Spring vignettes

In spite of the unseasonably cool weather—at least 10 degrees below normal—there is much to see in our garden. Some signs are subtle, like the tiny leaves forming on the ginkgo in the first photo, others are visible from a distance, like the bright orange flowers of nasturtium. I love poking around in the front and backyard to see what might be leafing out or flowering next.

Ginkgo biloba ‘Majestic Butterflies’
This is a variegated ginkgo but I can’t see any sign of variegation in these leaves.
They’re probably still too small.

I hope you’ll enjoy this visual journey. All the photos were taken in our garden in the last couple of days.

Abutilon ‘Souvenir de Bonn’

Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea'
I love the yellow bark on this dogwood

Echium ‘Mr Happy’
Growth has been slow but like all echiums, it prefers much more heat than we’ve been having

Variegated Eureka lemon (Citrus limon 'Eureka Variegated Pink')
As with many lemon trees, the new leaves are a deep burgundy

Fruit setting on variegated Eureka lemon
(Citrus limon 'Eureka Variegated Pink')

Key lime (Citrus aurantifolia)

Variegated Carmel creeper
(Ceanothus griseus horizontalis 'Diamond Heights')

Blue Skies lilac (Syringa vulgaris 'Monore')

Blue Skies lilac (Syringa vulgaris 'Monore')

Black Lace elderberry (Sambucus nigra ‘Black Lace’)

Red Dragon Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Red Dragon’), a deep red dissectum cultivar

Red Dragon Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Red Dragon’) and
Farfugium japonicum ‘Giganteum’

Flowers on green Japanese maple (Acer palmatum)

The first all-white leaf ever on one of our Farfugium japonicum ‘Argenteum’

Close up of white farfugium leaf

Tradescantia × andersoniana 'Blushing Bride'

                                                                                                                                          
 

Superficially similar but not related:
LEFT: Mexican tree ocotillo (Fouquieria macdougallii) relative leafing out
RIGHT: Crown of thorns (Euphorbia millii) getting ready to bloom

Tiny flowers forming on Crassula lycopodioides

Much larger flowers on Kalanchoe marnieriana

Kalanchoe marnieriana flowers

Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) flower,
one of the cheeriest sights at this time of year in our garden

Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) flower

Aeonium ‘Catlin Hybrid’, not a flower at all but just as spectacular

Echeveria colorata, its rosette resembling a perfect miniature flower