Plants I'm Growing: First Blooms--Yarrow "Moonshine," Aloe Buhrii (2011)

First blooms of 2011 yesterday on the Yarrow called "Moonshine" and on Aloe Buhrii, one of the most successful aloes here. It shrugs off the cold (it's a native of high elevations in South Africa), blooms reliably, and has attractive yellow-green mottled leaves in a pretty rosette. Coincidentally, both plants bloomed on the same day also in 2010, on May 15. Thus, both plants calculated a botanical year--from bloom to bloom--of 369 days. "Moonshine" bloomed on May 8 in 2009, for a year of 372 days in 2010. Aloe Buhrii bloomed on May 11 in 2009, for a year of 371 days in 2010.

Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: Salvia Greggii, Monkey Flower, Yellow Bush Lupine, Native Yarrow

First blooms of 2011 on a number of plants in the garden again yesterday, including a yellow variety of Salvia greggii, one of several varieties of monkey flower, the yellow bush lupine by the driveway (Lupinus arboreus), and a native yarrow.

Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: Yarrrow, Monkey Flower, Yellow Rose (2010)

More new plants are blooming in the garden today.

Two types of monkey flower (Mimulus sp.) started blooming this morning--one a plain orange-yellow, like the native sticky monkey flower but with broader leaves that aren't very sticky, the other known as "Azalea-flowered monkey flower."

The one yellow rose in the garden--I don't know its name--also bloomed today, as did the low, white yarrow I planted last year, which I believe is Achillea kellereri (pictured below).

The Azalea-flowered monkey flower bloomed last year on April 22. A year according to this plant was 375 days. The yellow rose bloomed on May 4 last year, for a year of 364 days.

Plants I'm growing: First Blooms--Salvia Chamaedryoides and Yarrow

First blooms of 2009 today on the yellow yarrow (Achillea millefolium) called "Moonshine" and on Salvia chamaedryoides (pictured). This salvia is one of the few true blue varieties. It's a bit temperamental, but very attractive when it's happy. "Moonshine" is a stalwart: dependable and beautiful.