We got our second solid rainstorm of the season last week, a so-call "Pineapple Express," which did indeed roar through our area like a freight train, complete with lighting effects in the form of blown electrical transformers visible on the horizon. We were lucky, though, and didn't either lose power or suffer the mudslides that caused significant damage elsewhere. It did leave some flowers in shambles but it was welcome nonetheless, even if we're still far from ending California's drought.
A few plants took the downpour in stride, most notably the Arbutus 'Marina,' still blanketed in blossoms (but no berries).
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| 2 of our 5 Arbutus 'Marina,' all loaded with blossoms |
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| The Arbutus blooms attract bees, hummingbirds and even butterflies |
Other pink-flowered plants that held up well included:
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| Arctotis 'Pink Sugar' |
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| Coleonema 'Sunset Gold' and Cuphea ignea 'Starfire Pink,' which seem impervious to all weather conditions |
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| Leptospermum scoparium 'Pink Pearl' |
There were troupers among the blue, yellow, orange and white-flowered plants as well.
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| Ageratum houstonium 'Blue Horizon' |
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| Anemone 'Mona Lisa Deep Blue,' a Bloom Day cheat as it and several others were planted shortly before our last rainstorm |
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| Angelonia augustifolia |
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| Aster x frikartii 'Monch' |
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| Polygala fruticosa 'Petite Butterflies' |
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| Solanum xantii, a California native |
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| Argyranthemum frutescens 'Butterfly' |
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| Gaillardia aristata 'Gallo Peach' |
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| Gazania 'New Day Yellow' |
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| Osteospermum 'Blue-eyed Beauty,' another new acquisition |
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| Aging blooms of Gomphrena haageana |
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| Orange-flowered Osteospermum (no ID) |
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| Cyclamen (no ID) |
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| Hibiscus trionum, not blooming as profusely but still producing new flowers daily |
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| Lantana 'Lucky White,' yet another new introduction |
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| Osteospermum ecklonis '3D Silver' |
Some plants were beaten down by the rain but are too pretty to entirely ignore this Bloom Day:
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| Camellia sasanqua (no ID) |
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| Eustoma grandiflorum 'Borealis Blue' |
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| Rudbeckia 'Cherry Brandy' |
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| Schlumbergera truncata |
That's it for this year-end Bloom Day wrap-up. Visit our Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day hostess, Carol, at
May Dreams Gardens to find what's blooming in her Indiana garden and links to other bloggers' posts.
It's also time to post a photo of what I have "In a Vase on Monday," in collaboration with Cathy at
Rambling in the Garden. As multi-tasking is mandatory during the busy holiday season, I'm including blooms picked from my garden in today's Bloom Day post.
Visit Cathy to find what she and other participating gardeners collected for their vases this week.
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| Today's vase contains 'Buttercream' roses, an Anemone, Aster x frikartii, Solanum xantii, and Erysimum linifolium |
All material
© 2012-2014 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
