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Six on Saturday: Return From Arizona

The first three of these six are the last of my trip to the Los Angeles and Phoenix regions. That was weeks ago. If there were a time limit for such pictures, these first three pictures would have exceeded it. With a limit of six pictures weekly though, it takes quite a while to post all of an abundance of pictures. Cool weather has inhibited activity in the garden anyway. Although there is plenty of bloom, much of it is no longer new. I am still waiting for vegetative growth from a few tropical types of vegetation that prefer warmth to grow. This includes the last three here.

1. Mount San Jacinto is not exactly horticulturally relevant, and I do not even know what that vegetation in the foreground is, but it is a grandly scenic backdrop to Palm Springs.

2. Phoenix dactylifera, date palm grows in date orchards throughout the Mojave Desert and the Sonoran Desert, and is most likely the origin of the name of Phoenix in Arizona.

3. Washingtonia filifera, California fan palm is the only palm that is native to California. It is the origin of the name of Palm Springs because it grows wild around nearby springs. This happens to be an atypically shabby specimen at a roadside rest stop on Highway 10.

4. Heliconia psittacorum, parrot heliconia had done no more than survive last winter. It needed to be removed from Brent’s garden, so came here. It is finally beginning to grow.

5. Hedychium greenii, red butterfly ginger arrived with the parrot heliconia, but canned separately here. I did not know what it is until Brent mentioned that his is now missing.

6. Dichorisandra thyrsiflora, blue ginger was not expected to survive the unusually cold frost of last winter, but finally is slowly generating these little shoots from eight cuttings.

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/

Posted on by tonytomeo · 26 Comments

Six on Saturday: Buckeye

Aesculus is not native to Arizona. Buckeye is merely where I vacationed after leaving the Los Angeles region. It is northwest of Phoenix, which is also a genus that is not native to Arizona. It was a hundred degrees daily while I was there, but oddly, never to a hundred and one. My Six are from residential gardens. #2 is of the Plantaginaceae family. #1 and #6 are of the Fabaceae family. The three others are of the Bignoniaceae family. Fabaceae and Bignoniaceae seem to be popular there. #1, #4 and #5 are native species. Carnegiea gigantea, saguaro, which is the State Flower of Arizona, grows wild there. I should have taken pictures of it. The base of a minor specimen is visible to the far right of picture #1.

1. Prosopis glandulosa, honey mesquite was in need of clearance pruning. I brought the bigger stems from the pruning debris back for a colleague who will use it to smoke meat.

2. Russelia equisetiformis, firecracker plant, as the specific epithet describes, resembles equisetum, but with these red and narrowly tubular flowers that exclude interested bees.

3. Jacaranda mimosifolia, jacaranda is one of a few familiar species that I encountered. I am impressed that it is popular and seems to perform well within such an arid climate.

4. Chilopsis linearis, desert willow got my attention because of this floral color that is so unusual for trees. I had previously only encountered it while it was defoliated for winter.

5. Tecoma stans, esperanza, as well as poinciana #6 below, should bloom like this in my garden. Crazy Green Thumbs sent me seed for both last year. Both were terrible failures.

6. Caesalpinia pulcherrima, poinciana, as well as esperanza #5 above, remind me that I should have been more diligent and protective with the seed from Crazy Green Thumbs.

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/

Posted on by tonytomeo · 12 Comments

Six on Saturday: Hollywood II

These ‘Six on Saturday’ are even more outdated than my ‘Six’ that were outdated for last Saturday. They were taken at the same time, but are presently a week later. I really want to post them anyway though. I do not get to Southern California often, although some of these species also happen to be native here. All of this vegetation is native to, and grows wild within the Hollywood Hills, and specifically at the Bronson Caves, where I got these pictures. I brought back a few exotic species from the region, but did not take pictures of them. I can get pictures of them at any time, and they are not distinctive to Hollywood.

1. Clarkia bottae, punchbowl godetia was featured in my garden column. Now that I see it in bloom, I sort of wonder if it is what I thought, back in school, was evening primrose.

