A California Winter

 I'm always amazed when people who don't live on the west coast wonder just what the heck we're doing, living out on or near the California coast. Well, it's 60 degrees, dry and sunny. And I just came in from the garden. That pretty much sums it up right there. For further proof, here are a collection of photos taken today, of just my one not too large garden. They offer a good sampling of my Oakland winter garden.

Erysimum Poem Mirabelle. This common wallflower blooms throughout the year.

Agastache variety. I'm not sure which one this is but it has the distinctive tubular flowers that so many of these Hummingbird mints possess.

I'm as surprised as anyone that my Banksia rose is in bloom. Very early!

On the other hand, this is about the right time for Ranunculus to be in bloom.

This is a new Calothamnus I've added to the garden. It's C. gracilis 'Spring Torch'.

Though not in bloom, I already have nice thick swaths of Babiana. The first flowers should be here in 3-4 weeks.

Also in progress is my Leucospermum 'Veldfire.' Those fuzzy balls within the leaves are flowers in the making.

Honeysuckles can be amazing. My Lonicera x americana always seems to be budding up, if not in bloom.

Here a few last flowers for the season on one of my red Mimulus.

This shot is not just in shade but not completely in focus but thought I'd include it anyway. My Salvia discolor has begun blooming and it has the blackest flowers of any salvia.

Abutilons also seem to flower nearly year round in the mild Oakland climate. This one is A. 'Tiger Eye.'

Though partly in shade, this is one of the shamrock Oxalis. This one has spread out among my dry garden plants and will eventually produce rose-pink flowers.

Here's my collection of plants under a SW facing fir tree. There's dwarf conifers and bromeliads in pots and behind those are swaths of Chasmanthe bicolor.

I put my charming Geranium harveyi in an equally charming wooden watering can planter.

Though not in bloom, the rough textured leaves on my Salvia corrugata are still a delight.

One of my earliest blooming S. African cowslips is this Lachenalia aloides 'Orange.'

My sprawling, bushy Cuphea oreophila is still in bloom and doing its best to overrun the walkway that leads to the backyard.

Camellia 'Winner's Circle.' This hard to find camellia may in fact no longer be for sale.

On the other hand, this Camellia Frank Hauser is a regular in the trade.

The little variegated aloe here is A.'Delta Lights.'

Finally, here's a long view of our main walkway and the narrow bed planted along its right side.