Flowers and Fragrance

As of last month, I have been looking forward to the new Garden Blogger's Fragrance theme, but I am not sure exactly when it is to come off.  In the meantime, it is Garden Blogger's Bloom Day with Carol at May Dreams Gardens, a meme for which this will be my first post.

For which reasons, I will go ahead and combine the two themes today.  The search for fragrant flowers has, not surprisingly, induced some curious gymnastics around my garden since most of my plants are still very small and can only be smelled by getting down on hands and knees, or by standing on one's head.

The photo below is a case in point.  At perhaps 12 in/41 cm high, the young lavender "Blueberry Ruffles" has finally begun to bloom; in fact, it is loaded with buds.  It had a difficult start, needing quite a bit of watering and general fussing over, but it is holding its own now, and the bees have discovered it.

 I like it very much though I have to admit that I don't see much difference yet between it and my other Spanish lavender, Lavendula stoechas "Madrid", which also still has some flowers although they are at the other end of the bloom cycle.  In "Madrid" the colour is a little darker.

Lavendula stoechas Madrid

 I still cannot smell the flowers so much as the foliage, but that is undoubtedly fragrant!

Another flower that I have spent some extra time attempting to smell is the recently bloomed Berlandiera lyrata, with its elusive chocolate scent.  Smell or no, it is a wonderful addition to the Dry Corner by the acacia.

I was happily surprised to find how sweet a smell there is in Armeria.  No wonder the bees like it; I do too!  (No bees in this picture - only a small garden spider...)

Nearby, Salvia greggii "Autumn Moon" is beginning to bloom again after a brief rest, while S. g. "Flame", on the other side of the bed, is just starting for the first time.  Here the flowers seem simply to carry the fragrance borne by the leaves.  I am liking this scent more and more - not to mention these plants as a whole, though Flame does show a tendency to sprawl across the ground...

Salvia greggii "Flame"

Salvia greggii "Autumn Moon"

Just beside the pink and white of S. g. "Autumn Moon", there is the wonderful miniature rose "Daniela", with a sweet rose fragrance in blooms that are actually quite large and sturdy on this little plant.

And finally we will go just beyond the garden - as presently laid out! - to where the apricot tree opened its first blossoms this morning.  Several are just at nose-level; scent is light but sweet, the fragile beauty of the flowers is unmistakable.

So there are the blooms, in particular the fragrant blooms, to be found in my garden now. 

ed.  And now I can also link to the Scent in the Garden theme at Wellywoman's blog!  

Variations in Red

Having posted about a blue flower and then about yellow flowers, I decided to round out the trio with a post on the red flowers currently blooming in the garden.  Besides, what could be better for Valentine's Day than a collection of red flowers?

There are, of course, the red buds, pink flowers of Eremophila "Valentine", so spectacularly in bloom right now.  Its size, its evergreen foliage, and the colour and slight translucency of the flowers allow it to have something the effect of an azalea, under conditions of intense sunlight and dry soil.

Strong reds, I find, look good here in the desert, from scarlet to deep crimson; and I have already managed to collect some rather vibrantly coloured blooms.  In retrospect, one reason there are so many is because I am trying to ensure a good supply of hummingbird plants, and hummingbirds do seem to like them red!  The most obvious example is Russelia equisetiformis, just returning to full bloom.  Not fragrant, its brilliant scarlet trumpet blooms seem to satisfy the hummingbirds nicely.

Another hummingbird plant is Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii).  I've shown the variety "Autumn Moon" here frequently...

...but the more recently planted "Flame" is also coming into bloom at last.  Its hue hovers between scarlet and crimson with a light gold dusting on the hood.

Another striking red has come from the Australian Kangaroo Paws, Anigozanthos flavidus "Bush Ranger".  Most of the flowers are spent and a good deadheading is due, but a few smaller clusters have emerged.  By the way, hummingbirds have been observed on this plant also.

Then there is a beautiful foliage red from Sedeveria "Sorrento".  The leaves were a softer green with red tones when I purchased the plant, but the foliage took on these strong mahogany hues soon after planting.  At first I thought it was the result of lower temperatures; now I suspect it to be due to the amount of sunlight, in which case it should certainly maintain this colour.

A more recent addition - in a colour I am exceedingly happy with - is an Armeria.  It has been blooming profusely, despite the leaves wilting badly several times before I realized it would require extra water as it was settling in and blooming simultaneously.  The blooms never faltered and are a luscious deep hue.

