Bloom Day - March 2022

Although the calendar says otherwise, it's the height of spring here in my part of coastal Southern California.  A few early spring plants are already showing signs of decline and, as daytime temperatures are expected to soar (again) this week, I expect to see some heading for the exits soon but, at this time of year, more blooms arrive each day than disappear.  That's one way of saying that this will be another long post, even though I split off the bulb flowers in a separate post, published last Friday.

I'll begin with the plants I consider the stars of my March garden, starting with the Leucospermums (aka pincushion shrubs), which are having a very good year despite the woefully low rainfall we've had.  January and February are traditionally our rainiest months but what we got was well short of what the State of California has called "measurable rainfall" for a single storm.  According to one source, those were California's driest months in 127 years.

Leucospermum 'Goldie' was my first experiment with this genus and it's currently the most floriferous

Leucospermum 'Royal Hawaiian Brandi' has the largest flowers

Leucospermum 'Hybrid Spider' is perhaps my favorite.  Its flowers look very different at each each stage but I like the halfway-opened stage the best.

Acquired about 3 years ago, this is the first year Leucospermum 'Sunrise' has bloomed

Plants in the Osteospermum genus, one of several genera commonly referred to as African daisies, are also having a banner spring season.  As temperatures get higher they'll stop blooming but the flowers will return in the fall.

Most of the Osteospermum shown here are self-seeded.  The single-petaled varieties have always self-seeded freely but I recently noted that some of the so-called "double-petaled" varieties have also done so.

This is 'Double Moonglow'.  The nice thing about the double-petaled varieties is that they don't close in low light, making them useful subjects for floral arrangements.

Top: Recent acquisitions 'DarkViolet & White' and '4D Pink'
Middle: '4D Silver', 'Violet Ice', and 'Purple Spoon'
Bottom: self-seeded single-petaled plants in purple, pink, and lavender

Here are some of the other plants putting on a particularly good show:

Arctotis is another genus of African daisies.  From top to bottom are 'Large Marge', Pink Sugar', and 'Opera Pink'.

Argyranthemum (aka Marguerite daisies): 'Pink Comet', 'White Butterfly' and 'Yellow Butterfly'

The flowers on my tree Ceanothus on the back slope, featured last month, faded quickly in response to warm temperatures but those on this noID Ceanothus hedge, inherited with the garden, have been blooming non-stop since January

Cercis occidentalis (aka western redbud) is doing well despite the heavy pruning I did in late fall

Cistus x skanbergii scatters its delicate pink blooms every time the wind blows but the flowers keep coming

This month, Coleonema album (aka white breath of heaven, left) joined its pink-flowered cousin, Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold', in bloom.  While, like the pink version, the foliage of the white-flowered variety has a pleasant scent, I find the smell of its flowers slightly unpleasant.

Accurately capturing the periwinkle color of Felicia aethiopica 'Tight & Tidy' in photos is always a challenge

Lavandula stoechas in the front and back garden.  The plant on the right was self-seeded.

Sometimes disparaged as a common plant, I find Limonium perezii (aka sea lavender) is an attractive addition to the landscape (although the old foliage should be cut back at least annually)

Maybe I should have called March "daisy season."  This is Pyrethropsis hosmariense (syn Rhodanthemum hosmariense, aka Moroccan daisy).

Of course, my ever-dependable large-flowered Grevilleas are still doing their part.

Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream' (left) and 'Superb' (right)

As always, there are a few surprises worthy of note.

I acquired this plant by mail order in January 2012, labeled simply "Abelia species."  The grower no longer shows it even among its discontinued offerings and I've yet to find a more precise ID for it.  The leaves aren't glossy like the Abelias commonly sold here and its flower color distinguishes it from others I've seen, like 'Edward Goucher'.  My most recent search turned up Linnaea uniflora 'Bumblebee' but the leaf size doesn't look right.  It flowers routinely this time of year on my difficult back slope.

My best guess is that this is the white form of Ageratum houstonianum, which to my recollection I've never planted.  It popped up for the first time this year in a backyard border.

This Dombeya burgessiae is a passalong plant I received from Denise of A Growing Obsession last fall.  I didn't expect to see it bloom this soon after getting its roots in the ground.

I hadn't planned to include any bulb blooms in this post but this species tulip, Tulipa clusiana 'Lady Jane', produced its first 3 blooms the day I published my Friday post.  The following day, there were 11 blooms.  They'll be gone long before the the next Bloom Day post in April so here you are.

A few prominent plants are poised to conclude their annual bloom cycles within the next couple of weeks.