2. Eriophyllum confertiflorum, golder yarrow is merely my guess for the identity of this bright yellow wildflower. The floral trusses are smaller and rounder than they should be.

3. Eriophyllum confertiflorum, golden yarrow sort of looks like this. Well, I sort of think it does. I really can not remember. This is a bit farther back from the same bloom above.

4. Opuntia phaeacantha or Opuntia littoralis, prickly pear is probably the same species as the big herd that I got a picture of for last week. This is a closeup, but of another herd.

5. Romneya coulteri, matilija poppy is also known as fried egg poppy because the floppy white flowers with big yellow centers look like fried eggs. These were at least six feet tall.

6. Salvia mellifera, black sage is one of my favorite wildflowers here because I recognize it and its alluringly pungent foliar aroma from almost everywhere that I have ever lived.

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/

Posted on by tonytomeo · 26 Comments

Six on Saturday: Hollywood

Vacation complicates blogging. So does spring. There is too much to get pictures of now. The pictures that I get are difficult to process while traveling without internet access. As has become typical for the past few weeks, these six pictures are already outdated. I took them prior to last Saturday, but I am only able to post them now. That is not the worst of it though. Even with so much blooming now, the only bloom within my Six for this week is scarcely visible, and half of these Six lack identifiable vegetation. The last is essentially devoid of vegetation. Heck, when it was more foliated between 1966 and 1968, the most prominent vegetation was fake. I might share six more appropriately floral pictures from the same location next week.

1. Opuntia phaeacantha or Opuntia littoralis, prickly pear grows wild in the Hollywood Hills. I got a picture closer to another herd for next week, but it may be another species.

2. Hesperoyucca whipplei, our Lord’s candle blooms with an impressively tall and white floral stalk, but is barely visible at the center of this picture, taken from quite a distance.

3. Pinus pinea, Italian stone pine is obviously not native to the Hollywood Hills. I took a picture of this feral specimen because I thought it might be the legendary Wisdom Tree.

4. Not much vegetation is visible within this picture of an abandoned quarry, but Rhody directed me to this captivating scenery. Because of limited accessibility, we got no closer.

5. Zooming into the previous picture makes its scenery more captivating, and also shows a bit more vegetation within a residential landscape. Most of it is unidentifiable though.

6. Artificial English ivy with random native vegetation formerly inhabited this presently barren landscape. The busted fence is now quite uninviting. Does anyone recognize this?

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/

Posted on by tonytomeo · 26 Comments

Six on Saturday: Rhody Obligation

Rhododendrons bloom so spectacularly that I am obligated to share pictures of them for Six on Saturday. I can not share pictures of all of them though. There are too many, and there are also too many pictures of other flowers that bloom at this time of year. As it is, these pictures were delayed because I shared pictures of other flowers earlier. Therefore, these Six will be the first and last pictures of rhododendrons that I will share this season. None of them are of my roommate, Rhody. None of the cultivars are identified. I should share pictures from my vacation next week. I arrived in Los Angeles on Wednesday, and should leave for the Phoenix region on Sunday.

1. Anah Kruschke looks something like this; and this really is more purplish than it looks here. Bloom is so very late that some was still in bud, like those behind these two florets.

2. Floral trusses of this cultivar are huge! The branch structure is also big. The specimen that produced this bloom is more than twenty feet tall. It sags from its own floral weight.

3. Several rhododendrons here are white, but none are pure white. This one is somewhat spotty and blushed with a bit of lavender pink. It brightens its partially shaded situation.

4. Pink is likely the most common color among the rhododendrons here. Rich pink such as this mostly inhabits sunnier situations. Paler pink mostly inhabits shadier situations.

5. White with yellow spots seems to be somewhat whiter than lavender pink blushed and spotty white. A few specimens of this cultivar live here. Its foliage is not very impressive.

6. Red is a splendid color for rhododendrons. Red is not as splendid as lighter colors for shady situations though. That may be why it is uncommon within our shady landscapes.

