A new year

It's true that it's January and for many parts of the country, evergreen shrubs and trees are the sum of their gardens. For those of us in milder zones like the Bay Area, gardening can and does continue on. That's triply true for those of us that have planted a diverse garden.  It's been said many times, including here, that phase one of gardening has a number of enjoyable stages. You have the imagining of the gardening; then you have the shopping, be it at a local nursery or occasionally online; then you have the soil/bed prep and the planting and finally the progress of each plant.
This time of year there's a different set of 'steps.' First you have the progression of evergreen winter blooming shrubs such as Camellias and Chaenomeles (Flowering Quince); then you have the appearance of bulb shoots (I already have Freesias, Ixias, Ipheions, Dutch Iris and Sparaxis up (and that's not counting my South African bulbs); then you have the late winter blooming trees such as Magnolias and Redbuds fattening their buds; followed by early deciduous shrubs starting to leaf out and finally early spring flowers. What these all have in common is activity, progression, all leading to an eventual result. For me, that's also part of the gardening interest and excitement. It may not be the rush of spring but it's still activity that piques one's interest.
That said, there are a few things still in bloom, or just starting, in my garden. So, that means photos to share. Hopefully this will bring a wee bit of joy to those whose gardens are mostly at rest right now.

Wallflowers (Erysimum) need a better PR agent. They get little respect, or even regular interest, amongst gardeners and yet they are an amazing genus. Tough, drought tolerant once established, very long blooming almost to the point of flowering year round in milder climates, well behaved, popular with bees and butterflies, the list goes on and on. This one is E. Poem Mirabelle.

Another wonderful plant not always appreciated, or easily found at nurseries, is Catananche caerulea. The oddly named Cupid's Dart produces an abundance of flowers from late summer to late fall or even early winter apparently, as mine is still in bloom.

As mentioned above, Flowering Quince is a wonderful shrub for winter color. I have three in my garden, this one is Chaenomeles 'Fuji', and they bloom from December through April, depending on the variety. Very adaptable, they'll grow in poor soil (that includes clay), will survive drought but equally a lot of rain. Self-sufficient!

My Magnolia stellata is usually the first of my Magnolias to bloom and it has already produced its first bloom. I describe the flowers to customers as 'fingers,' as the spoon-shaped petals remind me of our digits. 

This is just a reminder that it's birding season everyone! Had a nice sighting the other day, spotting two Northern Flickers in a Cordyline tree, in the clusters of flowers. Apparently those flowers draw insects and that's likely what the flickers are after.

My Arbutus Marina just finished producing this cluster of flowers, which should soon turn into berries much sought after by birds.

A lot of South African plants will bloom in winter here (but not all!) and one of those is the genus Arctotis. This A. 'Opera Fire' is just starting to bloom but has tons of buds forming. One of the genera called African Daisy, it tends to like sun, will spread out and is tenacious once established.

Okay, not a great photo but I'm surprised that my new Begonia Angel Glow is staying evergreen. It didn't bloom in this first year but I bought it mainly for the foliage. In fact this will ring a bell for many Begonia lovers. It's often the foliage that is the star attraction not the flowers.

Kudos to anyone who can ID this plant. Believe it or not, it's a Gloxinia! In this case it's a Gloxinia sylvatica 'Bolivian Sunset.' It is indeed a winter bloomer and very hardy outdoors. Very charming flowers!

Speaking of S. African plants and bulbs in particular, Lachenalias are often the first of this wide-ranging group of bulbs to bloom. There's plenty of them too. This is an unusual one, a cross from a local grower. He ID'd it as L. viridiflora x quadricolor. You can see the telltale turquoise blue from the viridiflora and then the yellow, green and purple are from the quadricolor parent.

Lachenalia aloides 'Orange.' The aloides species may be the most widespread and vigorous of all the Lachenalias and they are also early bloomers as a rule. 

Snapdragon. Not everyone realizes that snapdragons actually do pretty well in the winter where there is a milder zone. This 6pack is just beginning to flower.

Not real dragonflies but these little vinyl dragons are certainly colorful and 'pass muster' at a distance.

Callistemon viminalis. So, yes a bottlebrush plant but in this case a smaller shrub not a huge tree. I'm growing mine in a container, as it will only mature to 4-6.' Same nectar rich flowers that hummers love. Surprisingly bees like them too. 

