Plants I'm Growing: First Blooms—Flowering Crabapple, California Poppies (March 26, 2018)

Yesterday, March 26, brought the first blooms on the flowering crabapple in the side garden. The first California poppies in the garden bloomed yesterday, too, although they've been blooming in various places around town for the last week or more. This is fairly typical for the crabapple, which usually blooms in the second week of March in early years, the last week of March when it's later, and for the poppies as well. In past years they've opened as early as the first week of March and usually always before April.

Plants I'm Growing: First Blooms--California Poppy (March 21, 2012)

I noticed the first California Poppy of the year yesterday morning--the first in my garden anyway. I've seen them blooming around town for the past week or so. The first poppy in the garden opened on March 31 in 2011, on March 5 in 2010, and on March 19 in 2009. So far, the poppies around the house have calculated years of 355, 351, and 390 days, which average to just over 365 days--or nearly exactly an actual astronomical year.

Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: California Poppy (2011)

The first of the California poppies in the garden to bloom opened yesterday, March 30. The California poppy: An appropriate flower for a state that calls itself the "Golden State." Our first poppy opened on March 19 in 2009 and on March 5 in 2010, so this is comparatively late. California poppy has calculated botanical years of 351 days and 390 days.

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.

Plants I'm growing: First Blooms-- California Poppy (2009)

The first California poppy (Escholzia californica) of the season opened in the garden today. These have been  blooming around town for at least two weeks now, but ours have been laggards. Looking at the center of the photo, it is easy to see why the bees and bumblebees love the poppies. They are a rich source of pollen early in the season.

The "Julia Phelps" Ceanothus is in full bloom at the moment. The tightly packed, fragrant, blue flowers that cover the Bush attract an extraordinary variety of insects, including native bees, bumblebees, and honeybees.  Another great source of early-season  pollen. Notice the packed pollen baskets on the legs of the bee in the photograph.

I also note here that the "Ray Hartman" Ceanothus has been in bloom for more than a week, but I missed the first blooms.