Yellow and purple

I always look forward to Saturday when I have all day to putter around. I had all kinds of plans for today, including much-needed sweeping and weeding as well as some planting and repotting. But the weather decided not to cooperate so I’m stuck inside watching the rain fall. I keep telling myself that we do need the water but I still feel a bit stir-crazy.

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Lesser Mexican stonecrop (Sedum confusum) and soap aloe (Aloe maculata)

I was able to sneak outside during a break in the rain to take some photos of plants in flower along the front yard perimeter. Most of them are yellow, a color I love in plants, offset by a purple Spanish lavender in full bloom. The other lavenders are still a bit behind.

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BOTTOM: Cape balsam (Bulbine frutescens)
TOP: Jerusalem sage (Phlomis fruticosa), soon to bloom—in yellow
120330_Yucca-filamentosa-Color-Guard- -Euphorbia-martinii
Variegated Adam’s needle (Yucca filamentosa ‘Color Guard’) and
Martin’s spurge (Euphorbia × martinii)
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Giant clumping timber bamboo (Bambusa oldhamii),
Martin’s spurge (Euphorbia × martinii) and
Cape balsam (Bulbine frutescens
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Cape balsam (Bulbine frutescens) and
Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas ‘Otto Quast’)
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French lavender (Lavandula dentata),
Cape balsam (Bulbine frutescens) and
Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas ‘Otto Quast’)
120330_Lavandula-stoechas- -Bulbine-frutescens
Cape balsam (Bulbine frutescens) and
Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas ‘Otto Quast’)
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Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas ‘Otto Quast’)

The standout of the yellow-flowering plants above is cape balsam (Bulbine frutescens). If you live in zone 9 or above and you love the color yellow, no plant will give you as much satisfaction for 10+ months out of the year.

Cape balsam is super easy to divide: Simply pull off as much or as little as you want and replant. The roots are very shallow and pop out easily.

Cape balsam is the perfect pass-along plant. In fact, I passed along a bushel full a few weeks ago. All the cape balsam we have originally came from two 4” plants!

Comments

  1. The yellow looks fantastic with the purple!

    I love Spanish lavender blooms, and wish it was more cold-hardy so I could grow it here. Of course, it probably would have survived this winter just fine.

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    Replies
    1. I love Spanish lavender, too, I just wish it would rebloom better. The first bloom is always the best. After that we only get occasional flowers. French lavender, in contrast, blooms all summer and fall.

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