Bloom Day - April 2010

Now this is more like it. Everything here was planted one year ago, each plant in its carefully thought out spot based on water needs, mature size, etc. etc. Which left a lot of nicely mulched bare ground to be filled as only nature knows how. The original plants are now blending nicely, and I'm thinning out new Limonium perezii (Sea Lavender), feather grass and California poppy seedlings that will continue this combination throughout the open spaces in the garden, while the slower growers establish themselves.

~ Click photos to enlarge ~

The Coleonema 'Sunset Gold' is still spangled with pink stars, and will be for a while yet. Then the bright gold new growth will take over for the summer.

That little Silver Sage (Salvia apiana) plant I bought at the SF Flower & Garden Show last year is now a small shrub sending up some hefty flowering stems. This is the sage that smudge sticks are made from; I dry big sprigs to burn as incense or throw on a bonfire.

The dainty flowers of my Fragrant Frosty scented Pelargonium are kind of easy to miss once the strong, sweet lemon-rose scent of its foliage hits you. This is the bush in which Ms. Mantis laid her eggs last fall, so I'm keeping a close eye out for hatchlings.

The orange Diascia is off and running; that little topknot will keep unfurling one happy angel baby after another until December, with almost no maintenance. That's a value plant for me.

There's Tulbaghia simmleri 'Cheryl Renshaw' again, looking all cool and fresh.

New growth on the Grevillea 'Coastal Gem' means a new crop of shrimpish flowers; this has been going on for months!

Everybody seems to be lusting after Cerinthe major these days; she sure is loving our cool wet weather! Once it heats up she fades quickly, though not before leaving many large, black seeds that will germinate readily everywhere you'll let them. They seem to be happiest in self-seeded drifts; on their own they can be a bit gangly, but look great in a group.

The coral carpet roses inside the fence are back in business, another long performer; they will eventually be a fairly substantial hedge.

Lemon thyme WITH leafhoppers! As usual, I didn't notice them until I was processing the photo...

Loving these Euphorbia 'Helena's Blush' flower bracts, they look like little alien crab-clawed paratroopers! (You can see that, right?)

A single Echeveria flower stem; weeks of bloom here!

Moving to the cooler, shadier back yard, the Moonlight nasturtiums are emerging from their winter hiding places, the offspring of a packet randomly sown two years ago.

Ta-daaaah! Fuchsias certainly know how to make an entrance...

Self-seeded Nicotiana grandiflora alata is a nice accent that pops up here and there.

I think the Fuchsia thymifolia wins the official award for 365 bloom...

Which it would have to share with Sweet Alyssum...

Baby blueberries are so cute!

Chinese Lilac (Syringa chinensis) seems to be a good option for our mild climate; it was recommended by Monrovia and is lovely this spring.

Azara dentata already has my undying devotion for its useful vase-shaped, shade-loving, shiny-leafed self, and then it goes and does this for a little while each spring. Oh, yes.

Thanks, as always, to Carol from May Dreams Gardens for being the heart of Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Visit her site for links to Bloom Day posts from all over the world.

"We can have flowers nearly every month of the year."
Elizabeth Lawrence

A Rainy Garden Birthday From The Porch...

My front garden is a year old this spring, and a mild, wet first winter has been a nice bonus. There are years when San Jose doesn't get a drop of rain between March and October. Last year we had some rain in every month, for the first time I can remember in the 45 years I've lived here.

The April rains are keeping things wonderfully lush (especially for those of us who try to keep landscape watering to a minimum). All of my favorite self-seeders are having a field day. The Mexican Hair Grass (Nassella tenuissima) is sending up little tufts in open spots, and nothing could be easier then a little selective weeding, and I'll have a lovely silky bank here by summer. I started with three small plants a year ago and let them seed. This year I'll be combing out as much seed as I can (yes, I use a large plastic comb, and it works quite nicely, thanks very much!)

These shots are from my porch, as the rain pelted. Luckily there was a lot to see, like those beefy California Poppies. They have stems like pencils, and are the offspring of one sixpack planted a year ago. They chose the best places to appear (where they aren't wanted they are easy to weed). Poppies are great for unirrigated parking strips; last summer I piled pulled plants under the street trees for a day or two; this year there is a lush carpet of winter green and orange, and will be forevermore.

Spring Cerinthe are more richly colored that those that bloomed all winter, and there are several wonderful clumps near the Stachys 'Primrose Heron.' All are from one plant started two years ago. Like the Poppies, they do best when self-seeded (they like a bit more water, and considerably less heat, though).

My poor purple poppy did not appreciate the steady downpour, but is lovely in her bedragglement. Next year you'll be hearing where THIS diva has decided to colonize!

My whole foundation planting of Tulbaghia simmleri came from one plant my friend Cheryl Renshaw gave me years ago (this cultivar is actually named for her, isn't that cool?) Easy to divide, likes shade, blooms in late winter, fragrant...you know you want her.

The Coral bark maple (Acer Sango kaku) is still deciding whether he wants to thrive in this spot or not; the wet weather is settling things in his favor, it appears. This is a perfect 'perching tree' near the fountain, and is frequently laden with finches.

