Bloom Day December 2019

Aloe suprafoliata is still in flower due to cool weather in the last half of November and the first half of December
 
This is the 56th Bloom Day post I've done.  Yikes!

I thought the Aloes were particularly late this year, but looking back at last December's post, they are in about the same state this year as last year.  This year the flower stems are more substantial, due to better rains last winter.  Only three stems on last year's Aloe ferox candelabra, more than double that this year. Rain matters, even for Aloes.  

The very first flowers of the season opened yesterday on Aloe thraskii:
 Still waiting on 'Moonglow'
and hardyi x cameroni:
A. vanbalenii, A. cameronii, A. rubroviolacea all still developing.  
One Aloe ferox white flowered version pushed out its flower stem, and the other one has followed.  Looks like it will be a white flowered one as well. 
 Aloe tweediae hybrid is a big burly solitary rosette over 2 feet across, but the flower stem, though tall, is dainty for so robust a plant. 
 Aloe megalacantha hybrid (maybe) blooms on and on.
Grevilleas--most of them seem to bloom almost year round.  'Ned Kelly' (aka 'Masons Hybrid') took years to get going, but it has bloomed steadily (though lightly) since.  

Red and green, very Christmas-y
 Grevillea 'Medusa' has tiny flowers, maybe a half inch at most (~1 cm)
 The plant has been slow growing and chlorotic, but on 'Medusa', chlorotic looks good. 
 Grevillea 'Moonlight' continues to do well.
 Not flowers, but other color in the garden.  Sunrises...
 Pets...
 Fruit:  mandarins , Toyon berries,  Nandina berries...
 The mandarins are better this year--the trees need to mature before the fruit tastes really good.  Several years on now, the fruits this year are pretty flavorful.  Toyon and nandina berries are strictly for the birds.
Hydrangea 'Shooting Stars'
 Bougainvillea
 Kalanchoe beharensis has quite an impressive flower stem.  It grew considerably last winter.  The plant looks extremely happy.  I set a chunk of concrete beside it to support the stem as it leaned. 
It likes this spot: 
 Salvia with Cuphea in the background
 Garvinea Gerbera
 Tagetes lemonii continues.  Flowers last a lot longer in mild to cool weather. 
 Echeveria coccinea
 'The Ambridge Rose'
 Happy Bloom Day!

Comments

  1. Aloe suprafoliata is spectacular! You've got a nice Bloom Day showing. I was excited to see the first bloom stalk on one of my larger Aloes - I am WAY behind you in the Aloe department. Your post has also reminded me that I have a Grevillea medusa I haven't checked on in some time - I better get to that as the last time I noticed it the blasted clover was on the move in that area.

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    1. Highly recommend suprafoliata--the plant is a beauty--flowers are not even necessary on that one.

      I went through a "meh" stage with 'Medusa', but it's (excuse the pun) grown on me.

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  2. 130 Bloomday posts for me, 131 when I finally get this months up. I really enjoyed all the aloe photos, since we just can't grow the diversity of plants and blooms up this way.

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    1. You have a diversity of plants, just different ones!

      131, wow. Mine tend to be repetitious.

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  3. All those fabulous, yet unobtainable (to me, anyway) Aloes aside, I just love that little Tagetes. It smells SO GOOD! And thanks for the Bloom Day reminder. It's been a while. Maybe I can find something post worthy...? Either way, it gives me a reason to venture outside with the camera. That too, has been a while. Need to get back to that - it makes me so happy!

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    1. That Tagetes is 6 or 8' wide here. It would be okay smaller. I like the scent too, though it can be a little strong at times.

      Go take some photos and be happy. We need more of that these days, yes, yes!

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  4. Love those aloes. It is fun to see your blooms. They are so exotic to me since I can't grow any of these plants year round outside. That Kalancho is gorgeous. I love that type of bloom. I don't know how to describe it. I have a native plant that has that type of bloom. I think they are interesting. Happy GBBD.

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    1. I don't remember ever getting a flower from K. beharensis before, so curious to see what will happen. It does remind me of some kind of midwestern prairie plant flower...bold and unexpected. Happy GBBD!

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  5. Always look forward to your gorgeous bloom days!

    I keep reading about this, so want to pass it along for everyone's consideration & further research, if desired: Evidently nandina berries are poisonous to birds, who willingly eat them. Not sure why I haven't seen/heard about this before now because nandinas have been around forever, right? My grandmother called it heavenly bamboo. Maybe it's because we are losing so many of our birds to climate change and this has showed up in the increased research on dead birds found? Anyway, some gardeners are removing berry clusters from their nandina plants because they don't want to give up the plants.

    Also, while I'm being the bad guy delivering non-celebratory holiday statements, may as well add that bird conservationists are asking that we forgo artificial berries on outdoor arrangements because hungry birds are going for them. We already know what plastic and foam pellets are doing to wildlife. Just passing on what I'm reading; please don't shoot the messenger!

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    1. No messenger shooting here. Information is good. Science is good.

      I'll go clip off the Nandina berries now. Nandina was the only thing that would grow there--and this is the first year they ever had more than a berry or two. It's a very tough location: ficus roots and eucalyptus droppings. Double whammy. Maybe I'll pull them (if I can get them out). I also have 'Firepower' Nandina which does not bloom, hence no berries. Far prettier than the common species.

      To be honest I've never seen birds eating Nandina berries, but cedar waxwings and robins will strip off the Toyon berries within a day.

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  6. Love the red and orange on those Aloes. And the Garvinea is my kind of flower.

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    1. Thanks, Jason. Garvineas are a new favorite. The flower color is pure and saturated, the foliage tidy.

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    2. tried to comment on your very informative monarch post, Jason, but not sure it worked.

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