WHATS LOOKING GOOD IN DECEMBER 2017

Not looking good yet but a surprise for mid December, Kristen's Salsify has got buds on

 

Cantua buxifolia

Cantua buxifolia close up

Correa reflexa

Coronilla valentilla

Anomotheca laxa

Grevillea victoriae

 

@NigelJ that Cantua is beautiful! How would you rate it for hardiness, compared to say, Hibiscus moscheutos, Callistemon or Cistus?

 

@noisette47 The Cantua has been through two winters now, but they have been mild. I've not seen any sign of damage on it. Some say it's hardy down to -7°C others say down to 1°C. It's probably similar to Callistemon in hardiness. It grows next to a Mitraria coccinea that I've had for about 10 years.

 

Thanks, Nigel. It sounds distinctly promising! Small-leaved shrubs tend to suffer less here.....

 

Does your Grevillea victoriae usually flower in December? @NigelJ my G Cambera Gem is in full bud but usually flowers late Winter/early Spring.

 

@NigelJ and @noisette47 - I've found Cantua hardy down to -10°c but at that sort of temperature it dies back to the ground. I had two problems with it;

1. Lack of summer warmth here means that it doesn't bloom until the spring meaning that it needs some mollycoddling over the winter.
2. It is a magnet for red spider mite. Even outdoors the RSM was problematic. This was the reason that I gave it away in the end.

 

@longk The hardiness sounds similar to Erythrina. That dies back to the crown too. But does this mean that the Cantua is cut back just when it should be flowering, or does it 're-adjust' it's flowering period?

 

If you get enough summer warmth to bloom Erythrina you'll get Cantua to bloom in the autumn/early winter. Here where we lack that summer warmth Cantua needs winter love for spring blooms.

 

The question - "What's looking good at December"...

Well, My wife and 2 bengals of course! The garden comes a very poor 2nd haha

 

Thanks for that, @longk Possibly the only advantage to living in an extreme climate is that 'tender' plants do bake in summer so withstand silly winter temps.

 

@strongylodon My Grevillea victoriae has been flowering continuously since November 2016, the number of flowers drops in late summer/autumn.
@longk When I bought the Cantua it was in full flower, June 2015, having been in a polytunnel. 2016 I had no flowers and was thinking of moving it to a sunnier spot. This years flowers were a pleasant surprise to me.

 

Mine was a reliable bloomer but much earlier in the year.
I do like the colour of yours. They are quite variable in colour but no matter what shade they are they are always spectacular!
Cantua buxifolia by longk48, on Flickr

 

I'm wondering if the warm sunny April and May followed by a cool summer "fooled" the Cantua and it now"thinks" it's spring time.