Plants I'm Growing: The Garden in April (April 29, 2013)

The garden is full of flowers at the moment. For about four years I kept a detailed record of the first date of bloom of each flower species in the garden (2009 to 2012). Somehow I didn't have the energy to keep up this year. So, here I note simply that much is in bloom now.

The Wisteria has just finished. The climbing roses are all in full bloom, with "Flutterby" having started first, the old-fashioned pink climber on the back fence--the laggard among them--just coming into bloom now. "Altissimo" and "Sally Holmes" are at peak. The bush roses "Cocktail" and "Easy Livin'" are in full bloom. Most of the Ceanothus varieties are finishing. The neglected German iris (they need to be lifted, replanted, and fertilized--I can never remember what time of year to do that, and so they languish) are blooming sporadically but could do much better.

Candytuft is fading, but the Rhododenron called "Noyo Dream" is coming into bloom and the large white Rhododendron with a name like "King George" has bloomed convincingly this year for the first time. Rhododendrons are also blooming at the front of the house, under the bamboo. Echium gentianoides is in full flower (pictured). Salvia Chamaedryoides, a similar shade of blue, is just beginning to open, and a patch of garden sage I'd forgotten about behind the house is blooming as well. Most of the rock roses are in flower. Phlomis fruiticosa (Jerusalem Sage) is blooming, and the other Phlomis species are either just coming into bloom or will be covered with flowers soon. The Rosa chinensis mutabilis on the side of the house (a large, blousy, multi-colored, single-petaled rose) is beautiful this year. I wish I could remember the name of this little mallow-like flower (below) that has spread itself all around the shady parts of the garden.

Before long, the dry summer will rob us of much of the color, but it's all very pretty right now.

Plants I'm Growing: First Blooms--Salvia "Point Sal Spreader" (April 5, 2010)

I belatedly report that the Salvia in the side garden called "Point Sal Spreader" had its first blooms the day before yesterday, on April 5. This has been a tough, reliable bloomer getting by with very little supplemental watering. "Point Sal Spreader" bloomed on April 4 in 2009, March 20 in 2010, and April 11 in 2011, thus calculating years of 350 days, 387 days, and 371 days.

Plants I'm Growing: First Blooms--Dudleya, Salvia, Gaura, Echium (2011)

A number of plants came into bloom in the garden yesterday and today. Yesterday, Dudleya cymosa, a native succulent that normally clings to steep rock faces (growing here in a stone wall), and a large lavender and white salvia that unfortunately I've forgotten the species name of. The Dudleya bloomed on May 20 in 2010, so it has calculated a botanical year of 367 days. The salvia, whatever it is, bloomed on May 17 in 2010, calculating a year of 360 days.

Today brought first blooms of 2011 on Gaura lindheimeri, and Echium boissieri. Gaura is a delicate pink or white flower native to Texas and Louisiana that seems to do well here in our dry summer climate. Echium Boissieri is native to Spain. It's a comparatively rare Echium here. I bought a couple years ago and haven't seen it in the nurseries since, but, if left to go to seed, it reliably produces new seedlings every year. Like many of the Echiums, it's a biennial, producing a rosette of leaves in the first year, a tall flower stalk in the second year. The garden is just about at its peak now.

The Gaura bloomed on May 30 in 2010, for a year of 358 days. Echium Boissieri bloomed on May 20 in 2009 and on May 18 in 2010, calculating botanical years of 363 days and 370 days.

Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: Cistus, Phlomis, Salvia, Convolvulus (April 11, 2011)

It's that time of year again. With warmer weather and the end of rain for the season--a lull, at least--every day brings new flowers into bloom in the garden. Today I note the first blooms of 2011 on six plants: Phlomis fruiticosa (Jerusalem sage, pictured abowe); Cistus salivfolius, Salvia "Point Sal Spreader," the white rose behind the house, the pink Cistus by the hammock (pictured below), and the silver-leafed bush Convolvulus mauritanicus, a relative of the morning glories.

Phlomis fruiticosa bloomed on April 10 in 2009 and on April 24 in 2010, thus calculating botanical years of 379 days and 352 days, which average to 365.5 days--very close to an actual year.

Plants I'm growing: First Blooms--Teucrium Cossonii, Salvia Nemorosa (May 31, 2010)

First flowers of 2010 today on Teucrium cossonii, a ground-cover Teucrium with attractive grayish-green foliage. Teucrium cossonii has clusters of small salvia-like, purplish-pink flowers that cover the plant when in full bloom. This plant has been reliable for many years. It takes the summer drought fairly well, but looks best with a little water. This year it looks wonderful because they have had a great deal more rain than usual.

First blooms on Salvia nemorosa on May 29. Another reliable, fairly drought-tolerant plant. The foliage dies back completely in the winter, but always comes back in the spring. Doesn't seem to be picky about soil. A favorite of the the bees.

Gaura lindheimeri started blooming on May 30.

Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: Cistus "Elma," Garden Sage, Salvia Lyrata (2010)

Three more plants came into first bloom in the garden today: One of the big rock roses (Cistus laurifolius x palhinhaii) "Elma," a large plant with slightly sticky, dark green leaves; garden sage (Salvia officianalis); and a low-growing salvia with a basal rosette of purple leaves that I believe is probably Salvia lyrata, although I'm not 100% sure. "Elma" has done well in some locations in the garden, less well in others, for reasons that are obscure to me. It's very pretty when it's happy. It has a touch of the ladanum scent that makes Cistus ladanifer so attractive. Ladanum (not to be confused with laudanum) is a common component of many perfumes. Cistus ladanifer is another one of the rock roses that has been somewhat difficult to grow. It seems to need more water than it typically gets here.

I first planted Salvia lyrata in the garden about five years ago. It didn't do well. It died after only one season, but not before spreading its seed. Since then, several plants have become established in places they seem to like better than the spot I originally chose. I let them have their way. The small white flowers are not very showy, but the basal rosette of dark purple-green leaves is always attractive.

Salvia officianalis, or garden sage, is one of the herbs I keep around for cooking. Parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, chives, and oregano are thriving at the moment. The chives, thyme, sage, and rosemary are in bloom, although the rosemary is mostly finished now. Seeds are forming. These are a favorite of the house finches, American goldfinches, and lesser goldfinches that are daily visitors to the garden.