Late to the Garden Party

Monday, January 19, 2026

In a Vase on Monday: Spring in January

It definitely feels like Spring here. We had temperatures in the low 80sF (28C) last week. It cooled down slightly yesterday and it's expected to slowly drift down into the mid-60sF (18C) as the week continues and the marine layer reappears. While I've enjoyed the warmer temperatures, I nonetheless hope this isn't the new normal. I certainly don't want to find us jumping into summer anytime soon.

My first arrangement this week made use of the dramatic 'Bordeaux' Anemones that have been blooming for weeks already.

The plum-colored Anemones aren't easy to photograph. It also didn't help that its petals are prone to spotting but then the overhead watering I did last week when the Santa Ana winds were blowing didn't help there.

Back view: The blue flowers of Aristea inaequalis provided a nice accent when I cut the stems in the morning but unfortunately I find they close up in the afternoon. I'm hoping that the late afternoon sun in the front entry where the vase sits will cause them to reopen.

The flowers made their best showing in this overhead shot

Clockwise from the upper left: Anemone coronaria 'Bordeaux', A. c. 'Lord Lieutenant', Aristea inaequalis, noID Ceanothus, Chrysanthemum 'Fairbank Purple Spoon', and Hebe 'Wiri Blush'

My second arrangement is very pink and still more spring-like.

Although the 'Taylor's Perfection' Camellia blooms play the starring role, it was the pink snapdragons that inspired this arrangement

Back view

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Antirrhinum majus, Boronia crenulata 'Shark Bay', Camellia williamsii 'Taylor's Perfection', and Narcissus papyraceus

Our formerly saturated soil is becoming drier by the day. More rain would be appreciated before our all too short rainy season comes to an end in April. AccuWeather currently projects the possibility of rain late this month. My fingers are crossed that forecast is correct.

For more IAVOM creations, visit our host, Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

Friday, January 16, 2026

Bloom Day - January 2026 (Late Edition)

There's evidence that we're in for an early spring. I consider my ornamental pear tree (Pyrus calleryana), featured in my Wordless Wednesday post earlier this week, a harbinger of spring but even it's remarkably early by comparison to the last five years. The ample rain we got from October through December, recently followed by higher than usual temperatures, may be moving things along. Still, although my January garden is more floriferous than many in the Northern Hemisphere, it's less so than in later months of the year.

I'll begin with the high achievers, starting with the Aloes.

My 'Moonglow' Aloes become more impressive each year

These tiny noID Aloes growing in a pot bloom reliably a couple of times each year (and they're quite photogenic)

This Aloe striata x vanbalenii wants more room and more sun

Aloe vanbalenii x ferox is the splashiest of my relatively small, but growing, Aloe collection

Some of the earliest bulb blooms are making an appearance, including these Anemone coronaria 'Bordeaux', featuring splashes of blue against a burgundy background

I love Anemone 'Lord Lieutenant' even more but there are 3-4 other varieties that have yet to appear

Narcissus tazetta 'Geranium' are off to an early start too

The snapdragon plugs (Antirrhinum majus) I planted in late November are off and running

The flowers of Gomphrena decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy' may be tiny but their sheer numbers are impressive

Last year's Salvia 'Mystic Spires' returned in force following a series of rainstorms. The bluer ones on the right more accurately reflect their true color.

The Mexican Abelia (now classified as Vesalea floribunda) on my back slope is producing a large number of fragrant flower sprays. This is a cultivar known as 'Chiapas', which produces purple flowers.

I can't ignore the Aeonium arboreum bloom stalks either, much as I wish they kept a lower profile. They're still coming on like gangbusters.

There are so many in bloom that I find them overwhelming. I've already started cutting those dunce cap bloom stalks back but will probably get more serious about that soon.