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/

Posted on by tonytomeo · 13 Comments

Six on Saturday: Bearded Iris

Iris are blooming late but splendidly within the new iris bed. It is gratifying to assemble various bearded iris within their dedicated garden. #1 and #2 do not inhabit the new iris bed yet, but are tempting because they resemble cultivars that I crave. I purchase no iris. Doing so would be an egregious violation of my very discriminating standards. However, if I ever find it, the one cultivar of bearded iris that I would make an exception for is ‘San Jose’.

1. ‘Los Angeles’ looks just like this, although this is not exactly an exemplary specimen. I should get a copy of it, regardless of its identity. Perhaps an expert could identify it later. It was a few days old, but stayed on tables for a luncheon at Felton Presbyterian Church.

2. ‘San Jose’ looks almost like this, but frillier, with less veining of the purplish falls. This blooms in front of the White Raven coffee shop in Felton. I likely will not request a copy.

3. Purple intermediate iris is still the most abundant in the iris bed. It was recycled from a garden in Santa Cruz, where it was a bit too abundant. To me, it seems to be deep blue.

4. Feral yellow iris may not actually be so feral. Now that it inhabits the iris bed, where it is irrigated regularly, it has grown as tall and performs like the tall bearded iris cultivars.

5. Purple tall iris was a gift from a neighboring residential garden. To me, it seems about as blue as the purple intermediate iris. I have been assured that it truly is purple though.

6. Blue and white tall iris was also a gift from the same neighboring residential garden. I am very confident that this really is blue, rather than purple. This is the frilliest cultivar.

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/


Posted on by tonytomeo · 16 Comments

Six on Saturday: State Flowers

Just coincidentally, a few of the flowers that have been blooming here are State Flowers. These are four of them. Grand specimens of the State Tree of California live here, but the picture here shows unimpressive specimens that are not here, which is actually why they are amusing. The four State Flowers are those of California, Alaska, Idaho and Oregon. State Flowers of Washington and West Virginia are lacking.

1. Sequoia sempervirens, coastal redwood is not actually a State Flower, but is the State Tree of California. The two specimens at the center of this picture are unremarkable, but happen to be in Poulsbo in Washington, nearly five hundred miles north of their natural range. They seem to be three specimens only because the specimen on the right has two trunks. They are from the same old crop that went to become street trees in Los Angeles.

2. Eschscholzia californica, California poppy, as its name suggests, is the State Flower of California. It exemplifies Californian diversity, and in native to all but only two counties.

3. Myosotis sylvatica var. alpestris, forget-me-not is the State Flower of Alaska! It is not native, but it and Myosotis latifolia are naturalized. I do not know which species this is.

4. Philadelphus lewisii, mock orange is the State Flower of Idaho! It is native nearby but is naturalized here. Some bloom with fluffier double flowers like fancy modern cultivars.

5. Mahonia aquifolium, Oregon grape, like California poppy, is named for the State that it is the State Flower of, which is Oregon. It is unrelated to actual grape. It is native here.

6. Rhody is similarly unrelated to Rhododendron macrophyllum, Pacific rhododendron, which is the State Flower of Washington, or Rhododendron maximum, great or rosebay rhododendron, which is the State Flower of West Virginia. The former of these is native.

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/

Posted on by tonytomeo · 24 Comments

Six on Saturday: Vacation Is Over

Vacation has been over for quite a while. I returned two weeks ago. It continues to be the topic for my Six on Saturday because I took too many pictures to share within only a few episodes. The sixth picture here is from the Tomeo Residence. All of the others are from the farm nearby, where my Pa grows bonsai stock, and where I pruned several neglected apple trees. Like last year, I left late, but managed to prune the apple trees before bloom. Because of the delay though, my trip to Southern California and Arizona is also delayed. Now, if I do not go soon, that trip will need to be delayed even more, until after summer.

1. Bloom was what I was trying to avoid. Fortunately, this is merely an abandoned plum tree that I did not prune. I managed to prune the designated apple trees prior to bloom.

