Plants I'm Growing: First Blooms—Two-toned Daffodils, Pluot "Dapple Dandy," Ceanothus "Ray Hartman" 2017

In the past couple of weeks, spring has sprung around here. On February 16, the pluot "Dapple Dandy" started to bloom. With heavy rains it went into a state of suspended animation shortly afterward, but it's in full bloom now. I'm hoping the rain won't have reduced the crop. The fruit is delicious, and rain during bloom can cause poor fruit set. February 19 brought the first blossoms on the two-toned daffodils in the front garden. The ceanothus "Ray Hartman" began blooming the following day, on March 20.

Plants I'm Growing: First Blooms (March 9, 2014)

With some rain now behind us and warmer weather, the garden is beginning to come alive again. On March 5, the small Rhododendron called "Pink Snow Flakes" began to bloom. The Kerria by the side wall started blooming at about the same time--a plant I know by its Japanese name, yamabuki. On March 6th the first of the species tulips Tulipa bakeri started to bloom (above). Only a few of these are left. I planted hundreds, but they were discovered one summer by the ground squirrels. The squirrels dug them all up and ate them. They are slowly spreading again. The Nanking cherry (Prunus tomentosa) began blooming on the 6th as well. The large Ray Hartman Ceanothus started blooming around the same time (below). The dwarf peach and dwarf nectarine behind the house are both in full bloom now, along with the golden currant bush (Ribes aureum).

Plants I'm Growing: First Blooms--Ceanothus "Ray Hartman" and Ceanothus "Julia Phelps" (February 19-22, 2012)

I belatedly note that the first flowers opened on the large "Ray Hartman" ceanothus near the kitchen window on February 19 and that the first flowers on the "Julia Phelps" ceanothus opened yesterday, February 22. "Ray Hartman" is pictured above, "Julia Phelps" below. The "Ray Hartman" is trained up as a small tree. The plant bloomed on February 10 in 2011 and on February 22 in 2010, calculating years of 377 days and 353 days, which average to exactly 365 days. I don't seem to have a complete set of records for "Julia Phelps." The blossoms I note today are on a newer plant near the beehive.

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.

Plants I'm growing: First Blooms--Ceanothus "Ray Hartman," Dwarf Peach, Santa Rosa Plum

The warmth and sun today has coaxed out new flowers in the garden. The "Ray Hartman" Ceanothus (or California lilac, top photo) and the dwarf peach (bottom photo) have both started blooming today. The Ray Hartman is now a small tree. It looks fabulous when at its peak, which should come within about two weeks. The dwarf peach has grown very slowly--left behind by a dwarf nectarine planted on the same day. Small differences in location (the trees are only a few feet apart) can make such a big difference; the peach gets an hour or so more shade both in the morning and afternoon. The fruit of the two trees is delicious. The deep pink blossoms contrast nicely with the rosemary always in bloom at the same time.

Yesterday brought the first flowers of 2010 on the little Santa Rosa plum tree and on the two-toned daffodils that went in last year.

I missed the first blooms on the Ceanothus in 2009, but I seem to have noted on March 19 last year that they had been open for about a week, suggesting the tree bloomed around March 12. That would make the flowering quite early this year. The dwarf peach started blooming on March 2 in 2009, which means a year according to the peach was 357 days. The Santa Rosa plum bloomed on February 23, 2009, so a year according to that plant was 363 days. I don't seem to have a 2009 record of the first blossoms on the pretty white and coral daffodils that opened yesterday.

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