Camellia 'Silver Waves.' I have a dozen camellias in my garden but this was the first. It's a prolific bloomer and has a substantial boss of yellow stamen to offset the pure white petals. One of the faster growing camellias, which as a general rule are somewhat slow. 

This Salvia involucrata 'Pink Icicles' owns one of my favorite variety names but also has an interesting way of producing flowers, forming one large whitish bud (as you can see in the back of this flower cluster) that then opens to three tubular pink flowers. Though listed as a summer and fall bloomer, it seems to be just getting going in this its first year from a 4" plant. 

The aptly named Fuchsia splendens took awhile to get settled and in the mood for blooming but finally seems to have figured it out. Simple pinkish-orange flowers are tipped with reflexed green lower portions. This Fuchsia can get big and is semi-scandent, though mine being in a pot has kept it a modest size.

Back on the farm

Well, not the farm, the garden. Or the Garden Grotto Or these days, the Garden of Eden, that is to say any place not directly affected by the evils of Trumpdom (or is that Trumpdumb?)
There hasn't been a lot to photograph since my last post a month ago but then all kinds of challenges kept me busy the last 6 weeks. I did manage to get some decent ones today and while they may not win any photography prizes, they do give an idea of what's going on in my little 'one-of-everything' garden. Actually there is exciting news but unfortunately taking photos of a variety of bulb shoots isn't going to raise too many people's temperatures. To me though, they are harbingers of spring or in the case of the S. African bulbs, late winter.
So here are a few visuals to enjoy in whatever way pleases you.

I start with some brilliant blue dragonflies, very pretty even if they're not real.

Lepechinia hastata is one of the four season wonder plants. I eventually started over as my old one kind of took over everything around it. Fragrant leaves, very pretty flowers over a long period, drought tolerant and a favorite for hummers and bees. 

 Even though I need to put it in a larger pot,  my Coprosma Pina Colada is still colorful and healthy.

I need a better picture, how the heck could I take this shot and not see the shadow? but it gives an idea of the pretty urn-shaped flowers on my variegated Arbutus Marina. Those will soon mature into berries much beloved by birds.

Oxalis vulcanicola. One of the prettiest of the low growing Oxalis. No beating those oranges and golds.

Kind of an odd photo compositionally but that's just the way the flowers are growing. Low and sticking out is my Helenium Mardi Gras; above it is my Arctotis Opera Fire. And then above it and to its left is the long blooming and hard to find Justicia betonica, with its white bracts. 

Though not in full splendor - it IS December after all -  my Agastache Red Fortune is nonetheless still blooming. It's doing that almost year round now.

Neoregelia Presatress x Touchdown. That's quite the mouthful for a simple bromeliad.

It is and it isn't. Yes, it is obviously a staghorn fern, just not the common one. In this case, it's the sun-loving Platycerium veitchii. Slightly more slender leaves that are a touch more blue.

I debated whether to even post this photo of my first Magnolia stellata Royal Star flower. It's not illuminated by the sun so isn't glowing like they normally do in the sun. But still, the first!

Chamaecyparis 'Ellwood's Pillar.' From my collection of dwarf conifers. Lovely!

I'd buy this lovely Sideritis cypria for the downy and silvery foliage but as it turns out it will eventually produce apple green bracts that are a sight to behold.

Rainbow bush, otherwise known as Portulacaria afra variegata. Always wanted one of these and now I do. It's in with a collection of succulents in my sunny front yard driveways bed.

Wow, the leaves on Trachelium Hamer Pandora really do turn a vivid burgundy purple during the colder months.

Lotus jacobaeus. Known as 'black lotus' for its deep burgundy flowers. Blooms year round and a favorite of bees.

