Plants I'm Growing: First Blooms--Tulips, Daffodils, Fruit Trees, and Rhododendrons (Late February 2016)

A lot is going on in the garden at this time of year. Our two-toned daffodils bloomed on February 20. They're always a little later than the regular yellows daffodils. Our dwarf peach tree started blooming on February 15, the dwarf nectarine a day later. February 23 brought the first blooms on the last of the species tulips that have survived in the garden (many were eaten by ground squirrels, and the species tulips don't seem to live that long--nor do they spread much). They are a very cheery early spot of bright pink and yellow in the garden at this time of year. On the same day, the first flowered opened on the "Noyo Dream" Rhododendron on the side of the house—always the first rhododendron to bloom.

Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: Dwarf Peach, Dwarf Nectarine, Tulipa Bakeri (February 2015)

Plants are coming into bloom in rapid succession in the garden and I'm already behind in keeping track, but here I note that the Dwarf Peach Tree in the side yard started blooming this year on February 16 (top photo). The Dwarf Nectarine started blooming on February 18 (second photo). Our Flavor King Pluot (not shown) began blooming on the 17th. The few remaining species tulips in the front garden (Tulipa bakeri) started blooming this year on February 20 (bottom).

Plants I'm Growing: In the Garden (March 5, 2013)

Activity is beginning to pick up in the garden, although it's started pouring with rain today, which will likely ruin the flowers on the fruit trees. In the past few days, the Flavor Queen pluot and the Santa Rosa plum have come into bloom. The golden current (Ribes aureum) is in full bloom (photo below). The manzanitas are blooming, and the dwarf peach and nectarine behind the house are coming into bloom as well (photo above).

Plants I'm Growing: First Blooms--Nanking Cherry, Dwarf Nectarine (February 27, 2012)

More pink flowers in the garden today. Today the first blossom opened on the dwarf nectarine at the back of the house (above). Yesterday the Nanking Cherry (Prunus tomentosa) started blooming. Warm weather in the past few days has coaxed out many flowers, but there was frost on the ground this morning and it's supposed to rain tomorrow. We need the rain, but I hope it doesn't cause the problems with fruit set again on the fruit trees....

The Nanking cherry bloomed on March 2 in 2009, on March 8 in 2010, and on March 5 in 2011, which makes it a bit early this year (February 26). The plant has calculated a year of only 357 days.

The dwarf nectarine, a slow grower, has nevertheless done well. The nectarines it produces are delicious--very intensely flavored. Every year I look forward to the ones the critters don't get. The nectarine bloomed on March 5 in 2009, February 27 in 2010, and March 2 in 2011. This year it's calculated a year of 361 days.

I note also that the golden currant (Ribes aureum) by the beehive is now in full bloom, having started to bloom quite suddenly on or about February 25.

Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: Dwarf Nectarine

A single blossom has opened in the rain today on the dwarf nectarine behind the house. This has been a fairly slow grower, but it has done well. It's beautiful when clothed fully in pink. It's mostly an ornamental, but the nectarines it produces are delicious--very intensely flavored. Every year I look forward to the ones the raccoons don't get. The nectarine bloomed on March 5 in 2009, February 27 in 2010 (for a year of 359 days) and this year on March 2 (today, for a year of 368 days).

Plants I'm Growing: Just Because It's Pretty

Nothing much to report, really, but the back garden was very pretty in the rain today--another 1.5 inches fell last night and nearly another three quarters today. Visible in the photo are two varieties of rosemary in bloom, the golden currant (Ribes aureum) that recently started blooming  (back left), the dwarf nectarine (pink), the dwarf peach (darker pink, mostly obscured by the foreground tree), and Daphne odorata. The tree is a coral bark Japanese maple "Sangokaku." Also visible is the stone wall at the back of the yard. Beyond the wall are the grape vines, but they are hard to see in this view. The beehive is clearly visible in the middle of the picture, against the wall.

Just because it was pretty today in the rain.

Plants I'm Growing: First Blooms--Dwarf Nectarine

This is to note that the first buds on the dwarf nectarine behind the house opened yesterday, or February 27. The little tree will soon be flocked in pink, looking like a cupcake. The plant bloomed on March 5 in 2009, so a year according to this plant was 360 days. So far the average year calculated by the plants in the garden has been a little over 360 days.