Monday, March 15, 2010

Bloom Day March 2010

My second contribution to Bloggers' Bloom Day and a change has definitely arrived in the garden within the past month. Much more activity and blooms!

My favorite to show up are the poppies. They are so fun and interactive. I showed my son how to peel away the outside of the bud and gently unfurl the crepe-y blooms. He's got an eagle eye out now for any new buds to coax open -future gardener in training.

Papaver rhoeas red

Papaver rhoeas pink

The Trichodesma scottii are opening up. Interestingly, they are opening a full month later than the previous two years. Not sure if it was the rain or what?

Trichodesma scottii

I love my Pelargonium echinatum. Cute flowers spring from thick, succulent, spiny branches. And below the soil I can see a nice caudex forming.

Pelargonium echinatum

My Aloes are all going now. Aloe plicatilis:

Aloe plicatilis+Dicentra scandens

Aloe vanbalenii:

Aloe vanbalenii

Aloe marlothii, which used to be a little house plant, sitting on my windowsill, until we moved out of the apartment:

Aloe marlothii

I love the patterns in the center of Gazania krebsiana. As does this caterpillar, but only for a meal.

Gazania krebsiana

These Freesias came with the house and I really enjoy them. Some of the most fragrant I've ever smelled. I can smell them halfway across the garden.

Freesia species

I actually can't think of a time when this Oxalis herrerae isn't blooming. It is a shrubby one, very polite and hasn't spread a bit. If you love the cheery yellow flowers of Oxalis pes-caprae but obviously don't want the weediness, this is a great substitute.

Oxalis herrerae

My donut Peach 'Saturn' is going to town. It is one heck of a fruit tree. Huge, pink, fragrant flowers. It produced a crop of peaches for me the first year I planted it! And so delicious! I'll have to force myself to thin the fruits again this year. So hard to do! I hope I get some fruit off my other trees this year.

donut peach tree

The Hellebores are still hanging in there, looking nice. Helleborus x sternii:

Helleborus x sternii

And this is the Camellia that came with the house. It was a hedged, square shrub when we moved in years ago and we've slowly opened it up and exposed the nice white trunks. The flowers are your basic hot pink but, oh well, it's nice none the less.

camellia

I wonder what will be blooming next month?

7 comments:

  1. Bee-U-tiful!! Love your poppies....I'm kicking myself that I didn't get around to planting them this year - oh well, I'll enjoy them on your site instead!

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  2. Your pictures are to die for, Floradora. I really love how you see things.

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  3. I agree with Carol and Pam - fantastic photos!

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  4. Thank you everyone! I'm so happy to be participating in the bloom day and foliage follow up!

    Rebecca-I don't think I ever even planted poppies. Just brought some of the dump soil home from Annie's that had some left over seedlings in it and I've had them ever since! The rhoeas variety are the best. They reseed politely without being pests.

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  5. That looks like our South African Freesia alba, not very tall, but the fragrance makes your head spin.

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  6. Elephant's Eye- I was wondering if they might be Freesia alba. It is a short one, very un-hybridized. Thanks!

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