Sunday, February 21, 2016

Yellow and White: A Brief Look at Early Spring

acacia salicina, willow acacia, bush morning glory, desert garden, small sunny garden, amy myers, spring bloom,
Flowers on Acacia salicina
The flower that started this post is the first narcissus to bloom...
narcissus x odorus, single campernelle, jonquil, bush morning glory, desert garden, small sunny garden, amy myers, spring bloom,
Narcissus x odorus
The old single campernelle is known for its ability to thrive in mild winter climates.  I planted just a dozen last autumn to see how they would fare here.  And yesterday the first bloom opened.  With fragrance to match!

This might have been just a post on the narcissus, except that the bright white, yellow-centred flowers of Convolvulus cneorum were also begging for attention.
convolvulus cneorum, bush morning glory, desert garden, small sunny garden, amy myers, spring bloom, bush morning glory
And Senna nemophila is still loaded with its yellow cups.
senna nemophila, bush morning glory, desert garden, small sunny garden, amy myers, spring bloom,
This is another desert-growing legume, something I find intriguing.  Right now it is a haze of yellow and soft green.  It is also sweetly fragrant, something I had not realized till yesterday, when my sister recommended that I check it out!
senna nemophila, bush morning glory, desert garden, small sunny garden, amy myers, spring bloom,
And Acacia salicina continues to put out its little puffs of bloom.
acacia salicina, willow acacia, bush morning glory, desert garden, small sunny garden, amy myers, spring bloom,
With the exception of the Narcissus, these are not the flowers that produce the familiar yellow and white schemes of more northern gardens; but the colours help create that wonderful, fresh, atmosphere of springtime here too.
convolvulus cneorum, bush morning glory, desert garden, small sunny garden, amy myers, spring bloom,
Weather Diary: Sunny; High: 82 F (28 C)/Low: 49 F (10 C)

10 comments:

  1. C'est toujours un délice et un plaisir de découvrir la flore de ton pays et tes photos sont toujours empreintes d'un charme certain.
    Belle soirée...jocelyne

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    1. Merci beaucoup!
      I am always glad you enjoy the posts dear Jocelyne! This garden has been quite a journey of discovery for me as well... and mostly a very happy one.
      Wishing you a lovely day!

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  2. Yellow and white does feel fresh - like that first breath of the clean air of spring!

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    1. Exactly... I had been paying a good deal of attention to some bright pinks which have been shrieking at me from one corner of the garden, but these white and yellow blooms really freshened my day!

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  3. I agree with Kris - lovely and fresh and I adore the little puffs of bloom on the Acacia!

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    1. Aren't those puffs wonderful?! They're not very noticable unless one gets up close, but so sweet... and sweetly scented too :)

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  4. A delicate question, is the senna plant the one the seeds are used to produce senna tablets for 'relief'?
    It is a pretty flower.

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    1. Apparently no, that is S. alexandrina... It is a large genus, according to Wikipedia, with around fifty different species in cultivation! S. nemophila is probably a comparatively recent introduction as it comes from Australia.

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  5. Love the yellow and white and of course I am fascinated by the little Narcissus. It is exquisite and I will absolutely have to try it for next year. So you just planted it straight in the ground in the fall and it needs no chill period? If so, this would be perfect!

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    1. I am thrilled with the Narcissus, Kate! It has done much better than N. canaliculatus, which I tried the year before. They grew, but most did not bloom, and they are now repeating the process :( Narcissus x odorus, on the other hand, has set blooms quite well and, no, I did not chill them at all! It remains to be seen how they will fare in future, but so far, so good. And I have read that they perform well in the Deep South :) Perhaps I will try Queen Anne's Double sometime (N. x odorus plenus). I grew it in my earlier garden, but I have always been iffy about the doubles. However, if it grows here...!

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