I dragged my feet collecting photos for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day this month because I felt there wasn't much out there in the garden. In coastal Southern California, our nighttime temperatures have dipped into the mid-40sF but we don't get frosts so, while floral production slows, it doesn't grind to a halt. A closer look at my garden turned up plenty of the usual winter suspects.
Note: All my photos were taken prior to Tuesday's rainstorm, which delivered just over three quarters of an inch of rain. The storm was appreciated, although not a drought-buster. Unfortunately, the long-term forecasts for the rainy season in Southern California are not particularly promising.
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| Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' is "blooming" a little early this year, or at least this shrub is. The other was recently sheared like a hedge by "helpful" gardeners when I wasn't looking. |
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| What I'm referring to as Leucadendron"flowers" are actually colorful bracts. Clockwise from the upper left are Leucadendron 'Blush', L. 'Summer Red', and a mix of L. 'Safari Sunset' and another L. 'Blush'. |
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| The ever-blooming Grevillea 'Peaches and Cream' (upper right) and G. 'Superb' (bottom row) are joined this month by G. alpina x rosmarinifolia (upper left) |
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| Bauhinia x blakeana (aka Hong Kong orchid tree) blooms heaviest in cooler weather |
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| While the flowers of the lower-growing Camellia sasanqua were mostly demolished by last week's light rainfall, this taller shrub is still looking good. I don't have cultivar names for either. |
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| Correa pulchella 'Pink Eyre' has been in bloom for months now and is still covered in blooms, which are hard to photograph except in closeup |
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| Felicia aethiopica is also difficult to photograph, as many blue-flowered plants seem to be |
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| The ever-blooming Gomphrena 'Itsy Bitsy' rebounded from the pruning I gave it a couple of months ago and is once again a tangle of blooms |
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| I really should give this Ocimum 'African Blue Basil' a hard pruning but I'm afraid the bees might not forgive me |
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| The ivy geraniums (Pelargonium peltatum) also flourish in response to cooler temperatures |
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| Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum' still has lots of feathery plumes |
Some of the traditional cool-season bloomers are just now making an appearance.
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| Aloes already in bloom include, clockwise from the upper left: tiny Aloe albiflora in a pot, A. 'Rooikappie', A. 'Safari Sunset', and hybrid A. vanbalenii x ferox |
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| Like Pelargonium, Osteospermum responds well to the cooler temperatures of the fall and winter seasons. Clockwise from the upper left: Osteospermum 'Berry White', noID self-seeded variety, O. 'Double Moonglow', O. 'Violet Ice', and self-seeded O. '4D Silver'. |
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| Tagetes lemmonii (aka Mexican marigold) is off to a slower than usual start as the gardeners also treated this plant as hedge material and cut off all its flower buds a month ago |
I replanted various areas of my garden this fall and new flowers are filling in here and there.
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| Top row: Argyranthemum frutescens 'White Butterfly' and 'Yellow Butterfly (aka Marguerite daisies) Middle row: Lobelia erinus 'Riviera Blue', planted en masse Bottom row: Phylica pubescens, Phlomis fruticosa, and hybrid Salvia 'White Flame' |
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| Pansies don't handle our unpredictable heatwaves well but I can never resist planting a few small Violas |
Most months, I uncover a surprise or two. This month I've had several worth sharing.
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| A single Eustoma grandiflorum (aka lisianthus) blooming late (or early?!) |
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| I planted 3 tiny bulbs of Lachenalia viridiflora in a pot in October and all produced these fantastic turquoise flowers. Hopefully, the plants will bulk up in future years. |
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| My Salvia discolor was torn out by mistake when I dug out my rampant asters. I luckily found a replacement in November, which is already producing its wonderful nearly black flowers (also hard to photograph). I saw a hummingbird drinking its nectar earlier this week. |
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| Other surprises include: Haemanthus albiflos, Hemerocallis 'Spanish Harlem', and Metrosideros collina 'Springfire' |
I'll conclude as I usually do with collages composed of the best of the rest, organized by color.
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| Top row: Angelonia 'Archangel Blue-bicolor', noID Ceanothus, and trailing Lantana Middle row: Lavandula multifida, noID Phalaenopsis, and Rosmarinus 'Gold Dust' Bottom row: Scabiosa columbaria, Teucrium fruticans, and Vitex trifolia 'Purpurea' |
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| Clockwise from upper left: Angelonia 'Archangel White', Correa 'Ivory Bells', Westringia fruticosa 'Morning Light', and blueberry flowers (Vaccinium x 'Sunshine Blue') |
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| Top row: Centranthus ruber, Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold', and Cuphea 'Starfire Pink' Middle row: Digitalis 'Pink Panther', Leptospermum scoparium 'Pink Pearl', and Phalaenopsis 'Balden's Kaleidoscope' Bottom row: Cyclamen 'Djix' and Gazania 'White Flame' |
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| Top row: Antirrhimum majus, Campsis radicans, and Cuphea 'Vermillionaire' Middle row: Dermatobotrys saundersii, Xerochrysum bracteatum, and Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun' Bottom row: noID Grindelia, Oncostele 'Wildcat', and Zinnia 'Profusion Yellow' |
For more Bloom Day posts from the US and around the world, check in with our host, Carol at May Dreams Gardens.
All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party