Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: "Ray Hartman" Ceanothus (2011)

The first blossoms on the large "Ray Hartman" ceanothus in the side garden opened yesterday, February 10. The plant grows very successfully trained as a small tree. Only a few flower clusters have opened so far, but in a week or two, it will be at its peak, covered in dusky blue, fragrant flower heads. I wish the tree bloomed longer than it does, but for a brief period each year, it's dazzling. The plant bloomed on February 22 in 2010, thus it has calculated a year of 353 days.

Found Art: Street Markings, Santa Rosa, (February 10, 2011)

More street markings. These are on Mayette Ave., in Santa Rosa, where numberless cracks in the surface of the roadway have been repaired with thick ribbons of asphalt. These that I've photographed happen to be near a crumbling crosswalk in two shades of yellow. I liked the tire marks, too. Found art.

For more found art, see my blog Serendipitous Art.

Plants I'm Growing: Ribes Aureum (Golden Flowering Currant) 2011

The first buds broke yesterday (February 9) on the large golden flowering currant bush out by the beehive. Only a few have opened--prompted by a sudden wave of warmth; it was in the upper 60s here today, the high 70s a few days ago, setting new records for Santa Rosa and many cities in the area. Soon the plant will be a mass of yellow. The bees love these flowers.

This plant bloomed on February 15 in 2010 and February 2 in 2009, calculating a very long year of 378 days last year and a short year of 359 days this time around. The two years average to 368.5 days. 

Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: Prunus Blireiana, Pluot "Dapple Dandy"

Our double pink-flowering plum tree (Prunus blireana) and the pluot "Dapple Dandy" started blooming the day before yesterday, February 4. The flowers were coaxed out by suddenly warmer weather--it got up to 80 degrees in Santa Rosa today and it was in the mid-70s yesterday. The pink plum bloomed on February 17 in 2009, but I can't find a record for 2010. Relative to 2009, however, the plant has bloomed somewhat early. I'm still not sure what "normal" is.

"Dapple Dandy" bloomed on February 15 in 2010, for a year of 354 days. The tree first bloomed on February 5 in 2009, for a year of 355 days. I hope the rains will hold off during the bloom period this year. It's been several years since the tree has produced a decent crop of fruit.