Those preparing for near-term departures include: Aeonium arboreum, Aristea inaequalis, and Camellia williamsii 'Taylor's Perfection'.  The Camellia in particular was hit hard by our yo-yo weather conditions.  In January the shrub had more buds than I'd ever seen but, in response to constant bouts with wind and warmer temperatures, it dropped dozens and dozens of buds, as well as perhaps a quarter of its leaves.  The bloom shown on the right is one of the few that haven't fallen while still in bud.

I'll close as usual with the best of the rest, organized by color into collages.

Top: noID pink Alstroemeria, Centranthus ruber, and Hebe 'Wiri Blush'
Middle: Cuphea 'Honeybells' and C. 'Starfire Pink'
Bottom: Leptospermum scoparium 'Pink Pearl' and noID orchid 

Top: Pelargonium cucculatum, dark pink P. peltatum, and P. 'Pink Blizzard'
Bottom: noID peach tree blooms, noID rose, and Scabiosa columbaria 'Flutter Rose Pink'

Top: Geranium incanum (a weed), G. 'Tiny Monster', and Lavandula multifida
Middle: lavender Pelargonium peltatum, Polygala fruticosa, and Salvia 'Bee's Bliss'
Bottom: Scabiosa columbaria 'Flutter Deep Blue', Trichostema 'Midnight Magic', and Viola 'Penny Peach'

Top: Auranticarpa rhombifolium, Centranthus ruber 'Albus', and Leucanthemum paludosum
Middle: Crassula multicava 'Red' and C. orbiculata var rosularis
Bottom: white Pelargonium peltatum, P. 'White Lady', and Philotheca myoporoides 'Profusion'

Top: Euphorbia rigida, Gazania 'Gold Flame', and Grevillea 'Moonlight'
Middle: Lantana 'Lucky Yellow', noID Nemesia, and self-seeded Nigella orientalis
Bottom: Oncostele 'Wildcat', Phlomis fruticosa, and Phylica pubescens

Top: Aloe striata, Alstromeria 'Indian Summer', and Antirrhinum majus 'Chantilly Bronze'
Middle: Cuphea 'Vermillionaire' Gasteria 'Kyaka', and Lantana 'Irene'
Bottom: Lobelia laxiflora, Pelargonium 'Tweedle Dee', and Salvia africana-lutea

Top: Calliandra haematocephala, Lotus berthelotii 'Amazon Sunset', and Pelargonium sidiodes
Middle: Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset' and noID dwarf Cymbidium
Bottom: Grevillea 'Ned Kelly', G. lavandulacea 'Penola', and G. 'Scarlet Sprite'

For more Garden Bloggers' Bloom day posts, check in with Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

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

Bloom Day - June 2021

I did a quick scan of the last six years of June Bloom Day posts and confirmed my guess that I'd featured either Agapanthus or Achillea 'Moonshine' as the headliner in every case.  So I'm going to break from tradition and start off with some of the other stars of my June garden this time but, don't worry, I'll get to those old dependables eventually.

Callistemon 'Cane's Hybrid' is covered in peachy-pink blooms.  The hum of bees is audible from feet away.

The pale yellow flowers of Crassula pubescens radicans are tiny but they make up for that in sheer numbers.  The yellow flowers and red stems also provide a perfect accent to the 'Blue Glow' Agaves growing in this area.

Salvia clevelandii 'Winnifred Gilman' is immediately noticeable for both its bright blue flowers and its pungent scent

Salvia canariensis var candidissima is rubbing elbows here with Salvia leucantha x clevelandii 'Pozo Blue'

Arthropodium cirratum (aka Renga Lily), a New Zealand native, is a reliable June bloomer

Cistus crispus 'Sunset' took a few years to settle in but now puts a good show.  The pale pink flowers shown in the upper right are those of Cistus x skanbergii, sited to the left of 'Sunset' 

Last year I grew Ammi majus 'Dara' from plugs but this year I grew its cousin, Daucus carota 'Dara', from seeds.  The latter is more robust but their flowers appear identical to me.

Gaura lindheimeri comes back every year.  It self-seeds but it hasn't gone crazy (yet).

Globularia x indubia (aka globe daisy) isn't commonly found in garden centers but it's a good investment if you come across it

It's daylily season here and Hemerocallis 'Spanish Harlem' is the most vigorous of mine

Other Hemerocallis include, top row: 'Cordon Rouge' and 'Sammy Russell'
Middle row: 'Double Impact' and 'For Pete's Sake'
Bottom row: 'Indian Giver', 'Plum Perfect', and 'Russian Rhapsody'

The Magnolia grandiflora in the front garden is loaded with blooms that are virtually impossible to photograph.  I made several attempts with a telephoto lens before I was able to capture these photos.

