Ajuga reptans 'Black Scallop' — which by the way makes a great cut flower, two weeks in the vase and still going strong!
Ceanothus 'Dark Star'
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus 'Zanzibar'
I wish the blue was a little more "electric" but it's all about the foliage with this one.
Clematis 'Arctic Queen', the green stripes are becoming more vivid with each day this beauty is open.
Clematis montana (inherited with the garden, and now entirely growing on the neighbor's side of the fence, which is fine with me.
Corokia Cotoneaster
Embothrium coccineum, against a cloudy sky.
And an earlier photo I took on a much nicer day.
Epimedium 'Amber Queen'
Euphorbia 'Ascot Rainbow'
Euphorbia amygdaloides var. Robbiae
Euphorbia amygdaloides ‘Ruby Glow’
Euphorbia cyparissias
Euphorbia griffithii ‘Fireglow’
Euphorbia polychroma
Euphorbia rigida, I've clipped a lot of these blooms, because look at those seeds!
I've also left quite a few, because last year I cut them all and now I want more plants!
Genista lydia, just starting to open.
Grevillea australis (confession, I forgot to take a photo of this one — so I stole this image from my Instagram feed)...
Grevillea juniperina ‘Molonglo’
Grevillea rivularis, the first of many buds to open.
Grevillea victoriae 'Murray Queen', which has been blooming since September — that's 9 months!
Grevillea x gaudichaudii, first bloom on a plant I am thrilled made it through winter.
Leucothoe fontanesiana 'Rainbow'
Lewisia NOID, I wish I had a camera that could take a good photo of just how vivid these blooms are. I guess you get the idea though.
Another Lewisia NOID...
It's so floriferous!
Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum 'Hindwarf', the foliage looks dead, but it's not.
Lupinus albifrons
Magnolia laevifolia
Persicaria runcinata 'Purple Majesty'
Pittosporum illicioides 'Strappy'
Poncirus trifoliata, an amazing run from this plant — over three weeks of flowers.
Quercus dentata 'Pinnatifida’
Rhododendron 'Ebony Pearl'
Rhododendron stenopetalum linearifolium — the flowers were so vibrant — now it's just about finished.
Rosemary
Saxifraga cartilaginea
Saxifraga umbrosa 'Variegata'
The flowers are a little annoying, since they detract from the foliage, but once you look at them up close they're actually kinda cool.
Saxifraga ‘Primuloides’
Sedum ternarum 'Larinem Park'
Solomon's Seal (polygonatum)
Which also makes a great cut flower.
Finally I'll wrap this up with the crazy claw-like blooms on my Trachycarpus fortunei, with a bonus view of the neighbor's tree just to the right.
Crazy flowers!
Weather Diary, May 14: Hi 61, Low 46/ Precip .05"
All material © 2009-2017 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
I did not know Ajuga was a good cut flower? The Embothrium is so exciting, I have a tiny one. I have yet to grow Grevillea. I just planted my first Lewisia in a gravel step. Does it have an upright growing habit or does it spread? I may need to move it.
ReplyDeleteI didn't either, until I tried it...amazing! (the Ajuga) As for the Lewisia the flowers on the bright pink one stay very upright, and as you can see on the salmon-colored one they do flop. The plant itself though stays in one place.
DeleteVery elegant close-up of the Solomon's Seal boom. Clematis 'Arctic Queen' is a stunner; I'm going to do a little research in it now.
ReplyDeleteThanks, it's easy to get a good photo of the Solomon's Seal, they've got such great form!
DeleteI discovered an old bloom on one of my Trachycarpus, it must have bloomed last year and I didn't notice, I was so out of it. I have one bud on my Magnolia laevifolia, I'm waiting patiently for it to open. I'm trying again with Euphorbia rigida. Fireglow is so tempting. Happy GBBD! You have some great flowers! Love all your Grevilleas.
ReplyDeleteI was afraid of Fireglow's spreading tendencies so I put it in one of the stock tanks. Sadly its getting shaded out, I only had a couple of blooms this year. Hope your Magnolia opens soon!
