Plants I'm growing: First Blooms--Native Yarrow, Duddleya Cymosa, Oriental Lily, Cuphea (May 20, 21, 2010)

First blooms yesterday and today on a number of plants in the garden. Yesterday, May 20, saw the first blooms of 2010 on two native yarrows--one white, the other pink (top two photos)--, on Dudleya cymosa, a succulent that's common in rock crevices along the coast in this part of California, and of one of the Oriental lilies.

The Dudleya doesn't look like much. It's the sort of plant most people wouldn't even notice, but I'm proud of the flowers on this one. It requires nearly perfect drainage and it's hard to keep going. This one has bloomed for about four years now. The leaves are a bit battered because of the hail we had a few weeks back, but there is fresh new growth as well.

First blooms today, May 21, on the Cuphea under the "Ray Hartman" Ceanothus on the side of the house. This plant dies back to the ground in the winter, but always comes back. In a warmer climate, it would bloom all year 'round, I suspect.