It was a dark and stormy week, I took dark and stormy Bloomday photographs. With sickness in the house (first my husband, and now me) I am looking longingly at the sun and warm temperatures forecast for the end of the week. With a serious windstorm predicted for later today I suspect most of the dainty flowering trees around town will be wiped clean, hopefully my flowers are made of sturdier stuff and will stick around to see the sun...
Speaking of sun let's start with the Euphorbia, they're bright and cheerful even on a grey day. This one is Euphorbia 'Ascot Rainbow'. From what I've seen it's going to stay a manageable size – these are not garden thugs.
Unlike Euphorbia characias ssp. Wulfenii which would take over if given the chance. This is a seedling that popped up from plants I removed in 2012, the "hail" is actually fallen blooms from the Arctostaphylos x 'Austin Griffiths' behind it.
Considering all but one of these plants self-sowed I suppose Euphorbia rigida is also a bit of a thug...but a pretty one!
And unwanted babies are easily spotted and removed.
New to me (this year): Euphorbia amygdaloides ‘Ruby Glow’ – I'll be looking to add a couple more.
Sick sticky eyes make for unfocused photos, still the beauty of Acacia baileyana 'Purpurea' shines through.
The tiny Azara microphylla flowers pack a powerful chocolate scent.
The blooms on Edgeworthia chrysantha 'Nanjing Gold' are fading to ugly and leaves are starting to appear.
Edgeworthia chrysantha ‘Akebono’ – these lack the full rounded shape of the 'Nanjing Gold' flowers, but the color more than makes up for it.
Grevillea ‘Poorinda Leane’
Grevillea victoriae 'Murray Queen'
Grevillea australis, tiny flowers just about to open.
Correa backhouseana (crappy photo but I wanted it for documentation)...
Arctostaphylos densiflora ‘Harmony’
Arctostaphylos x 'Austin Griffiths'
Helleborus argutifolius
Helleborus x hybridus 'Jade Tiger'
I don't know if these little buds on the Leucothoe fontanesiana 'Rainbow' are going to be flowers or new leaves...
Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum 'Hindwarf', beaten down by the rain.
Rhododendron stenopetalum 'Linearifolium', aka Spider Azalea. I avoided this plant for years because of the flowers. Now that I have it – they're not so bad.
We'll end this post with two blue flowers. Rosemary...
And Ceanothus 'Dark Star' – which is just getting started on a very big blooming season. I hope your garden is full of your favorite spring flowers, and be sure to visit May Dreams Gardens for links to all the bloggers sharing their blooms today.
All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
I planted 'Ascot Rainbow' and 'Ruby Glow' in my garden last fall too. Mine are not as far along as yours, but so far I love them. I have no flowers on my 'Akebono,' which I thought might be dead, but it seems to have leaf buds, so I guess not. So many cool flowers!
ReplyDeleteHas your 'Akebono' bloomed in the past?
Delete'Akebono' has only been in the ground for about a year now. It was loaded with buds when I first bought it from Far Reaches, and flowered last winter in its pot.
DeleteYour photos across the front are great with the starring Euphorbia rigida blooms. I planted another this year since it's not reseeding in my garden yet.
ReplyDeletePlenty of blooms to cheer you up. Hope everyone feels better soon.
I couldn't have planted those Euphorbia better myself, mother nature did a wonderful job.
DeleteYou have so much blooming I can't imagine there are things not in flower. Looks beautiful. Hope you are feeling better by the time the sun arrives. Blah and chilly here with light rain.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Since I'm not a floral gardener I suppose I do have quite a bit blooming.
DeleteEverything looks amazing!!!! Great photos!
ReplyDeleteThanks kacky!
DeleteLots and lots of goodies there. Your euphorbia photos make me want to give E. characias another try. It's a REAL bully in our climate.
ReplyDeleteIt's a REAL bully and you want to give it another try?
