It's the time of year when new blooms appear almost daily. The steady series of atmospheric rivers has put a damper on new projects (pun intended) so subject matter for blog posts is limited. However, as I snap photos from my garden on an ongoing basis, there are plenty of those to share. This post is basically a series of pretty pictures.
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The Anemone coronaria in general have made a poor showing so far this year, despite our ample rain. The corms of the blooms shown here were purchased as 'Lord Lieutenant' but these flowers are missing the fluffy rows of petals characteristic of that variety.
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Aristea inaequalis is difficult to photograph. The plant's flowers are an especially vivid shade of blue than I wasn't able to accurately capture.
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I've been complaining about the failure of my hellebores to bloom for 2 months now. Finally, Helleborus 'Anna's Red' (left) and H. 'Phoebe' (right) have come through. They may not provide much of a show but at least I can stop whining.
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Iris douglasiana 'Santa Lucia' (aka Pacific Coast Iris) is just getting started
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My Dutch Iris are off and running at last. As usual, Iris hollandica 'Sapphire Beauty' is the first of these to bloom, albeit weeks later than it bloomed last year.
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Leucospermum 'Goldie' was also late this year. Its buds have been taunting me for more than 2 months.
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The buds of Leucospermum 'Spider Hybrid' haven't fully opened but this phase is my favorite anyway
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I planted bulbs of new-to-me Narcissus 'Beautiful Eyes' this fall. This variety is reported to be well adapted to warmer climates like mine.
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Scilla peruviana is a reliable bloomer. I'd planned to divide the clump last year but never got around to it. I think that's definitely on the to-do list this year.
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Tulips aren't something you commonly find in gardens in my area. This species tulip, Tulipa clusiana 'Lady Jane', has bloomed 4 years in a row now.
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I inherited Zantedeschia aethiopica (calla lilies) with the garden. Almost all of them grow on the back slope, disappearing with summer's soaring temperatures and reappearing with our rainy season. I had just 2 calla lily blooms last year but it's looking as though this is going to be a much better year for them.
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Although our navel orange tree is covered with new blossoms, it's the fruit that currently commands attention.
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The oranges are relatively few in number this year but huge in size. This tree was also inherited with the garden. The fruit ruined store-bought oranges for us.
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The total rain for the season-to-date in my location is 19.97 inches and more rain is expected throughout the day and into Thursday morning. I checked the running record we've kept since we installed a weather station on our roof in 2015. This year's total already exceeds anything we've previously recorded. Our previous highs were 18.56 inches in 2017 and 19.63 inches in 2019. Our lowest totals were 3.81 inches in 2018 and 4.12 inches in 2021. If our record is any indication, heavy rain in one year definitely doesn't signify a trend but I appreciate what we're getting now nonetheless. Still, it's a cautionary tale when it comes to managing California's water resources.*
*For reference, all years noted here represent "water years," which are counted from October 1st in one calendar year through September 30th in the following calendar year. Thus, the 2023 water year began October 1, 2022 and ends September 30, 2023. As a practical matter, the bulk of our rain usually falls between November and early April.
All material © 2012-2023by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
