What Season Is It?

 

Clematis 'Perle d'Azur'

Japan has 72 microseasons. 

The traditional Japanese almanac divides the year into four major seasons, but also 72 kō, or micro-seasons. Each kō lasts only five days and is associated with specific seasonal rituals, foods, flowers and festivals.  Each new kō reminds us of the ever-changing natural world, but also of the yearly repetition of renewal.  Perfect for gardeners.

So what microseason is it in this garden? 

Can it be defined as the awakening of the Agapanthus?

Or the blooming of the Ligustrum?  The farewell-to-Aloes in the personification of the last of the rainy season's Aloes,  A. pseudorubroviolacea?

The floral show of Trachelospermum jasminoides ("Star Jasmine")? 

Prettiest trash bin storage area ever?

That's a big one, the Star Jasmine.  It's commonly grown here and looking splendid.  

Then there's a very different season, the removal of the native annual Lupines.  They are lovely and effortless to grow, but a huge effort to remove as they dry out and die with the advent of summer heat.

Several hours work later...

There's still more to go!

The Lupines are not only lovely but a feast for pollinators.  They also, unfortunately, shelter weeds.   So while they are not entirely brown and dry yet, I pull them during cooler May-Gray and June-Gloom days, before nearly all the seeds, both Lupine and weed, can scatter.

Speaking of seed scattering, some years ago a garden club member passed out packets of poppy seeds collected from her plants.  I received a packet, and let them sit for an unfortunately long time.  I hope it was less than a decade.  

This winter, clearing clutter and rediscovering the packet, instead of trashing them I threw them into the garden as a microscopic bit of mulch.  Pleasant surprise a few weeks ago to discover three poppy plants hidden among the drying foliage of dutch iris.  Several flowers ensued, as pretty as flowers can be that are not photogenic.  Couldn't get a really prime photo, so this must do:

Hopefully a few more poppies next spring--grown from fresher seed from those pods in the photo.  

So, it's either Star Jasmine microseason or Lupine Pulling microseason in this garden, but a few other attention getters lately...

Agave mitis 'Nova' flowers opening and feeding the pollinators--the garden feeds them in other ways now that the Lupines are nearly gone:

A 'Jackmanii Superba' Clematis, having gone through several years of sleeping and creeping, is showing signs of getting read to "leap".

The most admired individual plant in the garden during the garden club's recent visit surprised me--it was the Acer 'Oshio Bene'.

I'm happy to say it is having a very good spring--the previously two generously rainy winters worked wonders.  No wonder it got attention.

The little mix of recently planted Leucanthemums and a Penestemon 'Harlequin Magenta' charms:  

Plants waiting to be planted.  I haven't bought many because there's not a lot of open space at the moment.

Itoh Peony 'Bartzella':

It's daylily Big-Spring-Bloom time.

Their big spring bloom begins just as the first flush of roses ends.  This consoles the gardener, who wishes the roses would never need a rest, and always feels a little down when they take one.                                                 This doesn't look bad, though:                                

New growth on the Leucadendrons: 

Now, the gardener heads back to the rest of the Lupines...with a sidelong glance at 'Queen Of Elegance':

 What's the microseason in your climate today?