The garden is waking up after its rainy winter rest. We got more rain yesterday and overnight. Our rainy season total is now 12.58" 12.66". Hopefully a bit more rain this month. Meantime, enjoying emerging sprouts, fresh new foliage, and new plants.Biggest purchase so far is a Zamia furfuracea, a Cycad endemic to Vera Cruz state, Mexico. It will go into the ground eventually. For now, temporarily in a pot. I've intended to get one for a long time, but waited and looked for a good plant at a good price. This was quite a large one at a great price, so it came home:
Next, one of those "I'm-going-to-regret-it-if-I-don't-get-it.", a 'Snow Glow' Agave. I have a few other 'Snow Glow's and made the mistake of planting them where I can't really see them. My bad. This one got a prime spot by the front door so it can be admired several times a day.A six pack of Coleus, potted up to grow a little large until the weather gets a little warmer. This six pack actually contained nine plants. Beloved picked it. Good eye! To be paired with hot pink Pentas? Hot pink or burgundy something.
The three new TJ's Hellebores will go here, I'm thinking. The first two on either side of 'Pink Gruss an Aachen' rose:
There's the third. The 'Black and Blue' Salvia in the sunken black pot was a dud last year. Will get rid of it or move it. It is too aggressive to allow out of a pot.
'Pink Gruss an Aachen', by the way, produced a lovely cluster of flowers despite the rainy weather. A truly great rose.
Next, not new purchases, but a relocation. Four volunteer Limonium perezii seedlings moved to the empty space around 'Blanche Ito' Leucospermum. These are tricky to move. Their root systems are small, miniscule, even, and they go into shock and die easily, even if the entire root system is undisturbed. Moving them right before a period of clouds, showers, and cool weather may give them a chance of surviving. Worth a try.
This one perked up again after a period of shock, so it might succeed.
Other things "springing"...Something built a nest in one of the Pittosporums. I do not recall that being there a few weeks ago. Hopefully not a squirrel.
Mangave 'Silver Fox', sitting and doing nothing for a year or more (though looking pretty the whole time) has finally grown a bit, and has an offset. Love the lavender cast to the foliage--there's a Lavender nearby with coordinating lavender flowers:Erica verticillata enjoying the rainy winter:Sadly most of Arctostaphylos 'Emerald Carpet' died this summer. There's one surviving stem looking exquisite:Aloe striata blooming. With Leucadendron 'Pom Pom', Agave 'Blue Glow', and Rhodanthemum 'Casablanca':Another angle: Caught a brief, backlit moment of Leucadendron 'Jester'. Nice!:
It took a while for them to get going, but the Calendula 'Xeolights' did pretty well:Freesias:Surprise survivor: Agave 'Dragon Toes' engulfed by Oak shade and low branching. It's still alive! I'll move it to some sun:'Tamora', dug up from a shaded-out location last year and exiled to a container is ready to be planted. A dozen flower buds despite poor treatment--all she needed was more sun. Half of her is planted now down by the pergola, need a spot for this half:'Seascape' strawberries planted last year are full of flowers and fruit that is rotting because it's been too wet and too cold. May they continue to flower into weather that can produce actual edible fruit. Still this is progress from the many, many failed 'Chandler' plants that produced nothing but disappointment.So that's garden status today. I love Spring. The only bad thing about Spring is the season that comes after it.
Very true! You've been on a buying spree. I stopped by my local garden center last Friday with the thought of finding something to fill one of my barrels and found nothing other than an overpriced yellow Lantana to replace one that croaked (maybe a gopher casualty).
ReplyDeleteI'm already a little overwhelmed by the flowers I see getting ready to bloom - I noticed 'Lady Jane' tulips with buds this morning, which seems very early. There are buds on some of my Dutch Iris at last too but I'm a long way from catching up to your display. We got 0.45/inch from the most recent storm and I'm not sure it's done yet...
All your bulbs have beautiful flowers. Enjoyed seeing them in your wonderful bouquets.
DeleteRaining now, should be close or over 13" for the season--yipeee! --hb
Wow, that's a large amount of rain for you, right? Congratulations on your purchases, and your other lovely, healthy garden plants. Strawberries...yum...good luck!
ReplyDeleteYes, a good rain season, and some more rain right now--our seasonal rainfall is usually around 13-14", and we'll make it this year. Always a relief--the local news won't be going on and on about drought--at least for this year --hb
DeleteThat Zamia furfuracea and Agave 'Snow Glow' were indeed must have purchases! Your feeling about spring "The only bad thing about Spring is the season that comes after it" is my feeling about fall.
ReplyDeleteYour winters are tough so I get it. And damage to deal with--that is hard when you've nurtured plants along, grown them into beauty, and then the winter destroys them. That happens here somewhat with summer! Too hot and dry for the plants at times. --hb
DeleteYour Mangave 'Silver Fox' looks fantastic! And the little white daisy hugging the bottom... perfectl!
ReplyDeleteA serious envy of plants I can't grow: Cycad, I'd settle for any one of them, I love this plant, and Erica verticillata: the hummingbirds on my patio would appreciate.
Finally, the unique color and perfectly organized petals of Calendula 'Xeolights' gets me every time.
Chavli
The hummers do go for the Erica. Happy that they have many options in this garden. --hb
DeleteI was a little surprised by the title of your post as I was reading through as there is nothing but fabulous things happening in your garden right now. It did make sense at the end though. Beauty is always fleeting in a garden so enjoy the moment while you can.
ReplyDeleteYes, best to enjoy the moments! --hb
DeleteYou have some beautiful things blooming, glowing, and growing! Love the roses. :) It looks like you have some great additions, too. I don't feel the same way about the end of spring, but as Loree says, I feel that way at the end of fall (maybe the middle). Our summers are hot (usually 80s and 90s and humid), but I like that. Your summers are probably 80s and dry? With next to no rain?
ReplyDeleteI can't garden in hot weather--too hot for me. And the plants get tired of the heat, too. That's my problem with summer. --hb
DeleteI can sure see why you would not like winters--too cold to garden!
Your new purchases are great! The calendula is very pretty, everything looks so fresh. Love this time of year.
ReplyDeleteYes, a great time of year!
DeleteUff da, you hit the nail on the head about my feeling on Spring. I find late Summer pretty depressing with all the drought, smoke, and brown plants. Hoping your new plantings do well with all the extra rain, though sorry to hear about the strawberries. We gave up. Too many rodents and not enough hardware cloth to make it worthwhile.
ReplyDelete