New Year's Eve

Happy New Year's Eve! 

I just wanted to squeeze in one more blog post before the year ends.  This is Linaria reticulata "Flamenco".  I'm sure I've posted about it before.  But this is the first year I think that I've been able to find it in the nursery so early!  It doesn't like our Valley heat so once summer starts, it's toast!  I think last year I found it only about 2 months before it got hot here.  I bought only 4 because they were in one gallon pots at Armstrong Garden Center two days ago.  Had they been 4" I would have bout a whole flat!  I'm glad to have planted them in the garden before it rained. I love this little annual. They look like tiny bright Snapdragon flowers.  

Have a fabulous New Year's Eve and Day! Happy Gardening! 

Yellow Acacia Wattle Whatever

I apologize for going 6 weeks without a blog post.  Seems I posted a ton on Facebook and Instagram but not here.  Find me on Instagram as Prillzilla.  

Here is a plant that's blooming in my garden right now, Acacia iteaphylla.  I know that the end part sounds like "filla". Some say "F-EYE-la" with a long E.  But not sure how to say it all.  Maybe it's "Eye-TEE-filla"? They call them "Wattles" in their native Australia. Not sure why.  So there is Golden Wattle this and Golden Wattle that. This plant is supposed to get from 6- 15 feet tall. All Acacias like full sun and well-drained soil. Mine is about 5' tall already.  I love that they bloom in winter.  

At least I think it's Acacia iteaphylla.  The tag is gone. I hate it when it's just a sticker on the pot. Plant it in the ground. Pot gets recycled and identifying name goes with it!  So, this took quite a bit of hunting on the interwebs to find the name. I'm pretty certain that it is correct. Most Acacias have bright yellow flowers many with grayish foliage. This one is pale yellow and has the finest skinny green leaves.  I bought it at Sperling Nursery(which is sadly gone now like many good nurseries) about 4 years ago.  I planted it to cover the ugly fence and neighbors to our north. A lot of that it is NOT doing! I thought about removing it and just chucking it. But of course now it is blooming so prettily!  

It was difficult to get a good photo of the whole plant. It IS very airy.  

 In my opinion, winter is a fabulous time in SoCal.  It's cool and crisp and easy to work in the garden.  There's no sweating! I even started my first rose pruning job yesterday with one coming tomorrow too. 58º yesterday and 68º today.  How is your garden? Are you in a deep freeze with snow? 

Happy Gardening!