Winter rains in summer-dry climates are cause for gardens, and their gardeners, to rejoice. So you gardeners can imagine the joy of our recent rains. I spent each day this past weekend working in the garden, in the rain, in rapture. The earth is breathing, sighing, releasing its bonds. Immediately everything in my garden perked up.
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Western Hounds Tongue (Cynoglossum grande) leaves sprouting in spring garden
The ground is spongy. Leaves washed clean. The air’s clean, wet, and rich with whatever ions the earth is giving off. Frogs are croaking. Snails have returned. Weeds and wildflowers have sprouted.
- California poppy leaves emerging in spring garden
Mostly I am just cleaning up, pruning all those shrubs I never got around to working with. Without rain there has been no energy for the garden. We are still way behind what we need and I am not planting anything new this year. We are almost certainly going to be on mandatory water rationing.
- Rose branches pruned on the ground
But these rains have soaked in. The roots of tree and shrubs are wet again if only for a few days, if only for a few weeks, but certainly for the first time all season. I am happy for them. The native shrubs in particular, those that survive with no rain all summer really need winter rain.
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California currant, Ribes speciosum flower buds emerging
- California currant, Ribes speciosum flower buds emerging
As I walked giddy in the garden this weekend, bouncing from one plant to the next saying hello and how are you, I noticed spring. As I pruned and groomed my pretties, nipping a branch here, cutting back deadwood there, I saw the early buds, the fresh life, the promise of spring.
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Pittosporum tobira ‘Variegata’
- Pittosporum tobira ‘Variegata’ (Mock Orange) leaf rosette
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Rhamnus alaternus ‘Variegata’ (Variegated Buckthorn)
- Rhamnus alaternus ‘Variegata’ (Variegated Buckthorn)
There is still plenty of evidence of the killing frost we had in December. My Fuchsias may never recover. My Myer lemon is leafless. The Melianthus is nothing but sad spires of spent leaves.
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Dead leaves on Honey Bush
- Dead leaves on Honey Bush ( Melianthus major) from winter frost
But that is the way of all things. Right next to this sad remnant of the cold, (see them behind the dead leaves ?), the Euphorbia is coming to life. Just in the past few days.
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Chartreuse flowers of Euphorbia rigida in dormant border garden
- Chartreuse flowers of Euphorbia rigida in dormant border garden
There is so much positive. The very first Magnolia soulangeana bud cracked open.
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Flower bud opening, Magnolia soulangeana
- Flower bud opening, Magnolia soulangeana
The Pink Dawn Viburnum has opened
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Pink Dawn Viburnum, Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’ spring flower cluster
- Pink Dawn Viburnum, Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’ spring flower cluster deciduous shrub
Even the rain drenched Camellias look good in the rain, their petals quickly becoming soggy tissues.
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Red Camellia sasanqua flowers and wet spent petals
- The star shrubs of the garden, and independent of the rain actually, are the Manzanitas. They have been blooming for a couple weeks, seemingly fearless of the drought.
- Winter flowering evergreen California native shrub, Arctostaphylos manzanita ‘Monica’ in shrub border
Their waxy white bell blossoms, seemingly like snow when they fall, are blooming more profusely than ever; perhaps because of the drought, or perhaps because of last year’s winter pruning when I opened up them up. They are delicate but tough and a delight to the bees. I did a PhotoBotanic study of their flowers, explained in the next post. An illustration merging 6 exposures of different focus points, then extracted the branches from the background in PhotoShop.
Prints are for sale on Fine Art America. I am anticipating doing more PhotoBotanic illustrations. The rains have assured spring if only for the California natives and I will be sure to do the Ribes, the queen of the native shrubs when it opens fully in a few weeks. Bring on the rain!
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