Several years ago, a garden blogger asked: what name would you give your garden if you were to assign it one? One of the names that occurred to me at the time was 'Aeoniumville'. As my go-to filler for empty spots, Aeoniums are everywhere in my garden. They generally present an orderly low profile but, when Aeonium arboreum (aka tree aeonium and tree houseleek) blooms, it's anything but unobtrusive. The small daisy-like flowers are an almost florescent yellow and their cone-shaped blooms spikes tower above the succulent rosettes they spring from.
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| Closeup of flower |
I'm not sure I've ever had as many Aeonium bloom spikes as I have this year. Maybe the profusion is the result of a long, exceptionally dry period followed by the heavier-than-usual rain we had in December. Whatever the reason, they've everywhere.
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| Along the patio in the back garden |
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| In my cutting garden under the citrus trees |
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| Next to the garage, photo-bombing Camellia 'Taylor's Perfection' |
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| Along the path between the driveway and the lath house |
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| Mass of blooms looking south toward the lath house |
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| Looking down the front slope at one group of bloom spikes |
At some point in January, I started counting them but I gave up at 68. New bloom spikes continue to appear, while others have toppled over under their own top-heavy weight. At this point, I'm beginning to look forward to cutting them all back. Where is Alice's Queen of Hearts when I could use her?
The flowering Aeonium arboreum aren't the only plants producing an excessive abundance in my garden at the moment. The challenge posed by this year's massive crop of Mandarin oranges looms on the horizon.
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| They're not quite ripe yet but, when they are, I'm going to have to set up a fruit stand in the driveway! |
For more Wednesday Vignettes, visit Anna at Flutter & Hum.
All material © 2012-2022 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
