Iris

I got this iris corm along with 3 others, at least 3, but maybe 4 years ago at a shop in apple hill, near placerville. It's been in a small gallon container that whole time spouting leaves each year then dying back in the winter. 

It has finally bloomed, not just a single bloom but three! They have opened in succession, one right after the last and has looked this gorgeous for the last two weeks!

Bloom one photo taken a few days after it opened April 20

Bloom two april 24

Bloom three taken a few days after it bloomed may 1.

Freesias

These little guys are prolific spreaders and find their way into all my containers, they make so many seeds each year! They even grow out of the cracks inbetween the cement in my driveway (though those have never bloomed).

Gladiolas

I've purchased these gladioliI (Acidanthera gladiolus) in the past a few times and never had any bloom. This year I bought a huge bag of them from Costco and planted them in a big wine barrel with new potting soil ( or at least a thick layer of new soil on the existing stuff in the barrel) and after months if waiting here is a single bloom.

It's pretty, and it looks like there may be a few additional flowers developing, but I'm not sure they were worth the effort. They seem very finicky about their water. I also planted some additional bulbs in other containers that have been attacked by some sort of pest. Those poor bulbs definitely won't be flowering this year.

 Acidanthera gladiolus (also called Gladiolus callianthus or Gladiolus callianthus muriela).

Muscari

 The first blooms from the bulbs I planted in February are the muscari. I was afraid they wouldn't bloom, since I had planted them so late (In CA, they should be planted in late fall). They are very cute and a great introduction to spring.

Not-Blue Freesias

I always buy blue freesias but they never come up blue.

Bulbs

I planted these just a couple of weeks ago. In these three containers there is a blend of the following bulbs:

Anemone
Dwarf iris
Sparaxis
Crocus
Muscari

I also planted some Acidanthera gladiolus (also called Gladiolus callianthus or Gladiolus callianthus muriela), that came from Costco it was a pack of 100 bulbs so I've been planting them around other places as well...I also planted these previously but they haven't bloomed yet even after two years...

Daffodil Damage

The Daffodils came up quickly this year, but the crickets have been chomping on them...

acidanthera - star gladiolus

I planted these a little late this year, but they all came up with strong green growth, and I had hopes of blooms, but it wasn't to be this year... they will store up the energy for next year.

some info on acidanthera from sunny gardens

As with its relative the Gladiolus, Acidanthera's spikes of fragrant, creamy white flowers make excellent cut flowers. Individual, 2- to 3-inch-wide blossoms are star-shaped with deep chocolate brown or crimson-purple centers. Plants have sword-shaped leaves. Dig up and store dormant corms. In spring, plant 4 to 6 inches deep in masses for naturalizing in warm climates or in containers.
Acidanthera bicolor muielae, Peacock Orchid, Gladiolus callianthus, Abssyinian
The most common Peacock Orchid, it grows taller than the ordinary species.
Attributes - Acidanthera bicolor muielae

Plant Type: Bulb

Bloom Season: Late Summer through Early Fall

Flower Color: White

Foliage: Deciduous

Height: 2 ft. to 3 ft.

Width: 1 ft. 6 in.

Sunlight: Full Sun

Climate: Zones 9, 10

Notes: Container Plants, Cut Flowers, Fragrant, Showy Flowers. Susceptible to Aphids.

Brodiaea Blooming

Brodiaea laxa - ‘Queen Fabiola’
other common names: Brodiaea, Long Rayed Triteleia, Pretty Face, Grass, Triplet Lily, Wild Hyacinth

These guys come back year after year and give me weeks of happy little blooms in between when the spring bulbss are dying back and the summer bulbs bloom.

Early-summer blooming. A wonderful native wildflower bulb valued for its clusters of violet-blue, upward-facing flowers. 'Queen Fabiola' flowers in very late spring (June) and lasts for 2-3 weeks. Plants are 15-20 inches tall. makes a long lasting cut flower. Easily grown in sunny beds with well-drained soils; great companion for Allium. Origin of species: Northern California, Tolerates summer drought. Keep moist during growing season.

Zones 5-9, 1990 USDA Climatic Zones 5 to 6 with mulch, Zones 7 to 8 without mulch.

Sourgrass

While Michelle and I were out at all the nurseries yesterday she told me that she had just found out that sourgrass was edible, and she was contemplating using it for an ice cream flavor. I wasn't sure what it was that she was talking about, but she said "oh, it grows everywhere you'd know it if you saw it," When we passed by some, she pointed it out and I realized it was the stuff that fills my neighbors backyard and spills under the fence into our yard.

Here's some more info about it, apparently it's South African, and super invasive. Oxalis pes-caprae
Bermuda Buttercup, Yellow Sour Grass, Cape Sorrel, African Woodsorrel, Sour Sob

New Plants

Today I went with Michelle to the Berkeley Horticultural Nursery, which I swear I'd been to before, but it looked completely different! Maybe because it was spring and full of tons and tons or plants. I picked up a 4" pot of Viola Labradorica, and a pint Heliotropium Arborescens. While we were they we saw a display with a bulb that I liked a lot, we didn't see any for sale there but asked what it was called they said "Sparaxis."

Later, we were driving over to the new location of the Oaktown Nursery, and as we passed the East Bay nursery (which we only drove by on the suggestion of Michelle), and from the street I saw the Sparaxis bulbs so I pulled over and picked up a couple. When we got to the Oaktown Nursery new location, it was closed, so I'll have to make another trip out this way soon.

Sparaxis bulbs from East Bay Nursery

Viola Labradorica from Berkeley Horticultural Nursery

Heliotrope from Berkeley Horticultural Nursery

Spring Bulbs

Ipheion Blooms!

Ipheion - 'Rolf Fiedler' - they've come up! These guys do a great job of naturalizing. They are very low to the ground, maybe 4" tall the foliage stays low to the ground, only the bloom gets that tall.

Narssisus

These Narcissus came with the house and come up every winter/spring. seems like they've been coming up earlier each year.

 

Crocosmia

These gorgeous bulbs were actually planted last year and never came up, but apparently they were just chilling out waiting for this year. I'm happy they decided to join the party, as I'm getting quite a good selection of hummingbird-friendly plants in the front yard. and they love these.

Canna

I've had this canna for a couple of years, it did well the first year but then didn't bloom last year ( I think I had it in full sun in a container, and didn't water it enough). This year I moved it into a shadier spot (part sun) and it looks like it's going to do very well. This might be the "lucifer' canna, but I'm not sure, I can't find the tag for it...

Brodiaea

Tons of Brodiaea Blooms this year!

Onions

SO onions were one of the companion plants for strawberries. and even thought these strawberries are in a container, I thought I'd try it out. After this last rain, they are starting to send their shoots up!

Camassia leichtlinii

Started blooming yesterday. It seems to be doing a lot better than many of the other bulbs I planted last fall.

Tulip Fail

So, we've had a really wet spring this year in CA, and while that is great for the ever-low water levels, and spring skiing, it's not so great for tulip bulbs as it turns out.  Today the National Gardening Association posted this on their Facebook page:

The National Gardening Association - Bonus Tip | Control Tulip Blight | During periods of cool, wet weather, botrytis blight disease causes blotchy leaves and flowers that die before opening. To prevent the disease, mulch bulbs so spores don't splash on the foliage and remove diseased plants and faded flowers.

The six bulbs I had outside totally have this. Only of the six got to the point of having a bit of the flower left - and that one probably won't open all the way.