There are also a host of heavy-lifters including multiple cultivars with longer-than-average flowering seasons, which include the following:

Clockwise from the top left, the Argyranthemum frutescens (aka Marguerite daisies) include: 'Aramis Apricot', 'Beauty Yellow', 'Grandaisy Dark Pink', and 'Mount Everest'

The Grevilleas include, top row: G. alpina x rosmarinifolia, G. 'Peaches & Cream', and G. 'Poorinda Leane'
Middle: G. lavandulcea 'Penola', G. rosmarinifolia, and G. sericea
Bottom: G. 'Scarlet Sprite' and my enduring star, G. 'Superb'

The Leucadendrons are also showing off their colorful bracts. Clockwise from the upper left: L. salignum 'Summer Red', L. 'Safari Sunset', and 2 L. 'Wilson's Wonder'

When temperatures fall, the Osteospermums return. They're short-live perennials here. Clockwise from the upper left are cultivars '4D Silver', a noID purple variety, 'Serenity Pink', and 'Violet Ice'

A few new bloomers are worth mentioning:

Camellia williamsii 'Taylor's Perfection' is living up to its name

The first of the hellebores made an early appearance. I think this is Helleborus 'Anna's Red'.

Rhodanthemum hosmariense (aka Moroccan daisy) has popped into bloom here and there

Meanwhile, other prized flowers are on their way out:

This includes the Camellia sasanquas 'Early Wonder' and 'October Magic Rose'

Protea 'Claire' still has a couple of buds but most have faded, like the one on the right here

I've thrown the remaining flowers I photographed into color-related collages:

Top row: Aristea inaequalis, Echium handiense, and Geranium 'Rozanne' (with a pansy)
Middle: Hebe 'Grace Kelly', Lantana montevidensis, and Limonium perezii
Bottom: Pelargonium peltatum, Polygala myrtifolia, and noID Viola

Top row: noID Alstroemeria, Boronia crenulata 'Shark Bay', and noID Dianthus
Middle: Hebe 'Wiri Blush', Leptospermum scoparium 'Pink Pearl', and Persicaria capitata
Bottom: noID Pericallis, Ruschia 'Nana', and noID Xerochrysum bracteatum

Left to right: Hemerocallis 'Spanish Harlem', noID Primula vulgaris, and Ribes viburnifolium

Top row: Correa 'Ivory Bells', noID Cyclamen, and Daucus carota
Middle: Fuchsia 'Windchimes White', Chrysocephalum apiculatum, and Gazania 'Gold Flame'
Bottom: noID Gazania, Oxalis pes-caprae, and Rudbeckia 'Juliana'

I've noticed buds developing on all five of my Leucospermums already so I'm counting that at least some will be in my February line-up. For now, check in with Carol at May Dreams Gardens to find other Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day posts.

Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Wordless Wednesday: Spring's arrived early

Monday, January 12, 2026

In a Vase on Monday: The siren call of blue flowers

I recently discovered that my Mexican Abelia, now classified as Vesalea floribunda, had sprung back to life after a hard pruning months ago. I obtained it many years ago from Annie's Annuals & Perennials as a four-inch plant and placed it on my back slope for reasons I don't recall. It didn't do much over the years and, although I loved its fragrant flowers, I had no success in propagating it directly from cuttings but it spread well by layering and is currently spilling over its neighbors. Once I saw how well it was doing, I knew I had to use it in a vase. While the color is described in the literature on the plant as "cerise," I see it as pinkish lavender and collected other flowers in that color scheme to complement it.

It became another of my "everything but the kitchen sink" creations. The single stem of Geranium 'Rozanne' I placed in front was probably a mistake, although the faint streaks at the center of the Geranium flower echo the color of the Vesalea blooms. The Salvia stems were almost lost in the mix.

Back view: The Limonium perezii blooms presented a better match with the Vesalea flowers

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Argyranthmum frutescens 'Mount Everest', Hebe 'Grace Kelly', Salvia 'Bee's Bliss', Geranium 'Rozanne', Limonium perezii, Osteospermum 'Violet Ice', and Vesalea floribunda

I'd originally thought I could throw the flowers of Anemone 'Lord Lieutenant' into that first vase but the color difference was too pronounced in my view. Still, I couldn't dismiss the brilliant blue of those flowers so I created a smaller second arrangement.

I've been very pleased that the 'Lord Lieutenant' Anemone bulbs I purchased in 2025 actually fit their specifications as described this time. The cream-colored Matthiola incana (aka stock) was added for its delicious scent.

