While it seems everyone else is diligently topping off their water table with generous rainfall and/or snowfall, there’s no use denying it’s already chair cushion season here. Los Angeles in February decided to go high 80s, tipping into the 90s. It feels like a Peanuts/Charles Schultz setup, with Charlie Brown (me) trusting Lucy (weather people) not to pull the football (El Nino) away again as he winds up for a mighty kick of faith, only to fall on his ass for the umpteenth time. But it’s hard to be grumpy about the lack of rainfall when it’s so gosh-darn beautiful outside. When the drought-driven apocalypse comes to Southern California, we will all be wearing flip-flops and T-shirts and sipping the latest artisinal cocktail. Like the last days of Pompeii, we won’t know what hit us.
Aloe ‘Safari Sunrise’
Aloe conifera
Leucadendron ‘Wilson’s Wonder’
Euphorbia atropurpurea
Leucadendron ‘Winter Red’
Glaucium grandiflorum
Grevillea ‘Robyn Gordon’
Helleborus argutifolius
Bocconia frutescens
N.B. This seems like such a sensible idea. Maybe it’s been around for a while and I just haven’t noticed. It goes like this: We get the special-order plants we want while avoiding the heavy shipping costs that mail order often entails, sometimes costing more than the plants themselves. I just noticed that Monrovia is accepting online orders of their plants, which are delivered to a nursery near you for pickup. However, since I haven’t tried it out yet, I’m not sure if there is a handling charge involved. Now, if other wholesale growers like San Marcos Growers, Annie’s Annuals, and Native Sons jumped on this train, my plant budget would grow by leaps and bounds.
N.B.B. For spring plant orders, Chanticleer’s gravel garden plant list 2015.
I’d be pretty pleased with that kind of weather myself! Your plants all look delighted. Happy apocalypse.
I must admit I am a big jealous of your nice weather, but am worried for you guys. I thought you had some good rainfall this winter but….maybe not?? Wow, gorgeous photos as always. Also, I really hope to one day see your garden in person. Cheers….cocktail in hand – enjoy what you have!!
I could take some lounging weather about now, chair cushions or not — looks so inviting! Love the Aloe conifera shot!
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. Your plants are amazing and your photography is awesome. Thanks for tne Chanticleer list link. I had no idea anything like that was online. Cheers.
Denise, it is all looking fabulous, even if El Niño hasn’t quite delivered the rainfall we thought we’d get in January. Here’s hoping the rest of the rainy season does still deliver. Your choice of plantings looks primed to deal with lingering drought, I know I’m generally taking the same approach. But still, I keep finding situations where more tropical bromeliads fill the bill better, especially when dealing with too much shade.
Your current weather down there is mind-blowing, we haven’t been nearly as warm up here. (But still, no complaints working in shorts and tee-shirt all this week, but still hoping for some real rain again!)
I love that ‘Winter Red’ Leucadendron! I’ve picked up the plant (sans winter “bloom”) before but have never taken it home – now I just need to find a spot for it. I haven’t enjoyed the warm-up quite as much as you have but maybe that’s because I tried to garden through some of those 90F/1% humidity days instead of exercising common sense and plunking myself in a chair with a book and a drink. I remain seriously peeved about El Nino.
Your photos lifted my dried-up spirits. Lovely, lovely, gorgeous. The cocktails may only be available in powdered form…Charlie Brown’s football, indeed.
I love that Aloe ‘Safari Sunrise’ flower, so pretty. But I really hope that we’ll get a bit more water this spring, before the real heat of summer hits again.
@Peter, yes, the plants are delighted now! The livin’ is easy now, but just wait a couple months!
@Tamara, and I know all your rain must be delaying lots of plans in your new home — which I hope to see one day too!
@Alan, I like that little aloe a lot too.
@Tim, thanks for such nice words. Lots of good stuff on that plant list.
@David, it really looks like spring won’t be denied. Your gardens will be amazing this spring with all that rain you’ve been having. I know both Gerhard & I would love to arrange an impromptu tour with you when you have a spare minute.
@Kris, the Wilson’s Wonder was just planted. Yours has been so sturdy that I had to find room to give it a try.
@Hoov, now it’s all about Miracle March, right?
@Renee, I’m hoping for a loooong spring.