Bloomday, June 2010

Last Friday I shared images of most the things blooming here in the danger garden (color! – click for a link to that post), so I thought instead of repeating images I’d share time-lapse-ish photography of our Magnolia macrophylla, and its single huge bloom, for June’s bloomday. However after a few sunny days several more blooms have come out of hiding. So first I’ll bore you with the Magnolia, and then share a few other blooms. Starting on June 2nd…

And ending on June 11th…(I know...bloomday is the 15th, I cheated!)

Moving on…this is the first year my Lavender has bloomed…

Echinops 'Arctic Glow'

I love these small little blooms on a Sempervivum. Usually they send up tall spikes that bloom but this one stayed very close to the ground.

More ground cover blooms, Creeping jenny…

Sedum spathulifolium 'Cape Blanco'…

My husband mentioned he didn’t know Hostas bloomed, and would sure like to be able to see one of them bloom this year. So far I’ve refrained from cutting these blooms. We’ll see how much longer this lasts. They don’t annoy me quite so much in this stage, once they burst open all bets are off!

Kangaroo Paws…

The Plume poppy and green Nicotiana are about ready to open.

Sambucus black lace…

And more flowers continue to open on the new Aztec Arrowhead in our stock tank pond.

For more images of things blooming around the world this 15th of June click on over to May Dreams Gardens and peruse the line up!

WWTT Number 3

I really wanted to like this planting, after all its agaves in gravel. What’s not to love? But really…WWTT?What’s with the agave stuffed into the piece of cement pipe? Are they trying to create better drainage? Add height to this pathetic little planting? WWTT?

Well…yes, since it is in my front garden I guess I can tell you, yes to both. Better drainage and height. I found this old cylinder in an alley and I brought it home. Of course I was concerned that it would look STUPID, but I had to try. It took me a couple of days but eventually I stood there, looking at it and thought…WWIT? What was I thinking? How pathetically dumb. Shortly there after I removed the agave, got rid of the pipe, and planted it directly in the ground.

I still want to bring a cement cylinder element into the front garden. Various heights and widths, but obviously just one little one is not the place to start. Multiples of various sizes will be required to carry this vision through.

Color!

With all of the grey rainy skies we’ve been dealing with lately I’ve found myself especially enjoying whatever little bits of color I can find. Luckily I’ve found several.Starting with this Embothrium coccineum or Or Chilean Fire Bush, growing at Kennedy School. Isn’t it amazing!? It stopped me in my tracks. Literally.

And their Glaucium comiculatum (I think) is just starting to burst into bloom…interesting how it coordinates with the red paint on the curb…

Back home and no particular order…Vibrant horsetail against an orange/red pot.

Kniphofia blooms.

Kalanchoe luciae on the patio.

And in the hanging pot both taking on color with what little sunshine we’ve had.

Agave bovicornuta with its bright orange claws.

Bright blue Ceanothus blooms.

Euphorbia griffithii ‘Fireglow', the last fading orange blooms.

Blue agave from New Mexico in an orange pot.

Rusty orange Daylily bloom.

The acid green yellow of Euphorbia Excalibur.

Colorful Sempervivum.

Purple yucca.

Lewisia (just keeps on blooming! A very hard working little plant for under $3)

Echeveria hybrid ‘afterglow’ saturated with color.

Aeonium Schwarzkopf…

Euphorbia tirucalli 'Sticks on Fire' actually starting to get leaves!

Sambucus black lace.

Kangaroo paw blooms…why can’t these be hardy?!

Ensete Maurelli. Love love love these leaves.

Un-named Aloe, which keeps getting more and more vibrant.

Curiosity got the better of me and I had to calculate the numbers on this unscientific survey:
Color from flowers = 41%
Color from foliage = 59%

So many temptations

When am I going to learn? Stop at a nursery when you have just a couple minutes to kill and THAT is when you will find the fabulous things. It happens every time.I was really excited a couple weeks ago to find Aeonium Schwarzkopf for $2.89…I thought that was a killer deal! Yet here I could have gotten 9 plants for $12.99, which is only $1.45 each! Bargain. But I have to wonder...why would anyone put these plants in a hanging basket? They never face down...And why would anyone by this single plant setting nearby for $9.99?

On the Rare and Unusual table (my favorite place)…

… are 3 variegated Echium candicans for only 8.99 each! Another bargain. But I really don’t need another (or do I?, no…)

And while I'm talking about temptations. Look at these pots! I am really loving the yellow green glaze with a bit of turquoise mixed in. They however are not a bargain.

How many times have I mentioned how much I love Eryngium agavafolium? So spiky.

And wouldn’t you know it. I’d never seen Castor Bean plants for sale in a nursery. So last winter I bought seeds and have been nurturing the (still) little guys. Here are big healthy plants for only $8.99!

So all of these temptations and what did I leave with? Just an Ensete Maurelli…a girl can only withstand so much temptation.