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Surprise star of the month Leucadendron
'Cloudbank Ginny', suddenly in full, glorious bloom. This is the first
time it's been covered with flowers, and, wow.
I struggled to get photos that evoked its striking perfect moment...
...and failed. It took four years for 'Ginny' to really perform and it was worth the wait.
Other Protea family plants this month. Grevillea 'Moonlight'
Grevillea 'Lava Cascade'
Leucospermum 'Tango'
Leucospermum 'Blanch Ito'
The roses are just starting to open. Lots of buds, few open flowers.
'Laguna' is early this year. It's usually the last one I cut back, when I cut it back. This time I did it first.
Another climbing rose, 'Fourth of July'
The dwarf Alstroemerias are also starting.
They look good punctuating the sea of Dichondra argentea also waking up under the Japanese Maple. A few Hellebores, too, the 'Spider Web' Fatsia in a pot, and a stump with decorated with Bromeliads. Looks pretty decent.
Finally a fairly successful Felicia amelloides. Over the years several attempts died about two hours after purchase. Finally some of the exquisite dainty blue flowers. Yay!
Cuphea 'Vermillionaire' in full bloom again, after enduring winter almost flowerless. Happy again as the daylight hours grow longer and the nights warmer.
California poppies starting
Iris, too. 'Cobra's Eye'
Not the "Dutch" Iris, though. They will miss Bloom Day by about three days.
Sweet Peas still dawdling, waiting for a little more sun.
One more look at the Hippeastrum papilio
And a bunch of Garvinea Gerbera flowers. The plant was becoming engulfed by Salvia 'Wendy's Wish', so I moved the Gerbera and to reduce stress to the plant, cut all the flowers for a vase, if you can call an empty honey jar a vase.
Spring is starting here. How is it where you are?
All so lovely. The cuphea 'Vermillionaire' has become one of my favorite plants although it is pretty much an annual here. Do your hummingbirds love it there as much as here?
ReplyDeleteA favorite for me too. I like it so much I planted three more. You can find them here in quarts very inexpensive. The hummers are at it all day long, mostly the females and youngsters while the males fight over the Grevilleas.
DeleteThe Cuphea struggles a little even in our mild winter. They are heat lovers for sure.
Love Mz Ginny. That is one fine shrub in bloom. Those delicate blue flowers are gorgeous. I really like the stump planting. It looks like something you would see out in the wild. You have a lot of beautiful color. I have never seen a Cuphea that big! It is striking. Here spring is definitely trying to move in. The weather is keeping things in limbo. We go from above normal highs to below normal lows. I guess that is a typical spring here. It seems much more windy and cold right at this time. I know it won't be long and it will warm up and stay that way.
ReplyDeleteI saw one of those Cupheas six feet tall! They can get pretty big. The stump seems to work pretty well as a home for the Tillandsias/small Bromeliads. Nice surprise when something I do actually works out, ha ha!
DeleteStill cold where you are? It's not warm here either. Guess we are getting a last dose of winter.
Well, we got our first snow of winter on Saturday... so that was an unwelcome surprise. Thankfully the temperatures this coming week are downright spring-like!
ReplyDeleteAnd I think you managed to capture that magic of Leucadendron 'Cloudbank Ginny' quite well. Wow!
So close to Spring for you, and suddenly snow. Hope your tender plants will be okay until Spring really arrives.
Delete'Ginny' is really something in person. I've gone out and sat on the wall and stared at it several times, enjoying its magic moment.
You've got a beautiful Spring display going! I appreciate your comments on 'Cloudbank Ginny'. I planted one just over a year ago and also find her a slow grower - I've got a single somewhat sorry flower at the moment and I don't think the plant's grown much at all. My sweet peas are WAY behind this year but the Leucospermums are slowly moving toward bloom stage and my Dutch Iris are already in gear.
ReplyDeleteTry a tiny dose of blood meal. Seems to get all my protea family members going.
DeleteBuying sweet peas in 6 packs instead of seeds was a good idea for me this year--they are doing great--just waiting for warm/sunny to start the floral show.
First color showing on first Dutch Iris this morning--always a highlight of early Spring!
Wow - it seems Leuca-anything is my new favorite plant. They are so fabulous, and you captured them beautifully! And those little blue Felicias are adorable!
ReplyDeleteThanks, they are fabulous!
DeleteThat's something I often fail to take into account -- how long it takes a plant to come into its own, like Ginny has now. It's that "patience" part of the equation.
ReplyDeleteOTOH, patience doesn't always reward (looking at you, 'King's Fire'). There's an Agapanthus I got at Joy Creek on Portland Fling that still hasn't flowered. Maybe this year, finally?
DeleteA breath of fresh air to see so many beautiful flowers in your garden. Just when I think Spring is here we are awaiting another dose of cold and snow. My bulb pots, destined to be outdoors by now, are blooming beautifully in the garage. I sit and stare at them for a while too.
ReplyDeleteHappy you enjoyed them! At least your bulbs are flowering, even in a garage! Are they "sheltering-in-place"?
DeleteYep. Looks like they will almost done before the weather warms.
DeleteOoh, that Leucodendron is stunning - love the red centers!
ReplyDeleteWe've had a rare for us stretch of cloudy showery weather, and that plant lights up the area.
DeleteNone of your grevilleas, leucodendrons, etc here, but spring is raging here regardless. Wild MX gold poppies must be getting close to ending, though it refuses to freeze or get too warm, perhaps extending them as well.
ReplyDelete