Blooms in winter

A few days ago, when I made the fall color photos of the natives, I also made some photos of blooms in my garden. So, before the year is over, here they are. First, here's an Abutilon that I can see from my bathroom window when I'm brushing my teeth. Hummingbirds visit frequently, and I keep it partly just to keep the hummers happy. It's also the perfect plant for the spot it occupies, and not as leggy as some of the Abutilons I've seen. I bought it at the farmer's market three years ago and prune it pretty severely once a year. It blooms year round.
Next we have correa, a plant from Australia that never figured out that this is fall and winter.

Correa is very drought tolerant and blooms from September to February or so. While it's not a native, it's beloved by hummers. I have it at a difficult spot next to an east-facing wooden fence. All the plants along that fence suffer. In summer, they roast in the evening sun. In winter and spring, they don't get any sun because the fence shades them. So, I say, if something survives there, I'll let it be.

Finally, here's my loquat in bloom. Loquats are from Asia and one of the first fruit trees to set fruit in this area. I had my first loquat some years ago when visiting Country Mouse. Her neighbor had planted some of those beautiful trees, and I just loved the fresh taste. April is still cold and rainy around here, so I was just enchanted. I planted a 5-gallon tree 3 years ago and had my first real crop last spring. It was a bumper crop, and I scrambled to give away as much as I could because loquats don't keep (one reason why they are not commercially available).

I am making an exception to the Natives Rule rule for fruit trees. Besides, the bloosoms are wonderful in winter, and loquats need very little water.