May Dreams - in the Country Mouse Garden (GBBD)

Here's some of what's going on on our sunny ridge this mid May, about six miles inland from Soquel, on California's central coast. Some wild, some grown from wild, and a few other nice things bought from nurseries. It's peak bloom season here as you will see... Thanks, Carol, over at May Dreams Gardens - for hosting Garden Blogger's Bloom Day!

Down in the chaparral, the wild Lotus scoparius, deer weed (aka California broom) is blooming, lighting up the hillside on a foggy morning recently.

Not so wild - the daffodils I planted so late are popping up! Critter resistent!

In the succulent bed, duddleya cymosa, vivid orange. Nursery-bought native.

This one, duddleya hassei, blooms yellow - just starting now. Another nursery-bought native.

Local wild volunteer blue elderberry, very lush with flowers - Sambucus mexicana.

In my bulb box - fairy lantern, Calochortus albus, grown from local wild native seed.

Common madia, Madia elegans, rears its head - about 8 feet tall I think. Local wild native grown from seed, reseeded this year.

Same as above but from a distance. This is "experimental bed #1" all native wild plants propagated from seed and busting out of the enclosure - No deer browsing this year, and the rabbit fence is working.

Fringe cups, Tellima grandiflora, in a pot, gift from a friend. Does grow around here but I haven't seen it.

Golden Yarrow, Eriophyllum confertiflorum, from local seed, second year. Sprawling down the side of a pot. I love its chrome yellow.

Pool garden bed, nothing locally native here. Jerusalem sage on the left (non-native) is nearing the end of its first bloom. Verbena lilacena 'De La Mina' the lavender colored mass, smells lovely. Some california poppies. (Also a kangaroo paw barely visible behind the Jerusalem sage. Not well placed!)

First time I've grown Lewisia - "Little Plum" - California alpine native, from Gold Rush Nursery. Wonderful in a container with succulents.

Lupinus arboreus, bush lupine - from local seed. They are growing all over the place in my garden this year, many reseeding, which I love. Lavender variety. Big and sprawling and wonderful.

Another big success in the garden this year, sprouting all over the place, but especially where they get some shade: Heuchera micrantha, alum root, from local seed - this is their second year. First year, no blossoms. This year - copious blossoms. Good in containers, good in perennial beds. Good all over!

Mimulus guttatus, seep monkeyflower in pots - needs more water than we have naturally here on the ridge, but prolific given regular garden water.

Digitalis purpurea just popped up out of nowhere! I see that it is listed as non-native and invasive! Yikes - no setting seed for you young lady!

The front bed resplendent in its usual garb of seaside daisy, Erigeron glaucus, and hummingbird sage, Salvia spathacea.

Wonderful sticky monkeyflower, Mimulus diplacus, - everywhere you look! These grown from local native seed, second year. Favorite food of the checkerspot butterfly. I'm watching one crysalis that's attached to a stem - wonder if I'll see the miracle of the butterfly emerging?

These are non-native columbine. They remind me of little ballerinas. They just pop up every year in the same spot where I planted them, where they get a fair bit of shade.

Salvia 'Bee's Bliss' in the foreground, not such a great shot - great nursery bought native.

Non-native but beloved by hummingbirds and grow like crazy with absolutely no irrigation - Salvia 'Hot Lips.'

Western morning glory is sprawling all over the toyon near the pool garden this year. I wonder if it will affect the and-aphid-sootymold syndrome that afflicts these toyons generally.

Last in the show, one of my favorite corners of the garden, this sunny mound with scarlet bugler, Penstemon centranthifolius, upper left (nursery bought: native one county south of us); nodding needlegrass, Stipa cernua (formerly nassella cernua), and a huge mound (over 4 feet tall and six feet wide) of Clarkia purpurea, purple chalice clarkia. The needle grass and clarkia are from local wild seed.

Now I'm off to see what's blooming in your garden!