The First Camellias

The first camellias of the season are opening. So lovely!

Periwinkle

Even when periwinkle (vinca minor) is out of bloom I love it on this slope in the Laguna garden. It is under a tree and I have a hard time growing anything there except this prolific groundcover that is really a vine. The Rose of Sharon and Japanese Maple have already gone dormant on this cool north facing hill, but the vinca fills in the area quite nicely up to the yellow clivia which will bloom in the late spring. One time a helper of mine mistook my instructions and removed all of the vinca from this area and it looked dreadful for a couple years as I tried other plants to fill in. Finally I went back to my old favorite and it has not disappointed me. I know some people find it aggressive and I probably would too if it weren't in a setting where I needed something to cover a large area in the shade under a tree. Here, it works for me.

More Mums

There is another stand of lovely pink mums that are thriving quite happily in Laguna with little attention. Love them!

Trumpets in Bloom

I have a number of brugmansias on both of my properties, but this is my favorite one. It is a pink one in a corner of the Laguna garden. It is about ten feet tall (this photo is looking down on it from the upper deck) and as you can see is in bloom right now somewhat. When it blooms in the spring there are literally hundreds of blooms on it and the fragrance drifts up to the house and is quite intoxicating. It is showing some signs of iron deficiency of the edges of the leaves which means ready for some fertilizer after a season of vigorous growth and blooming.

Different Kind of Fall Color

In warm climates "fall color" take on a different meaning, especially when it comes to bougainvillea. This tropical vine is in full color in our area this time of year and the bright brackets (the actual flowers are tiny white blooms in the center of the three colorful brackets) are vivid against the clear blue skies that make this such a lovely time of year, even in warmer climates.