Bloom Day - June 2022

We're at the juncture between spring and summer.  It's arguable that summer is already well underway in my location, even if our morning marine layer (popularly known as "June gloom") has kept the afternoon temperatures along the Southern California coast within reasonably comfortable bounds, at least thus far.  We recently had a couple of days when temperatures reached the mid 80sF (29C) but we haven't been hit with the 100+F (37-38C) temperatures experienced by our inland valleys.  In fact, on Monday, our marine layer delivered a tenth of an inch of precipitation!  My 50-gallon rainwater tank, empty on Sunday, was full once again on Monday.  I can't say with any certainty what my 160- and 265-gallon tanks accumulated but both collected at least a little to help me water the plants that are struggling the most with our ongoing drought, classified as "severe" in my area.

I'm going to start this Bloom Day post with some of plants that surprised me for one reason or another this month.

The epiphytic orchid cactus Epiphyllum 'King Midas' bloomed for the first time last week after 4 years in my lath house.  I took at least 2 dozen photos of it, beginning the night it opened.

I first saw Pelargonium schizopetalum in an Instagram post a year ago and ordered 3 plants by mail.  A plant with very similar foliage bloomed a few weeks ago and I was afraid I'd been sent the wrong species but it was apparently a hitchhiker.  The true P. schizopetalum made its appearance last weekend.

The earlier blooms of Echinopsis oxygona opened between Bloom Day posts but this month it was right on time for a closeup

These pink and white lilies appeared in a pot of gift lilies labeled Lilium 'Royal Sunset', an orange-flowered Asiatic lily.   Unlike 'Royal Sunset' both were heavily scented but I have no ID for either.

This isn't the best photo but the sight of this Hippeastrum 'Luna' bloom stopped me in my tracks.  I planted these bulbs in one of my backyard borders after they'd finished blooming in pots back in March.  More blooms, even on a very short stalk like this, weren't expected again this year. 

I hadn't decided whether to cut the artichokes (Cynara) on my back slope to eat or let them bloom in place.  They decided the matter before I did.

Up next are the plants making the biggest splash in the garden this month.  Many of these were already commanding the stage back in May.

Achillea 'Moonshine' is still in full flower but slowly leaning into its decline

The Agapanthus were just getting started last month but they're in full bloom now.  All of those shown here came with the garden, although I've divided some of them since we arrived 10 years ago.

Crassula pubescens has burst into bloom all over my garden

After what seemed like a very long wait, Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) are blooming in shades of blue, pink and white

Gaura lindheimeri is continuing its run this month

Globularia x indubia (aka globe daisy) continues to delight the bees

I prefer Helichrysum thianschanicum 'Icicles' without flowers but there's little hope of keeping those in check at this time of year

The white-flowered vines (Pandorea jasminoides and Trachelospermum jasminoides) covering the arbor over the gate were in bloom last month but they've now been joined by Lavandula angustifolia

Magnolia grandiflorum is blooming heavily this June

The flowers of Oscularia deltoides resemble those of Delosperma but the former is more of a shrub than a groundcover

Salvia clevelandii 'Winnifred Gilman' is still dominating my south side garden

Some plants seem to be preparing their exit.

At present I'm having trouble keeping Argyranthemum frutescens 'White Butterfly' tidy even with regular deadheading.  The flowers are still coming but, as temperatures warm, they will slow and eventually stop.

The daylilies have been disappointing this year, probably as they've had to get by on less water than they like.  Clockwise from the upper left are Hemerocallis 'Plum Perfect', anemic 'Indian Giver', 'Russian Rhapsody', 'Spacecoast Behavior Pattern', 'Spanish Harlem', and 'Sammy Russell'.

 

Other flowers are just making their entrance.

Left to right: Daucus carota 'Dara', Monarda 'Peter's Purple', and Leptospermum 'Copper Glow'

 

I can't ignore the plants that are mainstays through all or a large part of the year either.

Clockwise from the left: Cuphea 'Vermillionaire', 'Starfire Pink', and 'Honeybells'

A wide variety of the Gazanias the rabbits haven't yet decapitated

Clockwise from the upper left: Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream', G. sericea, and G. 'Superb' shown in closeup and profile

Some of the Leucadendrons have bracts that look like flowers at this time of year.  From left to right: Leucadendron 'Blush', L. 'Summer Red', and L. 'Safari Sunset'.

