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Six on Saturday: Saturday of Flowers III

Is exclusive bloom becoming redundant? Well, one of these is actually foliar rather than floral, although it resembles real floral bloom enough to qualify for the title above. Most of these six are annuals.

1. Cyclamen persicum, Persian cyclamen is now a Ghost of Christmas Past that will stay as long as it performs. If it does not mold by the end of the rainy season, it will hibernate by the warmly dry season. It is sadly exploited as an expensively cheap annual perennial.

2. Lobularia maritima, alyssum remains from last summer as a genuinely cheap annual that wants to be a perennial. Although it has potential to perform as a perennial, salvage after winter is less practical than replacement, especially since alyssum is not expensive.

3. Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Prostratus’ creeping rosemary is neither annual nor perennial like the others. It is instead a very prostrate shrub that sprawls as a ground cover. Bloom seems to be continuous, although not as impressive as bloom of annuals and perennials.

4. Viola X wittrockiana, pansy is probably the most popular cool season annual here. It has potential to be perennial, but like alyssum, it is easier to replace when it is in season than salvage after it was not in season. It gets thrashed through the warmth of summer.

5. Osteospermum ecklonis, African daisy tries to bloom as continuously as rosemary. Its flowers do not last for long while the weather is cool and damp, though, and might mold before they unfurl. Several cultivars with distinct floral colors bloom in the same garden.

6. Brassica oleracea var. acephala, ornamental cabbage is the only one of these six that is foliar rather than floral. Actually, it deteriorates as it eventually blooms with warming summer weather. Yet, it is the biggest and boldest of these six even without floral 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/

Posted on by tonytomeo · 20 Comments

Six on Saturday: Another Saturday of Flowers

A Week Of Flowers’ at ‘Words And Herbs’ got me started. It finished two weeks ago, and I did not even participate, but it reminded me that I should exhibit more floral pictures. Although the original project featured any floral pictures from any time of year, these six are all from yesterday, and actually, all are from the same relatively confined landscape. Minor frost that damages some vulnerable species within nearby landscapes is somehow less bothersome within this particular landscape. Elsewhere, some flowers are not quite as fresh. The only other common lantana within another landscape here was already cut back to the ground because its foliage succumbed to frost. It seems to know to postpone regeneration until after frost, but will likely succumb to frost next winter also. Although frost is mild here, it does happen.

1. Lantana camara, lantana was already damaged by mild frost at a lower elevation and less than a mile away. Even while damaged, though, it was still trying to bloom like this.

2. Lantana montevidensis, trailing lantana is purportedly slightly more resilient to frost than common lantana. However, its foliage can become very dark, as if it were damaged.

3. Tecomaria capensis, Cape honeysuckle is overrated. Its orange floral color is nice, but its flowers and floral trusses are too small and too scarce to display the color adequately.

4. Leonotis leonurus, lion’s tail bloom seems to resemble that of Cape honeysuckle, most likely because both attract sunbirds as pollinators where they are native in South Africa.

5. Tulbaghia violacea, society garlic is not among my favorite perennials, but is resilient and undemanding. This specimen has been abandoned for years, but constantly blooms.

6. Callistemon viminalis ‘Little John’ bottlebrush is now Melaleuca viminalis. I learned it as a cultivar of Callistemon citriodora that is more proportionate to compact gardens.

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 · 8 Comments

Six on Saturday: A Saturday Of Flowers

‘A Week Of Flowers’ at ‘Words And Herbs’ finished a week ago, but as I said last week, it reminded me that I should share more floral pictures.

1. Bergenia crassifolia, pigsqueak is as popular as it is because it is so easy to propagate merely by relocating rhizomes that migrate where they are not wanted. These eventually creep onto a low retaining wall around their area, providing more to relocate elsewhere.

2. Rosa spp. ‘Iceberg’ rose should finish bloom anytime. That bud to its upper left is not likely to open now that the weather is cool for winter. ‘Burgundy Ice’, in the background, is grafted onto the same rose tree with this ‘Iceberg’. I think that they look odd together.

3. Pelargonium hortorum, zonal geranium is getting overgrown enough to look shabby, but should not be pruned back until the end of winter. If it gets pruned back now, it will look even shabbier until it resumes growth as weather gets warmer at the end of winter.

4. Erigeron karvinskianus, Santa Barbara daisy flowers seems to be a bit lean in partial shade. Santa Barbara daisy can be an annoying weed, but within our landscapes, is more often an asset, adorning otherwise bare stone walls. I pull it out to refresh it after winter.

5. Rhododendron spp., azalea blooms lavishly for spring, but this particular unidentified cultivar also tosses out these few premature flowers for winter. Incidentally, it is merely coincidental that most of these Six bloom white. I just got pictures of what is prominent.

6. Helleborus X hybridus, hellebore is happy to self sow, but not as happy to perform. It does not bloom much. When it does, most of its flowers are spotty and grungy. Even the foliage is shabby. This flower, although pallid and weirdly blushed, is a delightful rarity.

