Color is relatively scarce as spring bloom is only slowly beginning. A bit of winter bloom remains. Not all flowers bloom earlier here than in other regions. Some could actually be a bit later than expected.

1. Lemna minor, duckweed does not grow much during cool winter weather, but lingers until sloshed by rain. After surviving through a dry January, it finally succumbed to rain during early February. Its monochromatic green revealed this more vibrant color below.

2. Viburnum tinus, laurustinus is not among my favorites. I seriously do not understand why it is as popular as it is. Nonetheless, several feral specimens inhabit some of the less refined landscapes. I do appreciate how the white bloom of this specimen is not blushed.

3. Arctostaphylos X densiflora ‘Howard McMinn’ manzanita qualifies as a locally native species, but is actually an unnatural hybrid of two species that, although native close by, are not locally native. I should not be so critical. It performs well within our landscapes.

4. Leucojum aestivum, summer snowflake does not wait for summer to bloom. We know it as snowdrop because it blooms when real snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis, would bloom. There is no confusion since real snowdrop is very rare here. I have actually never seen it.

5. Iris X germanica ‘Rosalie Figge’ bearded iris is redundant to a similar picture two and a half months ago, but continues to bloom. I am beginning to wonder if it ever stops now that it has been doing so continually for so long. Fortunately, no one is bored with it yet.

6. Camellia japonica, camellia is a different unidentified cultivar than that which posted with ‘Rosalie Figge’ bearded iris two and a half months ago, so is not so redundant. Most camellias were not blooming then, and even now, many are only beginning their bloom.

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/

15 thoughts on “Six on Saturday: Late Winter Color”

    1. Blue?! Gee, I really can not discern such colors. Perhaps that is why white is my favorite color. I can see when something is white or not white. Purple looks blue to me, but in this situation, indigo blue looks purple to me. Several camellias inhabit the landscapes at work, and perform quite nicely. They seem to bloom a bit late, but I would not mind if they bloomed even later after the rain, which causes them to mold.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  3. The camellia is winning us all over this week, so precise in its petals! Viburnum is such a popular front garden plant around here, I have two – inherited – out front. They don’t flower too well as there is not enough sun (I think).

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Why is laurustinus as popular as it is though? It is not all that impressive. The typically blushed white flowers are profuse, but not very colorful. Do some bloom as (unblushed) white as this one does?

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      2. That is all?! Well, that is why it works for us. It grows where we do not want it, so we move it to where we want a hedge, and it is very reliable.

        Like

    1. Are snowdrops less popular there than they are in colder climates (like they are here)? Why are Viburnums a mystery? Does their popularity just seem odd? Some are very appealing. However, those that I find to be appealing are unavailable here, and may not perform well here anyway.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      2. That makes sense, on both accounts, which is precisely why I am unfamiliar with real snowdrops and am unimpressed by our viburnums. I try to appreciate the laurustinus because it is healthy and functions adequately as a hedge.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. None of the camellias here are identified (although I can recognize ‘Yuletide’ sasanqua camellia). The iris is new to me. I had heard of the cultivar before, but did not know that this is that particular cultivar when I acquired it. I was just told that it was bluish purple or purplish blue, and blooms a lot.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

Leave a comment