The two young leucospermums in my garden have each thrown a couple blooms, which only made me greedy for a mass display. But where to find such a display outside of South Africa?
Leucospermum ‘Blanche Ito’ in the east patio.
Leucospermum ‘High Gold’ outside my office.
My mileage points aren’t where they need to be yet for international travel, so I opted for a 2-hour drive up the coast to the Taft Garden. The mid-day sun was intense, so I took very few photos.
The garden closes at 4:30, so no chance for a kinder, gentler light for photos.
And, yes, the garden is as deserted and eerie as ever. Once again, I was the only visitor.
Many aloes were in bloom as well, along with all the Cape daisies and bulbs. I even saw some pale pink dierama in bloom, wafting in the breeze just as their namesake implies, the Angel’s Fishing Rods.
It was a near-blinding display.
And many Australian plants were representing too, like isopogon.
And the waxflowers, chamelaucium, beloved of florists.
This weekend will be busy, with the San Diego Horticultural Society Spring Garden tour on Saturday, April 8, and the Association of Professional Landscape Designers Second Annual Watershed Approach Garden Tour on Sunday, April 9, 2017. These are both self-guided tours, which means you can dip in and out of the tour for local tasty food or other diversions.
Maybe I’ll see you there. Have a great weekend.
You may not have a mass of Leucospermum blooms but you’re ahead of me! I’m still waiting for ‘Brandi’ and ‘Goldie’ to come through. And how in the world did I not know about Isopogen! I have no idea where I’d put that shrub if I were to find it but I’ll work that out when I do. I have to get to the Taft Garden one day. Enjoy your weekend, Denise!
Kris, the UC Santa Cruz plant sales carry isopogon, and in fact their sale is this weekend. The flowers are very photogenic, but not so the entire plant IMO. Could be the specimens I’ve seen, so maybe more research is required.
Oh to be able to be at the Taft in two hours, you lucky lady!
Such an amazing resource. We didn’t even stop in Ojai, the usual destination for LA travelers, just the Taft and then home again — to beat the traffic!
Oh to be able to grow Leucospermum ‘Blanche Ito’. What a beauty!
Gorgeous!! The Taft is high on my “must try to visit” list. (Went nuts over the Leucospermum at UC Riverside’s spring plant sale — came home with ‘High Gold,’ which will probably freeze here, and ‘Sunrise,’ which is supposed to be hardier. The Resendiz Brothers staff said to keep the roots from drying out when temps drop below freezing. We’ll see. Fingers crossed.) Thanks for the wonderful photos!
The Taft Garden, that most elusive of places! It’s at the very top of my must-see destinations for my next Southern California trip. I’ll hit you up for info when the time comes.