Drought Lushness

We're still in the midst of a drought in California, even though it has rained in the past couple of weeks. Our native plants are well accustomed to living through a drought. When it does rain, they quickly soak up every drop of water that lands near them. Almost overnight, the trees bud and leaf out, and the flowers bloom very profusely, putting out lots of seeds just in case the drought kills them all.

I didn't expect the more domesticated plants in the yard would react the same way, but they have.

Here are a few that posed for me during a break in the drizzle.

The lilacs are blooming. There are 8 different varieties. Their fragrance is quite overwhelming. I love it. I also love that the vegetation in the back yard almost completely covers the view of the dump.

Here is a vulgaris (wild type) lilac.

And this is a French lilac that grows next to the pigeon pen. The peony below it is budding and should bloom in a week or so.

There are pink lilacs and white ones, too. That doesn't sound right...pink lilac? White lilac?

Almost as strange is the name "white" viola.

The daffodils and tulips bloomed here over a month ago. There are only a few remaining camellias on the late-blooming varieties. But the dogwood is in full bloom now.

And the clematis is just beginning to bloom. I have 5 different kinds. This is the earliest.

The lawn is still a little spotty. The freeze we had in November burned it a bit, and I didn't put any fertilizer on it because it had been so dry. I have a few annuals still to plant, but I'm not going to put in a bunch of stuff this year because it may be a chore to keep it watered.

I love to be outside this time of year, I'm so happy to be able to share my yard with you. I just wish I could send you some of this lush lilac scent, as well.