Spring flowers part one

I went to start this post today and knew I had lots of photos of spring flowers in my garden but oh, wow, I have a LOT! So I'll divide them among two posts. This first batch were taken on March 3rd and 5th. Most of these are common - especially lots of bulbs - so won't go into a long explanation.
The first plant however, Eutaxia obovata, deserves a bit more of an introduction. It's an Aussie native and it has two very distinctive qualities about it. The flowers are very tiny but curiously shaped like sweet pea flowers. And of greater interest is the fact that these flowers line each branch along its length. Hundreds upon hundreds of them. It's the plant of the year so far in my garden.

The aforementioned Eutaxia obovata. It has since produced even MORE flowers, so many that it's smothered the plant!

Some of you may know that many of the common gladiolas on the market today are hybrids of species glads. Many of those species glads hail from S. Africa, as does this lovely G. huttonii.

Scilla violacea. This super easy to grow bulb puts out lots of nodding purplish-blue bell-shaped flowers in early spring. 

People are finally discovering Harlequin flowers (Sparaxis). The hybrids, like this more simple orange one,  come in a variety of colors, most with a dramatic inner ring of a different color.

Everyone loves the sweet smell of Freesia. Super easy to grow, comes in a variety of colors and readily naturalizes in your garden.

This snapdragon was advertised as orange but instead is a vibrant red. It got off to a slow start but is blooming away now.

Here's another shot of my lovely Trochetiopsis ebenus (say that real fast 10 times). Simple pure white flowers that about 4" in diameter.

Daffodil Dick Wilden. One of the new Daffodils I planted this year.

Ipheion variety. Can't remember after all these years which variety this is but it now produces hundreds of flowers in a sunny front yard bed.

Speaking of rare Aussie natives, this is Freylinia undulata. Tubular purple flowers are tiny but somehow that only makes them more charming. 

Fuchsia Delta Sarah. Lovely combo of deep purple and pure white.

This Passiflora Oaklandii has climbed up into my very tall apple tree, giving it the support to flower its head off!

Not my best photo but you get an idea of the variegation in the flowers of this Camellia Anticipation Variegated. Right now, it's my favorite camellia of the dozen I have in my garden.

Again not the best photo of this Iris reticulata but the flowers only stay open a day or two and I didn't want to miss it. Came out a lighter blue than most retics, which are a deeper purple.

This deceptively simple flower is a Moraea collina. Moraeas run the whole gamut from very simple to the extravagant and aptly named Peacock Moraea. 

Another shot of my Gladiolus huttonii. Though they didn't have the more dramatic red splashes that the grower showed on their site, they were still pretty and they bloomed the first year!

Eremophila hygrophana.  Known as Aussie Blue Bells. It's proved sturdy and a long bloomer, plus individual flowers stay open a long time.

I was wondering whether I might have been better off choosing a different variety of Daphne as my second. Until this Lawrence Crocker began blooming. Wow. It has a spicy sweetness to it. Fabulous. 

Here's the more usual Sparaxis, with the dark ring and yellow center. They bloom freely in spring.

This charming guy is a Tulipa saxatilis, one of the more readily available species tulips out there. And 'readily' also describes its blooming!

Rhododendron Donatella. Wish the light was better but this is the best shot I've come up with so far. Lovely flowers and quite large for a Rhodie.

Also wish the light was better for this shot of my Helleborus Double Ellen Purple. Love that color and the semi-double almost fringed form.

For something a little different, here's a shot of my Pinus thunbergii (Japanese black pine). It's still shooting up and not filling out quite yet. But it started small, from a one gallon container, and has made steady progress.

Ferraria crispa Dark Form. I call this my Chocolate ferraria because of its color. Slow to establish but once they do they bloom consistently and colonize.

Dicentra scandens. I've spoken of this bleeding heart a great deal so just enjoy its lovely lemon-colored flowers.

Wonga Wonga vine has got to make the Top Ten list of the coolest common names. Ever. It's Pandorea pandorana but that's such a dull moniker for such a groovy flower.

An early spring

Today it's all about the photos but I did want to mention something about spring bulbs (and bulbs in general). To state the obvious, it's spring rains - and the returning warmth - that prompts bulbs to sprout and eventually flower. But if there's no rain this time of year, we gardeners need to step in and water the beds where those bulbs are, even if there's nothing there but bare ground. For myself, being a devotee of vertical gardening, I have plants planted over top of the beds that contain bulbs and in watering those plants, I'm also watering the waiting bulbs. Of course this holds true for pots as well.
Okay now the photos.

