It's Bloom Day, the 15th of each month, when garden bloggers everywhere share what's blooming in their gardens. So here's what's blooming at Longview Ranch today.
The inherited Camellia japonicas are in full flower.
Although the rain is hard on them, they keep opening.
Camellia 'April Kiss' is having a hard time this year. Although they look fine here, the blossoms aren't fully opening before they shatter on the ground. I hope this doesn't mean there's a disease or pest problem.
It's probably just a rain problem. I have one of those.
I keep digging these narcissus out, and each year they come right back. I guess I should take a hint.
Grevillea 'Low Red' has been blooming since February. I'll stop including it in this years' Bloom Day posts from now on: you can just assume it's in bloom unless I say otherwise.
But you've got to admit this is a fun little firecracker of a flower!
And what would a PNW spring Bloom Day post be without rosemary? I think this is 'Tuscan Blue.' It has been stopping pedestrians on my corner for weeks now.
Loropetalum chinense 'Sizzling Pink' has great little strappy petals reminiscent of witch hazel.
They start out all curly and gradually straighten out.
The few plants of Arctostaphylos uva ursi that weren't part of the Northwest Territory upheaval are blooming nicely.
And maybe all these flowers on the Vaccinium ovatum will actually translate into huckleberries for us this year.
Mahonia nervosa is blooming in spite of being dug out of the ground and replanted in a different place ten days later.
I love the slight blush of red on the unopened flowers.
Carex morrowii 'Evergold' has fuzzy little "blooms".
Moving indoors, a Schlumbergera species we call the Halloween Cactus because of its usual bloom time, has decided to bloom for the second time in six months.I think the blossoms look like little swimming shrimps.
A couple of species Streptocarpus are also gracing the living room with their blooms. The intense purply-red one hardly stops all year.
Garden Bloggers Bloom Day is hosted every month by that mighty dandelion hunter Carol, at May Dreams Gardens. Visit her to see what else is blooming around the U.S. and abroad this April 15th.
Happy Bloom Day!
The inherited Camellia japonicas are in full flower.
It's probably just a rain problem. I have one of those.
Moving indoors, a Schlumbergera species we call the Halloween Cactus because of its usual bloom time, has decided to bloom for the second time in six months.I think the blossoms look like little swimming shrimps.
Garden Bloggers Bloom Day is hosted every month by that mighty dandelion hunter Carol, at May Dreams Gardens. Visit her to see what else is blooming around the U.S. and abroad this April 15th.
Happy Bloom Day!
Sounds like spring is for transplanting for you also. I wrote a post on that last week.
ReplyDeleteI love your Grevillea and your Loropetalum, but I thought they were both marginal here. I am unfamiliar with both, but I loe the flowers on them. I'm trying to come up with possibilities to replace my pink Escallonia, which had a lot of winter die-back and that I have hacked back severely.
ReplyDeleteHow would either of them work as foundation plants?
Beautiful blooms! I love the Grevillea. I can't seem to keep mine alive through the winter so I am enjoying yours all the more.
ReplyDeletegreggo - Thanks for visiting! The transplanting was made necessary by a redesign of a section of the back garden. Otherwise, the poor things would have been left to enjoy spring unmolested!
ReplyDeleteAlison - Grevillea 'Low Red' is a very prostrate variety, and I have found, at least so far, it doesn't form very solid coverage. So I'm not sure I'd recommend its use as a foundation plant, although I have it under my young arbequina olive. It wants excellent drainage and as much sun as it can get. There are other Grevilleas, too! The Loropetallum suffers some foliage damage during winter but seems to come back quickly in spring. I love the purple foliage. This one doesn't want to bake in the sun although it tolerates some sun: an east exposure seems perfect and it would look nice as a foundation plant. It has a charming cascading habit and I think it would look even better on a small mound or hill.
Grace - I'm surprised to hear you have trouble with this Grevillea. Mine seems bulletproof, in spite of its exposed location in my front garden. Is yours 'Low Red'?
You've got A LOT going on compared to me! That Arctostaphylos is just lovely...and I love that your transplanted Mahonia are blooming...gotta respect a plant that determined to bloom!
ReplyDeleteWow. Great Arctostaphylos. I can't seem to keep them happy here for more than a few years. And the Grevillia! I meant to buy Victoriae at the Friends of the National Arboretum plant sale last year, but forgot. It's supposed to be the only one hardy here. We're theoretically 7b but 8a plants seem to work if sited with any care.
ReplyDeleteOh, I love your camellias! Interesting to see Grevilleas on the other side of the world.
ReplyDelete