Bloom Day (Early Edition) - May 2023

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day officially falls on the 15th day of the month but I've been taking liberties with the timing and format of my monthly posts for awhile now.  As covering my entire garden in a single post at the garden's peak in May is difficult and time-consuming, I've decided to break the bloom-fest into segments.  To provide more context, I've also included wide shots.  This post covers only the main level of my back garden.

View of the garden from the back door looking southeast in the direction of Angel's Gate, the entrance to the Port of Los Angeles.  The morning marine layer, or "May Gray" as it's called at this time of year, has persisted.

View of the garden on the south side of the back patio

View of the same area from the south end of the back garden looking north

I'll start with an examination of the bed on the left in the above photo.

Echium webbii was in full flower last month.  It's waning now but still delighting the bees.

My effort to create a blue, white and yellow bed here has turned out relatively well.  Shown here are Argyranthemum 'White Butterfly', Felicia aethiopica, and Phlomis fruticosa.

Argyranthemum 'Grandaisy Yellow' (left) and 2 self-seeded Gazanias (right)

The blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium 'Devon Skies') is doing especially well this year.  The variegated Cistus 'Little Miss Sunshine' next to it isn't blooming much this month but the foliage fits with the color scheme anyway.

Minor players in the bed include, clockwise from the upper left: Erigeron glaucus, Geranium 'Tiny Monster', Lobelia erinus, Eryngium planum 'Blue Glitter', Salvia 'Mystic Spires' (mounting a comeback), and Trichostemma 'Midnight Magic'.

At last, I got blooms from 2 of my bearded Iris: Iris germanica 'Autumn Circus' and 'City Lights'.  Two other varieties planted in the same area have yet to show themselves.

I prefer Helichrysum thianschanicum 'Icicles' without flowers but, at this time of year, they can't be stopped

Arctotis 'Pink Sugar', planted at the south end of this border, can't be missed

The back border stretches along the other side of the flagstone path, backed up by the Xylosma congestum hedge, sporting a fresh flush of orange-tinged foliage. 

Like its cousin 'Pink Sugar', Arctotis 'Large Marge' can't be missed by anyone viewing the back garden

On the south end of the border are the last of Iris hollandica 'Lion King' and Salvia africana-lutea, a little scruffier than it was last month but still going strong

Near the middle of the border, Achillea 'Moonshine' is just getting started.  Last year, I thought most of it'd burned out and I'd recently begun looking for replacements, only to discover that it was making a comeback.  This Achillea is planted on both sides of the flagstone path, linking the 2 areas.

Alstroemeria is making the most of the cooler temperatures while they last.  'Indian Summer' (left) is planted at the south end of the border while noID pink varieties inherited with the garden are spread through the rest of the area.

Even though we haven't had any really warm weather yet, the Osteospermums are waning and I've begun cutting them back.  Summer temperatures will fry some but others will go dormant until cooler temperatures return in late fall.  From left to right are cultivars '4D Pink', 'Berry White', and 'Violet Ice'.

I'm having more success with Alliums than I've had in years.  Allium neopolitanum (aka Naples garlic, left) and A. siculum bulgaricum (middle) are new but A. sphaerocephalon (aka drumstick allium, right) is a regular returnee.

Pelargonium cucullatum 'Flore Plenum' is another plant that moves itself around

Other flowering plants making a more low-key appearance in this area include, clockwise from the upper left: Hebe 'Wiri Blush', noID Ixia, Salvia canariensis var candidissima (just getting started), S. 'Pozo Blue', and Tulbaghia violacea (aka society garlic)

There are more beds on the north side of the back patio.

View from the back patio looking north

View of the same area from its north end looking back toward the patio

I'll start the floral line-up for this section of the back garden with the bed closest to the patio (the left side of the walkway in the first of the two wide shots above).

Aeonium haworthii is having a banner year.  Flowers of 'Kiwi' (left) and 'Kiwi Verde' (right) are identical in form but vary a bit in color.

Leucadendron 'Pisa' is still sporting its glowing flower-like bracts

 

From left to right: Alstromeria 'Claire', Hippeastrum 'Luna', and Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata'.  I thought I'd lost the Alstroemeria 2 summers ago but it recently reappeared under a large clump of Aeonium 'Kiwi'.  Hippeastrum 'Luna' is showing signs of establishing itself after last year's transfer of the bulbs from pots to this bed.

 

Gazania 'Gold Flame' is peacefully cohabiting with succulents

Next, we'll move to the flowers on the other side of flagstone path, backed up by the hedge that runs the entire length of the back garden on the main level. 

The flowers of this overgrown noID Ceanothus are fading but prolific

Leucospermum 'Royal Hawaiian Brandi' chose to scatter most of its flowers where they can't be seen on the back side of the shrub this year

Other flowers in this area include Helichrysum amorginum 'Ruby Clusters', Lantana 'Irene', and Lobelia laxiflora

To conclude this floral roundup of the back garden, here's a summary of the flowering plants in the bed directly adjacent to the house (and outside the frame of any of my wide shots).

Anagallis 'Wildcat Mandarin' elected to seed itself within a mass of Campanula poscharskyana (aka Serbian bellflower)

Ageratum corymbosum (left) has made a poor showing thus far.  I grow Persicaria microcephala 'Red Dragon' more for its foliage than its flowers.  The self-seeded Persicaria capitata is actually growing in nearby pots containing blueberries.

Arthropodium cirratum (aka Renga lily) has sprouted numerous bloom stalks but the flowers are about a week from flowering

I still managed to cram in a lot of photos!  I plan to cover blooms in the north and south-side gardens next week, and perhaps the front garden as well.  I covered my back slope and cutting garden in posts last week so I won't address those areas again as part of this month's bloom day celebration.  You can find more Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day posts by checking in with Carol of May Dreams Gardens on May 15th.

Best wishes for a great weekend.  And for all the mothers out there, Happy Mothers Day!

All material © 2012-2023 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party