1011 - Delphiniums

Delphiniums remain one of my favorite flowers.

If you are a regular reader of this blog, then you know by the preponderance of their images that I favor the deep purple ones.

The one featured in these photographs is the Pacific giant that has done very well at the base of the terraces in the backyard. This year, it was in bloom in mid-October, when I took these images; and, again, in late December, while we had a warm and sunny late fall.

I cut and brought indoors a few days before Christmas a flower stock from this plant almost three feet long.

In one of these photographs, you can see California primroses and the chimney bell flower fading as the nights grew longer and colder.

101013 - California Primrose

The California or desert evening primrose was a surprise.

It has thrived everywhere I transplanted it into the gardens, though it seems to prefer the base of the fountain, which overflows when we want to freshen its water.

10 Spring - California Primrose

Our friend Richard Knight had accumulated a great selection of books, and his widow, Judith, recently gave us several from their library.

I looked through one on flowers and was happy it confirmed the flower I had been calling a California primrose is indeed an evening primrose that thrives in Northern California.

Over the last few weeks, I took several photographs of it in bloom with canterbury bells, delphiniums and love-in-the-mist.

091231 - California Primrose

California primrose was introduced into our gardens by a mixed-seed pack promising several shorter plants with spectacular flowers.

They weren't kidding about the primrose, which blooms for several months at the end of summer through the fall.

Phil and I usually cut the plants down to the ground in winter, but this year I transplanted several into higher gardens. This one is in the highest bed and only days away from blooming.