DeleteI love all your layers of textures and intricate flowers! Sadly, dark and story weather last spring drowned all my Euphorbia rigidas. I'll try again this year, since euphorbias are so gorgeous. And hope the sun/warmth and good health return soon. Here, it's going to be another 90 degrees so will send some of that heat your way!
ReplyDeleteI'll take all the heat (and sun, of course) you care to share! Sorry about your Euphorbia rigidas, I wonder how mine are feeling with the nonstop rain they've been enduring?
DeleteSorry to hear you're unwell! You sold me on that Euphorb 'Ruby Glow.'
ReplyDeleteI rarely get sick like this, which led me to think I was going to avoid this one too. That'll teach me.
DeleteDo you have rabbits there? My euphorbias always get eaten by something, and I think it's rabbits. (The E. rigida you gave me is in a pot so still protected from critters)
ReplyDeleteYou in more mild climates take rosemary blooms for granted, but it's rare that I get to see them on my own plants -- I have a couple of blooms on the garage-wintered ones just starting to bud. :)
No rabbits (knock on wood), I can't imagine how they could snack on Euphorbias knowing they ooze that sticky caustic sap.
DeleteBeautiful flowers. My Hellebore argutifolius looks remarkably like yours, only a lot drier. Interesting to see some plants looking at the same stage of bloom even when hundreds of miles away.
ReplyDeleteHope you feel better soon!
Interesting indeed, and thanks for the wellness wishes.
DeleteI hope this evening finds you feeling better. If not, shut down the computer and take yourself to bed!
ReplyDeleteI can only hope my Euphorbia rigida will ultimately spread about like yours - at present, they haven't done much of anything. I have 2 'Ruby Glow' in pots but they've yet to show the delicious red foliage or yours so I suspect they're not getting the sun exposure they need and a move may be in order.
I remember thinking "why aren't mine spreading" when other people talked about how much they did. I'm not sure what changed but something did! Hopefully yours will kick in too. Maybe with the rain you've gotten.
DeleteHope you're feeling as fresh and beautiful as your blooms again soon! Sorry to hear you're sick!
ReplyDeleteOh my, that's a lot to hope for.
DeleteI hope you feel better soon! If you get seed on that Euphorbia characias ssp. wulfenii, I'd take some. I actually want some big euphorbias out in the landscape. I finally bought my first grevilleas at Little Prince, 'Ivanhoe' and 'Poorinda Leane'. The latter has a bud, but it's not open yet. Those look like flower buds on your Leucothoe. I'm starting to collect more arctos and ceanothus from work, but they're a long way from putting on much of a show.
ReplyDeleteDeal, although I don't recall ever seeing seeds, just hearing them POP! I'll keep an eye out and try to catch them before, if I don't succeed then I'll certainly share the seedlings that come up with you since I don't need them.
DeleteI was collecting some new Euphorbs last fall but I will have to add E. rigida to my list, I like the form and silvery foliage. Your Edgeworthias are so interesting, I looked up the hardiness but they won't make it at my house, you are fortunate to have warmer winters. I got some hardier Manzanitas last fall but they are not as lovely in bloom as your pink ones, the two that are blooming have white flowers. Great to see your flowers.
ReplyDeleteI would love to have white blooming Manzanitas rather than pink! We always want what we don't have, right?
DeleteThe Euphorbias are sooo beautiful :). Very nice bloomday post.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lisa! How is your garden doing this Spring? Recovered from the snow I hope?
DeleteSending get well wishes and keeping a bit of hellebore envy to myself ;-) I'm tempted to try in spite of the odds... And your shots of Euphorbia rigida are likely to send me back to the garden center!
ReplyDeleteYou should give them a try...you just never know!
DeleteLove the Ceanothus 'Dark Star'. The only Ceanothus we can grow is a boring white one called New Jersey Tea. Is that an unappealing name or what? Your Edgworthia are awfully nice as well.
ReplyDelete