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Favorite Plant For March 2017
No surprise: Leucospermum 'Yellow Bird'.
The small new Leucospermums have a flower or two: Leucospermum 'Spider'...
...Leucospermum 'Flame Giant':
Favorite March runners up: the very photogenic Leucadendron discolor 'Pom Pom'...
...and the roses. The wonderful roses.
'Snowbird':
'Munstead Wood'
It's also fun to see an Iris flower again. Our long drought and mandatory water reduction rules meant plants survived but did not bloom.
'Paprika Fonos':
'Yellow Bird' is the winner, though. And a new bonus--the hummingbirds and bees seem to have figured out how to access the nectar in the flowers. The hummers go through the open center with their beaks, while the bees access by maneuvering through the lowest "pins" where there is the most space.
Visit the Danger Garden for more March favorites. What's the favorite in your garden for March?
Your Leucospermum are glorious! I think of you whenever I see the cut flowers for sale & think how amazing it must be to be able to grow them. The runners up are no slouches either!
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing. Never thought they would be so happy here.
DeleteThose Leucospermum, and the Leucadendron, are just incredible! I also like the purple statice(?) in front of 'Yellow Bird'.
ReplyDeleteThe purple belongs to Limonium perezii, a Canary Islands native, which is a bit of an invader in So Cal, especially along the I-5 in San Diego, but handy as a seed-around plant here. I keep just a few and pull them when they get old as there are always a few seedlings as replacements.
DeleteSo nice! Although I'd be hard pressed to find a favorite in your garden I think -- so much lovely at this time of year!
ReplyDeleteWell I meant favorite in the commenter's own garden. Better clarify that in the text. But, thanks!
DeleteNarcissus 'Snow Baby' - a fairly new daffodil hybridized by Brent Heath of Brent & Becky's that combines qualities I seek in daffs: early, small, and white. It opened during a warm spell and then the tough little flowers withstood hard freezes (20, 16, 14) for almost two weeks, lasting long enough to create the effects I'd imagined: lightening up the peony border as all the dark red stems emerge, echoing white-flowering lungworts (Pulmonaria 'White Wings', no longer in commerce) and creating a one-day vignette of white flowers against a sea of bright blue lungwort (P. angustifolia ssp. azurea) before finally drying up.
ReplyDeleteRunner-up: first blooms ever on Edgeworthia chrysantha. They didn't survive the hard freezes like the 'Snow Baby' daffodils, but were cheering and fragrant while they lasted. Bonus points for two months of satiny buds that are as appealing as the open blooms.
Those sound beautiful and very elegant. ;^) It would be nice to be able to grow herbaceous peonies here, but at least we can grow the Itohs. I have seen Edgeworthia at the Huntington--they are lovely. I had tazetta narcissus for a while, but they were way toohappy here--taking over!
DeleteMy one Itoh / intersectional peony is the tragedy of March 2017: it's gone. Planted in fall 2014, didn't bloom until May 2016, and now... kaput. I don't plan to try again with so many other happy peonies here, but it's a bummer nonetheless. ['Viking Full Moon', in case anyone's peony shopping -- go for something more vigorous like 'Bartzella' or 'Garden Treasure'.]
DeleteThe tazettas are the one kind of Narcissus my father planted that haven't survived and thrived (his 'Ice Follies' are now multitudes). I loved the one called 'Avalanche', and hope someday to plant more. But they bloom late in the season, and are tall, which makes the "ripening" foliage problematic just as the big floral burst of mid-May hits.
Do all the Leucospermums ultimately get as big as 'Yellow Bird'? Surely there aren't many that floriferous! I love the 'Spider' one, and was trying to imagine it with as many blooms. Also imagining hummingbirds and bees weaving in and out of the wiry, sculptural petals. Mmmmm....
Delete'Bartzella' is apparently the one to get. I need to get it. Mine is still doing well 5 years on. Big fat buds right now.
