn't actually a new bloom but it deserves another look because it's putting on an especially good display right now

The winds have died down at last here and the humidity level has risen dramatically.  We've still had no rain to speak of but two weather services are showing a good chance of some light rain on New Year's Day.  The Thomas Fire in Ventura County is finally under control, 88% contained after becoming the largest fire in California's recorded history in what was surely the worst year for wildfires we've ever seen.  Flowers in winter don't make up for that but they do provide a moment's diversion.

Visit Anna at Flutter & Hum for more Wednesday Vignettes.


All material © 2012-2017 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

September 2013 Bloom Day Scavenger Hunt

I somehow lost track of Bloom Day this month.  This was mostly to do with the fact that, after our recent heat wave, there are relatively few flowers to be found in my garden.  And, with a few exceptions, those that are there are relatively undistinguished.  However, in the interest of maintaining a record, here are the results of today's Bloom Day scavenger hunt:

I'm impressed by this Acanthus mollis (probably 'Summer Beauty'), which is still putting out new bloom spikes despite the heat and the exposure to scorching sun following the removal of a nearby tree in February

The foliage of this Anemone japonica (no ID) is looking horrible but I do love the flowers

I placed 3 Angelonia 'Angelmist Pink' in my dry garden, not expecting much, but they've done fine there despite the hot, dry conditions

Argyranthemum frutescens 'Elsa White' isn't splashy but the blooms have kept up non-stop since I put in 3 4-inch pots in late February

Billbergia nutans, brought from my former garden and largely ignored in this one, regularly surprises me with new blooms (Note: the quality of the photo doesn't do it justice)

The first Camellia sasanqua (no ID) has appeared - maybe fall is on its way to SoCal after all

Coreopsis 'Big Bang Redshift' is still blooming, although the flowers are smaller and, presumably in response to the recent heat, are showing less red

This Cymbidium (no ID), rescued from my mother-in-law's garden before sale of her house, has delivered a bloom spike since its arrival in my garden

Echinacea 'Sombrero Hot Coral' is more pink than coral now but it handled the heat well in a partially shaded spot in the back border

I grow Lavandula multifida (fernleaf lavender) more for the foliage than the flowers but it's pumping out flowers right now

Leucanthemum x superbum 'Snow Lady,' a short, non-flopping Shasta daisy, is producing a new round of blooms

Lisianthus 'Echo Pink' continues to produce relatively short, sweet pink blooms

Osteospermum ecklonis '3D Silver' is also producing new blooms since being cut back several weeks ago

This low-growing Pentas lanceolata (no ID), relocated from my former garden, is brightening the border of my vegetable garden

A flower has already appeared on one of the Phlomis fruticosa (Jerusalem sage) in my back border

The Plectranthus ciliatus (no ID), brought in as a cutting from my former garden, is producing its first blooms of the season

This Plectranthus ecklonii, purchased by mail order from Annie's and moved once, has beautiful blooms on a still immature plant

Salvia mexicana is putting out a few blooms

Salvia 'Mystic Spires" is still going strong

Bloom Day is sponsored by Carol of May Dreams Gardens.  Please go to her webpage here to see other gardeners' Bloom Day selections.