DeleteA great series of photos! I love all the Euphorbias
ReplyDeleteHappy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!
Thanks Lea, right back at you!
DeleteOooh... can you name the Agave in pic #7 by the Cotoneaster? Was it out there all winter? It looks awesome.
ReplyDeleteIt was! It's an Agave ovatifolia, but not 'Frosty Blue' - it does have a few spots on it, but otherwise it's solid.
DeleteWow, spring is certainly in full swing in your garden with all those fab blooms!
ReplyDeleteFinally, it felt like it would never get here!
DeleteWhat a show! A fab collection of stunning, intriguing, unusual and beautiful flowers! Happy May!
ReplyDelete"stunning, intriguing, unusual and beautiful"...wow Laurin, I don't know if they deserve all that!
DeleteYou have a great collection of unusual blooms as usual. Your Grevillea victoriae reminds me that I need to replace the one I lost to a wind storm or drunk passerby falling on it last year. It had grown to be quite large and both the hummingbirds and I have missed those winter blooms. Happy GBBD!
ReplyDeleteI thought I was going to be replacing mine after it went sideways in January. Thankfully it seems to be responding well to being propped back upright.
DeleteYou may be all wet up there but your garden is looking very floriferous! I love the deep blues of all those Ceanothus and with all the wonderful Clematis I'm seeing, including your gorgeous 'Arctic Queen', I'm now resolute about finding some large-flowered Clematis that will survive in my climate. I continue to be surprised by the range of Grevillea varieties I never see down this way too. Happy GBBD, Loree!
ReplyDeleteI bet Hoov could suggest a good Clematis or two for you!
DeleteYou are so funny about the "annoying" flowers of that saxifrage. Right arm, that's what I'd give! I love ground huggers with cumulus bloom displays like that. Love the 'Strappy' pitt too. May is looking good in your garden, Loree!
ReplyDeleteOkay, for you Denise I am going to try to look at those annoying flowers differently.
DeleteAll those Grevilleas! I don't have room for even one here. I LOVE your Trachycarpus blooms !
ReplyDeleteNot even one? Nah...not possible.
DeleteAjuga..a cut flower?..I would have never guessed! Thanks for the tip! Your grevilleas are sooooo cool. Murray Queen just got planted in my garden..I'm hoping it likes it's new home. Happy GBBD!
ReplyDeleteI hope so too, and yes...those flowers are still going strong!
DeleteWow, some amazing plants. I tried to grow Corokia Cotoneaster twice and it failed each time. Looking at the background in your photo there may be a clue why it did not work.
ReplyDeleteHa, ya...it is a little dry out there! I've got another in a container, it's also kept a little on the dry side.
DeleteMagnolia laevifolia looks so waxy and fragrant. Good description of "claws" on the Trachycarpus, and now I won't disrespect Ajuga with cut flower use.
ReplyDelete"waxy and fragrant" is pretty much right, love them so much!
DeleteI an always count on you for the cool blooming plants I've never heard of and wish I could grow.
ReplyDeleteAh, thank you...and I'm sorry...
DeleteYou do indeed have a lot of blooms. Your garden has taken a lot of punishment the last few months...and it still looks wonderful!
ReplyDeleteHow did I miss this yesterday? Fabulous assortment of plants I've never heard of. The combo of plants with the Euphorbia amygdaloides var. Robbiae is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteLove both of your Ceanothus! If only they would grow for me. I just have the boring C. americanum.
ReplyDeleteQuite the month for euphorbia and grevillea, and saxifrages! I love the blue of the Ceanothus. Mine are just starting, and 'Dark Star' still has very small buds. It was frazzled after this winter (though didn't die back at all, surprisingly) and was slow start coming out of it.
ReplyDeleteSo many choice plants. What a great garden you have.
ReplyDeleteI missed bloom day this month--too busy gardening.
I'm with you on the Saxifraga flowers being a bit annoying but they draw customers like bees ...go figure.
ReplyDelete