Of all the flowering drought tolerant shrubs I have planted in my garden I count santolina, or Lavender cotton, as one of the best. This is a real tough customer when it comes to being completely drought tolerant in my hot, baking southern California garden. They tolerate full sun and summers that can reach over Read More…
Category: what’s blooming now
Sprouting Amaryllis, Daffodils, Calla and Freesia, Happy New Year From theGardenPages
This New Year’s Day I have sprouting amaryllis, daffodils and freesia bulbs in the garden. We’ve had a bit of rain in Los Angeles, so there are a few bulbs that take this as their cue to get an early start on spring flowers. I am enchanted by the fragrance of freesias. I pick them Read More…
Astounding Amaryllis Flowers Blooming in So California August Heat
Amaryllis belladonna are fascinating flowers. They bloom straight out of the bare ground on tall stalks. Their flowers are large and dramatic, shaped like trumpets about four inches long. They smell wonderful and can perfume a room on a hot summer day. They bloom in late summer or early fall. The leaves are on a Read More…
Pink Blooming Aechmea Bromeliad Update
The flowers on my aechmea plant are finally opening. They are on stalks about a foot long coming out of the center of the plant. The flower is about 6 inches wide from tendril to spiky tendril. Aechmeas can be grown in Sunset Zones 22 -24, or (USDA Zone 10 or above or hardy Read More…
Delicate Flowering Crape Myrtle Lagerstroemia for Hot Weather Gardens
Here in Los Angeles, the Crape Myrtle Trees begin blooming around April and are still in bloom now in July, despite the 100 degree heat wave. These perennials are known for their beautiful clusters of flowers that look like crinkles of crepe paper. Colors come in bright white, dusty pinks, neon reds onto pink and Read More…
Purple Wisteria Blossoms, Pink And Peach Peace Rose on #FloralFriday
Today’s frequently #FloralFriday features beautiful purple, violet wisteria blossoms and a peachy pink Peace rose. There’s also an element of trepidation and mystery, but I’ll get to that later. When I moved into this house there were a few old, giant rose bushes. They seemed to want to climb, so I put a little arch Read More…
Pink Roses, Lavender And Yellow Acacia Flowers For #FloralFriday
I am luck, luck, lucky enough to have a few things blooming in my garden right now, so I’m sharing the floral joy to brighten up your Friday. And two of these flowers are from drought tolerant plants, so take heart my fellow desert dwellers. This is a pretty pink tea rose that grows tall Read More…
Peach Flavored Roses With Raindrops For #FloralFriday
OK, they don’t really taste like peaches, they’re just peachy in color, and they really smell like roses. The rain stopped just long enough for me to take this photo of my blooming rose. It’s peach or salmon colored. I can’t find the tag in the mud so we’ll have to remain in suspense as Read More…
Red And White Striped Roses Blooming for #FloralFriday
This is my favorite rose bush, it is a red and white striped floribunda rose. I can’t find the tag though so I can’t tell you it’s name. I planted it because it reminded me of a beloved Rosa Mundi I left behind at a previous garden. This rose usually gets one large burst of Read More…
Newsflash: Rosary plant (Crassula rupestris) getting ready to flower
I have exciting news from my garden. The rosary plant has flower buds! I’m excited because my rosary plants don’t all bloom reliably every year. Rosary plants, or Crassula rupestris, have low-water growing requirements similar to other succulents, but prefer partial to deep shade. I love these little succulent plants. I’ve got them spread out Read More…