2. Vegetation management does not get out much. They and the swine next door control vegetation where they live, but lack access to the orchard or other vulnerable vegetation.

3. Bonsai stock is safe from vegetation management. Unlike the unvarying horticultural commodities that I am accustomed to, each of these bonsai stock specimens are unique.

4. Junipers might be the most common of the bonsai stock. This one might be Tolleson’s blue weeping juniper. It was certainly blue and weeping. I did not seem familiar though.

5. Larch is also popular for bonsai, at least in the Pacific Northwest. However, because I am unfamiliar with this genus, I have no idea what species this is, or if it is even a larch.

6. Rhubarb that my paternal paternal great grandfather gave to me when I was five years old inhabits a garden of the Tomeo Residence near the farm. I brought it here last April.

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/

Posted on by tonytomeo · 15 Comments

Six on Saturday: Return To Work

Much has changed during the previous two weeks while Rhody, Carson and I were in the Pacific Northwest on vacation. The previously incessant rain suddenly stopped when we left. Canned and potted plants were consequently in need of irrigation after we returned. The weather is splendid now. Delayed bloom is now making up for lost time. Vegetation is growing like weeds, and much of it is, particularly beyond refined landscapes. Work is about as behind schedule as it always is. I got all but the last of these six pictures at work this week. Pictures of vacation are not transmitting from the telephone to the computer. Perhaps I will share some next Saturday. I did not take many.

1. Iris X louisiana ‘Black Gamecock’, Louisiana iris is a gift from Skooter’s Family. There is enough for this closely spaced row on fifty linear feet of the edge of the drainage pond.

2. Rumex occidentalis, dock is a prolific native that inhabits another portion of the edge of the drainage pond. It is pretty but may later be replaced by multiplying Louisiana iris.

3. Lunaria annua, money plant seems to be naturalized, but only because someone who retired from here used to collect and disperse its seed. We try to continue this tradition.

4. Cornus florida, flowering dogwood is late but spectacular. It does not perform as well within the arid chaparral climate of the Santa Clara Valley, just a few miles to the North.

5. Malus ‘Prairiefire’, flowering dogwood is about as spectacular. I believe that it blooms about now naturally though. I do not know what its species is, which is why it is omitted.

6. Rhody enjoyed the Pacific Northwest but not getting his picture taken. This was taken just before we left the farm near Poulsbo where I pruned several abandoned apple trees.

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/

Posted on by tonytomeo · 12 Comments

Six on Saturday: Camellia japonica

All but the first of these six are Camellia japonica. They bloomed late this year, likely as a result of the exceptionally wintry winter. Also, these pictures are more than two weeks old. They likely finished blooming by now. I do not know because I am not there. Rhody, Carson and I are still on vacation in the Pacific Northwest. As these Six on Saturday post at midnight, we will begin our trip home. Pictures of our vacation would be appropriate, but are not processed yet. Besides, I do not take many pictures. Also, although these few pictures are now outdated, I did not want to waste them. These five camellias and single flowering cherry demonstrated commendable diligence by blooming after such a wintry winter.

1. Double white flowering cherry is obviously not a Camellia japonica, but happens to be my favorite of our several flowering cherries here. The tree is in rough condition though.

2. Frilly white camellia with a relatively modest staminate center may be the prettiest of the white camellias here, but does not look so pretty in this shaded picture after the rain.

3. Pinkish watermelon red camellia blooms with variable floral form. Some flowers seem to be of peony form. Some seem to be of anemone form. I have no idea what form this is.

4. Very pallid pink camellia seems to be almost white. Whiter white or pinker pink could be prettier, but its pastel color seems to be very appropriate to its distinctive floral form.

5. Pinkish watermelon red camellia resembles the color of #3 now, but normally blooms deeper red. Perhaps the unusually harsh weather last winter somehow altered the color.

6. Single white camellia with a prominently staminate center looks like a sunny-side-up egg. Camellia blight around the edges proliferated during the exceptionally rainy 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/