In Bloom in February

After a chilly January, the garden has finally decided it is springtime here in the desert!  I have been looking back over last February's Bloom Day post and decided that perhaps things are not as late as they seem this year: perhaps it is only an impatient gardener!

I think that our late cold snap did slow down the bulbs.  There are buds on the freesias...

...but, of the narcissus, only N. x odorata is showing buds so far, and they are not very far along.  But other than that the spring flowering has indeed begun.

The definitive of spring in this garden is probably the long-awaited opening of flowers on Eremophila maculata "Valentine".

"Valentine" holds its buds for a month or more, so there is plenty of time (and suspense) as they begin to open.  The bush is just now coming into full bloom.

Nearby is another much-anticipated joy of spring: Penstemon parryi.  P. parryi is a desert-native species that thrives here, happy with minimal water and the intense heat of summer.  It is at its most magnificent in spring however, when its deep pink flowers open over the purple/silver/green foliage.  Almost... not quite... but it will be in full bloom before the month is out.

A newcomer, also with only buds thus far, is Ozothamnus diosmifolius.  The buds are used by florists, so I hope to begin adding these to Monday Vases once they get just a little further along.

Berlandiera lyrata, the Chocolate Flower, is not blooming at all yet and needs a good trim as it is quite shaggy and healthy.  But yellow daisies are plenty on Argyranthemum frutescens...

...and frequent on Tetraneuris acaulis, such a quiet, cheerful, never-failing little plant!

There are buds on my newly-planted Aloe "Blue Elf"...

...and overhead, Acacia salicina is still carrying a few flowers...

...while just beneath the acacia on the east side is another shrub which is doing itself proud this year: Senna nemophila.

One rosemary is blooming profusely in the hedge...

 much to the delight of bees.

Then there are the plants that bloom throughout the cooler months.  Violas are happily smiling in the South Border.

Dianthus, purchased as an unnamed six-pack, has been a superb addition; and I am wondering whether I can find a way to carry it through the summer as I would love to retain these little beauties in the garden.

Lavender "Goodwin's Creek Gray" must stop blooming sometime?

Miniature rose "Daniela" has been similarly constant, though it now has only one bloom.

Inspired by it, I have added a couple more minis, most recently the beautiful pale pink one which I featured in this week's vase.  The plant itself is settling into the South Border.

Many of the plants currently in flower are, in fact, nearly year-round bloomers here.  Eremophila hygrophana is now in full stride.

I have only a few buds on what is left of Eremophila "Outback Sunrise", which I have partially removed from the South Border on account of its colour as well as its intention of total conquest.  I have moved some of it into the East Border, but bits remain in its original location and are nearly ready to flower.  I don't want to lose it altogether as it is one of the few good groundcovers that grow here, but sulphur yellow did not belong in what is now a blue/purple/pink bed, and I must find some way to deal with its rampant growth, rooting anywhere moist soil is available.  Now that I know its habits, it should be easier to handle.  It's a lovely plant, so I want to keep space available for it!

As always, there are the Salvia greggii varieties, such as "Flame"...

...and "Autumn Moon".

These plants produce flowers more or less year-round in this garden, falling off from time to time as they need to, despite the common name "Autumn Sage".

But probably the most constant presence in the garden are the scarlet trumpets of Russelia equisetiformis "Big Red", doing what it does very well, providing a splash of colour for the garden and nectar for hummingbirds!  (For more hummingbird shots from yesterday morning, please see my post at A Journal of a Thousand Things.)

There is, besides, so much in bloom now in the covered patio, that this month I will add a short section on these plants as well.  They are plants which are in containers under a roof, either for the sake of convenience, or in some cases for protection from the sun.

In the former category is rose "Tiffany" the magnificent...

But in the second is Cyclamen persicum, white and pink varieties, which I am told can come through summer indoors if necessary...

 Pelargonium "Precision", an ivy-leaf, had to be moved to the patio because the half-day's sun in the Central Bed was bleaching it badly.  It is perfectly happy now and blooming away.

Hippeastrum "Naranja" was potted up as usual for indoor Christmas bloom, but I decided to leave it outside, where it has grown quite well.  It is on its second bloom stalk with another full head of five enormous flowers.

And Anigozanthos flavidus, the Kangaroo Paws of Australia, is at last in bloom.  It is on the patio edge, almost in full sun, but is growing in a pot to ensure good drainage, apparently very important with these plants.  I wanted badly to divide it and try some out in the garden, but division is recommended for autumn, not spring.  Last autumn it wasn't quite big enough, but it certainly is now.  Seven bloom stalks are visible at the moment!

Convolvulus cneorum is simply waiting to go into the new White/Silver part of the garden.  (Yes, I am expanding things a bit even before completing the first section!)  ed. Duly planted today even before I completed this post!

And the darling tiny blossoms on Sedeveria "Harry Butterfield" are a delightful accompaniment to the blue foliage.  This is another plant growing in shade for its protection.

A good showing for springtime in the garden's second year, I think!  Even here where the winters are so mild, there is a fantastic sense of waiting and wondering what spring will produce.

Linking quite late to the Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day meme at May Dreams Gardens, but better late than never, I hope!

And one final plant in bloom: the apricot tree, right on schedule...

Weather Diary: Sunny; High: 86 F (30 C)/Low: 50 F (10 C)