Bloom Day - April, 2013

There's something amazing about April, as garden changes happen literally overnight. One day, you're looking at fresh foliage. The next day, there's a bright bloom there, and you might not even have noticed the bud forming.

Case in point: I was mulching the front hot bed with rocks this past Saturday. Of course, I had to lift and handle all the plants in that bed to tuck the rock mulch under them. I did notice Helianthemum 'Henfield Brilliant' was looking healthy and happy. Today, out photographing for Bloom Day, a bright orange bloom!

It's a tiny showstopper in the middle of the current gray-green landscape of drought-tolerant plants.

Another "instant" flower on its way is on a Syneilesis hybrid. Last week they were still just fuzzy shredded umbrellas.

All the Manzanita family are sporting their delicate, urn-shaped blossoms. Below, kinnik kinnik (Arctostaphylos uva ursi).

Arctostaphylos hookeri 'Green on Black'.

Arctostaphylos x 'Austin Griffiths'.  It bloomed profusely last month; now there's just one small bloom cluster left.

In the Northwest Territory Vacccinium ovatum (evergreen huckleberries) are frothing with bloom...

Mahonia nervosa blooms on...

Along with M. aquifolium...

And the blooms on Cornus x 'Eddies White Wonder' get bigger by the day.

Loropetalum chinense 'Sizzling Pink' is covered with fluttering blossoms.

Blooming on from last month, and proudly representing the essence of pink, is Camellia x 'April Kiss'.

I didn't know that Luzula nivea had these cool flower heads.

I enjoy seeing Oxalis oregana before the hostas mostly cover it in summer.

Stop! In the name of ... a huge blooming rosemary.

Lastly, a colorful collection of blooms just acquired yesterday at Hortlandia, the Hardy Plant Society spring sale. I hope some of them will feature in next year's April Bloom Day post.

Bloom Day is graciously sponsored each month by Carol, of May Dreams Gardens. Click over to see more April 15th riches. Happy Bloom Day!

It's my fourth Blogiversary!

I just looked at the calendar and realized April 3rd is the anniversary of the day, four years ago, that I started this blog. Crazy! I had goals for my blog in that first short post: "I hope it'll be a locus for evaluating my progress in three areas: First, my attempts to teach myself to write. Second, my desire to take better pictures. And finally, my ongoing efforts to create a beautiful and verdant garden here at Longview Ranch."

In that four year stretch of time, two very different, but interrelated, results have come to pass.

First, as I had hoped, I have watched my garden slowly develop, discovered and incorporated wonderful new plants, spent countless hours enjoying those plants, and in fulfilling one of my goals, I've chronicled the progress of my five-year-old garden. As to the better photography and writing -  not so much progress. But, I am having fun, which leads me to the second thing that's happened.

I've met an amazing and wonderful group of new friends in the garden blogging community. Some of these acquaintances are virtual, but many of the locals have become actual friends and delightful resources in my quest for garden know-how and plant lore - people I love connecting with at garden events, running into at the occasional nursery, and engaging with in plant exchanges and our own open gardens for each other.  What an unexpected and sweet bonus from my garden blog!

Now let me show you a little of what these years have brought to the gardens at Longview Ranch as I celebrate four years of blogging.

Bright spring sunlight through Libertia peregrinans 'Bronze Sword'.

The stunning pink perfection of Camellia 'April Kiss' in bloom.

One of my favorite plants in the garden, Eucalyptus pauciflora reigns over the south back garden.

A new Callistemon 'Woodlander's Hardy Red', backed by Yucca rostrata and a Cistus.

Vaccinium ovatum, Sagina subulata, and Cammasia quamash in the Northwest Territory. Will this be the year the camas blooms?

Langerstroemia 'Natchez' (center), a young Trachycarpus fortuneii (upper right), Fargesia robusta 'Campbell Form' (along fence), Kniphofia 'Timothy' (lower right), with Ilex crenata still striving to make a low hedge at the bottom of the image.

This year's candles on the shore pines.

Just when I think that this winter it really did die, Phygelius 'Passionate' reassures me with a few tiny red leaf buds.