I'll conclude as I usually do with the best of the rest, organized in collages by color.

Clockwise from the upper left: Arbutus 'Marina', Rosa 'Pink Meidiland', Digitalis purpurea, Hebe 'Wiri Blush', Oenothera speciosa, Osteospermum '4D Pink', and Cistus 'Sunset'

Top: Felicia aethopica, Limonium perezii, and Rotheca myricoides 'Ugandense'
Middle: Penstemon heterophyllus, P. 'Rock Candy Blue', and Polygala fruticosa
Bottom: Scabiosa columbaria 'Flutter Deep Blue', Thymus serpyllum, and Trichostema 'Midnight Magic'

Clockwise from the upper left: Arthropodium cirratum, Angelonia 'Archangel White', Fuchsia magellanica 'Hawkshead', Nigella papillosa, Orlaya grandiflora, Penstemon 'Onyx & Pearls', mix of Osteospermum, and Salvia 'White Flame'

Clockwise from the upper left: Arctotis 'Large Marge', Argyranthemum frutescens 'Yellow Butterfly', Grindelia camporum, Hymenolepis parviflora, Lantana 'Lucky Yellow', and Tagetes lemmonii

Clockwise from upper left: Aloe 'Crimson Dragon', Gasteria 'Kyaka', Gladiolus 'Guinea', Alstroemeria 'Third Harmonic', Antirrhinum majus 'Chantilly Bronze', Lantana 'Irene', Leonotis leonurus, and Rosa 'Joseph's Coat'

Clockwise from the upper left: Alstroemeria 'Inca Lucky', Pelargonium peltatum 'Burgundy', P. sidioides, Gaillardia 'Amazon Sunset', Lobelia laxiflora, noID Coreopsis, and Penstemon mexicalli 'Mini-bells Red'

If you got this far, thanks for putting up with another of my long Bloom Day posts.  These are one of the best tools I have to track what's happening in my garden from one year to another.  For a look at what's happening in other gardens around the country and elsewhere in the world, visit our Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day host, Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

 

 

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

Earth Day Celebration

Today marks the 46th celebration of Earth Day.  In recognition, I thought I'd take you on a short stroll through my garden, the place where I feel closest to the earth and its needs.

We enter through the gate on the north side, where a dark pink ivy geranium (Pelargonium peltatum) has wended its way up the arbor to merge with the white bower vine (Pandorea jasminoides) and star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides)

The Hairy Canary Clover (Dorycnium hirsutum) has burst into bloom to the delight of the bees

A few specimens of our state flower, the California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), have finally bloomed on the back slope from the seeds I scattered prior to one of our few rainstorms

The slope marking the loosely defined division between our property and that of our neighbor is awash in ice plant blooms (Delosperma cooperi)

Back up on the main level of our backyard, the Easter lily cactus (Echinopsis oxygona) has more blooms

Sunflower seedlings are popping up here and there throughout the garden, presumably planted by the birds

The birds, in this case a Black-headed Grosbeak and a Mourning Dove, have made a lot of use of the fountain through our latest heatwave

I think this fellow may be a Spotted Towhee

Achillea 'Moonshine' is enjoying a banner year in the backyard borders

I hope you've had time to enjoy Earth Day in your own way.  Listening to the news, it's hard not to worry about the earth's future but at least one report offers a positive slant today.


All material © 2012-2016 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Wednesday Vignette: The wait comes to an end

Since February, when I saw the first buds forming on my Echium candicans 'Star of Madeira', I've been waiting and waiting for the blooms to appear.  In March, the Ceanothus hedge behind the Echium flowered.  I thought how wonderful it would be if the Echium bloomed at the same time.

Echium in bud and Ceanothus in bloom on March 10th

Well, the Echium is finally in bloom.  Unfortunately, most of the Ceanothus blooms are faded or gone.  But the bees love the Echium so I'll forgive the late flower delivery.

One month later

Happy bees

Now the waiting and watching has shifted to the backyard and the Echinopsis oxygona, also know as Easter Lily Cactus.  Easter has come and gone but the plant's produced no blooms.  There are at least 13 flower buds and one looks just about to open but apparently regular attention alone doesn't make that happen.  Maybe it's waiting for the other buds to catch up - or simply holding out for the higher temperatures expected over the next several days.

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


All material © 2012-2016 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party