Agave beauty shot: A. parrasana, A. titanota 'White Ice', A. ovatifolia 'Vanzie', A. 'Blue Glow'. Yellow flowers are Leucospermum 'Yellow Bird' and Didelta 'Silver Strand'Agave titanota (species) embraced by Agave 'Yellow Bird':
Quick, quick post--new plants I must get planted. Perhaps not mentioned before this, there's a garden club coming to see the garden next week. I'm frantically planting, moving, mulching--somewhat for that, though mostly because of our wonderful rainy winter. Many projects delayed because of drought. But, to new plants:
Impulse buy when at a big-box store for mulch, 'Mardi Gras Ribbons' Leucospermum:
Four sale plants from Bluestone Perennials: Leucanthemum x superbum 'Macaroon':And three Hellebores: 'Fire and Ice' and two 'Picotee Pearl': A six pack of 'Celebrity' tomatoes gave me ten plants when I potted them up. The onions are currently occupying their summer space. I'll keep potting them up until the onions are harvested: I was going to grow Catharanthus ("Madagascar Periwinkle" from seed for this summer, but saw fresh new plants just arrived at Plant Depot. May pot these up too and plant when a little larger: The big box store also had Clematis--on a subsequent trip for more bags of mulch, I saw they had 'Arabella', which I'm curious to try and have not found for sale on line. Always 'Sold Out'.
The 'Valencia' Orange tree arrived. The grower said acclimate to the outside world for two weeks before planting. Okay. I have it in a protected place where it will get an hour of direct morning sun, as directed by the grower. That's that for new plants at the moment. Out in the garden in my frantic work, a Hooded Oriole has been constantly clicking and cherping--this one is much bolder than those of past years. He was in Baby The Oak after having chased a Mockingbird away from "his" Grevillea 'Moonlight':
Bloom Day preview: The Pimelea ferruginea flowers are finally open! This was a new plant not so long ago (November 2022):
Gotta go, gotta run. Much to do.
Best wishes with your preparations garden club preparations but, as far as I'm concerned, your garden ALWAYS looks good, even at the height of summer, so I suspect you have little to worry about. I'm still eyeing my garden with a view as to what I can evict to add yet another Leucospermum, even though my count is not up to 5. Another yellow-flowered one to replace the dwarf Jacaranda maybe, which currently looks horrible even if I see signs its developing fresh foliage.
ReplyDeleteWell I almost never post pictures of the ugly bits!
DeleteThat Jacaranda--they were not cheap, and it has not done well for you. Perhaps the rainy winter will finally get it going? I feel back about the Pittosporums, but you never know unless you try.
Seeing your pristine agaves made my day. I'm glad you were spared the kind of damage I (and Loree) had.
ReplyDeleteI was concerned about them with all the rain--but they were fine. The damage you and Loree had was distressing!
DeleteGreat purchases! Please do share updates at some point when they're planted. Love Agaves. Orioles! And the 'Mardi Gras Ribbons' Leucospermum is truly special.
ReplyDeleteWill do on the planting of the new plants. Agaves and Leucospermums, whatever did I do without them?
DeleteSpending a whole lot of time in the garden I get to observe individual birds--it is quite fascinating.
For a quick post, you packed in a lot. I've never had a garden tour. Sounds intimidating. My garden is in constant disarray. Not sure how I would feel about having people visit an "experimenter's" garden.
ReplyDeleteShowing a garden on a tour is fun but hectic, a tornado of faces and questions and then suddenly it is done and back to puttering and watering again. If the experiments are interesting and educational, gardeners are interested. Ordinary plants used in unexpected ways as as fascinating as exotics.
DeleteMy lime tree is fading quickly, so much nicer to see your happy orange enjoying real sunshine!
ReplyDeleteLime tree not doing well? Sorry to hear that. Too cold for it? The little Orange is doing well--planted it last week. We're warming up now--late Spring already!
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