Bloom Day February 2016

South African Daisy Bloom Day

 A garden Gerbera.  The flowers are smaller than florist Gerberas, but unlike the florist type, they thrive in the Southern California garden.

The orange-red version.   There's also a deep pink available.

 Arctotis 'Pumpkin Pie'

 Arctotis 'Pink Sugar'

'Pink Sugar' is vigorous, to put it mildly.  Keeping up with deadheading is difficult. 

Arctotis 'Burgundy'

Gazania

 Somewhat daisy-like in effect is Leucadendron, though the "rays" are leaves, and the center is a cone bristling with tiny yellow tubes.

Dymondia margaretae has tiny yellow flowers, about one inch in diameter.

Australian Grevillea 'Peaches and Cream' has begun to bloom in quantity.

 Back to South Africa for two Aloes.  Aloe megalacantha sent up dozens of bloom stems over the past week or so. 

 Gonialoe (Aloe) variegata, drought-bronze.  San Marcos says "this plant cannot be underwatered".  Oh yeah? 

 One gallon-sized two years ago, Metrosideros 'Springfire' has grown and thrived.  Don't you love it when a plant is happy right from the start?  Two years ago, it was ankle-high.

 I finish with all the blooming roses, all three of them.  The roses, almost all cut back, now just leafing out again, still manage an errant bloom or two...
'Erfurt', maybe? 

 'Snow Goose'

 'Crépuscule'

 I hope your garden is lovely today, whether blooming, or blanketed with snow.  If it is pouring rain, however, I'm envious.  

Happy Bloom Day!