March Comes In Like a Lion...

That old adage about how "March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb" was certainly true this month. The few rain storms we had in SoCal was incredibly mild compared to the crazy snow storms back east, but it was enough to get my garden blooming. Yay!

The nectarine tree. Last year it bloomed in February. Can you see the daffodils?

The first flowers to come up each year in my garden are crocus in February. When they start fading, the freesia start blooming. I love their slightly spicy scent.

Primroses. Every time I see primroses, I am reminded of a scene in The Proposition by Judith Ivory where the heroine talks to her primroses each evening when she waters them because she has no one else. If you love Pygmalion-type stories, especially My Fair Lady, I would highly recommend this one where the heroine teaches a rat catcher how to be a gentleman.

I love the brilliant purple of this one delphinium. I bought several packets of random wildflowers so I have no idea what pops up in my garden.

How can this narcissus not fall in love with itself?

Fuchsia. My two favorite colors in one flower.

I love the contrast of purple and orange of these Johnny-jump-ups, part of the pansy family.

More purple in this cup flower. Can you guess what my favorite color is?

The first rose to start blooming again is Donna Darlin.'

Anyone know this one? I bought it on the clearance rack and can't remember the name.

I'm not so crazy about it, but this white petunia was planted several years ago and has never faded.

Cyclamen. The color is almost florescent isn't it?

More pansy faces. They're edible, but I've never tried eating one myself. And even though I've never seen any seeds, they've re-seeded all over my garden.

Lady Fairbanks roses over an arching trellis. Can you guess where it leads?

Here's a hint: Tomorrow's post will help you identify some common Vietnamese herbs. That'll be handy for my recipe the day after that.