Rosa Flower Girl is blooming on the wedding arbor...only because I was VERY careful not to accidentally cut off the few clusters that I saw last weekend when I did a major pruning. I love the way the flowers keep their pink color this time of year...in the summer those same blooms would be almost white.
Next we have a few surprising (to me as well!) blooms. Let's begin with a little background. Davis rarely has much in the way of a hard freeze although temperatures dipping below freezing do happen. In anticipation of any such occurrence I have three strings of cafe lights that are hooked onto retired (as in worthless) tri-fold tomato cages. The cages are set up around my Meyer lemon and Bearss lime trees which are in large pots. When the thermometer is in the low 30s in the late evening I plug the lights in and the warmth is usually enough to protect them from frost damage. This year I planted a Felicia amelloides near the lime and a Lavendula pinnata bucchii near the lemon. Both of these summer bloomers have continued to bloom thanks to their exposure to those lights.
Here is what happens to lavender that is not so well protected...
Half of the lavender, the part not under the lights, has been nipped by the frost while the other half continues to bloom.
Likewise, this plumbago has a few blooms as well as dead branches. Just don't think the lights in this photo are the heroes...they're simply my high tec extension cord.Next up are a series of little white flowers. While taking photos I realized I should think about adding more pansies or other colorful bloomers next year. The Iberis is just beginning to bloom
The Solanum jasminoides has bloomed a bit all winter and continues to do so.
Viburnum tinus "Spring Bouquet" is just showing the very first blooms on the front of the plant which gets a bit more sun.
I love Tulbaghia fragrans...it smells wonderful and always begins blooming soon after Christmas.
Next up are two cool season crops. First is a new one for me...fava beans with a truly lovely bloom.
And the last is garden peas...these have bloomed for a few months and there have been a few peas to eat but they are now beginning to bloom on a larger scale. Maybe I will get enough peas for an actual meal soon!
Also blooming today are:
Allysum
Pansies
Dwarf Carnation Evermore
Cyclamen
Leucanthemum Paludosum
Unknown pink Abutilon
Bush Mallow
For more blooms around the world visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens who invites us to gather here each month and share what is blooming in our part of the world.
