Flowers And Foliage, December 2013

I missed Bloom Day, so this post serves as a belated one, with a bit of foliage included.  After a post about a near-dead Chorizema, and another with pictures of holes in the ground, some beauty is in order.  This Fuchsia is still looking good:
 photo blum2163_zpsd353c469.jpg
December is the end of the rose year and the start of the winter Aloes.  The usual roses for a bloom day. I keep taking pictures of the same ones, even though there are many others blooming.  These 'usual suspects' are the ones that keep catching my eye. 
'Easy Does It':
 photo blum2158_zpsc9092d2f.jpg
'Sombreuil'
 photo blum2206_zpsfc63ee3d.jpg
'Yves Piaget'
 photo blum2178_zps23a2f2cd.jpg
'Darcey Bussell'
 photo blum2177_zps6b2a9a55.jpg
'Fire Fighter'
 photo blum2169_zps04387c3c.jpg
'The Endeavour'
 photo blum2167_zpse84eb8d7.jpg  Aloe cameronii
 photo blum2198_zps2ddb0c96.jpg 
The pert, mop-head cuteness of Aloe capitata continues to delight
 photo blum2195_zps227aebf8.jpg

 photo blum2193_zps4c50b6f1.jpg

 photo blum2192_zps458a3923.jpg
Aloe hardyi
 photo blum2185_zpsae97a298.jpg

 photo a2102_zpsaf3791ff.jpg
Aloe 'Cynthia Gitty' blooms almost year round.  A regular stop for the hummingbirds.
 photo blum2182_zps35f7496f.jpg
A few other plants bloom on and on.  I seem to have photos of these at the ides of every month.
  photo blum2166_zps468b6967.jpg 

 photo a2114_zps09c442b4.jpg
'Rozanne' has discarded her weary spring foliage and produced a whole new fresh crop;  bloom continues unabated.  
 photo blum2174_zpse56d5c4c.jpg
I did mention foliage.  I like the way the light is shining through the little Alluaudia leaves. 
 photo a2116_zps1017016a.jpg 
The Lagerstroemia are just about bare.  Their autumn color was greatly superior to the Cercis they replaced. 
 photo foliage2202_zps12cdba53.jpg
The Agaves are developing their winter--what can I call it?  Lushness?  They are growing at this time of year.  Even an inch of rain spread over several weeks imparts a sheen of health.  What is more beautiful than that? 
 photo foliage2183_zps32241e63.jpg 

  

Comments

  1. So wonderful to see your roses, when so much around here is brown and dying.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Beautiful photos as usual. Your roses always have me sighing...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Still so many lovely flowering roses. The Fuchsia is really wonderful!!!! I envy your lovely climate in California.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The Rozanne looks so nice. I have tried to grow them in Los Angeles but they don't do well for me. How much do you water and fertilize (and what do you use)? Are they in full sun? I'd like to give them another shot before I give up. Thanks for all the fantastic pictures of your garden.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Rachel, here are my comments based on Sunset Zone 23. Adjust if you are farther inland or in Sunset 24. I have found them to work best in about 6 hours of sun, but some in all-day do fine--the foliage is not quite as nice as the ones that get late afternoon shade, and they look stressed on those hot August afternoons, but they perk up come sunset. I have not found them successful in morning sun only--growth and bloom are vastly reduced.

      Water 3 x per week; 4x in heat waves (90F+). Fertilizer--none. I mulch regularly with quality compost. The trick I think is to get them through their first summer, which seems to be the most stressful thing for them. So try planting now, or next fall, not waiting for spring, especially not planting in late spring or during summer. If they look stressed come summer, give temporary shade to get them through the summer, then after that they'll be a lot stronger and better able to handle heat. I don't have them next to a driveway, or asphalt--avoiding reflected heat is a good idea. But overall except for the first summer, they've been one of the easiest plants I've ever grown. Do you have adobe soil? The soil here is silty, not clay, so perhaps that makes a difference as well.

      Delete
    2. Thanks for the great information. I'll give them another try. (Do you have a favorite brand of compost?)

      Delete
    3. No, not really. Homemade is good, but compost is compost, pretty much.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Always interested in your thoughts.

Any comments containing a link to a commercial site with the intent to promote that site will be deleted. Thank you for your understanding on this matter.