At this time of year, Pandorea jasminoides and Trachelospermum jasminoides mingle comfortably on the arbor separating the cutting garden from the dry garden

Tagetes lemmonii blooms more heavily in fall but the smattering of bright yellow color is welcome at any time of year

 

To give the old standbys their due, here are the usual June headliners:

Achillea 'Moonshine' got an early start this year and it looks as though its blooms are already fading but I'll try cutting it back hard within the next few weeks to see if I can get a second flush

I've got Agapanthus (most unidentified cultivars inherited with the garden) in at least eight different areas but I dug up and divided the largest groups in two areas last year, replanting only some of the bulbs.  They'll bulk up again in time but I expect fewer bloom stalks this year.

And, speaking of old standbys, here are my year-round bloomers:

Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream'

Grevillea 'Superb', fronted by Cuphea 'Vermillionaire'

I also have this happy mish-mash of flowers:

The combination here is Erigonum nudum 'Ella Nelson's Yellow', Tanacetum niveum, and Nierembergia 'Purple Robe' 

There were a few surprises this month:

This photo of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis 'Marianne Charlton' was actually taken at the end of May but I couldn't resist sharing it.  It's in a pot and dropped numerous buds before producing this single bloom.  I think it either needs a much larger pot or to be planted in the ground.

I stuck a pot containing Echinopsis oxygona in a shady spot along the house when the mimosa tree was cut down late last year and never moved it into a sunnier spot so I wasn't expecting it to bloom but it has

Lilies don't generally grow well in my climate/soil but this one, received 4-5 years ago as a gift with purchase, blooms every year.  I've no idea as to its identity.

Both of the plants shown here seem to be late in blooming this year.  On the left is the first bloom of a noID ruffled cultivar of Leucanthemum x superbum I've had since 2013.  On the right are flowers of what I now think is Prunus ilicifolia, part of a laurel hedge that came with the garden.

While my garden offers a broad array of flowers, the volume in some categories is lower than in prior years, which can probably be attributed to the exceptionally dry winter and spring we had.  I've also noted that some plants that have bloomed in June (or even earlier) in prior years have failed to show up yet.  As this summer is expected to be hotter than usual, I don't expect things will improve until later this year, when hopefully Mother Nature will throw us a bone and deliver more in the way of rainfall than she gave us this year.

On that note, I'll close with color collages featuring what else is blooming here and there in my garden.

Top row: Anagallis 'Wildcat Mandarin', Arbutus 'Marina', and Distictus buccinatoria
Middle row: Hesperaloe parviflora, Lantana 'Irene', and a mix of orange and yellow Lantana
Bottom row: Leucospermum 'Brandi' and Rosa 'Medallion'

Top row: Alstromeria 'Inca Sundance' and noID Gazania
Middle row: Hymenolepsis parviflora and variegated Lantana 'Samantha'
Bottom row: Leucospermum 'Goldie' and Osteospermum 'Double Moonglow'

Top row: Agonis flexuosa, Alstroemeria 'Claire', and Centranthus 'Albus'
Middle row: Coriandrum sativum, Nandina domestica, and Nigella 'African Bride'
Bottom row: noID Pelargonium peltatum, Penstemon digitalis 'Onyx & Pearls', and Romneya coulteri

Top row: Artichoke, noID Brachyscome, and Buddleia davidii 'Buzz Purple'
Middle row: Gilia tricolor, Lavandula dentata, and Limonium perezii
Bottom row: Melaleuca thymifolia, Plectranthus neochilus, and Polygala fruticosa

Top row: Allium sphaerocephalon, Alstroemeria 'Inca Vienna', and Callistemon 'Hot Pink'
Middle row: Cosmos bipinnatus, Cuphea 'Starfire Pink', and noID Pelargonium
Bottom row: Pelargonium peltatum 'Pink Blizzard', Rosa 'Pink Meidiland', and Scabiosa columbaria 'Flutter Rose Pink'

Top row: Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun', Grevillea 'Ned Kelly', and Lobelia laxiflora
Middle row: Lotus berthelotii 'Amazon Sunset', Melinus nerviglumis, and Gomphrena 'Itsy Bitsy'
Bottom row: Pelargonium peltatum, Penstemon mexicali, and Xerochrysum bracteatum

For more Bloom Day posts, visit our host, Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

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