I just love it when these show up before spring really gets here. Yesterday, while shopping for a few things, I saw that the flower concession stand featured cut daffodils. I picked up several bunches and this morning they were all mostly open.
Last year, as I recall, the flowers lasted for several days, perhaps up to a week, before they would begin to wilt. I’m hoping these will do as well. Click on the image to enlarge.
We were out along the side of the driveway this afternoon, trimming up some of the unwanted shrubbery and a cats paw tree. I always bring my camera so I can get a before and after photo of our work, which I did, but those will be for another time.
What attracted my attention was our first wild Desert Marigold of the spring has opened up the hill a few steps from where we were working. I walked up and took the above photo of the new flower. Even though it’s only the middle of February, we have seen this and other desert wildflowers in bloom.
Here’s an excerpt and a link to the Wikipedia article on this flower:
Baileya (the desert marigolds) is a genus of plants in the aster family Asteraceae. All are native to the southwestern United States and to Mexico.
They are typically annual, though B. multiradiata may be perennial. The leaves, which may range from being entire to deeply lobed, mostly occur in a basal cluster. From this arises several flower stems, up to 18 inches (50 cm) in height, usually carrying a single yellow radiate flower each, although B. pauciradiata may have 2-3 flowers on a stem.
Desert marigolds typically have their main bloom in the spring, extending through July. Summer thunderstorms may enable a second bloom in October and even into November.
I bought a bunch of orange and another bunch of yellow Gerbera Daisies to combine in the vase on the sofa table today. The colors are highly compatible together but look more like fall colors than winter or spring. Regardless, they are very pretty flowers. Click on the image to enlarge.
Last week, I bought a potted tulip plant at the garden concession in the supermarket. This week, the tulips are out and they’re a beautiful orange color. They are nearly the same color as my orange amaryllis flowers that opened last week. Click on the image to enlarge.
I bought my Christmas Amaryllis bulbs about three weeks too late, but, now in the second week of the new year, they are coming out bright and beautiful. This is the first stalk out of three that will produce these beautiful orange flowers. We have never seen flowers this shade of orange, but they are very nice. Click on the image to enlarge.
Our regular shopping schedule has been perturbated by the holidays. Today, we shopped for the weekend a day later than usual.
I bought a dozen of these pretty cream-colored “Vendela” roses at the flower concession in the supermarket today. I put them in a vase where I already had some white Asian lilies. I expect that they will look very nice together as the roses and lilies begin to open up.
The Vendela is a very popular rose according to FiftyFlowers.com:
Vendela Ivory Rose is our #1 selling cream rose. Its very large head opens into a cup-shaped bloom with well defined, slightly curled edges. Vendela is greatly admired for the hint of pink found on the petal edges. This champagne ivory rose would add a special touch to a wedding bouquet, table centerpiece or flower arrangement.
I bought a potted seasonal cactus at the supermarket earlier this month. The flowers have been opening on it ever since then.
This variety is frequently called Thanksgiving or Christmas Cactus since the plant flowers bloom during our year-end holidays. See the Wikipedia reference to Schlumbergera.
I took this photo yesterday in our outdoor patio. Click on the image to enlarge.