Plants I'm Growing: First Blooms—Pink Flowering Plum, Golden Currant, "Dapple Dandy" Pluot

I belatedly report on some of the plants that have recently started blooming in the garden. February 5 brought the first blooms this year on the pink flowering plum behind the house (Prunus blireana) on the golden currant bush (Ribes aureum). The pluot "Dapple Dandy" (top) began blooming on February 11 this year.

"Dapple Dandy" bloomed on February 5, 15, 4, 2, 23, and 3 in 2009 to 2014, so a first bloom date of February 11 is neither early nor late.

The plum has bloomed on February 17, 11, 2, and 15 in past years, so February 5 is on the early side but within the normal range.

The golden currant has bloomed as early as February 10 (in 2011) and as late as March 5 (2013), so a first bloom date of February 5 is somewhat earlier than usual.

Plants I'm Growing: First Blooms--Golden Currant and Two-toned Daffodils

First blooms in 2014 on the two-toned daffodils in the front garden on February 18. The golden current (Ribes aureum) in the back garden began blooming on February 17.

[Update: The dwarf flowering peach in the garden began blooming this year on February 21. The dwarf nectarine began blooming on February 27.]

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: Ribes Aureum (Golden Flowering Currant) 2011

The first buds broke yesterday (February 9) on the large golden flowering currant bush out by the beehive. Only a few have opened--prompted by a sudden wave of warmth; it was in the upper 60s here today, the high 70s a few days ago, setting new records for Santa Rosa and many cities in the area. Soon the plant will be a mass of yellow. The bees love these flowers.

This plant bloomed on February 15 in 2010 and February 2 in 2009, calculating a very long year of 378 days last year and a short year of 359 days this time around. The two years average to 368.5 days. 

Plants I'm Growing: Ribes Aurem (Golden Flowering Currant) 2010

The first flowers opened today on the large golden flowering currant bush by the beehive. Only a few buds have opened--prompted by a sudden wave of warmth; it was in the upper 60s here today. Soon the plant will be a mass of yellow. The bees love these flowers.

This plant bloomed on February 2 in 2009. So, a year according to Ribes aureum was 378 days--one of the longer years the plants in my garden have so far calculated.