December GBBD - Country Mouse

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is upon us and surprisingly, on our Central California coastal ridge, I do have a few blooms to share. Our weather has been drier and sunnier than average, and some summer bloomers just don't know when to stop.

Resprouting 'Hot Lips' salvia - I don't mind that this one just won't go away. The hummers love 'em.

Final few blooms on the wondrous and amazingly scented Salvia clevelandii 'Winifred Gilman'

Thank goodness for Epilobium canum, aka Zauschneria californica. These local natives keep the hummers a-hummin'

Sierra Foothill Garden has a lovely post on Zauschneria btw.


I'm loving this tiny Viola adunca that decided to take up an abode in our garden. here, wet with dew.

Another reliable hummingbird feeder well into late fall, the South African plant, Cape Honeysuckle, Tecomaria capensis. It's very robust, doesn't need water, glossy evergreen foliage, gets huge, and I haven't seen it spread by seed or sucker.

Coast sunflower, Encelia californica, a southern California native. Sprawls and takes no care but whackin' back.

I got this climbing or rambling rose for my dad's cottage, but he didn't want it so I put it against the fence in the pool garden where it is happy as a clam, but much prettier. I forget what kind it is.

This sweet pea bush has been quietly blooming in the corner of the garden without fuss or trouble for about six years. Almost always has flowers.

A few remaining Verbena lilacena 'De La Mina' - reliable garden native.

This non-native Jerusalem Sage has lovely big leaves and is still blooming.

I like this picture of one of the last coyote mint,  Monardella villosa flowers. I'm in a bit of a quandary as I recently discovered local wild Monardella villosa, and am propagating them, or trying to. Looking for seedlings to appear every day. So the nursery bought plants are probably going for a toss, as my Indian friends say.
Well, that's the roundup. I have a few seaside daisies besides, in the "front" garden, but it's dark and rainy outside and I forgot to snap their portraits yesterday, so you can just imagine their happy little daisy faces.

By the way, Ms. Town Mouse is skipping bloom day this month (unless she changes her mind) due to lack of actual blooms in her more shady garden.

Now, off to May Dreams Gardens to register and enjoy a sampling of some other gardeners' blooms! Thanks as ever for hosting this meme, Carol!

Comments

Tom said…
I love that Salvia clevelandii! I've never heard of it before...but now I want it!
Country Mouse said…
Tom, I doubt if she would survive in Chicago! Even in Cal. where Winifred Gilman is native, she requires excellent drainage and sun and not much water. This summer my garden was full of the wonderful sage smell of the leaves, and the blossoms were fabulous. We'll see if it thrives through winter to another summer, though. I sure hope so!
November or December? Love to see what's still blooming in your garden. I've been impressed with what I've found still blooming mid-December out in the wild.
Country Mouse said…
Oh my goodness - it was early in the day indeed when I posted. Thanks, Katie - I've edited the title to change to December!
Anonymous said…
So very pretty, your blooms look so delicate. The little viola was my favorite, love the color and patterning. Happy GBBD.
Diana Studer said…
Sweetpea bush. Podalyria, another South African? Or do you have a very similar looking species in California?
Anonymous said…
And I thought I still had some color in my garden ;-)
That viola is lovely!
Nat said…
Great tour, there's a lot still going on! I love the little viola, subtle but effective!
What a lot of lovely blooms! The Salvia "hot lips" we have here is red and white. Yours looks all red? How interesting.
Happy GBBD :)
BernieH said…
You do have quite a bit going on in your December garden. I have to say my favourite was that darling little Viola, but the Salvias caught my eye too.
scottweberpdx said…
Gorgeous...just love Salvia clevandii (what a fragrance). I had some Verbena lilacena a few years ago, but it failed to overwinter...which was super-sad, it was beautiful all summer :-(
Denise said…
There must be intense hummingbird wars over your garden!
Marisa said…
I have 'Hot Lips' here in Brisbane too. It's usually two colours but sometimes all red (though a lighter shade than yours) and sometimes has all white flushes. I think last year I decided it behaved differently depending how early or late it was in the season. Happy GBBD.
Country Mouse said…
thanks for your visits, all! The hotlips has patches where it is all red - the parts that were red and white were in the shade. I think when it resprouts or in some branches, it gets red. On the other hand, it could be something else I forgot I planted in that particular spot, so I'm now losing my certainty! yes sweet pea bush is a S. African - it is the only plant remaining from my first attempt at garden design in that area many years ago.
Hummingbirds - well, my dad feeds them, filling four large bottles twice a day, so we do have a horde. I'm planting as many nectar plants for them as I can to try and wean them from the bottle!
Jan said…
Oh, I love that Salvia greggi 'Hot Lips'...it performs wonderfully here, but even though our weather has been 'mild' for Dec., it stopped blooming about October. How nice to have it go on so long in your part of the country!
Erica Smith said…
Just gorgeous, especially the salvias! It's just like getting to visit California.
Lydia said…
Keep the colors coming!