After two weeks of warm spring weather—highs in 60s and low 70s, today 75°F—we have quite a few blooms in the front yard. Aloes that have been in a holding pattern since December, as well as some of our South African bulbs, are finally in flower. I can’t get enough of this boost of color and energy. I try not to get too exuberant for fear nature might punish my hubris with an unexpected cold snap, but I think we’re out of the woods as far as winter goes.
I know I should hold these photos until the 15th, the official Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day, but I’m so excited, I just can’t wait!
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| Narcissus among the agaves |
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| Silver lady fern (Blechnum gibbum) with flowering Tradescantia × andersoniana ‘Blushing Bride’ |
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| Grevillea ‘Superb’ |
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| Good old-fashioned jade plant (Crassula ovata) |
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| Cape cowslip (Lachenalia aloides var. quadricolor), still a few days away from peaking |
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| Cape cowslip (Lachenalia aloides var. quadricolor) |
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| Lachenalia aloides (species) |
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| No flowers here, but Leucadendron ‘Jester’ is colorful enough without them |
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| Leucadendron ‘Safari Sunset’ in its yellow phase. Soon the bracts will turn bright red. |
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| Leucadendron ‘Safari Sunset’ |
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| Leucadendron ‘Safari Sunset’ |
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| Grevillea ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’, my special find from the Home Depot in San Rafael |
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| Euphorbia characias ‘Glacier Blue’ |
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| Ceanothus ‘Julia Phelps’ |
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| Ceanothus ‘Julia Phelps’ |
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| Felicia aethiopica ‘Tight & Tidy’ |
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| Aloe excelsa |
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| Aloe arborescens ‘Variegata’ (with the species behind it) |
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| Aloe ferox, so happy it’s started to push another inflorescence from the center of the rosette |
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| The first of three Aloe ‘Moonglow’ |
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| Aloe ‘Moonglow’ |
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| Aloe petricola |
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| Aloe petricola |
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| Aloe hereroense, not quite there yet |
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| Aloe ‘Moonglow’ #2 |
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| Aloe ‘Moonglow’ #2 |
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| Aloe ‘Moonglow’ #2, Aloe petricola, and Aloe ‘Moonglow’ #1 |
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| Aloe glauca |
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| Aloe capitata var. quartziticola |
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| Aloe capitata var. quartziticola |
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| Aloe capitata var. quartziticola |
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| Aloe ‘Erik the Red’, not quite there yet |
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| Aloe ‘Erik the Red’ and Aloe ‘Moonglow’ #3 |
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| Aloe ‘Erik the Red’ and Aloe ‘Moonglow’ #3 |
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| Aloe ‘Moonglow’ #3 |
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| Aloe ‘Moonglow’ #3 |
As wonderful as this early spring weather is, the soil is getting drier by the day. I’ve already started watering my potted plants; soon I’ll have to turn on the drip irrigation for the in-ground plants. I can see the specter of another drought…
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