Monday, March 28, 2016

In a Vase: Easter Roses

monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, penstemon, rose, david austin, st. swithun, james galway
And the roses have come into bloom, just in time for Easter...
monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, amy myers ceramics, desert garden, penstemon, rose, david austin, wollerton old hall, alnwick rose, sterling silver rose
For an Easter Sunday bouquet I used mostly roses and penstemon.  I snipped a few blooms here and there from most of the shrub roses.  From the Central Bed came Wollerton Old Hall...
monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, penstemon, rose, david austin, wollerton old hall
...and the Alnwick Rose.
monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, penstemon, rose, david austin, alnwick rose
The Rose Border yielded a couple of buds from the Generous Gardener, as well as a frilly bloom from James Galway...
monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, penstemon, rose, david austin, james galway
...and two blossoms from St. Swithun; these had a bit of windburn.  It is the westernmost bush in the bed, and winds have been strong lately.  The Rose Border could do with a little additional protection at both ends -- wind from the west and sun from the east -- but I don't have any brilliant ideas for it at the moment.
monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, penstemon, rose, david austin, st. swithun
And of course, there was a bloom of Sterling Silver.
monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, penstemon, rose, sterling silver, hybrid tea rose
Two types of Penstemon went in: P. parryi (centre)...
monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, penstemon, parryi, desert penstemon
...and P. pseudospectabilis.
monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, penstemon, pseudospectabilis
It is very interesting combining them in the vase as the flowers are surprisingly similar.  They are trumpets in slightly different hues of pink, with P. parryi being bluer and softer than P. pseudospectabilis with its brash magenta.  In the garden they are considerably different plants in terms of foliage and, to a lessert extent, growth habit.

Both are known by the common name "Desert Penstemon".  Both are native to Arizona, but P. pseudospectabilis has a much wider range, shown on the USDA map to include New Mexico, Utah, and California as well, whereas P. parryi seems to be found only in Arizona.
monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, penstemon, rose, david austin, wollerton old hall, alnwick rose, ceramics, stoneware
Then there were a couple of sprigs of an unknown and, as yet, unplanted, Salvia.  I found it at one of the local box stores the other day.  Its delicate pink and white was irresistable, to me at any rate!
monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, salvia
It was simply labelled "Salvia," grrrr...!  Some of us prefer to know just what it is we are growing.  Assistance with an ID on this one would be appreciated, but I'm afraid my photo doesn't give enough detail.  The blooms are elongated Salvia types, and the leaves are rounded with scalloped edges.  It may be something fairly common, for all I know!  Maybe I'll post separately on it later.  It's such a pretty little thing.  I suspect it will get a good deal larger despite the delicacy of the flowers.

The vase also contains a lone stalk of lavender.  Bought at the same time as the Salvia, it also was scantily labeled.  "Lavender", said the pot sticker.  Yes, lavender it is; and I believe it is L. dentata.  At any rate, I love the paler, silvery tones of the flowers.
lavender, lavandula, monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden
I used more sprigs of Ozothamnus diosmifolius in this vase too.  It is nice to have something that works so well as filler.
ozothamnus diosmifolius, monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, penstemon
The completed vase, using an unglazed stoneware jar that I made a year or two ago...
monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, stoneware, ceramics, desert garden, penstemon, rose, david austin, wollerton old hall, st. swithun,
The pictures were taken outside at sunset, which is why the colours look the way they do!

Thanks to Cathy for hosting the Monday Vase meme at Rambling in the Garden!
monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, ceramics, stoneware, desert garden, penstemon, rose, david austin, wollerton old hall, alnwick rose
Weather Diary: Partly cloudy and windy; High: 81 F (27 C)/Low: 55 F (13 C)

Friday, March 25, 2016

A Touch of Gold

Eschscholzia califonica, California poppy, desert garden, small sunny garden, wildflower, amy myers, photography
Just enjoying the first California poppy to bloom in the garden...
Eschscholzia califonica, California poppy, desert garden, small sunny garden, wildflower, amy myers, photography
This is the simple species Eschscholzia californica, which I felt might have the best chance of growing really well in this garden.  I seeded these back in January, unsure whether it was the correct time for this region.  I felt I had better get the seed down, whether or no, as the packet had accidentally been soaked with water.