Lastly, the red, red rose...  This is a miniature with a great deal of substance to the flowers.  The variety is Daniela, a Kordes & Sohne introduction.  It came home, most unfortunately, with spider mite; and the plant was nearly defoliated.  It is putting out some new growth now, along with a couple of lovely blooms, large for the size of the plant.  If the little bush makes a full recovery, it will be a fine addition to the garden.  Setbacks notwithstanding, it seems to be a vigourous selection; and the blooms are exquisite with a light rose-scent and a perfect deep crimson colour.

Postscript in Yellow

I was so excited yesterday by the arrival of the first bloom from Berlandiera lyrata, that I posted immediately.  But yesterday's pictures did not do justice to the charm of this flower, which was not quite fully open in any case.  This morning's photo session gave better results, showing the bright brown filaments and the veining of the petals.

I can also say that a concentrated attempt to smell the chocolate fragrance yielded a whiff that could certainly be interpreted as "chocolate" though it had a definite plant component to it.  We shall see...

A curious fact which I have not seen mentioned elsewhere is that the flower appears to be heliotropic.  Midmorning sees the bloom facing upward and south; by early afternoon it is pointed due west.

Another attempt to photograph the Tetraneuris acaulis bloom gave the following picture...

The brilliant, incredibly even colouring may increase its charm in the garden, but also makes it particularly difficult to communicate by camera lens!

Back to the Berlandiera...

P.P.S.  Happy Friday!

Sunny Yellow

I looked down this morning to find an unexpected flower.  Berlandiera lyrata, the so-called Chocolate Flower, was just opening its first bloom.  I knew that the plant had been looking happy and healthy but hadn't realized it was ready to start springtime.  But there it was!

B. lyrata gains its name from its fragrance.  It is said to smell like chocolate - on hot, still days.  Obviously, the fragrance isn't overpowering!  I certainly smelled nothing this morning, when we had strong, cool winds blowing.

Scent aside, the plant is native to the Chihuahua Desert of New Mexico, so should be a good choice in a desert garden, particularly here since it is tolerant of clay.  Also, the flowers are said to dry well so I hope to use future blooms in my Monday vases.

Having discovered this chunky little bloom, I looked around to see the other yellow daisy-type flowers in bloom.  Tetraneuris acaulis has started flowering again.  Forgive the washed-out condition of these photos, please!  The sun was very bright when I grabbed my camera.

Then there is the marguerite (Argyranthemum frutescens), with its long bloom stems carrying daisies all round the still-tiny plant.  This is certainly a floriferous selection!

Another bit of yellow - but not a daisy - comes from the slender trumpets of Eremophila "Outback Sunrise".  I showed a cut stem blooming in last Monday's vase, but now the flowers are opening all along the branches in the garden.  This is a much quieter yellow, a hue with a green tint which makes the blooms blend with the bright green foliage.  The plant is more graceful than I thought it would be when I first bought it.  It needs a tree planted above it to fill out the effect, probably it had better be a tree that doesn't cast too much shade!  This, of course, is one of the Australian natives that seem to grow particularly well here.

I found the following link, sent me by a friend in Australia, to be quite interesting so I'll add it here: http://anpsa.org.au/APOL22/jun01-2.html   It reminds me how recently some wonderful plants have been brought into cultivation - and with how much effort by dedicated plantsmen.  Thanks for the link, Elizabeth!

"Outback Sunrise" has a completely different growth habit from "Valentine", the other Eremophila I am growing.  "Outback Sunrise" is a variety of E. prostrata, and its habit can be deduced from the name.  It is so far low-growing, with arching branches spreading outward; leaves are lightly serrated and glossy green - an unmistakable, strong green, not always seen in desert-adapted plants with their tendency to muted, grey hues.  I am not sure just how far it will reach; various sizes are quoted for this plant.  It has been very drought-tolerant, but I've started giving it a bit of extra water as temperatures warm up and the plant goes into full bloom.

There are still lots of unopened buds!

One more bit of yellow?

The little viola flowers blooming beside the path down from the patio...

There are all sorts of yellow in the garden right now!

Very Blue

My first Iris reticulata "Harmony" has opened.  A couple others are aboveground; the rest seem to be biding their time.  With the warm temperatures we are having (highs around 80 F/26 C), I have worried the flowers would not last very long; but this bloom has opened slowly, deliberately, and is a thing of beauty.

I selected a couple of very blue irises last fall, having been inspired by some of Jane's (at Hoe Hoe Grow).  What could be better in the hot, dry desert than the cool blue of an iris?  I'm not disappointed in the result so far; it's wonderful.

Iris reticulata, one of the summer-dry species, seemed like a candidate for the dry garden.  With no significant freezing weather last winter, however, it may not prove permanent here.  I hope it is, as the tiny flower is spectacular.

Here is a photographic journal of the opening of a single iris bloom...

February 8

February 9

February 10