March is certainly a fast-moving month, isn’t it? Some incidents from the garden:
Protected under the pergola, the ‘Stained Glass’ octopus agave came through an early March hailstorm without a mark. Agaves tucked against the house, under the eaves, like Agave gypsophila ‘Ivory Curls,’ also escaped the dreaded hail pockmarks. The furcraea in the background was defenseless.
Its big stripes are now stippled and pitted. Hail Monday, we’ve dubbed the event.
In the front garden, Mr. Ripple is unscathed, though the dwarf olives are crowding him a bit. Well, it’s hard to say who’s crowding who, really. Wonderful spring color on the Gastrolobium praemorsum, the ruddy shrub between the two Agave ‘Blue Glows.’ Not much hail damage on those agaves either. The attenuatas took the worst of it.
Always a thrilling juxtaposition when a cactus blooms. Rat-tail cactus.
Poppies! Papaver rupifragum
Papaver setigerum
I probably pulled 90 percent of these poppies that seeded around.
I don’t mind a little editing, especially if the plants pull up as easily as these do.
The spring shuffling of pots is well underway as sun/shade patterns change
Salvia ‘Amistad’ is so far living up to its reputation for blooming early and long
Echium simplex is up to all kinds of crazy fasciation with its bloom spikes.
After three days in the 90s, Banksia ericifolia started dropping its leaves. I moved it out of the container and into less than full sun, but it doesn’t look good…
Of all the abutilon I’ve grown, I think Abutilon venosum really nails its nickname ‘Chinese Lanterns’
Keep an eye on the Dates to Remember link at the top of the page for garden events for the end of March. Looking forward to news of the recent San Francisco Garden Show and maybe some reports of the Theodore Payne tour too.
Hail one week and sizzling heat so soon afterward – is Mother Nature having a hissy fit or what? I’m glad that most of your agave avoided serious damage from the hail and I’m still amazed that we saw none of that (not that I’m complaining!). The Echium simplex looks like a sea monster in the first shot – I love it.
Ugh, hail is the worst,! Pour A. attenuata doesn’t stand a chance. My Banksia ericifolia has been loosing leaves too, or maybe needles is a better word. I noticed it last week. Don’t know what to do!
@Kris, I seems like hail hit Long Beach and Huntington Beach…and nowhere else!
@Loree, I’ve noticed new tip growth on the banksia, so I’m slightly hopeful. I saw this banksia in good shape at a nursery in a gallon, kept very dry. Fingers crossed for both of us!
Thanks for the garden eye-candy! It’s yummy!
You reminded me about my poppies –by now I should have ‘Laurens Grape’ popping up in front..but seeds need water to germinate, and there’s still a smidgen in the soil for the mature plants down where the roots are, so I’m not dragging out the hose yet.Spring rains make those re-seeded poppies jump right up, if we get any. Oh, your beautiful Furcraea !
Do you have Amistad in the ground Denise ? I am unclear as to whether that Salvia has the wandering tubers of Black and Blue or Argentinean Skies. I asked the nursery to order me on a few weeks ago , and will containerize if need be.
Thanks for the vase of roses, Hoov!
@Kathy, Amistad is in the ground, so we’ll see what kind of wandering ways it has after a year or so. Like ‘Purple Majesty,’ it’s thought to be a gesneriflora cross and seems a lot shrubbier/woodier than guaranitica.
Gorgeous rat-tail. Is it sitting atop a vase, or is that a trick of the camera angle? I’m glad to hear Mr. Ripple escaped the hailstorm. Ugh, hail.
Hi- I’m a landscape architect and I love your blog, long-time fan and reader. One question- what’s the name of the plant with the large lobed grey green tomentose leaves that’s on the bottom left of the photo with the Echium simplex? I’d appreciate it greatly if you knew the name, and thanks for your time and for your blog.