2/13/10

Almost half-way through February!

I don't feel like I have much to show for it, but when other people find things to blog about whilst living under several feet of snow, I feel that I have no excuse. What I really need to do is get out of Bernal Heights for some kind of horticulture excursion. The Botanical Garden, for starters. Okay, I'll do that soon.

In the meantime... I'm parting the newly emergent buckeye leaves to see if I can find a flower bud inside. No luck so far.

Aesculus californica

Here you see the manzanita flowers fallen on wood chips. Don't they look just like little snow balls? Or maybe hail. Yes, just like. See--I know exactly what you're going through.

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I don't know why I'm so entranced by this branch of lemons. I seem to take this picture every time I visit the garden.

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Light is coming back to the garden. Not a moment to soon for cordyline

Sun is moving back on the cordyline. Not a moment too soon.

or Phormium cookianum 'Black Adder'.

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The general state of things in the garden right now looks like this

The general state of things.

and this

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and this

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I was joking I'll need a machete by summer.

By July I'll need a machete. (Echium pininana)

I don't know what it means for July when it's hard to traverse the garden in February.

Here's a different view of Hardenbergia violacea from down in the garden. Cobaea scandens (lower right) is the more aggressive plant for sure.

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It also has flowers all year long where Hardenbergia does not.

I haven't started any vegetable seeds yet. The favas have at least 6-8 weeks to make beans. But even if they don't, it was worth it to have them just for the flowers.

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You know the cabbage was just a whim crammed in between the beans. But maybe I'll try keeping it for harvest. How much longer, do you suppose?

The cabbage started as a whim, but heck. How much longer before I can harvest it?

Over under the Ceanothus, Omphalodes cappodocica is spreading and flowering. Mostly flowering.

Omphalodes cappadocica can't spread fast enough.

And last year's Ipheion uniflorum came back. First time ever.

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They're very pale. Hardly blue at all.

9 comments:

Tira said...

Those favas really are pretty, and that cabbage is also a winner.

CiNdEe's GaRdEn said...

Everything looks so pretty and lush there! I guess you guys don't have freezing temperatures.(-: No snow here either just rain(-: I did get out and raked today and I have violets coming up everywhere and a few daffodils blooming. The roses are growing too!!! Spring is near!!!(-:

Julie said...

That is a lovely Cordyline!! I love the red/pink ones!!! So purdy!!!

The look of the favas are amazing!!! I will have to see if they will grow here...might be fun next year!!!

Anonymous said...

The Hardenbergia is gorgeous. Be careful with the Ipheion uniflorum, though - around here they're weeds almost as ubiquitous as wild radish and mustard. Prettier than those, but definitely invasive.

Unknown said...

OMG, that's what fava beans look like in the garden? I don't even know what they taste like, but I think I HAVE to plant some in my backyard this year. They look like some kind of exotic cousin of hollyhocks! But edible!

kate smudges said...

The Phormium 'Black Adder' is gorgeous. I'd be definitely drooling if I had lemons growing in my garden. Everything in your garden always looks so beautiful and lush. Sadly, my garden is under several feet of snow.

Rainymountain said...

If I had a branch with lemons growing on it, I'd take photos every time I went past it too. So great for a northerner like me to see a junglely garden,

Brad said...

Beautiful pic of the light hitting that cordyline. You have a very lush garden indeed for February.

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