The very first flower. A cool pink when it first opened, the flower has matured to lavender-mauve. Ain't it sweet?
Once a year or so, the Fenestraria has a few flowers. In nature, most of the plant is hidden in grit or sand, with just the very tips exposed. This adaptation protects the plants from herbivores as well as from brutal desert sun and excessive moisture loss.
A few months ago, I bought two 4" (10 cm) Anagallis (now Lysimachia) monellii. One has thrived, one died. Here's the thriver:
Most of the Clematis are producing a scattering of new flowers. 'Wisley':
Salvia 'Warm Wishes', a variant on 'Wendy's Wish' has a delectable plum coloration.
Bell peppers are late this year, but finally a few flowers. Did you know the vegetable found to have the consistently highest pesticide levels is the bell pepper? That's why I like to grow our own. They get nothing more dangerous than water here.
I didn't think my 'Stargazer'-ish lilies would return this year. So nice to see them, modest as they are. After being awestruck by the towering and glorious giants in Portland, my lilies are underwhelming--but they are still lilies.
Grevillea 'Moonlight' is delivering on its purported performance. Today:
Here it is back in January at planting:
A lone flower on my poor Crinodendron hookerianum, which has no business trying to grow in Southern California.
I did find a better spot for it--next to the pond, in probably the highest-humidity, coolest-soil spot in the garden. It has some strong(ish) new growth, so at least I've mitigated its suffering somewhat.
Only two Aloes are blooming at this time of year. 'Cynthia Gitty' and A. melanacantha (or whatever it is--the one with the golden yellow flowers) hardly ever stop. They seem to take a brief rest in winter, when most of the other Aloes are blooming like mad, so that works out.
Rosa 'Wildfire' is another bloomaholic, in the harsh heat of August.
More emerging scapes on most of the Hemerocalli. 'Elizabeth Salter'.
'Rozanne', of course.
A lot of bloomaholics here. Digiplexis 'Illumination Flame' is slowing down a little, but its still going. If it doesn't survive to next year--well, I think I've gotten my money's worth.
Also in the new-this-year-already-got-my-moneys-worth category is the Mexican Tulip Poppy. I would not hesitate to recommend this plant for Southern California. A little gem.
And it's that time of year for two bulbs, Amaryllis belladonna...
...and Urginea maritima, fine and dandy with 5" (12.5 cm) of rainfall this year and no other irrigation.
To finally finish, Crape Myrtle 'Dynamite', second wind. There it is in that bright harsh light, against the vivid summer sky. I avoid taking photos in our too-intense direct sunlight, but it illustrates, I suppose, the heat of August.
Happy belated Bloom Day.
Love this. So very many beautiful and unusual blooms and also some of my favorites. Isn't 'Rozanne' a blooming gem? I've got one I didn't get around to trimming back and it winding around and up the eupatorium stems. Looks great. I can't get over how many flowers you have on your Aloes. The hummingbirds must love them. Great post, TFS
ReplyDeleteThank you Deanne. Hummingbirds love the Aloes and are at them and the salvias all day long. I get fly-bys right in front of my face all the time.
Delete'Rozanne' is awesome!
Your garden is a real Piece of Eden, so many unusual flowers you have. The ´Dynamite´ Crape Myrtle is a beauty, different but beautiful is the Urginea maritima, Digiplexis ´Illumination Flame´ a real gem, should like to have it here and the Grevillea ´Moonlight´ another one with lovely foliage which does not grow here. Thank you for showing all these beauties.
ReplyDeleteHappy you enjoyed them, Janneke!
DeleteThe growth on Grevillea 'Moonlight' is nothing short of amazing.
ReplyDeleteIt's tossing seeds around also. I wonder if I'll get a seedling or two. That would be cool!
DeleteHappy Bloom Day to you! I was distressed to hear that Anagallis has been reclassified - will the taxonomists never stop? I'll have to look for the Mexican tulip poppy - I tried it many years ago and it didn't do much but then my former garden was mostly shade. I have one flower stalk left on my Digiplexis and am trying to decide whether it should try cutting the plants way back to reduce their height or just let them be (at least until the temperatures fall).
ReplyDeleteIf you want some tulip poppy seeds Kris email me a mailing address and I'll send you some.
DeleteWas that Anemone one from the 2013 Fling? My A. x 'Pretty Lady Diana' didn't get into the ground soon enough and faded away not to return this year. I've lately been having a major appreciation thing for Crape Myrtles, and your 'Dynamite' - is!
ReplyDeleteYes it was from the '13 fling! That plant sat there and did absolutely nothing until about 4 months ago and then it absolutely grew like crazy. Sorry you lost yours, but if mine becomes invasive, maybe you'll have the last laugh.
DeleteYour post about the differences in plants was brought back in this post of your gorgeous blooms. Your 'Moonglow is glorious' while my 'Ned Kelly' is in a pot that gets dragged inside in the winter. You can grow happily blooming Crepe Myrtles while my garden is a bit too cool for them to bloom most years. You have Hemerocalli blooming now while ours are a distant memory. Just about when I was ready to pack it all in and move to your gorgeous climate, you reminded me about the lily thing. While ours are just about finished for the year, they were taller than I and the clumps expand each year. Silly Crinodendron hookerianum loves our summers but sometimes gets fried here in a cold winter. Your yucca babies are looking great and seemed to enjoy the recent heat wave we had (days in the upper 80's and one at 96) followed by a couple of rainy days that gave us an inch and a half of precipitation. Thank you again for those; they will be cherished!
ReplyDeleteAre the Yucca growing? That's great. I'm happy! Just keep enjoying your climate's amazing lilies, conifers, and hostas, too.
DeleteI haven't grown hunnemannia in ages and need some for next year. Out of three, I've left one of the digiplexis in place that was sited with better soil. The other two were struggling -- I hate to look at struggling plants all summer in a small garden. I dreamed I had an emornous garden the other night, and I was planting trees! In reality, I'd probably plant urginea if I had a big garden. Last note on my garden in YOUR post -- maybe I should replace some flowering agaves with aloes -- love that gold flwrd one. Let me know if you find its name -- surely not melanacantha, whose flwrs are orange?
ReplyDeletegardening dreams! cool!
DeleteIf you want some offsets of the Aloe, I have plenty to share. Sorry, I cantha spell. Aloe megalacantha. Maybe. That's the ID I got, anyway. Also hunnemannia seeds, plenty of those. Urginea takes very little space, sure you have room.
A belated post and a belated comment from me, as well. I was away over the weekend. It's always interesting to see the differences between what grows well there and here, and when it blooms. Our lilies are just about done. I finally cut back the tallest spikes on my Digiplexis last week, and ti's producing side stalks now. Hope it keeps going, I think I've gotten my money's worth too, but I'm going to dig one and try over-wintering it in the greenhouse, and see what happens to the second one left out in the garden.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting for me to see plants that are weedy here be in the PNW, well-behaved and of a more manageable size and habit. Lillies mostly done here by now as well--I'd moved that one last fall, and perhaps it is late because of that.
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