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: a Week of Flowers

‘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/

Posted on by tonytomeo · 12 Comments

Six on Saturday: White Saturday

Black Friday was yesterday. White Saturday seems appropriate today. Actually though, I lacked six pictures after a two week commitment from which I returned less than a week ago. These six were cut flowers where I was at. It is a long story. Apologies for this lapse of any personally relevant horticultural topics.

1. Gladiola is one flower that really excels at white! Except for the few at work, I have not grown them in many years. I grew some in yellow and orange in the old neighborhood in 2000 or so. They were fancy hybrids like this, so were not reliably perennial for too long.

2. Peruvian lily was one of the first cut flower crops that I worked with after my first year of college, for the summer of 1986, when they were new and trendy. White had not been developed back then. I am impressed by how white this variety is, with only minor spots.

3. Carnation is one of the most ubiquitous of cut flowers, but is also the only one of these six that I have never grown. I have worked with only bedding types and sweet William in landscapes at work. I did not get close enough to notice how fragrant this carnation was.

4. Rose is the most popular of cut flowers, although it does not seem to be as ubiquitous as carnations do. I can not remember ever not growing them. I acquired some that are in my garden now while I was in high school in about 1984 or 1985 and brought them here.

5. Chrysanthemum that grow in the landscapes at work were formerly potted plants that were left with us to be recycled. We selected none intentionally. They might be more fun like that. Anyway, this particular cut white chrysanthemum is impressively humongous!

6. Lily was a secondary cut flower crop that I worked with for the summer of 1986, along with the primary crop of Peruvian lily, which is not actually a lily. We grew Asiatic lilies, and we grew white lilies, but not white Asiatic lilies such as this. I am happily impressed.

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/

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Six on Saturday: Weeding & Pilferage

Pilferage annoys me. I certainly do not want to annoy anyone else with it. Fortunately, I only want to pilfer weeds that should be removed from their landscapes anyway. Several of these six were unwanted feral seedlings, which technically qualify as weeds. Seed that was not removed could have grown into more feral seedlings if I had left it. Although the red yucca pup was not a weed, it was crowded. Ocotillo was a gift, so was neither a weed, nor pilfered. Now, I have even more to grow.

1. Hesperaloe parviflora, red yucca produces quite a bit of seed. I found some which the gardeners neglected to deadhead. I wrapped it too neatly to unwrap to get a picture of it.

2. Hesperaloe parviflora, red yucca should be easier to grow by division. Unfortunately, this one shoot that I managed to divide is almost totally rotten from excessive irrigation.

3. Calliandra californica, Baja fairy duster is the only species in this bundle of seedlings that I can identify. It is the biggest one which extends to the upper right. The bundle also includes seedlings of both or either Parkinsonia florida, blue Palo verde and or Prosopis velutina, velvet mesquite, as well as a single seedling of an unidentified species of palm.

4. Parkinsonia florida, blue palo verde is easier to identify when it larger than seedlings. However, because I am unfamiliar with it, I am still uncertain if these are actually them.

5. Prosopis velutina, velvet mesquite left these seed pods on the ground. Small holes are from insect larvae that ate some of the seed within. A few viable seed would be adequate.

6. Fouquieria splendens, ocotillo was a gift, so was not pilfered. This cane is about three feet long, so can become several cuttings when I determine how long cuttings should be.

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 · 8 Comments

Six on Saturday: Away Again

It is a long story. To be brief, Rhody and I are again far away from work and home, near Phoenix in Arizona, without time to write.

1. Prosopis velutina, velvet mesquite is supposedly the most common mesquite here and is also native. It develops sculptural form, but only light shade, which seems to me to be substandard for such a warm climate. Perhaps it is common because it is undemanding.

2. Parkinsonia florida, blue palo verde is also native like velvet mesquite, but is only one of the two most common palo verdes here. Foothill palo verde is the other. Both develop sculptural form and light shade, also like velvet mesquite, and are a bit more sculptural.

3. Lantana montevidensis, trailing lantana is the same common type that I occasionally work with at home, but seems to be happier and more colorful here, even while shorn as these weirdly compact globs, and humiliatingly deprived of its naturally sprawling form.

4. Calliandra californica, Baja fairy duster seems to be more prevalent here than it is in California. Of course, Baja California is a very big and very diverse region to the south of the State of California that I am familiar with. I suspect that this is a hybrid or a cultivar.

5. Leucophyllum frutescens, Texas sage, like so much of the flowering shrubbery here, is shorn too abusively to bloom as well as it likely should. Its silvery gray foliar color is also compromised. I can not even guess what its natural form or branch structure should be.

6. Rhody is so tolerant of my interest in unfamiliar vegetation. His only interaction with it involves just ‘claiming’ it. I absconded with a handful of seed pods and three seedlings of velvet mesquite, and a seedlings of Baja fairy duster (which will get a different name).

