Plants I'm Growing: Phlomis, Rose "Flutterby" (April 5, 2013)

A lot of flowers coming into bloom in the garden now. The first Phlomis blossom opened on April 3 (pictured). The first flowers on the big climbing rose called "Flutterby" at the front of the house opened yesterday, April 4. Lithodora diffusa, a ground cover with a pretty star-shaped flower started blooming today. Most of the Ceanothus varieties in the garden are in full bloom. The sound around them is amazing; Ceanothus attracts a startling range of insects. Pacific Iris are in bloom, and leaves are just appearing on the smoke tree in front of the house. Both our pink crabapple tree and our "Pink Lady" apple tree are in bloom. The large salvia "Point Sal Spreader" is in bloom as well. The wisteria behind the house looks like it will start blooming soon, which always attracts many large bumblebees. A pretty time of the year.

Plants I'm Growing: First Blooms--"Pink Lady" Apple, Tulipa Clusiana (April 1, 2012)

First blooms today on the apple tree at the back of the garden. Our tree is the variety called "Pink Lady." Tasty, but usually worm-eaten by the time we get to them..... First blooms today also on the small yellow and brick-red species tulips under the "Flavor King" pluot tree, Tulipa clusiana. These flowers look red when closed, but open on sunny spring days to reveal deep lemon yellow centers. The apple tree bloomed on March 23 in 2009, March 30 in 2010, and March 29 in 2011, calculating years of 372 days, 364 days, and 368 days, averaging to 368 days. The yellow tulips bloomed on April 4 in 2011 and on March 16 in 2010.