 

A new grouping of Iris x pacifica 'Meadow Pastels' with Mahonia nervosa in bloom behind them.

These newly-planted Festuca glauca are seedlings from the parents that already lived out their short lives at Longview Ranch.

A sweep of plants, including Camellia 'April Kiss' in a shady area.

I have come to love gold and chartreuse foliage, especially contrasted with gray, silver or red.

Callistemon viridiflorus (center), Trachelospermum jasminoides 'Confederate Cream' (on fence) and Carex buchananii 'Bronze' (lower right).

Rhododendron impeditum, a Syneilesis hybrid, Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' and Acanthus mollis.

This garden blogging business has been a wonderful four year ride, one which a few of you have been along on almost from the start. I have appreciated every reader, and every comment left for me, from the very beginning up to my most recent post.

I'll keep recording my progress in the garden here, and I'll look forward to meeting even more of you - virtually, locally, or even at my first Garden Blogger's Fling in San Francisco this summer. Here's to four more years in the gardens at Longview Ranch!

Chartreuse - it's the color of Spring

Suddenly, there's so much new growth, and a lot of it is a bright, acid green. Here's a snapshot of my very green garden today.

Origanum vulgarum 'Aureum'.

Lysimachia nummilaria 'Aurea'.

Yucca rostrata has beautiful hints of chartreuse in its new central leaves, and a subtle edging of it along the older leaves.

Sedum rupestre 'Angelina'.

Asplenium trichomanes, acquired from Far Reaches Nursery on Plant Nerd Night. It has yet to find its perfect spot in the garden.

Of course, not all spring growth is chartreuse. Here's the fuzzy, silver strangeness of my oldest Syneilesis hybrid erupting out of the ground. I love this stage of Shredded Umbrella Plant.

Lots of new culms of Fargesia robusta promise increased privacy for us this year.

And what would spring be without a tulip? These bright, tiny species tulips (Tulipa dasystemon) remind me of sunny side up eggs.

It's the perfect hit of color to mix with chartreuse on a sunny spring day.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, March 2013

As so often happens in March at the gardens of Longview Ranch, a lot of plants are almost in bloom. Since I worry that they'll be open and gone by the middle of April, you are going to see some serious buds along with my flowers this month.

First, an indoor bloom I've been enjoying this month. For the first time, Clivia Belgian Hybrid Orange is sporting two bloom trusses!

This year, Camellia japonica 'April Kiss' is at her best yet. Lack of major, drenching rainfall means we get to enjoy the blooms of all the camellias much longer.

Planted for privacy, she crested the fence last spring and has added at least a foot of height over the past year.

Arctostaphylos 'Austin Griffiths' is now in full bloom. It seems like a good spring for all the manzanitas I've seen this year.

My NOID Hellebore looks so much better after I wised up and took off the old foliage. Now I can see the flowers!

Here's one of those major buds I mentioned: Rhododendron 'Shamrock' hasn't quite got its act together for St. Patrick's Day, but it's working on it.

A lovely Primula from Ryan in our fall plant exchange.

Oxalis 'Ruby Slippers', from Cistus Nursery via Plant Nerd Night this past Friday.

I might like the blossoms of our native Mahonia aquifolium best at this stage, when they have a blush of red just before opening.

Sarcoccoca hookeriana var humilis is still covered with blooms, but the scent is not as strong as they age.

Carex morrowii 'Evergold' has these funny, hairy little brown flowers.

The red and pink inherited Camellia japonica are in full bloom.

Rosemary 'Bonny Jean', contrasting nicely with the brick planter it lives in.

Euphorbia NOID.

Tulipa hageriana x aucheriana 'Little Princess' - yes, in bud.

Evergreen Huckleberry - almost open.

Mahonia nervosa is still in bud. I love the contrast between its bright yellowy-green flower buds and its seasonal red stems and purple leaves.

Bloom Day is hosted monthly by Carol at May Dreams Gardens. Pay her a visit to see what else is blooming this Ides of March. Happy Bloom Day!