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 · 4 Comments

Six on Saturday: Day Out

Rhody and I were in Capitola to attend to a few important tasks. Consequently, I did not take any pictures from home or work. My ‘Six’ for this week are therefore totally random without a theme.

1. Liquidambar styraciflua, sweetgum does not require much chill to exhibit exemplary foliar color for autumn. This deep garnet red is almost too dark to be visually appealing. It looks like it should be in Vermont rather than here on the Central Coast of California.

2. Archontophoenix cunninghamiana, king palm is more common closer to Los Angeles than here. I know of only a few here, and almost all are somewhat shabby like these are. King palm is less tolerant of slightly excessive chill than sweetgum is of inadequate chill.

3. Eucalyptus citriodora, lemon gum is also more common in Southern California, likely because it prefers warmer winters. Although these are reasonably happy here, not many are so happy within the Santa Clara Valley on the other side of the Santa Cruz Mountain.

4. Cortaderia jubata, pampas grass is the aggressively invasive sort which is naturalized so wickedly on the West Coast of California and Oregon. This is not a good picture, since it shows only its bloom peeking above the edge of the cliff, with foliage concealed below.

5. Eucalyptus globulus, blue gum is another aggressively invasive naturalized species. It has a completely different personality, though. Where it competes with other tall trees, it grows very high, and is very combustible. This exposed tree is relatively short and stout.

6. Carpobrotus edulis, Hottentot fig, which most of us know incorrectly as ice plant, was imported from South Africa more than a century ago, and is now so abundant that some believe that it is native. Technically, it is invasive too, but it is not easy to dislike as such.

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 · 9 Comments

Six on Saturday: Attempted Autumn

Astronomical autumn began more than a month ago. It is about a third done, with about two thirds remaining. Meteorological autumn can start at any time. Sometimes, it starts, but then pauses before restarting a bit later. Sometimes, the first rain is the beginning of the rainy season, which typically continues through winter. A bit of rain arrived between Wednesday and Thursday, and a bit more is here now, but no more is in the forecast for next week. Regardless of future weather, some flowers bloom, or at least try to, as late as they possibly can. Of course, some actually prefer to bloom even later and during winter. Apologies for the lack of focus of pictures #4 and #6.

1. A ‘chance or rain’ in the weather forecast here is generally not taken too seriously until something like this happens. It is a genuine puddle. It is wet, and full of water from rain.

2. Sequoia sempervirens, coastal redwood seems to enjoy this damp weather. It actually enjoys all weather, but appears to be more refreshed by any interruption of arid warmth.

3. Lemna minor, duckweed is even weirder with this border of white foam that develops as the first rain washes away pollen and dusty crud that accumulated since the last rain.

4. Hedychium coccineum X coronarium ‘Peach Delight’ ginger lily, which was blooming for last Saturday, is trying to bloom again. I already doubted its ability to follow through.

5. Brugmansia X cubensis ‘Charles Grimaldi’ angel’s trumpet looks like Carl’s Junior ate too much of its own food. I added this because of response to angel’s trumpet last week.

6. More interestingly, it produced this seed pod. Such hybrids should be sterile. I can not help but wonder if seed is true to type. If so, propagation by cuttings is easier than seed.

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 · 22 Comments

Six on Saturday: Firsts & Lasts

Angel’s trumpet should be finishing bloom by now. Instead, and even while their foliage is fading with cooler weather, their bloom continues. Only the unidentified cultivar with single pink flowers currently lacks open flowers, but even it is budded for potential later bloom. (I neglected to get a picture of a flower of ‘Charles Grimaldi’ angel’s trumpet only because two pictures of angel’s trumpet is sufficient.) While angel’s trumpet is finishing, Algerian iris and ‘Peach Delight’ ginger lily are blooming for their first time here and red butterfly ginger is generating bulbils for its first time here. I was not aware that this sort of ginger generates bulbils. Otherwise, I could have allowed the other gingers do so also.

1. Hedychium greenii, red butterfly ginger is making bulbils! I did not know that it knew how to do so. I am now glad that I refrained from pruning the bloomed canes out earlier.

2. Hedychium coccineum X cornonarium ‘Peach Delight’ ginger lily started to bloom so late that I did not expect for it to actually show this much color and confirm its identity.

3. Iris unguicularis, Algerian iris is also blooming for the first time here, since its arrival from Tangly Cottage Gardening. It should bloom more for winter. Is it blue or purplish?

4. Brugmansia, angel’s trumpet of an unidentified cultivar, species or perhaps hybrid, is trying to bloom with its last big single pink flowers of the season, and it just might do so.

5. Brugmansia insignis ‘Single White’ angel’s trumpet is my favorite in regard to bloom, but not one that I recommend. It is blooming nicely though, now that its season is done.

6. Brugmansia candida ‘Double White’ angel’s trumpet also intends to bloom until it no longer can. It bloomed only sporadically since spring, but better than the ‘Single White’.

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/