Apparently it was the right time, or close enough!
Eschscholzia califonica, California poppy, desert garden, small sunny garden, wildflower, amy myers, photography
These golden beauties are taking over from the species narcissus to keep the East Border bright.

Posting this to join in with the "Favorites" theme with Loree at Danger Garden.
Eschscholzia califonica, California poppy, desert garden, small sunny garden, wildflower, amy myers, photography
Weather Diary: Fair but windy; High: 85 F (29 C)/Low: 51 F (11 C)

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

In a Vase: Quiet Hues

ceramics, stoneware, glaze, monday vase meme, small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers, tulipa saxatalis, rose, sterling silver, cerinthe, lemon thyme
For this week's vase, I wanted to use some of the lovely cool-coloured flowers that have begun blooming in the garden lately.  It was the purple honeywort (Cerinthe major purpurea) that began the idea.
cerinthe major purpurea, monday vase meme, small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers
And then rose Sterling Silver also had blooms available for cutting.
rose, sterling silver, ozothamnus, monday vase meme, small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers
And after last week's experiment with the white jasmine, I decided to slip in some pure white blooms from my potted florist's cyclamen.  This has been a splendid plant, and I hope to oversummer it indoors once it goes dormant; I'm told this can be done!  In the meantime, it continues to bloom its heart out.
flower arranging, cyclamen, tulipa saxatalis, ozothamnus, cerinthe, monday vase meme, small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers, ceramics, stoneware, copper glaze
Pale purple flowers are sprinkled all over the lemon thyme now, so that went in for foliage with a bit of extra bloom.  I also transferred four stalks of now-dried Ozothamnus diosmifolius from last week's vase.  Their little pearl flowers go just as well with this, and they have dried so nicely that I think I should cut some more to save back.
ozothamnus diosmifolius, lemon thyme, thymus, citriodora, monday vase meme, small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers
And then there was a tulip.  Tulipa saxatalis is proving its mettle out in the garden: blooming with no significant winter chill and, at the moment, withstanding quite a bit of wind.  As it is multi-flowered, I saw no harm in clipping a bloom for the vase, but it has not been so happy indoors.  Perhaps it is just the lower light, or perhaps I simply waited too long to cut it.  At any rate, I left it in the bouquet, where its light pink-purple seemed perfect anyway.
tulipa saxatalis, monday vase meme, small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers
Taking the cool tones in a different direction, I used a stoneware pot that I made years ago.  It is a soft blue-green, a colour derived from the presence of copper in the glaze.
rose sterling silver, cerinthe, monday vase meme, small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers, ozothamnus
This week's vase is being posted on Tuesday as I found myself out of camera battery yesterday.  In the meantime, the roses opened a little further.

Linking with all sorts of March flowers at Rambling in the Garden, where Cathy kindly hosts this wonderful meme every week.
cyclamen, cerinthe, major purpurea, monday vase meme, small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Another Plant in Flower...

mammillaria elegans, cactus, desert garden, cactus flower, small sunny garden, amy myers, photography
I missed posting pictures of cactus flowers in my Bloom Day post.  Here is my recently planted Mammillaria elegans, just a very small mound of white and pink starbursts right now.  And yes, quite elegant, I think!
mammillaria elegans, cactus, desert garden, cactus flower, small sunny garden, amy myers, photography
Apparently I was not supposed to plant it out until the weather warmed up.  However, it didn't seem to mind and has settled in.  And as the weather is heating up nicely this week, I expect it to do well!

