Sunday Best – Flowering Apricot
Six on Saturday: More Winter Flowers
This is why hummingbirds do not need to leave for the winter here. By the time autumn flowers finish blooming, a few sustaining winter flowers begin their bloom.
1. Arctostaphylos densiflora ‘Howard McMinn’ manzanita is the common cultivar of an uncommon species from Sonoma County to the North. It continues to bloom until April.
2. Garrya elliptica, silk tassel is native. This particular specimen and a few others in the landscapes were installed, though. They are surprisingly messy to work with and prune.
3. Ceanothus thyrsiflorus, California lilac is also native. I suspect that those that inhabit the landscapes were also installed. Their spacing is not haphazard enough to be natural.
4. Tulbaghia violacea, society garlic is at its best for winter, not because it blooms more, but because it does not smell as objectionable as it will during warmer summer weather.
5. Grevillea spp. lost its identity. It seems to bloom continually. I can not remember ever seeing it without at least some bloom. Hummingbirds are very fond of it, especially now.
6. Salvia leucantha, Mexican blue sage bloom is fuzzy, but not quite as fuzzy as it seems to be in this unfocused picture. The camera was more interested in the foliage behind it.
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/
Sunday Best – Winter Flowering Cherry
Six on Saturday: Slim Pickings
Perhaps flowers were not the best subjects. They are quite scarce about now.
1. What is this? It grows like ground cover. Although it has not yet bloomed profusely, it blooms with a few flowers continually. I am not keen on it, but I want to know what it is.
2. Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Prostratus’, trailing rosemary blooms a bit less during winter, but seems to never be completely without bloom. Hummingbirds are pleased with these.
3. Coleonema pulchellum ‘Sunset Gold’ breath of Heaven probably should have stopped blooming by now; but I must not complain if it insists on blooming right through winter.
4. Rosa spp., rose bloom is finally succumbing to wintry weather. I do not know if this is because of the earlier rain or more recent chill. Other roses have been pruned for winter.
5. Erica spp., heath is happy to bloom through winter and perhaps into spring. I have no idea what cultivar this is, and I do not remember when it started blooming in November.
6. Rhody has been absent from Six on Saturday for quite a while. He is not easy to take a good picture of. This week though, it might have been easier than finding a sixth flower.
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/
KPCR Garden Report Update
Now, it is a bit more official. I have an appointment at 11:00 tomorrow morning, Tuesday, January 13, for the first episode of the KPCR Garden Report. I do not yet know if it will merely be recorded for later broadcast, or if it will be broadcast directly, but I suspect that it will be broadcast directly. More information about the KPCR Garden Report is cited by the recycled article below:
November 5, 2025 – Nothing is official yet. I am hopeful, though. I am currently in training to establish a new Garden Report on Pirate Cat Radio KPCR-LP 92.9 FM in Los Gatos, KMRT-LP 101.9 FM in Santa Cruz, KVBE-LP 91.1 in Portland, and online at KPCR.org. For me, it is daunting. However, those training me are confident of my ability. I have no problem talking about horticulture for an hour. My difficulty is operating the necessary electronics. It is not much, and actually looks quite simple. I am just not comfortable with it. I am intent on doing what I must, though. I miss my former Garden Report gardening shows on KSCO 1080 AM in Santa Cruz and KBCZ 89.3 FM in Boulder Creek. Ultimately, I would like to post recordings of the new Garden Report here on the blog, or at least post links to such recordings. I am told that is not difficult to do, if I record the shows, which is apparently standard procedure. I still need to find “intro” music for the beginning and end of each show, but I believe that I have a source for that. Goodness, although I know this should be easy, I am nervous!
Sunday Best – Scented Geranium
Six on Saturday: Silly Succulents
Five of these six succulents have weirdly silly common names. I did not notice until after I got all of their pictures.
1. Carpobrotus edulis or Carpobrotus chilensis, pigface is a new acquisition that should help stabilize a sandy bank in one of our landscapes. It came from a beach in Santa Cruz.
2. Aeonium arboreum, common houseleek not only has a silly name, but also has a silly form, with wide foliar rosettes suspended by lanky and otherwise awkwardly bare stems.
3. Graptopetalum pentandrum, bluebean is not actually within any of the landscapes. It is a diminutive specimen that remains potted in the nursery. I am unsure of its identity.
4. Echeveria elegans, Mexican snowball contrasts splendidly with the limey green of the common houseleek, which it grows at the base of. I would not mind more of these about.
5. Crassula ovata ‘Hobbit’, Hobbit’s pipe, like common houseleek, is silly both in name, and in form, with these oddly tubular leaves. It is a lighter green than typical jade plant.
6. Crassula ovata, jade plant is the only one of these Six that lacks silliness. Its bloom is too cute in closeup view to omit, though. Besides, Six on Saturday is better with flowers.
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/
Sunday Best – First Forsythia Flowers
Six on Saturday: First Six of 2026
Even if there were plenty of flowers to take pictures of, I have not been in the landscapes much while it is so rainy. These are from the nursery.
1. Opuntia ficus-indica, prickly pear pads were found at the dump while other landscape debris was being dumped. I was not involved. However, I will be pleased to install them.
2. Buxus japonica, Japanese boxwood turns so yellowish during winter, that it seems to have died this year. We have been trying to find a use for this specimen for quite a while.
3. Canna indica ‘Alaska’ canna is obviously not ‘Alaska’, which has simple green foliage. I suspect that this is ‘Tropicana’. I hope that its spotty foliar discolorations are not virus.
4. Canna indica ‘Australia’ canna got plucked where it migrated a bit too far. These pups will be canned and grown for other landscapes. Surplus might be shared with neighbors.
5. Sarcococca ruscifolia, sweet box produces black berries. Apparently, such berries are red before they ripen to black. I was not aware. There are typically not enough to notice.
6. Sarcococca ruscifolia, sweet box berries are unfortunately poisonous. Otherwise, they look like they might have culinary application. They are unusually abundant this season.
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/
Sunday Best – Daffodil
Tony Tomeo 