Early Spring Garden

 

Ceanothus

Because we have had a colder and much wetter winter than usual, everything in my garden is at least two weeks late. When I compare today's state of the garden with the photos of last year at the same time, much more was already in full bloom in 2022. 

But there are sure signs of spring and I can see how the garden is waking up - not that it was ever fast asleep during the winter months. There is always something in bloom here. Like this lavender - "Davy's Love" - that has been flowering all winter long.

At the beginning of last fall I got rid of two of my camellias because they were too close to the house and therefore a fire hazard (I have been fire scaping for two years now). But there is one in the back that is doing spectacularly every winter (other than the remaining one in the front, which is clearly struggling and I might take that one out as well). See for yourself.

Right beneath it is the little bird angel that I took home several years ago. No one wanted it because it has a broken toe. I love it. This is my contribution to Nicole's Friday Face Off.

Forget-me-nots are in the same shady area.

The potato vine has been blooming for a few years now. I planted it last spring and the rainy winter really helped it to get established. It has grown a lot.

Sweet Alyssum is a favorite - I love its beautiful scent that always remind me of my childhood.

There are two California Lilacs (Ceanothus) in my front garden that I planted 10 years ago. I was a bit afraid that the winter would have been too wet for them since they don't need much irrigation, but they have been doing great. One is in the top photo and one in the following one:

The French Lilac looks promising as well - French lilacs have been my dad's favorites, so of course I had to have one (actually three) in my garden, just like the peonies that were my mom's favorites.

The native pink flowering currant Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum is flowering happily. This is such a unpretentious plant, thrives on neglect and provides both for pollinators and our native birds. I have five of them and wouldn't mind another one.

Tulips don't really do well in California, at least not after the first year. They need the freeze over the winter which usually they don't get here near the coast (they most certainly get it in the mountains). So I didn't even plant any bulbs last year because the years before had been kind of disappointing. Last spring I got about 50% of what I had planted. I decided to save money and labor and just passed up on tulip bulbs.

What a surprise when I saw tulips peeking out of the soil after our colder-than-usual winter! And most of them carry flowers (often only the leaves appear, but this spring there are FLOWERS!!!). I had forgotten how many bulbs I used to plant. They're coming up in places I had completely forgotten about. This probably has been the best surprise this spring so far.

Are there any beautiful happenings in your garden?