A Friend's Orchids/Eriocapitella Gone (Maybe)

 

A very skilled gardener friend invited me to see her orchids.  She has a long narrow space on the north side of her home that has proven to be perfect for Cymbidiums.

The home is on one side, the neighbor's block wall on the other.  The light is bright but always indirect.  The space is basically a concrete walkway but there is sufficient room for orchids to thrive in pots, watered with drip irrigation twice weekly. 

Happy, happy plants, all thriving.

I had some Cymbidiums but never the right place for them.  My friend does.  She also grows an impressive Dudleya.  It's a monster the size of an Agave!

Back at home, the Eriocapitella is out--at least for a while, until it starts to sprout again from whatever roots I missed.  Vigilance required!

I lugged all the potted Dahlias to the area in preparation for planting at least some of them in the empty area.  They are just starting to wake up from their winter dormancy--still a bit too early to put in the ground, but ready to move into sunshine to help them get going. 

We are expecting a good rain Saturday, so as many Southern California gardeners have learned to do, I was frantically emptying all the previously collected rain into the driest parts of the garden to be able to collect more, and planting what I could plant in the ground before rain arrives to soak them in and give them a good start.  I also potted up small plants into larger containers.  

Aloe gariepensis and Salvia 'Marine Blue' got some of the space near the Dasyliron.  There's more space available but I discovered it was full of ants, which need to be addressed before anything else can be planted there.

Euphorbia resinifera purchased mail order June 2023.  Still small, but it's grown.  Intended to be an edging plant for the front bank, if it can handle the intense heat and dry soil: 

Most of the Coleus purchased in a six-pack some weeks ago are planted out.   One cell had three tiny seedlings in it, I gave each of them their own cell, then yesterday potted them up into 4" pots.  In a few weeks they will be large enough to plant out as well.  

I did the same with a six-pack of Marigolds.  I'd planted some straight from six-packs into the ground where they are struggling.   Better results in this garden potted to 4" for a few weeks first.  A lesson learned needed to be relearned!  The coming rain may save the strugglers.

Through all the hurrying, digging, planting, rain-distributing, enjoying the garden's springtime.  

The 'Suffolk Red' table grape cuttings I rooted last year  are sprouting and growing.   What will I do with them?

Alstroemeria carpet has more flowers now.  

The native Lupines are blooming on the west slope:

Iris are one of spring's joys:

Hmm...space there for something...

Flowers on Geum 'Totally Tangerine'.  Will they flower this year longer than just a few weeks? 

Agaves are beautiful in spring, too.  This plain ordinary parrasana is looking fabulous:

I redid this area two years ago and it's filled in well thanks to two wet winters.  Extreme heat and dryness in summer.  Aloe vera, Calylophus 'Southern Belle', volunteer lavender, Agave ovatifolia, Arctotis 'Pink Sugar', volunteer Lotus hirsutus, Lavender 'Meerlo', Lavender 'Silver Anouk', Leucaendron 'Safari Sunset', and Leucospermum 'Scarlet Ribbon':

Leucadendron 'Pom Pom's show is starting.  Note the Aloe seed pods which can be seen against the concrete driveway:

I collected the entire flower stem for the seeds:  It was drying out.  The pods are close to opening.   I want to try growing the seeds, so cut the stem before the rain arrives.  

Speaking of Aloes, time taken to admire the many colors of Aloe speciosa flowers.   This Aloe's bloom doesn't last long in comparison to others, but it is amazing.

So that's what's up here.