Some Of What's Flowering December 2021

  The recent rainstorm washed all the dust away, making everything as fresh as--you know.  For some reason this patch of Leucanthemum flowers in winter, rather than the usual mid-spring. 

While some of the garden looks appropriately bedraggled--it is after all, December...

...the garden still offers flowers.  What's flowering this December?  Mostly roses and Gerbera daisies, plus the usual plants that bloom year round (Grevilleas) and a few others that are more season-specific.

 Salvias for the hummers:

Hummers go for the Iochroma, too. 

Iochroma 'Purple Queen'

  The Iochroma recovered quicker than expected from its hard prune back in October.  November was warm, as Novembers go, though the nights were blessedly cool. 

October 14th:

 December 17th:  

 The late fall blooming Aloes are starting to open.  I'll blog them in a future All-Aloe-Flower post, but here's an example:

'David Verity':

Roses continue.  An example:  'Julia Child'

 

Drakensberg Daisy, white:

Aeonium with rose 'Bishops Castle':

Gasteraloe 'Green Ice'

Callistemon 'Little John':

Metrosideros collina 'Spring Fire'.  As these shrubs have matured, they have bloomed more and more, now off and on, year round.   

The youngest 'Austin Griffiths' Arcostaphylos has its first flowers, exquisitely dainty:

Fenestraria rhopalophylla blooms several times throughout the winter.  Lovely to see it recovered from my neglect.    In their native habitat of South Africa and Namibia, they grow in sand with just the tips of the leaves exposed, and survive on an annual rainfall of 100mm (<4").

It forgave me!

 'Queen of Elegance'

First flower on Leucospermum 'Tango' showing color.  It will be in full glory in January.  It's the earliest blooming Leucospermum here:

And an Abutilon flower. 

That will do, for now.   I've been planting, chopping, and distributing precious rain water to thirsty plants.  Another chance of rain next week.