I have always tucked my Pennsy stuff and local walk-abouts into the garden threads, but this one doesn't seem to fit, so I started up a new thread for those other interesting local occurences.
We took a look into the wild area along the Saddle River today and yes, on that side the double flowered Snowdrops/ Galanthus nivalis are up. I am not sure if you can make them out in those habitat shots, there are large patches of them everywhere. We were thrilled to see them!
Name: Carol Santa Ana, ca Sunset zone 22, USDA zone 10 A.
Other color in my garden(?) Best I could do with the light situation. Can't give species from the pics, and many are females, which makes it harder, but the little guy in the bird bath, and with the bright orange gorget is our Allen's male, a sub species of Rufus that stays here year round. Got to go make them some sugar water now. The Warblers and a male Hooded Oriole are keeping the back feeder empty. Wish I could get pics of them, but they're shy.
Name: Elaine Sarasota, Fl The one constant in life is change
Beautiful shots, Carol. I have no idea of the species as we get mostly Ruby-throated hummers here. I am rarely up early enough in the morning to catch them at the flowers.
In my garden today, we have Rain, Rain Rain! Thankfully, as this is going into the driest time of the year, and will fill up the rain barrels and the cisterns out behind the shop that were getting very empty.
Elaine
"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." –Winston Churchill
Name: Carol Santa Ana, ca Sunset zone 22, USDA zone 10 A.
We do have Anna's and Black chinned, but it's hard to tell the females apart, especially in poor light. The black chinned are a darker green, and a bit more stream lined. The male Anna's is the only hummer with a red head, but the females and juveniles all look a lot alike, and to make matters worse, according to our local bird book, they are hybridizing. They are all entertaining though.
Well, this sounded like a nice thread so I picked up my camera and went out the OC door. The first thing that caught my attention was this Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost'. It will bloom like this all summer long.
Close by is this pretty little Serissa foetida Variegata. What a great plant.
The huge cone on this Cycad Lepidozamia peroffskyana is starting to crack open.
Name: Elaine Sarasota, Fl The one constant in life is change
Neat, Jim. How big is your new pet? Lovely pictures - I've never seen the Stromanthe blooming, it's really a nice flower along with the gorgeous foliage.
I planted that Diamond Frost euphorbia, and it really is pretty but it spread itself around everywhere! Roots from the leaf nodes.
I have plumbago starting to bloom, Passiflora 'Lady Margaret' with a black bee and my White Giant calla in bloom as long as the nights are cool.
Elaine
"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." –Winston Churchill
Name: Carol Santa Ana, ca Sunset zone 22, USDA zone 10 A.
I like that Stromanthe too! I guess I'm going to have to try the Iochroma for my hummers. I've tried several things on my arbor, but not found the right one yet for the hummers. Most vines that work for them get out of control too fast. Do you have aphid problems or mildew on your's?
Name: Carol Santa Ana, ca Sunset zone 22, USDA zone 10 A.
Thanks, Jim. I realize it is a shrub, but I have a Gelsemium on the other side of the arbor, that is taking over, so it is worth a try. It will be stretching for the sun.
Name: Elaine Sarasota, Fl The one constant in life is change
Everybody smiles when they get to be in Jim's garden, even if they're uninvited!
Carol, have you tried the Coral Honeysuckle? It's a hummer favorite here, and doesn't get too crazy out of control, either. It's also drought tolerant, although CA is really taking the drought to an extreme this year, isn't it! Maybe same your 'grey water' in your rain barrel, if it doesn't rain in April? In Utah if there were watering restrictions we took a bucket or a plastic dish pan into the shower to catch the extra, and I'd water the garden with that.
Elaine
"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." –Winston Churchill
Name: Carol Santa Ana, ca Sunset zone 22, USDA zone 10 A.
Elaine, I have a Hall's Red Honeysuckle on that arbor now, but it gets mildew to the point that it's useless. I'm going to have to make a trip to Plant Depot in San Juan to see what they have. They have the best selection of plants around. After looking at Annie's Annuals website this morning, I don't think the Iochroma will work there.
One of my favorite vines is Rangoon Creeper (Quisqualis indica). I saw a double flowering one at Crowley's nursery (Sarasota) a year or two ago that I won't soon forget. It is also very fragrant.
Jim
"Advertising may be described as the science of arresting the human intelligence long enough to get money from it." -- Steven Leacock
Name: Elaine Sarasota, Fl The one constant in life is change
Crowley's is like a theme park for gardeners! They had a big sale area at Tropiflora today with lots of interesting stuff, and I had to slap my own hand to keep from buying one of those giant Tibouchina plants. I just don't have a clue where I'd find room for it. Ditto the mulberry tree c/w ripe mulberries on it . . .
I did come home with 7 beautiful bromeliads, though. Five of them are Billbergia 'Hallelujah' with the dark red foliage and creamy spots, and the others are Billbergia 'Casa Blanca' and Billbergia 'Mariposa'. I just love the Billbergia blooms, and these have really interesting foliage, too. They should make a pretty feature next to our cream stucco wall. I have lots of shady spots for broms in my garden, and they are the one thing that really does well with no fuss in the shade of the oak trees. They have a few hundred thousand broms of all shapes, sizes and colors there at Tropiflora . . . it's pretty overwhelming! The one in the last picture is 20ft. up in a huge oak tree, and its leaves must be 5ft. long.
Elaine
"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." –Winston Churchill