Back view: I used stems of a noID Ceanothus as my filler

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Anemone coronaria 'Lord Lieutenant', noID Ceanothus, Matthiola incana, Prostanthera ovatifolia 'Variegata, and Salvia 'Mystic Spires'

We've had a major reversal in the weather over the past week with temperatures reaching into the mid-70sF (23C). It could get warmer still over this week. The Santa Ana winds have been blowing and our humidity levels have dropped dramatically. However, unlike last January, the winds pose little danger of sparking wildfires because we were so well saturated by the rain we've received since October. In fact, according to news reports, the State of California is completely drought-free for the first time in twenty-five years. Those conditions won't last forever but they're appreciated for now. Hopefully, we'll get more rain before our rainy season ends in April. At present, there's no significant chance of rain showing until early February.

For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

Friday, January 9, 2026

My Favorite Succulent Containers (at the moment)

We've had sunny days since Tuesday but the soil is still saturated, which limits what I can do right now. I spent three hours working on the back slope earlier this week but, at the end of that period, I was covered in mud and had badly compressed the wet soil. However, the Santa Ana winds kicked up yesterday, which should help the garden dry up quickly. While I waited out that process, I spent some time admiring my succulent containers. Many are in need of rehabs but I've highlighted some of my favorites.

This is currently my #1 favorite. Planted last August, it's filled out quickly. It includes Aeonium bramwellii 'Sunburst', Cotyledon pendens, Crassula swaziensis 'Variegata', and Kalanchoe marmorata.

Sitting next to the prior pot is this one containing a single plant, Echinopsis oxygona. As I recall, it was given to me as a small specimen by a friend years ago but it now fills the space.

The Aloe deltoidonta has occupied this pot for years too, accompanied by Cotyledon orbiculata. I added cuttings of Graptoveria 'Fred Ives' later.

It's been at least a year since I last refreshed this circle pot on my back patio table. I seldom water the small noID small Aloes and Crassula pubescens. The pot itself is the star in this case.

I potted this one up sometime last year but the cat figure was a recent gift from a friend. The pot, a prior gift, contains a noID Echeveria, what may be Graptoveria 'Lovely Rose', and cuttings of G. 'Fred Ives' and Crassula perforata.

This pot sits at the edge of one of my back borders. It contains an Agave parryi truncata, Echeveria affinis 'Black Knight', and Portulacaria afra 'Variegata'.

Planted in 2024, this bowl-shaped terracotta pot seated atop a rusty metal support is my second most favorite. It contain Crassula pendens, C. swaziensis 'Variegata, and what I think is Echeveria 'Violet Queen'.

I received a cutting of this plant from a friend years ago. She thought it was some kind of Haworthia but I couldn't find anything that matched this in that genus. The closest I could get is Haworthiopsis coarctata. Whatever it is, it's been happy in this facsimile shell pot.

I replanted this small ceramic container yesterday with a Crassula alba 'Lotus Garnet', tucking in 2 Graptoveria 'Lovely Rose' stems that had jumped ship out of another pot

I've had these 2 pots containing Mangave 'Bad Hair Day' sitting on opposite sides of the front door for several years. They make me smile every time I see them. The one on the left has a few slightly reddish leaves.

This pot was a birthday present from a friend last year. I'm guessing the plants are some kind of Echeveria.

This urn in front of the garage was looking especially photogenic. I planted it up in 2024 with a Mangave 'Kaleidoscope' pup, Graptosedum 'California Sunset' cuttings, and a Cremosedum 'Little Gem'.

I planted this pot with an Agave 'Sun Glow' and cuttings of Sedum morganianum (aka burro's tail) in 2025

We inherited this ancient chiminea with the house and I wired its front grate with a variety of noID Tillandsias last year. The air plants are doing exceptionally well there with virtually no support from me.

I planted a pup of Agave vilmoriana 'Variegata' in a pot at the base of a raised planter in my cutting garden after the mother plant bloomed out in 2023, adding cuttings of Aeonium haworthii 'Kiwi'. The Agave's finally gained some size and I've had to cut the 'Kiwi' succulents back.

That's a wrap for my blog posts this week. I hope to spend the bulk of the weekend working in the garden. I hope you have plans to do something you enjoy as well.