Beyond Tulips and Daffodils

As many a gardener knows, spring blooming bulbs have begun showing up in local nurseries and garden centers. That means tulips, daffodils, Iris and crocus, among other spring blooming treats. Although there are summer blooming bulbs, most notably lilies and dahlias, for many a gardener spring is the time when they think of cheerful bulbs. I'd like to offer the view that there are bulbs that start blooming in December and ones that will bloom every month thereafter until September. For simplicity's sake, call them Winter blooming, Spring blooming and Summer blooming. Here is a sampling of wonderful, less common bulbs available in each of these seasons.
WINTER. Most of the bulbs that bloom from late November through late February are of South African origin. Most notably there are the host of Lachenalias. They boast astonishing variety and even better they are one of the easiest and most reliable South African (SAF) bulbs to grow. And usually the earliest. The small tubular flowers cover almost the entire color spectrum - reds, pinks, purples, oranges, yellows and greens. Even the rarely seen blue, as with the L. viridiflora. Next up are the Ferrarias, most notably F. crispa and its hybrids or subspecies. Nicknamed spider iris, these are some of the most fantastical flowers you'll ever see, with dramatically crinkled edges. And did you know that most gladiolas are of SAF origin? The straight species glads have smaller flowers but often more intricate patterns. They bloom in the late December to April period and once happy can be quite vigorous. In fact I have a number of these that have already sent up shoots!
Likewise, did you know that the colorful and easy to grow Freesias are from S. Africa? They too have been hybridized to get a multitude of colors and bigger flowers. They're retained some of the sweet fragrance but if you ever see cream-colored freesias popping up where you planted another color, it's because those bulbs have reverted to the original species. Smell them. They're usually much more fragrant. Likewise, Ixias and Sparaxis, which I lump together with freesias as all three have a multitude of colors, bloom in late winter and early spring and naturalize effectively.
One more potential SAF late winter bloomer is Moraea. There are many species but the most famous one is M. villosa, otherwise known as Peacock moraea for its striking center eye and colors. And finally, want a bulb that also doubles as a caudiciform? Try the charming Albuca spiralis, which produces tightly curled blade-like foliage, little white flowers tipped in green and later a nice fat 'belly.'

SPRING. Besides the common tulips, daffodils, Dutch iris, crocus and hyacinth, there are other treats in spring. Various Scillas, including Scilla peruviana, offer dainty but colorful woodland flowers. Species tulips like T. chrysantha, clusiana, tarda or saxatilis make up with color and volume what they lack in height and size of flower. Plus they don't need a 'winter' and will naturalize in your garden. Ranunculus is an early spring bloomer, with exceptionally showy flowers. Another SAF bulb not as well known is Ornithogalum, better known as Star of Bethlehem. Tall or short, white, cream or green colors abound and they are vigorous. And while Dutch iris are popular, consider planting smaller species iris such as I. reticulata or I. pseudacorus. There are also many Siberian iris, as well as Japanese iris (I. ensata) for a change of pace. And though there are few CA native bulbs commercially available one that it is, Brodiaea, is well worth growing. Whether it's B. californica or one of the B. laxa hybrids, they bring spring purples into your garden and return each year.
One last mention will be another SAF entry, Babiana. Known as baboon flower because, yes, baboons in Africa do eat the flowers, they offer pleated leaves and then in spring purple, lavender, white, even pink flowers.

SUMMER. Again, while Lilies, Dahlias, Begonias and Gladiolas dominate the summer bulb garden, there are plenty of other choices. Everybody is familiar with Calla lilies but there are a host of colors available in summer and they like the sun! Also consider adding an ornamental onion or two. Two starburst varieties are treats - A. cristophii and A. schubertii. Then there are the 'globe' onions that can have densely packed heads that can span 4-6"!
And when is a lily not a lily? That would be true of the gorgeous Gloriosa lily (Gloriosa rothschildiana). Sometimes called Flame lily they offer yellow-fringed, recurved flowers in summer. Once established, it's prolific. Finally, there are Watsonias. It's another SAF import that has been hybridized and become more widely available in the U.S.

So there you have it. Enough choices to make your head explode on a cool end of November day.
Now a few photos from my garden.

The evolution of my sidewalk strip. Even in almost December, it has Gazanias, Agastache, Helenium, Monardella odoratissima, a red Mimulus and my ever blooming black Lotus in bloom. Tons of bulbs in this bed. Already up are Ipheions, Freesias, a few early Dutch iris and a few Ixia. 

Not my XMas tree but my Senecio kleinii. Unfortunately, Annie's Annuals has discontinued this species so I'm glad I got mine when I did. A fast grower for a succulent.

Eucalyptus Blue Lagoon. I know, it seems strange growing a Eucalyptus in a pot but this is a smaller shrub type. Love the color and delicate leaves. 

I thought maybe my Erica speciosa would be a spring bloomer but it's adding flowers now. Winter flowers are always appreciated. 