The spines seem to be more or less harmless, and the whole effect of the little plant is charming.
mammillaria elegans, cactus, desert garden, cactus flower, small sunny garden, amy myers, photography
Weather Diary: Fair; High: 89 F (32 C)/Low: 55 F (13 C)

Friday, March 18, 2016

Garden Bloom in March

cerinthe major purpurea, honeywort, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, garden bloggers bloom day
It's such a perfect time of year here: longer days, pleasantly warm temperatures, cool breezes, and of course plenty of sunshine.  The garden is responding in kind and is packed with bloom, so much so that I keep finding myself taking a mental inventory as to what will be left to flower later in the year!  A very good state of spring bloom and far beyond where the garden was last March.

Of course, I have added a good many plants during the intervening months.  I have also focused more on learning to use annuals through the cooler months here, and the results are fairly good so far.

I am not going to give a complete overview for GBBD this March.  I would rather look at some specific elements that are making a big difference in filling out the garden just now.  And I will note the more seasonal bloomers for this time of year.

Annuals

First, a look at the annuals.  Dianthus has been in bloom ever since I purchased a six-pack last autumn.  Only six plants, but what a difference they have made, accenting the lower corners of the Central Bed!  They are thick and bushy now.  The photo certainly does not do them justice, but it gives a hint of how nicely they combine, in this case with Penstemon pseudospectabilis, of which more later!
small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, garden bloggers bloom day, dianthus
Violas are more or less indispensable, but they do seem to be struggling with the temperatures already.  I blame this partly on a much drier winter than the one before.

Recently into bloom is Cerinthe major "purpurescens".  This is the first time I have grown it, and I want to thank those of you who encouraged me to try it!  Its foliage alone is worth a good spot in the garden, and the almost iridescent purple of the bracts is wonderful.
cerinthe purpurea major, honeywort, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, garden bloggers bloom day
The sweet peas are yet to bloom, though so close that I expect to see some colour any day now.

Finally, there are the pelargoniums.  In a mild winter climate such as coastal California, these are perennial and shrub-like.  I am sure they would be the same here, except their capacity to survive full desert summer is limited, and I've been advised to either treat them as autumn/winter/spring annuals, or else lift them (or take cuttings) and bring them indoors for the summer!  I may try the latter idea if I have the energy...  I have three now, the classic scarlet pictured, plus a salmon-coloured one and my lovely ivy-leaf, which is already in a container on the patio.  I had planted it in the Central Bed, where the foliage promptly bleached in the sunlight (not full sun either, I might add!), so I dug it and plonked it in with my potted basil, where it now thrives with a roof over its head all day long.  At least it left me in no doubt what it wanted!
small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, garden bloggers bloom day, pelargonium

Shrubs

At the other end of the spectrum, structurally speaking, are the shrubs.  I have added some new ones over the last few months and am enjoying bloom from Alyogyne huegelii, the so-called Blue Hibiscus...
alyogyne huegelii, blue hibiscus, australian native, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, garden bloggers bloom day
...and from Ruellia brittonia.
small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, garden bloggers bloom day, ruellia brittonia
Not newcomers, but important in the spring garden, are Senna nemophila, whose yellow blooms have nearly all gone to seed pods now...
small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, garden bloggers bloom day, senna nemophila, desert senna
...while Cytisus x spachianus is just beginning to flower.
Cytisus x spachianus, sweet broom, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, garden bloggers bloom day
I did not really care for the Cytisus properly last year because partway through summer I abandoned hope of its survival.  It suffered seriously from chlorosis and perhaps some leaf burn as well.  But come cooler weather, it recovered nicely.  So I am once again enjoying the wonderful fragrance of the bright flowers, and I am hoping to somehow coax it through summer's heat in better condition this year.  It is lush green and loaded with buds now, so deserves a bit of pampering, I suppose!