Wonga Wonga vine (Pandorea pandorana). You wouldn't even recognize this as being related to the regular bower vine, with its much small and more brightly colored tubular flowers. A PROLIFIC bloomer.

I love the flower color on my Abutilon thompsonii. Peachy-orange!

While this photo may only be of interest to Lachenalia lovers, or in general to those who love S. African bulbs, I guess I'm one of those folks!

Mimulus Pamela. For some reason I always want to call this flower Mistress Pamela. In any case, love the white-bordered yellow flowers.

Muscari 'Baby's Breath.' Love the pale blue color on this Muscari variety.

Iris Clairette. This reticulata hybrid offers up the most enchanting purples and blues. It's one of four I. reticulata varieties in my garden.

Daffodil Split Corona Rainbow. A new daffodil this year. Love that inner ruffled look.

Everyone will recognize this as a Kangaroo Paw. It's proved so vigorous that I already need to repot it.

I'm a big fan of species tulips (the common tulips you buy are hybrids). Here is my T. kaufmanniana Johann Strauss. Species tulips are smaller and not as showy but they do effectively naturalize in our mild winter gardens. The hybrids tend to need a cold winter to come back strong the next year.

I recently built a new raised bed, to act as a kind of overflow for my collection of dwarf conifers. This new addition is a Chamaecyparis pisifera Mini-Variegated. Very sweet.

Ranunculus offer some of the most vibrant colors of any spring bulb. Their bloom season may be short but they make a real show while they're in bloom.

Top is a photo of my Gaillardia Arizona Sun. These 'Blanket' flowers love the sun and kick into bloom once the weather warms up. Directly above is a sweet little Daffodil that returns faithfully every year. I've lost the tag so I'm not sure which variety it is. 

I think of Sparaxis, Ixia and Freesia as being a kind of trinity - all early spring bloomers, all come in a variety of bright colors and all naturalize easily in the garden.

Physocarpus Nugget. This golden-leaved 'Ninebark' is a spring delight.

Here are some freesias that have reverted to the species color, as well as one of the colorful sparaxis.

This little charmer is Ipheion uniflorum. It produces these delightful star-shaped blue flowers in late winter and naturalizes in the garden.

Here's another shot of a clump of freesias that has reverted to its species origin.  They may not be as brightly colored but they are more intensely fragrant.

Daffodil Split Corona Rainbow. Love the ruffled centers.

Osteospermum Blue-eyed Beauty. These guys are coming back strong!

It is perhaps hard to appreciate the subtle yellow colors of my Magnolia Butterflies from this distance but it's putting on a good show this winter.

My Anisodontea Strybing Beauty has proven to be lush and an excellent bloomer.

Though the individual fuzzy flowers on my Melaleuca  incana aren't quite in focus this photo gives an idea of how prolifically it's blooming this spring.

I cut my Melianthus pectinatus to the ground and this year it's been slow to return. Usually it's already in bloom but I imagine it won't be long now. Different leaves than the much larger Melianthus major but the same smell of peanut butter to the leaves.

Chasmanthe bicolor. This Crocosmia-related bulb from Africa is vigorous, sometimes to a fault. Great plant for attracting hummingbirds.

Here's one of my dwarf conifer bowls, with 3 different specimens now starting to crowd each other a bit.

Grevillea Superb. Mine is finally blooming in year three. Fabulous flowers.

Banksia rose. The yellow form of this popular climbing rose is already producing its first flower clusters. Sweet.

My Leucospermum Veldfire's flower buds are fattening up and acquiring more of their signature yellow fuzz.

My Fatshedera seems to be settling in, though it hasn't grown much. Warm weather will no doubt help.

Ribes aureum. Though the flowers are small, simple and a plain yellow, I'm thrilled to ahve this flowering currant fdinally flower! Next on the wish list is to get some berries from the flowers.

I recently bought some Mexican tile. Here are four of those pieces.

Another shot of my Camellia Winner's Circle.  This hybrid from the famous Nuccio's Nursery is very hard to come by so glad I snapped it up when I did.

One last shot of my Abutilon thompsonii. For some reason it's decided to take more of a bush form and not a tree form like many Abutilons. It suits the space so fine with me.