‘A Week Of Flowers’ at ‘Words And Herbs’ reminded me that I really should share more floral pictures. These are from yesterday, though, not all year.

1. Salvia chiapensis, Chiapas sage blooms as long as the weather is warm. Then, it takes so long to realize that the weather is no longer warm that, by the time it finishes the last of its bloom, the weather is beginning to get warm enough for it to resume bloom again.

2. Cestrum fasciculatum ‘Newellii’, red cestrum blooms about as continuously. It should have finished blooming about a month ago, but will likely continue until more sustained cool weather just like it did last year. After pausing briefly, bloom resumes before spring.

3. Rosa spp., carpet rose will eventually stop blooming and defoliate just long enough to get pruned back to the ground. It grows back like weeds, but such vigorous growth takes some time to decelerate enough to bloom, which might not be until the middle of spring.

4. Camellia sasanqua, sasanqua camellia has become more of a small tree than a shrub. These flowers are too high up to appreciate individually, but are impressive in profusion. I thought that it is ‘Navajo’, but it now does not seem pink enough, and is a bit too ruffly.

5. Iris X germanica ‘Rosalie Figge’, unlike any other bearded iris here, blooms whenever it wants to, even during the coldest or rainiest weather, with ruins such bloom. I am not certain of its identity. Someone here on Six on Saturday suggested this name, and it fits.

6. Iris unguicularis, Algerian iris from Skooter’s garden, which is perhaps more properly known as Tangly Cottage Gardening, is now blooming to prove that it actually is winter. I am very pleased that it is such perfect blue, without purple, and blooms during winter.

This is the link for Six on Saturday, for anyone else who would like to participate: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/

12 thoughts on “Six on Saturday: a Week of Flowers”

  1. Further up the country from Jim, we are in a Red Warning Zone, but the back garden is fairly sheltered. There are some flowers quite new to me in your post, but I do recognise Iris unguicularis, and this one is so perfect.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Gee, this is my first Iris unguicularis. It arrived about a year and a half ago, after its bloom season. I divided it too much for it to bloom for its first season here, so did not see the first flower until earlier this season. I did not expect others to recognize it.

      Like

      Reply

      1. You will at least have several clumps and can place them in different part of the garden. From what you say it sounds as if it is quite new to North America. Here it is often found in ‘winter gardens’ and have I several friends who grow a couple of different varieties and like to bring in the flowers into the house to see in the New Year as they smell so lovely. Maybe I ought to drop a hint and ask for some divisions next year.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. The clump that I brought back divided into enough individual shoots for a row that is more than twenty feet long, with the shoots less than four inches apart. Each of those shoots is now a small clump of several shoots. Although I had never before seen it here or anywhere else in California, it might not be so rare in other regions, particularly where winter weather inhibits other bloom. Winter flowers are not as important here because there are so many flowers that bloom right through winter. If I could, I would send some by mail.

        Like

  2. Lovely to see some flowers for your six this week Tony. And thanks for linking to my week of flowers too. I can never tire of seeing colour at this time of year. Beautiful camellia and irises. 😃

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Flowers can bloom throughout the year if we plan for them, and select them accordingly. Some that can bloom at any time actually bloom better during autumn and winter if summer is too warm and dry for them. However, I still prefer those that bloom for spring and early summer, and some of the sunflowers and chrysanthemums that bloom for autumn. Although I am a native Californian, do not mind if nothing blooms in my garden for winter. There is plenty blooming in other gardens.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. Mount Umunhum, which is named for hummingbirds in the indigenous language, is just a few miles away. Hummingbirds are quite numerous here, and they do like Chiapas sage very much, as well as red cestrum. Algerian iris is so rare here that I know of no one else who grows it here. However, Morea iridioides, fortnight lily, which blooms with mostly white flowers that sort of resemble it is still too common.

      Like

      Reply

    1. Thank you. I had never encountered Algerian iris either, until I acquired these from Tangly Cottage Gardening. Although I had seen other types of Cestrum, I had not seen this one until someone at work purchased three.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

Leave a comment