Further excitement

At this point, Clivias, or at least Clivia miniata cultivars like this, don't seem particularly exotic to me. Even growing by the sidewalk. But I grew up with a Clivia (eventually many, many Clivias) that my mother babied for years and years before blooming. So it's not something that I take for granted, even now. Especially since this bloom is on a potted specimen I just bought last year, not the plant in the ground.

The first Freesias opened recently, I'm not sure exactly when because I've been so preoccupied with the Calochortus that I didn't notice, until I was out hunting snails by flashlight, suddenly blinded by the reflection off these (those LED lights are bright!). F. alba seems to be very happy, as these are a lot bigger than last year.

*

But the most exciting news of the day is the reopening of Pacific Rim Nursery whose demise I lamented only a year ago. Now, if only I hadn't pauperized myself (and the dollar hadn't shit the bed) in the intervening year!

Seriously, though:
Paeonia cambessedesii or Paeonia mascula subsp. arietina?

Greener grass and other monocots

Last year, I was trying to describe gardening in California to my mom, and she said, "Oh, I bet you can grow Agapanthus too" in a tone normally reserved for something like Vanilla planifolia. I had to pause to make sure I was thinking of the right plant, because it is literally a parking lot median plant here.

Christopher C. reminded me of this the other day, which in turn reminded me of an overused Agapanthus relative blooming now, also likely to be exciting to people who can't grow it: Chasmanthe:

Here it is planted on the sidewalk with, yes, Agapanthus, Juniper, and something else...

Even I'm still impressed that we can grow Clivia outside.