Bloom Day February 2012

February is a very exciting month. So much to take note of, I rarely make it through a hot cup of coffee on a February morning. The anigozanthos is growing in leaps, now almost chin-high. This is ‘Yellow Gem.’

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Tulips started to bloom over the past couple days. But tulips don’t impress Evie; birds impress Evie.

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Love having the pots of tulips sited next to Sedum nussbaumerianum, now blooming too, with pearly white broccoli florets.

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The six-pack of linaria was a solid winter investment. Ditto Pelargonium echinatum for intense pink.
Not as much of a craving for pink in summer as in winter, though.

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Red-flower Russelia equisetiformis continues in bloom, though a yellow variety took the winter off.

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Lots of other odds and ends in bloom, including aeoniums, euphorbias, salvias, S. macrophylla, chiapensis, karwinskii, wagneriana. This silvery-leaved Lotus jacobaeus from Annie’s Annuals & Perennials continues to impress. Its cascading habit would be seen to great advantage draped over a retaining wall. Here it leans on an aeonium.

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For spring bulbs, snowdrops and crocuses, camellias, and who knows what else this warmish winter, check Bloom Day’s host site, Carol’s blog May Dreams Gardens, for a peek at what February brings to gardens all over the world. The new hardiness map should make this Bloom Day interesting, as more gardens are carved off into alphabetical subgroups. Over and out from zone 10b.

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12 Responses to Bloom Day February 2012

  1. Katherine says:

    I love love love tulips. My favorite flower especially for cut flowers. All your blooms are beautiful!

  2. Scott Weber says:

    OMG…Evie is too cute! Seeing her perched on that pot reminds me of all the broken plants I’ve found as a result of our cats leaping after hummingbirds (poor, poor Salvias). That Sedum is so stunning…and that Geranium is a perfect punch of color for winter day! Annie actually showed a slide of the Lotus during her presentation here in Portland…she asked if anyone knew what it was…but Ryan Miller and myself recognized it instantly from your blog…but couldn’t remember the name….’DOH’!

  3. Nell Jean says:

    You had me at ‘pots of tulips.’

  4. David says:

    Hi Denise,
    Your garden looks so cool and vibrant. I like the opening shot a lot and of course Evie.
    But that Pelargonium is the most captivating. I love that color and those markings. Looks almost as exotic as a small orchid.
    Thanks for stopping by Tropical Texana. Yes, I’ve been without a winter and with a low of 34, I’ve been a zone 10a frost free garden. This is NOT a problem for a tropical gardener. :0)
    I can’t wait until summer when I can have some extra time to read garden blogs. Yours will be at the top of the list.
    David/:0)

  5. Seriously?! Your Anigozanthos looks like that right now? Wow. I had no idea…

  6. ks says:

    I have tulips breaking ground, no blooms yet. They are 2nd and 3rd year tulipss who knows if they will bloom at all.A crap-shoot every year.Love that little Pelargonium..is it a Robin Parer selection?

  7. hoov says:

    Gorgeous photos–loved seeing them. Thanks!

  8. You have such a diverse group of bloomers. That Russelia equisetiformis is intriguing – I love the way the blooms drift down. Is it in a high planter or above a wall? You’ve convinced me I need Anigzanthos, though they’d need to be kept indoors in winter, I guess.

  9. Denise says:

    Katherine, this time of year I am so ready for tulips!
    Scott, I loved your post on Annie. So much in my garden comes from her nursery.
    Nell Jean, that is a luxurious phrase, isn’t it?
    David, that little pelargonium’s winter performance is such a treat.
    Loree, these yellow ones really shot up. There’s a rusty orange KP that’s way behind. But they’ll all last for months, such a great plant.
    Kathy, I can’t remember where I got the pelarg., but I did ID it by checking out Robin’s site.
    Hoov, puppies, puppies! Can’t think of anything else to say…
    Jane, the russelia is “cached” in a tall, maybe 4-foot planter, which sits on a porch step, so it can really drape.

  10. Grace says:

    Beautiful. I won’t say I’m jealous of your blooms, but I’m jealous of your blooms. 🙂

  11. Les says:

    I am normally with Evie about tulips, but I like the color(s) of yours. They also have the distinction of being the first, of what will surely be many, I have seen from a fellow blogger this spring.

  12. Denise says:

    Grace, we gardeners are a jealous, covetous bunch, aren’t we? I’ll be coveting your spring garden soon enough!
    Les, tulips are not ubiquitous here in SoCal. They can’t be bedded out as spring displays because of lack of winter chill hours. Sure, they’re available at florists, but watching them grow from bulb to iconic flower for me is the best part. Cheap thrills!

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