Plants I'm growing: First Blooms--White Rose, Lupinus Arborescens, Woolly Blue Curls

First blooms of the year today on the white rose bush near the ginmokusei and on the yellow bush lupine (Lupinus arborescens). 

I'm particularly happy about the lupine. It's been about 8 years since I first saw (and smelled!) these growing on the bluffs at Bodega Head. I remember seeing a wedding up there timed to coincide with the blooming of these plants and the height of the perfume they release. I collected seeds a number of times, but never got any to grow. Plants I purchased all turned out to be the blue variety, which is more common and perhaps more robust as a garden plant. I'm very pleased to finally have one of these now. I found it at one of the big plant sales at the Strybing Arboretum, at Golden Gate Park, last spring. Speaking of which, I believe the next sale there is this coming weekend. This is also referred to as Lupinus arboreus. I don't know which is correct. 

Woolly blue curls (Trichostema lanatum) also began to bloom today. The buds had been swollen and purple for quite a while, but not until this morning did any of the flowers open and the first of the long curled stamens push out. I love the smell of this plant--sort of a melange of rosemary and grapefruit rind.