Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Bloom and Rebloom

Penstemon parryi
The garden and I are adjusting to a feeling that spring is over but summer is not yet indubitable.  We continue to have daytime highs fluctuating between the low eighties and the upper nineties F (28  - 37 C), and that with occasional bursts of rain and a bit of humidity.

Two results are in evidence.  One is a last minute buying and planting spree on my part.  The other is some very pleasant rebloom from plants that had appeared to be done for the season.

Penstemon parryi (top photo) has been the most obvious.  I clipped back the blooming stems weeks ago, leaving just the leathery, silvery foliage and a few seed heads.  From the leaf axils, the Penstemon first of all sent out a burst of new foliage...
Penstemon parryi new foliage
...then eventually put up a sprinkling of its luscious pink trumpets.
Penstemon parryi rebloom
All this with still a few of its long-tailed seedheads...
Penstemon parryi seedpods
It is not the spectacular plant it was in March, but I am delighted to say the least!

Even more recently Chrysactinia mexicana has done the same.  I sheared it back because it was clearly done blooming.  A fine burst of soft new growth followed, and now a few flowers.  Among other things, I am very happy with how the plant looks overall.  It was quite scraggly when I bought it, but it has filled out into a handsome, fairly symmetrical mound of green.  With, for now, a few more daisies...
Chrysactinia mexicana, Damianita
You can see more buds in the background!  Here is a close-up showing the distinctively composite nature of the tiny flowers.
Chrysactinia mexicana, Damianita
One plant that simply paused and then continued to bloom lightly is Eremophila "Outback Sunrise".  I would prefer to be able to remove the spent blooms that turn brown but stay on the branches, but I've not found a good way to deal with them yet.  In the meantime it is still supplying spots of bright yellow.  Foliage is unimpeachable.  This is an excellent plant so far.
Eremophila "Outback Sunrise"
Another feature possibly due to our unsettled weather is the blooming of spring-planted varieties not expected to flower until late summer.  This includes Agastache "Apricot Sprite" (no pictures yet) and my young Salvia reptans with its miniscule but true blue sage flowers.
Salvia reptans
I suppose all is well and it will rebloom come late summer?  I hope so as I am anxious to see this plant well-established in the garden.  It has seemed very resilient so far, not requiring much water to settle in.  It also appears to be impervious to rabbits.  The lower stems are a rich, dark hue.  Foliage is unusually fine and linear for a sage.  The scent of the leaves is more medicinal than the Salvia greggii varieties.

I wish I had measured this bloom.  I would estimate it (from memory) to be about a half inch wide.  But the colour is marvelous, and in full bloom the plant should be remarkable.
Salvia reptans
As for my own transgressions against encroaching summer, they consist of one Aloe "Walmsley's Blue" (because, after all, an aloe should be able to settle in fairly quickly here), a six-pack of Celosia (because I wanted to test it over the summer before I attempt growing it from seed next autumn), and - against my better judgement - a 1 gallon pot of Gaura lindheimeri.  Umm... the Gaura was only $4.00 and in full bloom and I couldn't resist.
Gaura lindheimeri (unidentified variety)
It has lost its blossoms since planting but looks healthy in every respect.  It was only labelled as Gaura lindheimeri, but I suspect it is the variety "Siskiyou Pink".  At any rate, it is not the species, which has white flowers.  Stems are dark and the whole plant is quite handsome.  I hope it can settle before temperatures really spike again. 

A few other plants have since come into bloom on schedule, but I will save them for later posts!

Salvia reptans...
Salvia reptans
...and Penstemon parryi...
Penstemon parryi
Weather Diary: Mostly sunny, High (yesterday) 91 F (32.8 C)/Low: 64 F (17.8 C)

6 comments:

  1. υπεροχη δουλεια!!!!!!
    ο δικος μου κηπος θελει πολυ φροντιδα και γω Amy, εχω μεγαλωσει πια
    και δεν εχω δυναμεις. Ειναι παρα πολλα τα φυτα τα δεντρα τα λουλουδια,οι θαμνοι, τωρα ειναι ανθισμενες, οι φωτεινιες,
    οι τριανταυλιες οι πυρακανθοι οι πικροδαφνες, τα λιβουρνα,τα γερανια, τα πελαργωνια οι αρμπαροριζες…….ειναι ενας μικρος παραδεισος. Ειναι ζωη τα λουλουδια. και σε καταλαβαινω, ποσο επιμενεις να υπαρχουν στον πηπο σου και
    ποσο ασχολεισαι με αγαπη γι αυτα. μια αγκαλια!!! αγγελικη

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    1. I have so enjoyed seeing all the bright colours from your garden, Aggeliki!! It must be a little Paradise at this time of year especially! The oleanders have been beautiful here this spring; I don't grow them myself because I am afraid the horses might eat the leaves - or even my dog, who will try to eat almost anything...! I am trying to keep my garden a little small so it will not overwhelm me with work, but I can see it getting bigger... ;-)

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  2. I love gaura - such a great price too, I wouldn't have been able to stop at just one! It's always great to see secondary flushed of flowers brought on by rain, here, I'm getting quite a few spring blooms despite the weather getting colder and colder each day

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    1. It's wonderful how quickly plants can adjust themselves to minor variations in the weather... By the way, I love the little cherry red and white Salvia in your last post; would you mind giving the varietal name? And yes, the Gaura was a case of irresistable temptation ;-) I would have snapped up a couple of handsome Eremophilas too, but it's harder to figure out where to put an unanticipated six foot shrub...

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  3. Gaura is a wonderful plant and it can get by with moderate amount of water. I fell off the wagon too this past weekend but I went further overboard than you in buying plants after promising myself I'd wait until fall. The cooler weather we've had the past 2 weeks and the promise of rain late tomorrow apparently made me forget that summer is right around the corner.

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    1. It's easy to forget when the plants are sitting there with that take-me-home look ;-) I'm looking forward to trying Gaura. I had one briefly and blamed the rabbits when it disappeared; I'm more than ready to try it again!

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