The last flowering shrub for today's post is Leucophyllum frutescens (probably "Green Cloud", not "Compacta" as I had earlier thought).  While this can flower at almost any time of year, it is worth noting that it has greened up well after looking wan and worn in late winter.  A sudden small burst of bloom is a wonderful bonus.
small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, garden bloggers bloom day, Leucophyllum frutescens, texas ranger

Lavender

For the first time, all my lavenders are blooming simultaneously.  Three Lavendula stoechas varieties and the dentata hybrid "Goodwin's Creek Gray" are proving how well suited lavenders can be to desert growing.  This was something I had promised myself for this garden: a whole lot of lavender and collecting various kinds.  The first goal I have begun, but the latter has proven more elusive and I must try a bit harder!

Two of the L. stoechas varieties are "Madrid" and "Blueberry Ruffles".  The former has so far been much the more vigorous, but as BR finally comes into its own, I can admire the slightly bluer hues of the "ears".  It is looking good now, and I am glad I did not toss it out last year as I repeatedly thought of doing!  It is still a smaller, looser plant than "Madrid", but that is fine.
lavender, blueberry ruffles, lavendula stoechas, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, garden bloggers bloom day
Lavendula stoechas "Blueberry Ruffles"
The other Spanish lavender is an unknown variety kindly given from my cousin's garden.  Neither she nor I remember what the original plant is, but the little fly-away tops seem to at least identify it as L. stoechas.  It came with me to Arizona two and a half years ago, but I made the mistake of planting it in our front patio planter, where it was too stressed to flower.  Last autumn I moved it to the new North Border, where it is finally settling down.
spanish lavender, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, garden bloggers bloom day, lavendula stoechas
Close-up of the tuft on top
Then there is "Goodwin's Creek Gray", totally different in foliage and bloom.  The former is much longer, wider and intensely silver.  Flower heads are long and slender.  A magnificent lavender.  Flowers are getting a little sparse now as blooming has been going on for months, unlike the Spanish varieties, which are just coming into flower.
small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, garden bloggers bloom day, lavender goodwins creek gray
Lavender "Goodwin's Creek Gray"

Perennials

Salvia greggii varieties tend to bloom nearly year-round here; and I would not mention them in this post, except that I must gloat over "Autumn Moon".  A vigorous but gradual cutting back has returned it to its former glory, much of which had faded into a non-descript mass of flopping stems, yellowish foliage and stunted flowers.  So much so that I took some cuttings in an attempt to ensure I didn't lose the variety, which I have not seen available since I purchased this plant.  But the parent plant has certainly come back into its own!  Amusingly, this dainty cream and pink variety is favored by our female hummingbird, while the crimson "Flame" (also blooming well) is preferred by the male.
Another Salvia, a new one, is blue-flowering S. farinacea.  We have gotten as far as buds.
salvia farinacea, small sunny garden, desert garden, garden bloggers bloom day, amy myers
Berlandiera lyrata is in bloom now as well.  Last year it continued through much of the summer.
berlandiera lyrata, chocolate flower, small sunny garden, desert garden, garden bloggers bloom day, amy myers
And Tetraneuris acaulis deserves special mention.  Rarely entirely without flowers, it now is covered in bloom.  Such an enormous show for such a tiny plant!
tetraneuris acaulis, desert flower, southwest flower, small sunny garden, desert garden, garden bloggers bloom day, amy myers
Another plant in full stride is Oenothera pallida "Innocence" and its seedlings.  Like other Oenotheras, it does self-seed; besides which, it has grown quite large, perhaps 24 to 36 inches high and wide (about .7 to 1 m).  I intend to begin transferring seedlings to the white garden, where its vigorous habit will be a definite advantage.  For now, I am enjoying its large pure white flowers and delicious fragrance while trying to keep it from smothering nearby plants.
oenothera pallida innocence, evening primrose, small sunny garden, desert garden, garden bloggers bloom day, amy myers

