Christmas bloomers

[mleblanca]

Actually they are Day after Christmas Bloomers, since it rained all Christmas Day and I couldn't do my garden walk through until the 26th. Anyway here's my annual report on what's in bloom: Shrubs: Azaleas (2) Flowering Maple, Abutilon Euryops Winter Honeysuckle, Lonicera fragrantissima, it was covered with honeybees Japanese Aralia, Fatsia Camellias sasanqua: Kanjiro, HanaJiman and Yuletide japonica: Pink Perfection Viburnum tinus Perennials: Cyclamen Lavender, French and Spanish Fibrous Begonias Iris Dwarf bearded, Smell the Roses and BlueEyes Tall bearded, Eleanor Roosevelt (deep purple) Lantana, common lavender color Gaillardia, do these ever quit? Narcissus, China Lily Bidens, Forget me Nots Primroses, Pansies, Violas Desert Globe Mallow, Sphaeralcea Dianthus, Snaps, Sweet Alyssum, Verbena are blooming, but mostly leftovers from earlier in the Fall and looking a little bedraggled from all the rain. Also Potato Vine, Solanum jasminoides

Emilie in NorCal Happy New Year to all......

[David Ross]

I just updated my "What's Blooming in My Garden Now?". Go to .

[mleblanca]

Hi David I enjoyed reading your list. I was surprised to find so many plants in bloom since we have had only 3 good sunny days for the last of December (after the

15th). and almost 7 inches of rain! My azaleas in bloom are Albert and Elizabeth and Prize.

I used to have the Persicaria, but it became a thug. My Erica, Furzey, has a few blooms on it today.

Emilie NorCal, zone 8, but the last 3 years more zone 9

[David Ross]

mleblanca wrote [in part]:

Yes, it can be quite agressive. It was planted by the lanscaper I hired to redo my backyard three years ago. In the more sunny areas, the Potentilla (cinquefoil) is just as bad. It was accidentally introduced many years ago, in a load of soil amendment.

I'm trying to take advantage of both in my front yard, where shade and roots from various trees make turf difficult and dichondra (my preference) impossible. I'm using cuttings taken from the back yard.

In the main lawn area, I have set Persicaria cuttings. These seem to be thiving, but they're not spreading as fast as they did in back. I don't care if they are invasive there because I only have shrubs, trees, and Hahn's ivy.

In the parkway, I have set Potentilla cuttings. I chose this because it stays lower to the ground and does better in full sun than the Persicaria. It survives but doesn't seem to be spreading. Indeed, near my mailbox, I still have more dichondra than cinquefoil. In the back, before I had it redone, the cinquefoil had crowded out most of the dichondra. It also survived the renovation of my back yard landscape.

[Charles]

Roses, Fuchsias, impatiens, begonias, apple tree, banana tree (I guess that can be called a bloom), jade plant, dandelions

I saw some lupines blooming alongside the road today.

[Persephone]

My roses usually have a huge flush around Christmas time, but this year it's puny.

Wonder if it's due to warm Fall weather? We really haven't had any "winter" yet.

Any other rose growers in So. Calif coastal (Santa Monica-Venice) care to share their experiences?

Also: When do you prune? I usually do it in mid-to-late January, but wondering if I should move it up; they are looking mighty spindly.

Thanks for any info.

Persephone

[David Ross]

I'm more inland, between the San Fernando Valley and Thousand Oaks.

I haven't looked today (too wet and cold). But about two days ago, 'Honor', climbing 'Chrysler Imperial', and 'Iceberg' roses were blooming in my garden.

I will start pruning my roses as soon as I'm through pruning my peach tree (about half done). That will be in about a week if the rain stops. I don't wait for them to stop blooming. Instead, I cut a bouquet for my wife.

See my . I'm a bit behind schedule. Ignore what that page says about my grapes; the hill is too unstable for me to climb it to reach them. Anyway, the grapes will have to be removed when the hill is repaired.