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May Showers On April Flowers
Thursday, we got .3" (~7mm) of rain. May rain is not unheard of in Southern California. The historic average for the month is .25" (~6 mm).
The rain came down lightly but steadily for about three hours, then suddenly it was sunny and 72F (22 C) again.
Clematis refreshed by the showers.
Time to pull the California poppies.
May has been as beautiful as April
Even the Ligustrum hedge looks beautiful.
And Grevillea 'Ned Kelly'.
And especially the Eugenia (Syzygium) screen. I was embarrassed about the condition of these plants. Sparse foliage. They looked terrible. This winter's rain brought them back.
So green!
And flowery
And silvery
Flowery out front, too.
'Perle d'Azur' Clematis
Flowers on the Agave marmorata are just about to open.
Birds are ready to drink the nectar.
The Leucospermum still impresses, thanks to our cool spring. One of the non-gardening neighbors stopped to say "That yellow thing looks nice."
Yes it does
Pink Cstanthe also delightful
Last of the Helianthemum's flowers for the spring. Calylophus 'Southern Belle' makes a perfect companion.
Leucospermum 'Blanch Ito'
The Orlaya grandiflora got going a couple of weeks ago
A garden buddy remarked friends would ask her if she ever sat down in the garden to look around. "Of course not." She ask me if I did. Of course not. Though as I work, I look around plenty, sometimes more looking than gardening. It's probably the nicest thing ever, to work somewhere beautiful--if it can even be called "work".
The NWS predicts a 90% chance of more rain early tomorrow morning. Here's hoping.
Glad you're getting even more refreshing rain. We've had more rain lately after two weeks of heat and sun at the beginning of May. I don't sit in my garden either, but I do walk around, which is restful, and you're right that working in it is pleasant and peaceful. Certain parts of it look better in my head, though.
ReplyDeleteWonderful finish to a wonderful rainy season. I'm glad you also got a respite from the coming summer conditions.
DeleteLOL at the bird waiting for Agave marmorata blooms to open. The bracts below each branch on the bloom stalk look like smaller birds, so at first glance the whole thing seemed to be crowded with impatient drinkers. So fantastic that you're getting a significant rain this late!
ReplyDeleteIt's a steamy 90F out there today, so not a lot of work happens between ten and seven. Lots of gazing, though, at the most old-fashioned of the floral peaks here: irises (bearded and Siberian), peonies, foxgloves, columbines, geraniums. Another spot of color and delight are a pair of bluebirds, just finished with one batch of fledglings and probably soon to begin another round of nesting, food-hunting for themselves -- *much* more leisurely than last week.
90F and steamy, eh? You have my sympathies!
DeleteI don't do much all summer except try to water enough to keep the plants alive.
What aloe is that in full bloom in the 'May has been as beautiful as April' image? The color is outstanding with its own pale glaucous foliage and the silvery froth of its neighbors, and with the big dark succulent nearby.
ReplyDeleteAloe pseudorubroviola. It's a very striking plant.
Deletepseudorubroviolacea, that is. That's a lot of syllables!
DeleteThe rain has been lovely. Between Wednesday night and this morning we've had nearly 2/3rds of an inch of rain, and, when combined with the .07/inch we received earlier this month, that falls in the "minor miracle" category in my book. Your garden always looks fabulous but now it's fresh and fabulous! I love the upward-facing shot of the Agave marmorata.
ReplyDeleteOh, you got excellent rain! That's great. We got .3 Thurs and just under .2 today, impressive for May. Cleaned up the air, not hot, happy, happy!
DeleteGoodness! Your garden looks so lush and colorful right now. I love that circle trellis for your rose. I like to have circles in my garden. Happiness is...
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lisa. I like circles in the garden, too. I've always wanted a "moon gate".
DeleteThat agave stalk is impressive. Very tree like. Glad that you are getting more rain. We are already into wildfire season as it is so dry here. My rain dance doesn't seem to be working.
ReplyDeleteIt is taller than the house, so it is very treelike indeed. Sorry to hear your rain dance did not work. I dread wildfire season. Hope yours turns out to be an uneventful one.
DeleteHello from India. It's been s couple of years. The views of your garden and your pictures of individual plants are ever more stunning. But for me you will forever first be the Iceberg Lady. I wrote to you about my despair with Iceberg Climber. It doesn't have multiple flowerings like the parent. You advised me to try pruning ordinary iceberg to force it to grow like a climber. But I couldn't get it to work. Now I would like to report a happy accident. The gardener in our place in Kashmir loves budding roses. I once brought home a stalk of a wild rose vine that is used locally for tall standards. Without telling me he added to the stock of rootstock from a wild vine on the property. It didn't work, and a lot of work went to waste. Without telling me, a couple of years ago he budded two varieties onto the trunk of the wild vine, one a vigorous yellow floribunda climber whose name I have forgotten, and the other ordinary iceberg. I'm hoping it will be possible to show a photo. The yellow has come out in a couple of places, but the iceberg is growing like a vine and has gone crazy.
ReplyDeletehttps://photos.app.goo.gl/MpbJC1z6AzhWJoze6
(I managed to open this in Chrome. Hope it works.)
All the best
Syed
Hello, Syed,
DeleteWhat an interesting story about you efforts with 'Iceberg', and what a happy conclusion. I was able to see the photo by going to the link you posted. Your climber is beautiful. It looks happy and healthy, too, with plenty of space to get even larger. Congratulations and best wishes to you and your Kashmir gardener!