Penstemons

And it would not be spring here without the desert native penstemons.  P. parryi has grown taller this year and bloomed even more heavily than last.  The hummingbirds love it, but I have not had much luck getting pictures of them on it.  This is about the best so far.
small sunny garden, desert garden, garden bloggers bloom day, amy myers, penstemon parryi, desert pentstemon, hummingbird, anna's
It is a beautiful plant that demands a minimum of care and water, even here.  I give it an occasional long soaking and feed it very lightly.
small sunny garden, desert garden, garden bloggers bloom day, amy myers, penstemon parryi, desert penstemon, arizona native plant,
The second Penstemon is P. pseudospectabilis, planted last autumn.  It seems to have the same rugged constitution.  Its flowers are a warm magenta, lacking the bearded throat.  Its foliage is fascinating: blue-hued circular leaves that in some cases wrap entirely around the stems.  It is seen here against a backdrop of Dianthus flowers.
penstemon pseudospectabilis, desert penstemon, small sunny garden, desert garden, garden bloggers bloom day, amy myers
Another seasonal bloomer is Anigozanthos flavidus, the Kangaroo Paws.  I have grown it in a container and tried to ensure excellent drainage, apparently critical for these plants.  More recently I have read that they are not particularly drought-tolerant, which probably explains the loss of the one I planted in the East Border last spring.  But my remaining plant is growing enthusiastically, and I have hopes of dividing it this coming autumn and once more testing it directly in the garden.
anigozanthos flavidus, kangaroo paws, australian native plant, small sunny garden, desert garden, garden bloggers bloom day, amy myers

Bulbs, Corms, and Such

Finally, spring is the season for flowering bulbs and their kin.  The best showing at the moment still comes from Ranunculus.
ranunculus, asiaticus, small sunny garden, desert garden, garden bloggers bloom day, amy myers

ranunculus, asiaticus, hybrid, small sunny garden, desert garden, garden bloggers bloom day, amy myers
The freesias are fading; and Narcissus x odorus and N. "Nir", the paperwhite, have just finished for the year.  But Tulipa saxatalis, often recommended for regions with no winter chill, has just opened its first flower.
tulipa saxatalis, species tulip, no winter chill, tulip, small sunny garden, desert garden, garden bloggers bloom day, amy myers
Two very special appearances in the garden come from Hippeastrum "Ambiance"...
hippeastrum ambiance, amaryllis, small sunny garden, desert garden, garden bloggers bloom day, amy myers
...and, much more furtively, from Dichelostemma capitatum, the wildflower transplanted from the west corner of the property into the Central Bed, where it winds its way through The Alnwick Rose.
dichelostemma capitatum, arizona native plant, small sunny garden, desert garden, garden bloggers bloom day, amy myers
And Dutch Iris "Blue Magic" is opening now as well.  It looks like more of the bulbs will flower this year than last, when I was disappointed at the number of irises that came up blind.  I am still not sure why this happens with so many of the standard bulbs here.  I would attribute it to lack of winter chill; but I know this cannot be the case with Dutch Iris, which are successfully grown by my cousin in southern California, where they receive less chill than here.
dutch iris, blue magic, small sunny garden, desert garden, garden bloggers bloom day, amy myers, spring bulbs
Well, I am finishing this post days after I began it.  I've been busy with this and that -- including the garden -- and unable to complete this Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day post till now.  Of course, in the meantime, a number of new plants have bloomed so I have been going around with the camera playing catch-up!  However, the post is going up now with a minimum of new photos (only the Hippeastrum, really) since this is supposed to represent what was actually blooming on the 15th of the month.  Time flies!

And, happily, rose "Graham Thomas" had already sent out its first bloom of the year!
rose graham thomas, english rose, david austin, small sunny garden, desert garden, garden bloggers bloom day, amy myers
 Weather Diary: Sunny and fair; High: 88 F (31 C)/Low: 50 F (10 C)