My trip to Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens yesterday was even more than I had hoped. For years (20+) I've been strolling the paths at RSABG and each visit brings new revelations.
This latest visit, somewhere in the gap between winter and our early southern spring, featured leaf buds like lime green candle flames on the naked white Buckeye branches.
The Manzanitas were already massed with tiny perfect blooms that encourage close ups and bees.
Ribes (one of my favorites - the combination of wild thorny branches and improbably delicate flowers is enchanting) are in flower. Some have thin separate threads of wine red along the length of arched spiny stems, others are more ladylike with flower clusters that remind me of Victorian tassels and stems that are more upright than twiny.
Mimulus, another favorite of mine, was showing off blooms of apricot, pink and burgundy. Mimulus (or Monkey Flower as it is commonly known) is a nice garden friendly plant that blooms almost all year and has gotten popular recently. I still get a kick out of seeing these "backyard" names at big box garden centers.
Ribes (one of my favorites - the combination of wild thorny branches and improbably delicate flowers is enchanting) are in flower. Some have thin separate threads of wine red along the length of arched spiny stems, others are more ladylike with flower clusters that remind me of Victorian tassels and stems that are more upright than twiny.
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