Spring vignettes

In spite of the unseasonably cool weather—at least 10 degrees below normal—there is much to see in our garden. Some signs are subtle, like the tiny leaves forming on the ginkgo in the first photo, others are visible from a distance, like the bright orange flowers of nasturtium. I love poking around in the front and backyard to see what might be leafing out or flowering next.

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Ginkgo biloba ‘Majestic Butterflies’
This is a variegated ginkgo but I can’t see any sign of variegation in these leaves.
They’re probably still too small.

I hope you’ll enjoy this visual journey. All the photos were taken in our garden in the last couple of days.

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Abutilon ‘Souvenir de Bonn’
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Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea'
I love the yellow bark on this dogwood
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Echium ‘Mr Happy’
Growth has been slow but like all echiums, it prefers much more heat than we’ve been having
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Variegated Eureka lemon (Citrus limon 'Eureka Variegated Pink')
As with many lemon trees, the new leaves are a deep burgundy
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Fruit setting on variegated Eureka lemon
(Citrus limon 'Eureka Variegated Pink')
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Key lime (Citrus aurantifolia)
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Variegated Carmel creeper
(Ceanothus griseus horizontalis 'Diamond Heights')
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Blue Skies lilac (Syringa vulgaris 'Monore')
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Blue Skies lilac (Syringa vulgaris 'Monore')
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Black Lace elderberry (Sambucus nigra ‘Black Lace’)
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Red Dragon Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Red Dragon’), a deep red dissectum cultivar
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Red Dragon Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Red Dragon’) and
Farfugium japonicum ‘Giganteum’
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Flowers on green Japanese maple (Acer palmatum)
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The first all-white leaf ever on one of our Farfugium japonicum ‘Argenteum’
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Close up of white farfugium leaf
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Tradescantia × andersoniana 'Blushing Bride'
                                                                                                                                          
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 120325_Euphorbia-millii_01
Superficially similar but not related:
LEFT: Mexican tree ocotillo (Fouquieria macdougallii) relative leafing out
RIGHT: Crown of thorns (Euphorbia millii) getting ready to bloom
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Tiny flowers forming on Crassula lycopodioides
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Much larger flowers on Kalanchoe marnieriana
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Kalanchoe marnieriana flowers
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Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) flower,
one of the cheeriest sights at this time of year in our garden
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Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) flower
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Aeonium ‘Catlin Hybrid’, not a flower at all but just as spectacular
120325_Echeveria-pulidonis_03
Echeveria colorata, its rosette resembling a perfect miniature flower

Comments

  1. A visual feast indeed Gerhard! Great to see so much spring activity despite the unseasonably cool weather there. Great to see that your farfugium finally threw out an all white leaf, quite a nice bonus from the plant :)

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    1. People are eager to start their vegetable gardens but tomatoes and peppers (the two veggies I like to grow) love heat and sulk in this weather. I think I'm going to start a petition to the weather gods for some warm weather. I'm sitting here in the house with my space heater on!

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  2. Lovely photos! From where I sit at the window I can just barely make out buds on our Japanese Snowbells, soon hopefully I will see leaves!

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    Replies
    1. But in Portland you spring lasts much longer than ours once it does start :-).

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