Whew, I'm late with my post this month, I usually do them the day before. But this is a true Garden Bloggers Bloom day: pictures taken this morning in this order! New this month is Nigella hispanica 'Curiosity' from
Annie's Annuals which just started blooming last week. What a charming plant! I love how the flower color deepens over time, and the growing seed capsule spreads out and turns all twisty and black...charming and kind of creepy too!
The dwarf pomegranates have become sturdy little bushes; hopefully I'll get some fruits this year; they aren't good eating but they look cool!
I can never resist taking a peek at the collection of roses my neighbor has growing next to our driveway fence; they are a consolidation of the best from the previous owner's gardens, front and back, all in one place. This tiny single yellow is a particular favorite.
The volunteer Spanish Lavender is soldiering on; it's interesting to see the color variation among seedlings; some quite purple and some this pretty pinkish lavender. I'll be welcoming this anywhere it cares to appear!
Salvia gregii 'Caviar' is settling in out front, singing its siren song to hummingbirds everywhere.
From small round shoots a year ago, even the smallest Echeverias are flowering now.
Oh, this Moroccan Poppy was made to be photographed in early morning light. (Literally, on warm days the blooms sometimes last only a few hours!) I'd like to introduce this lovely to the lavender boys in the park strip, she has the same low-water needs, and would complement them nicely (that is, if you like orange and purple, which I do!)
Fragrant Frosty Pelargonium; what a winner. The flowers are small, but those crazy pink calyces are SO cute, and the fresh lemon-rose fragrance that exudes from every part of this plant is absolutely delightful.
Plus, Frosty even has a resident Mantis! Which is appropriate, since Miss Mantis 2009 laid her eggs here last fall. MantisOne is about an inch long now, and will probably live her entire life on this bush. I like this about Mantids; if they find a good spot they stay, rather than flitting around from here to there. They become part of the family over a long season. And we have a bigger family this year!
MantisTwo hangs out in the Pittosporum near the fountain; I need to clue her in that flowers are probably where it's at for the really tasty dining.
MantisThree lives in the Carex testacea near the front porch. Nice color matching, eh? These are actually mantis nymphs, as they don't have wings yet. Those are a few molts away.
Back to the flowers, in the back! Fuchsias are still doing their spinning ballerina thing.
Nicotiana sylvestris is already taller than I am and churning out the flora. The lovely lily-like fragrance of this species is very different from N. alata, but like its cousin, Syl is only fragrant at night or early in the morning (like when I was taking this picture!)
And speak of the devil, there's cousin Alata now! Playing very nicely with the 'Moonlight' Nasturtiums.
And then there's Nicotiana 'Lime Green' who looks like that cousin who's always getting into trouble! (Also from
Annie's Annuals.)
The 'Pure Perfume' roses are looking exceptionally bridal just now, don't you think?
And yes, I'm still letting the pink Carpet Rose climb the Lilac. They're OK, no one is crying yet.
Here's what MY dreams smell like these days...
The purple Echeveria in the courtyard is putting out these almost kinetic flowers, you can almost hear them peeping...
Whoa, here's that Moroccan Poppy again, this time from the back. What a dazzler!
And speaking of dazzlers, it happened again! I was shooting these new Arbutus 'Marina' blooms when I had a little visitor! (Click on the picture to see closer).
Thanks for visiting my flowery garden today. And 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
I'm so glad that many of the garden design changes I've pondered over the past year are finally getting done. I HATE moving plants or planting anything larger than my head, so nothing happens until I'm so sure of what I'm doing that I almost see it that way already. Then in short bursts, before I can change my mind, I quickly dive in and accomplish something.
Meet my new sweetheart, Aeonium 'Sunburst.' We met at the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show, introduced by our mutual friend, Robin Stockwell of Succulent Gardens. 'Sunny' would hang around the press room every day. When the show was over, well, he came home with me. He was a little scrawny, and an unfortunate encounter with a snail didn't help his disposition. But his new digs in the courtyard suit him just fine; I think he'll be around for awhile.
First blossoms of Begonia richmondiensis, which was killed to the ground this winter, and is therefore a little behind schedule. These are one of my favorite flowers to photograph; I love the crystalline quality of the petals.
An angel-wing begonia followed me home recently; probably heard what a nice spot my courtyard is since I finished the irrigation..
A former courtyard resident is now happily growing on a trellis in dappled shade; Abutilons really need at least a little sun to bloom well. This variety has always been a bit floppy, so the trellis comes in handy.
The Manihot trees in the sunny side yard are towering; when grown in the shade they stay fairly small. A few of them are now lending their beautiful foliage to the bamboo grove.
It's official! The Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) has finally covered the fence that hides the shed. Only took 3 years (3 plants planted at the base.) This could get pretty massive; I've started training some of the vines along the eaves. The garden is smelling pretty good!
The rose is 'Pure Perfume' and it smells like grapefruit (in a good way!) Three plants given to me by one of my contractors guard my bedroom window.
More succulents; I love this dwarf Crassula (Jade Plant) which won't get more than a foot high; talk about a low-maintenance plant!
The other Carex near the fountain was also removed, and replaced with this handsome devil, Abutilon 'Savitzii.' Grown mainly for its striking variegated foliage and compact form, it also has pretty apricot blooms. I think it will add a lot of sparkle to the shady side of the garden.
Pink Carpet Roses going nuts. It is one of many Monrovia plants given to me over the years; I love a few bright color splashes in my serene back garden.
The way I've pruned the Dodonea (Purple Hopseed Bush) has made the flower clusters look particularly lush; this is a shrub that responds very well to artful shaping. I do keep it firmly roped to the fence though, ever since one of them keeled over in a wet windstorm last fall.
I'm also being stricter with the Pomegranate in the corner of the kitchen garden; last year it got mixed up with the tomatoes by mid-season, and the fruit was rather hidden in a wild thicket. This year I've told it to mind its manners; and with luck will have a shapely little tree come fall.
Last stand of poppies around the windmill; growing in gravel (rather than rich garden soil) keeps them a more modest size; these are another favorite to photograph.
Finally, a rustic portrait of a dainty 'Moonlight' nasturtium which is working to establish itself (with my blessings!) Yep, somehow things are getting done around here; can't wait to see how everything grows together this summer...thanks for visiting!
