Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: California Poppy (2010)

The first California poppy (Escholzia californica) of the year bloomed in the garden today. It was a rather drowned-looking single blossom, although today we had a lull in the rain. The first California poppy opened on March 19 in 2009. So, a year according to this plant was 351 days.

Also, first blooms today on the Franciscan wallflower plants  (Erysimum franciscanum) I picked up at one of the plant sales at the Strybing Arboretum in the city last year. These bloomed on February 20 in 2009. A year according to this plant was therefore 378 days. The poppy produced a short year, the wallflower a long year. Interestingly, the average of the two values is 365.