The rainchain does its thing, and the bank of artichokes outside the fence is living up to expectations, including small but delicious harvests. What I like best about this picture is the glimpse of the house across the street; that's exactly what my garden looked like, a big sweeping multi-species lawn all the way to the sidewalk. I find this much more interesting; it uses less water, and only requires occasional hand-tool maintenance.

The placement of every new tree was quite strategic. Can you see exactly what this Fuyu persimmon is meant to do?

Yeah, I see you, little creep. I don't kill snails or other creatures in my garden if I can avoid it, so I try to plant enough for everyone. So far our relationship is fairly symbiotic.

Yes, this is what you're smelling when you stand at my front door. Yes, it's a Meyer Lemon. Yes you can have a couple, take a bunch!

Priscilla is looking lovely. One of the considerations when choosing the fence stain was that it look well with her leaves...I think it's in her contract.

Carex testacea is another must-have in my garden. He can also toss offspring all over the garden, given a chance, but he hasn't done so yet. He is probably planning a diversion...

More Cerinthe; they germinated really well in the protected perimeter of the carex, and make a great combination with it.

This Arbutus 'Marina' was the first thing I planted, just after I moved in, before I even owned the house. It was a small bush in a 5-gallon can, and has survived several brutal prunings to become a graceful evergreen screen for the porch. It is a hybrid of our native Madrone, and one of my favorite small trees.

And one shot from the back courtyard, of my Harry Lauder's Walking Stick continuing his little spring song and dance. Thanks for the visit to my damp garden, see you on Bloom Day!

April Showers

A rainy Easter weekend has given way to some sparkling mornings in San Jose; I love capturing the garden at these moments, as if in a single drop. And of course, there are always a few characters who want to be in the picture as well (step away from the poppy, little dude!) This is Papaver atlanticum 'Flore Pleno' or Moroccan Poppy, which I got from Annie's Annuals. (Their big spring party is this weekend, don't miss it!)

Apple blossoms are bursting on my six-variety espalier, and all of them look the same! These lovelies are 'Gala.'

The hybrid Fuchsias are back and ready to do their Fuchsia thing...

My contorted hazelnut is starting to unfurl. This is my favorite stage: the catkins are still hanging, the leaves are small and cute and you can see every twisty twig. By summer it becomes a rather lumpish creature.

The 'Bloodgood' Japanese maple in my courtyard does well in a pot; with regular water there is little summer burn, and it stays fresh and lovely until late fall. Shady protected corners are a great place for these trees, and they grow quite gracefully in large containers for years.

The new leaves of Nandina 'Firepower' are fantastic. This plant also seems to do best in a shady spot; it will get very fiery in full sun, but is much more elegant in shade. And it stays short, I've never seen it much more than two feet tall.

Ahh, Priscilla, Queen of the Redbuds. I found her tucked away at one of my nurseries, unpruned but full of potential. This early leaf stage is so fabulous, tiny, perfectly port-colored hearts appearing daily along the flower-covered branches, expanding to the size of my hand. Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy.'

One of the plants that followed me home from the Garden Show was this Euphorbia milii (Crown of Thorns) given to me by Robin Stockwell of Succulent Gardens...so cute!

Another Annie's Annuals treasure, this lavender Papaver setigerum will be a new cool-weather resident in the front garden, I'll let it reseed wherever it wants! More pics of this beauty to come; this was taken moments before it dropped its petals.

My single Echeveria pups from last spring have matured to full hen-and-chicks-hood. These have to be the easiest plants I know...

Cheating a little here; this picture of my Dutch Irish at their peak is from a couple of weeks ago, before I descended into the SF Flower & Garden Show. By the time the Show was over, they were too.

This, my friends, is why they call it Miscanthus 'Morning Light.'

It was a beautiful first season for my Crabapple 'Prairie Fire' a richer variation of the traditional pink-and-white variety, and therefore better suited for my strongly-colored spring garden.

Speaking of strongly-colored, Euphorbia 'Helena's Blush' is at peak bloom, and is not in the least shy about it.

The purple sage is bouncing back after a rather drab, slug-infested winter; its muted tones are nicely neutral.

Lunch! My Green Globe artichokes are small but tasty!

Yucca 'Bright Star' made it through winter beautifully, and I have a feeling my tiny little friend won't be tiny much longer...

The Meyer lemon tree is still laden with winter fruit (did I hear someone say Lemon Curd? I'm intrigued) and now it's full of bloom as well, one of the best fragrances in the garden.

And perched on top of a bulb on my string of porch lights, a new hummingbird nest, with eggs just about ready to hatch. I pay attention to the creatures that appear in my life, and recently found this explanation of a hummingbird totem:

• Hummingbirds teach us to draw the life essence from flowers, & how to use flowers to heal & win hearts in love.
• Hummingbirds teach us fierce independence, & how to fight in a way where no one really gets hurt.
• Hummingbirds teach us simple courage.
• Hummingbirds inspire us to protect the environment & to preserve old traditions that are in danger of being lost.

That works! Thanks for visiting...