GBBD January 2012, Country Mouse

Like Town Mouse, I too had a lapse of awareness regarding bloom day being upon us, and this morning was busy at the CNPS propagation group, which was lots of fun, potting up rooted cuttings, sowing seeds, and dividing perennials, in the congenial company of gardeners. But I did run around with my camera just before leaving  and here are a few of the native plants blooming today. Not so many, but what are there are nice.

Hummingbird sage (Salvia spathacea) spikes, with seaside daisy (Erigeron glaucus) below.

A currant bush just covered in blooms - Ribes indecorum

Here's the whole bush - photo does not do it justice.

Fuchsia-flowering gooseberry (Ribes speciosum) - hardly any so far this dry year.

Maybe wild indigenous pink flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum) Or naturalized from a garden ribes. I'm not sure. When we first got here there were some ribes like this, but they disappeared, and I've planted different sorts since.

A nursery-bought spreading manzanita, Arctostaphylos 'Winter Glow.' It gets water. The local indigenous ones are starting to bloom too, but I didn't get a snap of them this morning.

Ceanothus 'Joyce Coulter'. The native wartleaf ceanthus is also blooming a little bit, again, sorry, didn't get a snap of it today. It's down by the road.

Amazingly some of the local naked buckwheat (Erioganum nudum) is throwing out some late blooms.

Coffeeberry (Rhamnus californica) is covered in modest blooms, much loved by bees.

Part of the coffeeberry bush. It's an indigenous local that decided to pop up all by itself in a nice spot in our south garden.

Nursery bought Verbena lilacena 'De La Mina' is blooming quite profusely.

And coast sunflower (Encelia californica), a Southern California native, is also perking up with our midwinter summer weather.

This sweet little dudleya is blooming away. The label has faded and I don't remember which one it is. Anybody know? Its surrounded by Indian Lettuce, which grows like a weed here.

Another late bloomer - or early maybe - golden yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum), local native propagated from seed. Oops what has fallen over behind it? I better go check...

Closeup of that golden yarrow blossom. No germination so far of the seeds I sowed in October. I may try again in February.

And that's it, folks. Please do click or just read on to see Town Mouse's bloom day post, and check out all - well, many anyway - of the bloom day posts available courtesy of  Carol at May Dreams Gardens. Happy gardening!