Bloom Day - December 2022 (Late Edition)

Scanning my garden, my perception is that it's low on flowers but, when I check all its nooks and crannies, there's actually quite a lot out there.  The large splashes of color characteristic of spring and summer are largely missing; however, by comparison to many gardens on the Northern Hemisphere, there are plenty of flowers to be found in my frost-free climate.

I'll start with the flowers that came as the biggest surprise to me.

I planted 3 small bulbs of Lachenalia viridiflora in a pot in October 2021.  They bloomed last December and here they are back for a second year.  The turquoise color of the flowers makes them look like jewels.

The first bloom of Camellia williamsii 'Taylor's Perfection' opened just in time for Bloom Day.  Dry conditions and untimely heatwaves have cost me the majority of these flowers in some years.  I'm hoping the shrub will respond well to our recent rainfall and cooler temperatures and give me many flowers this year.

I stored all but one of my dahlia tubers in late October to wait out their dormant season but Dahlia 'Lavender Ruffles' has continued to throw out a huge bloom (or two) at intervals into December.  The plant's foliage looks terrible but I'll hold off on digging it up as long as buds continue to develop.

I found this Dermatobotrys saundersii (tree jockey) at a Huntington Garden sale in 2017.  It blooms reliably sometime between Halloween and Christmas but always manages to surprise me, producing new leaves, flowers and fruit all at once after dropping its leaves and briefly playing dead.

This Medinilla myriantha (Malaysian orchid) was blooming last month and it's still going strong with a second bud cluster developing this month.  This tropical plant prefers shade, high humidity, and temperatures in the 60s and it's finally got that trifecta.

A couple of plants have made very brief appearances.

Hemerocallis 'Spanish Harlem' (left) is a relatively reliable rebloomer in my climate but it's struggled with the colder temperatures we've had recently.  This is one of its more presentable blooms.  It's been a very poor year for roses in my garden but 'California Dreamin' (right) graced me with a single delicate bloom late last week.

The plants I often describe as my "old dependables" continue to offer blooms.

All 4 of our Arbutus 'Marina' are dripping with flowers but, as the trees are scheduled for pruning next Monday, this will be the end of them for awhile

Argyranthemum frutescens appreciates cooler temperatures.  'Aramis Bicolor' is on the left and 'White Butterfly' is on the right.

Bauhinia x blakeana (Hong Kong orchid tree) also celebrates cooler temperatures and higher humidity levels with flowers

The raccoons dug up the Calibrachoas I grew in another barrel last summer but none have touched this peach variety

These 2 noID varieties of Camellia sasanqua are putting on a particularly good show right now

Felicia aethiopica has been blooming continuously for months

My garden wouldn't be the same without Grevilleas.  Clockwise from the upper left are: Grevillea alpina x rosmarinifolia, dwarf G. rosmarinifolia, G. 'Scarlet Sprite', G. 'Peaches & Cream', and G. 'Superb'.

The Leucadendrons continue to mimic flowers.  Left to right are: Leucadendron salignum 'Blush', L. salignum 'Chief', and hybrid L. 'Safari Sunset'

The Osteospermums are returning in greater numbers as the cooler temperatures persist.  Clockwise from the upper left: Osteospermum '4D Pink' (without the blue blue color it showed off last year), O. '4D Silver', O. '4D White', O. '4D Violet Ice', and a mutant variety.

Ivy geraniums (Pelargonium peltatum) in burgundy and lavender

Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum', not quite as vigorous as in prior years

Tagetes lemmonii (Mexican marigold) in full bloom in partial shade

I've grouped the best of the rest in color-coded collages.

Top: Barleria obtusa, Lavandula multifida, and Teucrium fruticans 'Azureum' Middle: Lantana montevidensis, Salvia rosmarinus, and Scabiosa columbaria Bottom: Gomphrena decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy', Viola cornuta 'Penny Peach', and Vitex trifolia

Clockwise from the upper left: Achillea ptarmica, Primula vulgaris, Westringia fruticosa 'Morning Light', Achillea 'Moonshine', noID Calendula, Gaillardia 'Spintop Copper Sun', and Nemesia 'Banana Split'

Clockwise from the upper left: Correa 'Dusky Bells', Cuphea 'Starfire Pink', Persicaria capitata, and Primula vulgaris

A check of my December 2021 and 2020 Bloom Day posts indicates that there are fewer flowers in my garden this year.  After three years of seriously low rainfall, that's to be expected.  This December also seems colder than those prior years, which may be slowing the bloom cycles of some plants.  The Aloes and Aeoniums are gearing up to put on show in January and hopefully other tardy bloomers will join in.

Visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens to find other Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day posts.

All material © 2012-2022by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party