Beautiful red color on my Cornus florida. A word of advice about dogwoods. It can take them a few years to flower so hang in there!

Though not yet in bloom, my Aloe striata (Coral aloe) makes a striking winter foliage specimen.

Although this photo is somewhat in shade, my Echeveria gibbiflora is acquiring the red tones that it is noted for. I bought mine with red leaves, then it being in too much shade it reverted to bluish-green. But now back in sun and with temps cooling it's 'getting its red on.'

Also not in sun to really show off more of its golds, my Cistus 'McGuire's Gold' is so much happier now that I've moved it out of hot sun and into cooler filtered sun. Funny, rockroses usually like lots of sun.

Back in the Fold

Well, between things slowing in the garden, being sick and then the particulate-laden gray skies, I haven't been taking many photos of my garden and thus not thinking primarily of this blog. Of course I have taken side ventures to post photos and info about bees, birds, public gardens etc but here once more I'll be posting some photos of my November garden. And even though the last 9 photos were taken under our recent gray skies, thus not quite capturing the full color of flowers under clear skies, they were sufficiently good to decide to post.

Yes, this an Angel's Trumpet tree! It's a new double form that Annie's Annuals is growing, called Brugmansia Double Apricot. Pretty fabulous. It literally is one trumpet flower emerging from the center of another! Plus the color is pretty fab. It took awhile for it to bloom but is hitting its stride now.

Here's a close-up of the flower and in fact this one flower is almost a triple! 

Kudos to those that can ID this flower. It's a Thunbergia battiscombei, sometimes called Blue Glory or Blue Clock vine. It grows more as a scandent shrub than an out and out vine like most Thunbergias. Very pretty flowers and they come out almost as a cornucopia, with a twisty neck

Speaking of unusual species or varieties of common plants, here's my Mandevilla Sun Parasol Apricot. This variety is so new that not many had a chance to grab one before growers ran out of stock this year.

Nope, these aren't green beans I'm about to harvest but rather the seedpods on my Tecoma x smithii. Although not in the legume family, the seedpods sure suggest that. 

Chamaecyparis pisifera Baby Blue. I love the glaucous tones on this dwarf conifer I recently brought home. Although it will over the years outgrow this small pot, it will be fine for awhile.

If we widen out, we see that the conifer above is part of a potted collection of dwarf conifers. I've run out of room for the time being - my planted conifer garden is just beyond the tree you see here - so it's pots for now. That's okay; a collection of colorful pots has its own charm. 

One last shot of my fabulous Begonia Belleconia Soft Orange. I love the fullness of the inner petals and then the contrast in color to the back orange petals. As many of you know I'm a Begonia lover and I keep coming across unique new ones.

For reasons I don't understand, my Heliotropium 'Alba' wants to bloom in late fall and winter. That's okay, something sweetly fragrant when not much else is in bloom!

If I'm remembering this correctly, somehow the tag disappeared, this is a type of 'peanut cactus.' In any case I think the 'colony' looks sweet in this reddish-plum colored pot

This Billbergia is taking its time in flowering. It keeps adding more of these elongated yellow bracts, which will eventually open pink flowers. Still, I thought it was pretty enough as is to post.

Snail vine. Those purple and white flowers belong to Vigna caracalla. It's climbed up into my Laburnum tree and now at the top has begun to produce its signature corkscrew fragrant flowers. Sadly they're just out of reach from the front house porch to get a whiff.

Streptosolen. Even on a cloudy day, the flowers on my marmalade bush still glow. Oranges, peaches, golds. Plus, it's a very tough shrub once established.

This Trachelium Hamer's Pandora is another late bloomer. This is a self-seeded specimen. Love that color and it's very popular with hummingbirds.

Rhodocoma capensis. My garden isn't really set up for grasses or in this case restios. But I had to make room for this Giant Cape restio (from the cape region of S. Africa) as it's so beautiful. Found a suitable pot, I like the rustic brown color, and am growing it as a kind of 'special interest' plant.

Now in year four, my Cunonia capensis (Butterknife tree) has really found its blooming mojo. The cream-colored flowers, which resemble fuzzier bottlebrush flowers, are to my surprise immensely popular with honey bees. Guess they must contain a lot of nectar! One of the favorite plants in my garden.