I pushed off my holiday preparations this year and, as I'm now feeling the crunch, I didn't have as much time to commit to my usual Bloom Day recordkeeping this month. The exceptionally dry, windy weather we've been experiencing didn't help matters either. In the interest of expediency, I relied in large part on photos I've taken here and there during December and have thrown a lot of these into collages.
I'll start off as usual with the plants delivering the biggest or most unexpected punches of color.
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| While the Hong Kong orchid tree (Bauhinia x blakeana) has been producing flowers since September, I don't think I've ever seen it covered by as many flowers as it has this month. I'd thought it preferred moist air but, given that this month has been anything but moist, I guess I was wrong. I took the photo on the left on Sunday when a sunset set the clouds aglow. The close-up photo on the right was taken under sunny skies 2 days ago. |
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| Camellia sasanqua does NOT appreciate single-digit humidity levels. While blooms shrivel in record time once they open, it's a testimonial to the protection provided by this area tucked against the north side of the house that they bloom at all. I've no IDs for these cultivars, which came with the house. |
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| I picked up this new-to-me shrub, Dermatobotrys saundersii, at the Huntington Gardens fall plant sale based solely on its leaves and the description on its plant tag. Within weeks of planting it in this large pot, it began dropping all its leaves. I was sure I'd killed it until the lovely coral flowers and new set of leaves shown here began to appear. |
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| Lotus jacobaeus has grown dramatically since I planted it from a 4-inch pot in July. I've been surprised at how well it stood up to the dry winds we've experienced over the past 2 weeks. |
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| Metrosideros collina 'Springfire' surprised me by blooming in December, when I expected blooms in, well, spring! Planted in February of this year, it's still small. At maturity, it should reach 12 feet tall (or taller). |
A few plants paid unexpected return visits this month too.
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| My Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflora) pooped out earlier than usual this year but a few blue blooms and a single pink one offered unexpected encores in December |
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| I've also had a smattering of rose blooms this month. From left to right: 'Joseph's Coat', 'Medallion' and a noID white variety |
Here are some collages, organized by color, of other plants that managed to produce blooms despite our unusually warm, windy and arid December weather.
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Top row: Erigeron glauca 'Wayne Roderick', Gomphrena decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy', and Helleborus 'Blue Lady'
Middle row: Lobelia erinus 'Crystal Palace', Ocimum hybrid 'African Blue Basil', and Osteospermum '4D Silver'
Bottom row: Polygala myrtifolia 'Mariposa', Tibouchina urvilleana, and Viola 'Matrix Midnight Glow' |
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Top row: Arbutus 'Marina', Arctotis 'Pink Sugar', and Argyranthemum frutescens
Middle row: Correa pulchella 'Pink Eyre', Cuphea 'Starfire Pink' (with a monarch butterfly), and Leptospermum scoparium 'Pink Pearl'
Bottow row: Osteospermum 'Berry White', Pelargonium peltatum 'Pink Blizzard', and Pentas 'Kaleidoscope Appleblossom' |
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Top row: Argyranthemum frutescens 'Go Daisy Mega White', flowers of Asparagus fern, and Gaillardia 'Fanfare Citronella'
Middle row: Lantana 'Lucky White', Leucanthemum x superbum, and Mandevillea 'Sun Parasol Apricot'
Bottom row: noID Osteospermum, Tagetes lemmonii, and primrose yellow Viola |
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Top row: Alstroemeria 'Indian Summer', Bignonia capreolata, and Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun'
Middle row: Grevilleas 'Ned Kelly', 'Superb', and 'Peaches & Cream'
Bottom row: Grevillea alpina x rosmarinifolia, G. 'Scarlet Sprite', and Hemerocallis 'Spanish Harlem' |
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| Various succulents are also throwing up blooms, including (clockwise from the upper left): Aloe deltoideodonta, Aloe 'Johnson's Hybrid', Bryophyllum fedtschenkoi, Echeveria 'Serrana' and Faucaria tigrina |
I'll close with a shot of my largest
Pennisetum, no longer at its prime but still showing off its inflorescences.
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| Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum', still catching the sunlight beautifully in the front garden |
Visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens for more Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day posts.
All material © 2012-2017 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
