The Harbingers of Spring

In the eastern U.S., the bright yellow blossoming stems of Forsythia are the sign that Spring is on its way. Here in the Mediterranean climes of the western U.S. we have other signs.

To be technical, this is one of the currants native to California, Ribes sanguineum, Pink-Flowering Currant.

I planted this one for a few reasons. I wanted the lovely pink flowers. The hummingbirds wanted the lovely pink flowers. The other birds wanted the lovely blue-black currants at the end of the season... or so I was told. Nope. But I don't blame them. The berries -- at least in my yard -- are quite bland and not at all sweet.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day 15 February 2010

Here it is, Bloom Day, all over again. Most of the things in my yard that are trying to bloom are weeds, but I have a few things actually blooming (or very nearly so!) today.

• Ribes sanguineum (Pink-Flowering Currant, above, a CA Native)
• Mimulus aurantiacus (Sticky Monkeyflower, above, a CA Native)
• Pink Geranium
• White-flowering Solanum
• Purple-flowering Solanum
• Impatiens
• Rose
• Jade Plant
• Daffodil
• Calendula
• Paper White Narcissus
• Snap Peas (I've been harvesting these off and on through the winter, yum!)
• Bok Choy 

Wait! Bok choy isn't supposed to bloom! Oh, yeah. It does if you haven't harvested it all before it gets that far.

I ate quite a bit of bok choy this winter, but I had sowed the seed SO thickly that I just couldn't keep up on three tubs full of rampantly growing bok choy. Important note for next year: One tub, thinly-sown, should be enough for one person. Use the other two tubs for succession crops of something else like carrots, beets, or spinach.

Oh, and I need to harvest my first cabbage real soon!

Is It Spring Yet?

Imagine my surprise when I looked out my bedroom window this morning and noticed these *blooming* under/behind the dead tomato vines from the summer.

Personally, I think they got all jealous when they looked over on the deck and noticed these.

After all, out in the front yard, the daffodils have barely started budding up.

If you look carefully, you can just make out the largest bud on the right.

I was also a trifle surprised when I went out to take daffodil photos and saw this.

Not ripe yet, but looks like I've got a nice strawberry coming on!

And, out in the front yard, when I was taking photos of non-blooming daffodils, I discovered all of these on the vines.

So, while was out there, I decided to get pictures of Baby Cabbage...

Mama Cabbage...

and Papa Cabbage...

I also have WAY too many bok choy to harvest. Some of them are even starting to make flower buds. And the lettuce is going berzerk in all this rain.