What's happening in your early spring garden?

ha ha ha - I thought they were seeing their reflection when they did that, too.

I love hydrangeas, I put three in up at the top of the slope this morning, (I got them from Joy Creek Nursery last year - they've been acclimating). They aren't so beautiful right now thow, budded sticks.

Robin spit...I love it! LOL. Thanks for the explanations, that makes a lot of sense. The mirror thing must have been pretty entertaining to watch, Pam. I have a parrotlet and anytime he sees himself in a mirror, he makes his angry noise and flies straight at it and tries to attack his reflection. We had another parrotlet a while ago who could have cared less. Go figure.

RTP, so you are saying that a year is the proper acclimating time for hydrangeas? ;-). I'm afraid I accidentally let my brugmansia sanguinea do a bit too much acclimation. What started out winter as a little seedling, has shot out three thick main branches, and is now rooted firmly in place right through the pot. It's in a horrible location too, so I'm going to have to find some other acclimating area for it. The three large branches are indeed coming out of the tiny green pot on the left....oops.

are you sure that brug is in a bad spot ? It seems pretty happy there : )

The Japanese Maples are starting to leaf out and so are the clematis. The daffodils are in full bloom now too.

My hydrangea is already in it's new 5 gallon pot, so we have awhile to think about it. It will really take some thinking, too, 'cause I love them, but have no suitable spot to plant them. We're going to have to get quite creative.....

I love hydrangeas, but my mostly sunny mostly xeriscape garden is not exactly the happiest place for them, so I'm trying them in pots to see how that goes since I have some shadier deck areas where I can keep them. I have one bed where I can plant them, but I only have room there for a couple and I've got a lot more than a couple! LOL

The only spot I really have is on the north side of the workshop and I have 3 half barrels there with variegated lacecaps...in between those 3 are 2 half barrels filled with tall sword ferns, but I don't need those...maybe I'll go see if I can find another Nizza to match the one I got today and put those in the two barrels. The north side of our house hasn't enough room with a bank heading up the hill there and they'd never even be seen. I'm also working on the large tubs theory right now. I have a large Sykes' Dwarf oakleaf in a big pot....it's really difficult, but I suppose it's a good thing or I'd be starting a huge hydrangea collection. I think it's worth moving to the PNW for...lol.....

OK, finally went out and took some pics.

Here's an early one - Salvia 'Gracias' just started to bloom. It won't be in its glory until we get some heat.

A red Salvia I got from drdon, but lost the tag.

Encelia californica

This native has been blooming non-stop since last summer. Some critters have decided to sleep in it, so I'll have to do some reshaping.

Ceanothus 'Snow Flurry'

Just started to bloom and should be really pretty soon.

Ceanothus 'Tassajara Blue'

We planted this one last spring, so it's nice that it's blooming already. It should get very large.

Ceanothus 'Concha'

The plant that won't stop spreading! I keep cutting it back off the path and everything else that's growing around it.

Galvezia speciosa. A native snapdragon. Hummer magnet.

Mimulus guttatus (seep monkeyflower) grows all around our pond. It can grow anywhere it likes as far as we're concerned.

This is one of our 'three old men.' Someone thought it was a Bishop Pine - anyone know? We love them.

Sysrinchium bellum (Blue-eyed Grass) - another of my favorites. The bunnies eat them!

That's it for me for now. The Lady Banks roses are blooming, but they never photograph well.

I have a shooting star hydrangia in a pot in front of a north facing fence. it doesn't do well. leggy and not very bloomy. anybody tried this kind. maybe it's just a weak florist's culrivar.

Shooting Star was the one I was looking for today when I found the other one that came home with me...lol...I haven't hit the nurseries looking for it, but saw it last year in a grocery store and was so sorry that I didn't get it, so every time I'm in that store, I look for the Shooting Star.Today, at the checkout, the cashier and I got into a conversation about ourlove of hydrangeas and she said that she has the Shooting Star and that it's spectacular.....perhaps, being in Santa Cruz it could stand more light?

melianthus blooms, in a large pot.

You could be right. I think I'll move it. it just leafing out right now. pic above is right next to the hydrangia. how big is shooting star supposed to get?

pix: Eye candy

"happy wanderer" finishing up blooming has been going for at least a month. I love this vine for winter color. it is in a large terracotta pot, on an east facing wall.

pink daffodils. Those pink primroses were supposed to be ' blue jeans' I bought as seed. After loosing the rest of them one way or another this last one remained only to bloom pink! Bah.

New veggie bed built by my DH and son, who it sitting on the lounger. Planted it today with Seascape strawberries, snap peas, beets, carrots, lettuce, and bok choy.

wonder - "Happy Wanderer" does it look like this? I'm wondering if that is what I have.... the blooms are super pretty.

KaperC - you have so many things blooming, lovely !

Here's a very awkward picture of abutilon variegated.. the hummers like the blooms, I think the foliage is pretty.

wonder, your bed looks great, I need to work on mine. Your son is cute!

yes that is definitely it. i love it!

Hardenbergia is the name. I grow it in a pot and it gives amazing winter color. I've seen a lot around town that are over grown and woody at the base. I am going to cut mine back pretty severely after bloom as the new growth last year was very vigorous and that was where it bloomed mostly. I want the blooms to be at the same hight next year as they were this year.

Sorry I'm repeating myself. I'm a little distracted these days with a toddler and a new arrival. My brain didn't recover from the "pregnancy brain" last time for over a year.

oh you didn't repeat yourself! Thanks for the tips about cutting back, that is good to know - I have 3 kiddies myself 11, 8 and 6 - so I very much remember. You seem far more "together" than I was after a new arrival... have fun with your new joy. : )


Thanks for the name, I love the blooms it is near some lavender and daffs and the colors are so pretty together and the bees are very drawn as well.

Hehe. not really. I've got a lot of help. DH was on yard duty today with the task master! I've got one more week off of house work. dr's orders.

KC, love those blues! Especially the Concha! We got to talk about where I can get me some.
Wonderearth, you have some amazing plants in your yard. What zone are you in? Just lovely. Always learn something new.
Thanks for the tours KC, wonderearth, and red. Lovely to see other people's gardens, then I start drooling!
WIB,
SW

SW, There will be plenty of cuttings available when you come to the RU. It's growing over the path again, but I'm not cutting it back now because of the flowers. Bring your nippers!

I'm in 9a.

WIll do KC. I'll even sterilize them first. LOL!
wonderearth, I'm kinda of on the edge of 9a and 9b. Maybe those apples will too, grow for me. Now I got to find them. LOL! DH and ES have replanted part of the orchard. I am hoping that he will go trim those old trees so that we can get rid of the root stock they were grafted onto. Only a couple of trees from before are left, and he loves his power tools. ^_^.
As for me. Back to chores like removing dog do, and spreading mulch, weeding, and trimming off unwanted or dead growth. The day is so nice and warm. It will be a good thing to work in the sunny garden today.
Have a great day gardening, may you find at least one surprise, that warms your heart this day!
WIB,
SW

I don't grow many 'regular' plants, but fortunately the succulents I have in the yard seem to like the southern California winter weather (unless we get a freak cold spell like two years ago)... Here are some things that are blooming (or just finished blooming)

Aloe speciosa

another shot

aloe inyangensis

Aloe globulogemma