Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: Daffodils, Pink Flowering Plum 2019

The yellow daffodils in front of the house and the pink flowering plum behind the house generally bloom at about the same time each year. This year, the first daffodils opened on February 6. The first flowers on the plum (Prunus blireiana) opened on February 9. Early to mid-February is normal for both plants. They have bloomed between February 2 and about February 20 in a typical year in the past. A storm is on the way that is supposed to drop as much as 10 inches of rain in the coming seven days. I hope these blossoms aren't all lost before we've had a chance to enjoy them.

Plants I'm Growing—First blooms: Pink Flowering Plum (February 13, 2017)

Our pink flowering plum with double flowers started blooming yesterday, February 13, 2017. This is Prunus blireiana. This tree always blooms in the first half of February, having bloomed on the 15th (2009), the 4th (2011), the 2nd (2012), the 15th (2013), the 3rd (2015), and the 5th (2016). I don't have dates for 2010 or 2014. This year the birds left the buds alone, so it looks like we'll have a tree full of flowers. In some past years, sparrows and House Finches have eaten the buds before they bloomed.

Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: Daffodils, Pink Flowering Plum (February 3, 2015)

A stretch of dry, unseasonably warm weather has coaxed out flowers in the garden. On February 3, the first yellow daffodil blossoms opened. The pink flowering plum tree in the side garden (Prunus blireiana) starting blooming the same day. This year the sparrows and finches left the buds alone (probably because I've not been feeding the birds), so it looks like we will have a full tree of flowers for the first time in a while. February 3 is on the early end of the normal range for both plants here. They have bloomed between February 2 and about February 20 in a typical year in the past. A storm is on the way, though. I hope these blossoms don't all get lost before we've had a chance to enjoy them.

Plants I'm Growing: First Bloom--Pink Flowering Plum (February 15, 2013)

I belatedly note here that the pink flowering plum behind the house (Prunus blireiana) started blooming this year on February 15, which is within the range of its first blooming in the past. The tree bloomed on February 15 also in 2009, on February 4 in 2011, and on February 2 in 2012. I don't have a record for 2010, but it looks like the tree blooms early in February one year, the middle of the year the next. I expect it will bloom around February 3 in 2014. We'll see. The flowers are few again this year, as the sparrows and finches in the garden have eaten most of the buds. 

Plants I'm Growing: First Blooms--Pink Flowering Japanese Plum Prunus Blireiana (February 2, 2012)

Our double pink flowering plum tree (Prunus blireiana) started blooming today, February 2. Only one or two flowers have opened, but it will soon be in full bloom if the warmish weather holds.  The plum bloomed on February 17 in 2009, but I can't find a record for 2010. The tree bloomed on February 4 in 2011. Thus, it's calculated a year of 363 days.

Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: Prunus Blireiana, Pluot "Dapple Dandy"

Our double pink-flowering plum tree (Prunus blireana) and the pluot "Dapple Dandy" started blooming the day before yesterday, February 4. The flowers were coaxed out by suddenly warmer weather--it got up to 80 degrees in Santa Rosa today and it was in the mid-70s yesterday. The pink plum bloomed on February 17 in 2009, but I can't find a record for 2010. Relative to 2009, however, the plant has bloomed somewhat early. I'm still not sure what "normal" is.

"Dapple Dandy" bloomed on February 15 in 2010, for a year of 354 days. The tree first bloomed on February 5 in 2009, for a year of 355 days. I hope the rains will hold off during the bloom period this year. It's been several years since the tree has produced a decent crop of fruit.