Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - December 2016

Blooms are sparse in December, but there is still plenty of color in my zone 9a garden.


The ornamental pepper looks like a Christmas tree all lit up with multi-colored lights.


Never let it be said that we don't get any autumn leaf color here, for we do have crape myrtles and, although some have already lost all their leaves, others are now at their peak of color. 


The Meyer lemon tree is weighted down with bright yellow balls.


The Mandarin orange tree is similarly weighted but with bright orange balls.


The Duranta erecta is full of the flashy yellow berries that give it its common name - golden dewdrop.


But wait! The duranta is also still carrying loads of these pretty blooms that are so attractive to butterflies.


The weird little shrimp plant carries its blooms for weeks, months even, before they fade.


The orange flame justicia is still burning brightly.


Yellow cestrum is virtually a year-round bloomer here.


Convolvulus 'Blue Daze' still sends out a few of its tiny flowers every few days.


The well-named firespike, Odontonema strictum.


The daisy-like blossoms of the wedelia continue to brighten gray December days.


Another plant with daisy-like blooms is the Farfugium japonicum, giant leopard plant.


It's not a leopard but the White-tipped Black moths, Melanchroia chephise, really, really like those blooms.


The tropical jatropha is still blooming in its protected spot along the south wall of the house.


The lavender is a little past its prime but is still colorful.


Anisacanthus wrightii is sporting a few blossoms.


Almond verbena has periodic flushes of bloom over our entire long growing season and it is in the middle of one of those now.


I can depend on 'Old Blush' to send out a few of these pretty little roses on a regular basis.


And few plants are more dependable in our gardens than lantana.


The loquat tree is in full bloom. The blossoms are not much to look at but they have a lovely scent.


Turk's cap, another year-round bloomer.


Purple trailing lantana.


What would December be without violas?


And pansies, of course.


The unstoppable blue plumbago, blooming since April.

In mid-December, a week before the official start of winter, we are still waiting for our first frost. So far our lowest temperature has been 35 degrees F. Will we have another winter like our last one when we never had temperatures below freezing and never even experienced a killing frost? The weeks ahead hold the answer to that question.

Meantime, we will enjoy our coolish, mostly pleasant weather, wonderful conditions for getting things done in the garden.

Thank you for visiting my garden today, and thank you, Carol of May Dreams Gardens, for hosting this meme.

Comments

  1. This country really is vast. It's incredible that your garden still has flowers! We are in the midst of an Arctic blast. Tonight, factoring the wind chill, it may may reach -20 F (!!!)

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    Replies
    1. Stay warm, Carmen! Meanwhile, we'll supposedly have our own "arctic blast" this weekend, with temperatures dipping into the 30s!

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  2. You are in a cold country yet we have lots of common ornamental plants. But my favorite, violas and pansies in yours will not tolerate our warmth.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Violas and pansies do like cooler temperatures. They would be happy even in much colder weather than we get here in zone 9a, but they do well for me.

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  3. Beautiful flowers!
    How wonderful to be able to grow your own citrus fruit!
    Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!

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    Replies
    1. We had a bumper crop of citrus this year. I think it had a lot to do with the fact that we really didn't have a winter last year.

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  4. You have exactly 100% more blooms outdoors than I do in upstate New York. With wind chill, we should be at zero when I wake up tomorrow morning. Thank you for sharing your "sparse" blooms; they are a sight for snowworn eyes. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We do have some blooms every month of the year here, but they are relatively sparse come December and January. Nevertheless, your reminder of your winter weather makes me grateful for what I have. Stay warm!

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  5. Oh, these pictures are good for my soul! We are covered with snow right now. Happy Bloom Day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, I'm happy I could provide some soul food for you!

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  6. So many lovely flowers still, and I really miss the winter citrus fruit from my years in San Diego. We have snow and ice at present, so it's fun to see all your flowers, Dorothy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is the first year we've had a really good crop of citrus fruit and we've had the trees for many years. Perhaps if we continue to have un-winters here, we'll continue to have lots of lemons and oranges.

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  7. Oh Dorothy, you've such lovely things in your garden right now. Like many gardeners, I dream of gardening in a warmer zone. Being in zone 8, some of the things you grow outside must be hauled inside for the winter here.

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    Replies
    1. The long growing season here is a definite plus. The hot, hot summers that last about half the year is the big minus.

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  8. How great to have such colors around. There is so much to see besides blooms when they aren't around.

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    Replies
    1. There's always color in the garden even when that color is primarily shades of green, but it's always nice to have some brighter colors as well, whatever their source.

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