Saturday, March 14, 2009

GBBD March 2009

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, the day when Carol at May Dreams Gardens invites us all to share what is blooming in our personal part of the world, finds my personal part of the world waking up. The fava beans are still blooming and are now covered with blooms. But I have yet to see any beans. This is the first time I've grown these so I'm trying to be patient.
The Felicia amelloides have bloomed most of the winter and aren't about to stop now.
Loropetalum chinese is blooming nicely...for the first time! It has only had a few blooms in the past. Since it needs partial shade in our hot climate I chose a spot near the fence and a four foot tall boxwood. I'm thinking this is a bit too shady for it's liking. But now that it's had a few years to sulk it looks like it may have changed its mind and decided to be happy.
Viburnum 'Spring Bouquet' has a lovely light fragrance. Behind it is the boxwood and behind that is the loropetalum.

The white potato vine, Solanum jasminoides, is coming back into bloom after a month or so off.


Tulbaghia fragrans has likewise quit sulking...I divided this plant about two months ago and it coasted for a while but now has decided it is going to be happy after all.

A few grape hyacinths have popped up near the new shorter Felicia.

The Banksia rose is just in time, being kind enough to offer 20 or so blooms for bloom day. In a week or so it will be a mass of blooms...almost more than is decent. But I guess since it's a once a year event it thinks it need to go all out.



The first succulent bloom of the year is very sweet. I am not, however, sure just what succulent this is.
Chrysanthemum paludosum blooms along the front walk.

Iberis blooms around the yard. And literally just in time for Bloom Day is the first wisteria bloom...barely open.
Not in bloom but almost there are freesias...I will be checking before dark tonight just in case!

In addition to the above, also blooming are:

Santa Rosa plum
Ornamental plum Krauter Vesuvius
Ornamental plum Purple Pony
Dwarf Carnation Evermore
Garden peas
Anisodontea Very Cranberry
Lavender pinnata bucchii
Allysum
Rosa Flower Girl
Evergreen clematis Avalanche
Pansies
Nemesia
White carnation
Boxwood
Ornamental pear Bradford
Rosemary Tuscan Blue
Collards
Camellia Chandler Elegans
Camellia Jordan's Pride
Cyclamen
Leucojum aestivum
Chionodoxa
small narcissus planted last year after bloom from gift pot

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow ... a long list of blooms. You are so lucky. They are all pretty.

joco said...

Hello Leslie,

That is a formidable list of flowering plants.
Davis must be in gardeners' paradise: Texas :-)

I read about your strawberry tower and I hope that you will document the progress, with your new camera. I'd love to see how it works out. Could you really get 12 plants between the rims of the pots?
jo

HappyMouffetard said...

That's quite a list! Lovely photos. We're a couple of months away from our broad beans flowering - I love their smell - as good as any ornamental plants grown for their fragrance.

LINDA from Each Little World said...

What a list! It will be the end of April before I have more than a few things blooming (still too cold). So it's wonderful to visit all the warmer climate gardens.

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

That Loropetalum is just to die for!

Gail said...

It is always a treat to see the gardens of folks with very different growing conditions...You have a delicious list of blooms! I was given a Banks rose and wondering what to expect from it...not sure where to plant it...are they just huge climbers? gail

Commonweeder said...

Roses! Oh to live in Davis!

Carol Michel said...

You always have such a long list of blooms. I like hearing about your plants "sulking" during the winter, and then blooming once it warms up. That's a nice climate!

Carol, May Dreams Gardens

EAL said...

Amazing. Once more quite a few unfamiliar plants. I think the once--a-year roses are great. They really give there all. I have an unknown pink one in back that I really love.

Katie said...

My favas and felicias are blooming up here in Folsom too! It's great to see what's blooming in your beautiful garden.

Anonymous said...

Leslie, waking up indeed! Wow, you've got a lot going on. I liked seeing the fava beans. I've never grown them.~~dee

Annie in Austin said...

Lovely flowers, Leslie - and I'm glad your Loropetalum is showing off for you! Even the Fava beans are decorative.

Is your white Lady Banks fragrant? That's one drawback of the lutea - yellow color is pretty but no scent.
Also fun to come here and visit plants I've killed...your Spring Bouquet viburnum makes me want to try one again.

Happy GBBD!

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

Michelle said...

Hey Leslie~ I love the Grape Hyacinth!! Looks like things are blooming nicely in your yard ;-)

Michelle @ Getting Dirty in Texas

Anonymous said...

Wow! You have a ton blooming! I really need to work on my spring varieties after seeing everyone's gardens today! As time allows I suppose :)

Connie said...

Wow, lots of beautiful blooms. We are still trying to shake off winter here, but Spring is coming. My daughter gave me a potted potato vine like yours last spring, but I was disappointed to see it was not hardy in our zone....it now looks very dead in it's pot. :-(

Dreamybee said...

Ooh, those banksia blooms are beautiful! I planted some scarlet runner beans a couple weeks ago, hoping to have some decorative veggies in the yard, but nothing so far. Maybe it's because the seeds are from 2003...

Marion Adams said...

Nice Tulbaghia! Does it smell very garlicky? It's nice to see all the plants in Davis waking up for spring. Your roses are way ahead of mine. I've got buds, but no blossoms yet!

Anonymous said...

CA gardens make me drool...especially this time of year....and yours is no exception. Read that one of your other passions is grandmothering..mine, too. Took a look at your Nonna Diaries and it's apparent how much you love your little Sophie. Thanks for visiting my blog. You mentioned my "son" in the picture, that's my grandson. I'll be back.

growingagardenindavis said...

Welcome Blossom! I do know I'm lucky and appreciate it a lot!
Hi "." Davis is actually in California's Central Valley. I did get the 12 plants into the strawberry tower...hopefully they are not too crowded!
I tried to catch a scent from the favas, HappyMouffetard but couldn't smell a thing! They are, however, quite lovely in my opinion!
Glad to be of use Ms. Wis. I'll be visiting other places this summer when it's too hot for things to be happy here!
MMD...it might be now that it's blooming...and if it grows a bit taller!
Gail...mine both seem to want to be about 15 feet or so...I do cut lots out each year though as it wants to be too bushy.
Pat...these are banksias...I think anyone could grow them! I'm not good at 'real' roses!
Thanks Carol! And thanks as always for asking us to all get together!
EAL...which are unfamiliar? Just curious!
Katie...I hope we get some beans...I've never tried them before.
The favas are quite pretty, Dee. I guess even if I get no beans they have been fun to try.
The white banksia does have a nice light fragrance, Annie. You should try the viburnum again...it really hasn't required any care. I think you must have had a 'lemon' before!
Thanks Michelle..it is a cutie!
Tessa...it's true...it takes time to develop a big variety. Lots of trial and error for sure on my part!
Connie...I would certainly give the potato vine a lot of time to prove it's dead. Mine sometimes gets hit by a freeze and LOOKS dead but comes back. Of course, we live in very different climates!
Good luck on the runner beans, Dreamybee! Maybe by now they have popped up!
The tulbaghia has a sweet scent, not garlicky at all, Marion. It doesn't, however, bloom all summer like other tulbaghias.
Welcome Donna! I went back and looked at your other posts and now I see! Isn't being a grandmother fun? I hope to "see" you again soon!

MA said...

Leslie,
Oh, the stuff blooming in your garden is so pretty. When is the top bloom time for you?