DeleteYellow Bird is a sprawler, which the commercial growers do not like because they like perfectly vertical stems. I believe 'Spider' is a very vertical one. They can get large, large--Kris of Late To The Garden Party has a huge orange one in her neighborhood, makes my yellow bird look pretty small. Short-lived, one day they simply die. It's their normal behavior.
:: Short-lived, one day they simply die. It's their normal behavior. ::
DeleteI should have suspected there was a catch. And what a terrible one. Well, it's training in appreciating each moment of beauty in the moment...
On the other hand, I planted four or five of the seeds which produced three strongly growing seedlings. I'm still looking for the down side...
DeleteUpdate: intersectional/Itoh peony 'Viking Full Moon' is still here! It was apparently just later to emerge than usual, or than I remembered. And there are more shoots than last year, so yay! Still not the performers that some other yellow Itohs are, but at least not one that dwindles away.
DeleteOh, great news! My first Itoh flower opened Sunday.
DeleteLovely, lovely blooms. Of course, I am partial to the roses ;-)! 'Snowbird' looks simply wonderful. I have this rose, too, and contemplating to replace 'Moonstone' with it, which I just ripped out because it was suffering from so much disease. Unfortunately, 'Snowbird' has some type of blackspot and some rose rust as well this year. Maybe it is all the rain or that it is stressed from still growing in a container. Has your 'Snowbird' been healthy for you?
ReplyDeleteI really like your 'Munstead Wood', I am so glad I ordered it this year from David Austin.
Your iris is another favorite of mine. Very beautiful russet color. My irises have set buds, but no open flowers, yet, but it won't take long anymore.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
Warm regards,
Christina
As I remember, before it got established 'Snowbird' did spot up, but it's quite clean since it has established. More than quite clean, more like immaculate. 'Moonstone' got terrible Rust here.
DeleteA great weekend back at you!
Your Leucospermum 'Yellow Bird' is gorgeous! I wish we could grow it here, but we get temperatures below 30 degrees at times. It is a very interesting plant.
ReplyDeleteWell, we all have things we can grow. I dream of hostas and herbaceous peonies! Not going to happen here, ha ha!
DeleteI adore your 'Yellow Bird' but that Iris is VERY impressive too. I'm wondering if mine will put on a better show this year - so far, I've just one diminutive dark purple bloom on the same (one and only) bearded Iris that bloomed last year at the bottom of the slope of all places. I did find 'Yellow Bird' locally but it was in a huge pot and offered at an exorbitant price so I invested in 'Goldie' instead. My fingers are crossed! Meanwhile, 'Brandi' is still doing fine but has yet to produce flower buds :(
ReplyDeleteI found Iris need some fertilizer to flower here. Surprised me!
DeleteFingers crossed for you for Leucospermum success. I'm sure it will happen.
Un ejemplar realmente maravilloso el primero y unas fotos increíblemente bellas. Mis felicitaciones. Un saludo desde Plantukis
DeleteGracias, Raúl. Ha hecho la primavera aún mejor este año.
DeleteIt's a good thing your home isn't on a street people regularly drive, no doubt there would be several accidents a day, what with them all slowing down to soak up the beauty of the 'Yellow Bird'. The Leucadendron discolor 'Pom Pom' is a personal favorite, sadly it's hardy ever seen as a cut flower up this way.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen 'Pom Pom' as a cut flower here either. It sure is beautiful! Perhaps it doesn't last very long? Maybe I should cut some stems and see.
DeleteAaah! I have now had my fill of beauty for the day.
ReplyDeleteHope it was tasty!
DeleteHow could Yellow Bird not be your favotite ? It's truly splendid. I bought a bouquet of what is likely L. 'Pom-Pom' today at Whole Foods. I predict it lasts two weeks -at least.
ReplyDeleteI am tempted to take a lawn chair out there and sit in the street and stare at 'Yellow Bird'. People would understand, don't you think? Well...gardeners would!
DeleteI have some Leucadendrons picked three months ago in a vase, now dry, they still look pretty! I might go out and pick some 'Pom Pom's now.