April garden views

I find myself confused about where exactly the plants in my garden should be in mid April (when I took these photos). We've had a sunny warmish stretch and I think I've mentally jumped ahead to May, I'm trying to tamp down my expectations and just enjoy what's happening out there, which is a lot!

There are so many blooms on the Citrus trifoliata, if they all set fruit it will be a bumper crop.

The Rhododendron stenopetalum ‘Linearifolium’ is also covered in blooms.

Continuing the walk around the front garden, my small Erica arborea var. alpina is covered in flowers and can no longer be called small. Wow. When did this plant get this big? (maybe the explosion of white just makes it seem larger?)

Also, how did I never notice the blooms are fragrant?

One of my Yucca nana is fixing to bloom!

Tiny flowers on the Pittosporum anomalum.

Entering the back garden now where the Impatiens omeiana are up and looking flawless.

The fact the Blechnum penna-marina (Austroblechnum penna-marina) is moving into and mingling with the back mondo makes me very happy. 

The shady bed along the side of the garage is all fluffy with new Adiantum venustum fronds and other fern species.

I'm thrilled to see Pyrrosia sp. SEH#1511 is putting out several new "fronds"...

Paris quadrifolia has been dissed on social media lately. Someone commented on my Instagram post with a "Meh" and someone else said on their own Facebook post "I remember when I thought they were special" (their photo showed an area where the plant had spread). I still think they're special!

Rodgersia (the brown leaves), sadly I've forgotten which species this is.

New growth on Rhododendron cardiobasis.

And blooms opening on the Magnolia laevifolia

Arisaema ringens, such a cool flower, it's hard to believe it's real (not fabricated).

Disporum longistylum ‘Night Heron’

Walking down on to the patio the new growth on these two mahonia are hard to miss.

Mahonia eurybracteata 'Indianola Silver' backed by M. x media 'Marvel'.

It's wonderful to enjoy Stachyurus salicifolius in bloom with leaves still on its branches. This is one of the plants that was hit hard the last few winters.

Not this year!

I did a little paint touch-up around the edge of the stock tank table planting, after a couple of years the orange was wearing thin and the ugly blue underneath was showing. I must say the planting itself just keeps getting better and better.

I added only two plants this spring, an Asplenium trichomanes and the Cassiope 'Askival' I brought home from the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden.

This Athyrium otophorum 'Okanum' likes life in the table planting.

And the fertile fronds of Blechnum spicant (aka Struthiopteris spicant) are extra stunning when they're raised up closer to eye-level.

Backed up for an over all shot of the area.

This is the best the Loropetalum chinense 'Sizzling Pink' has ever looked. It was pruned back hard after the destruction of winter 2024 and it's made a great rebound.

Daphniphyllum macropodum 'Ki Midori Nakafu'

New foliage of Quercus dentata 'Pinnatifida’.

And to wrap things up, a new frond on Blechnum brasiliense, the Brazilian tree fern. My tiny plant is anything but tree-sized, but what it lacks in height it makes up for with that color. 

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All material © 2009-2025 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Max and Justin's Oakland garden, the back half

Wednesday we toured the front part of this cramscaped Oakland garden, today we're checking out the back, starting with this ginormous staghorn fern. I seriously gasped when I saw it.

Justin says; "That ginormous staghorn is about 1/3 of the one I got it from. It was a massive cluster hanging from a tree, at the estate of a bromeliad enthusiast who passed away. I was told we could have it if we removed it...I cut the rope that was holding it and it dropped to the ground. Not having a truck and crew of 10 men, I decided to hack it with a shovel into manageable pieces. The one we have was one such piece. There were other big ones and many smaller, all of which we had to remove and find homes for. Several years ago I was obsessed with the hunt for huge staghorns. I just love those clusters you see at places like SF Botanical or Mendocino Botanical. I found some nice ones, but then when we acquired that mother Staghorn my hunt was complete."

They had a few smaller ones to keep it company.

The staghorns were on the right side as you came through the back gate, these collections were on the left.

Looking backwards...

The multiple stems (and zigzag leaves) belong to a sonchus, perhaps Sonchus canariensis.

There are its yellow flowers (yes, it's a huge dandelion).

I'm not going to make any attempt to ID the many bromeliads throughout this post, with just a couple exceptions they'd be guesses anyway.

Eucalyptus blooms (maybe Eucalyptus caesia?).

We'll explore in that direction in a minute, but first I needed to check out the covered back porch area.

Marcia Donahue shelf fungi.

Another suspended trash can lid planter...

And a vertical wall-o-bromeliads!

Max shared his source for the hooks to hang the pots here.

This! Seeing this trash can lid planting was super fun, it's one of the platycerium that stared my love of staghorns (written about in this post).

Notice the acid green meets Majorelle blue break, that's where the covered patio space transitions into what lies beyond...

Max and Justin definitely know how to garden on a hard surface, containers, containers, and more containers!

I was experiencing serious climate envy here folks.

Back when I was trying to decide what to do with my stock tank pond (which had become a playground for the neighborhood raccoons) I saved a photo of this inventive cover screen, another fun thing to finally see in person (so much inspiration!).

Looking back to the covered porch.

And to the sunny side of the long narrow back garden... a trio of spiral aloes, Aloe polyphylla.

Anyone who decides to sit on that bench had better not mind plants touching them (I know a couple of folks who fit that description, not naming any names...but I live with one).

And back to the containers up against the house.

I think before I give my next talk on gardening with containers I'm going to need to get these guys to do a count. I think my collection (more than 200, less than 400) will pale in comparison.

Ducking into the back jungle now...

The Agave attenuata makes the chair look like it's child sized, but it's not.

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia

I know many people who dislike the contorted pyrrosia (in the container), not me. I am a fan.

Here's the straight Pyrrosia lingua.

A few more inventive hanging planters...

And then a little peek indoors, Justin's plant room...

Complete with a set-up where they're growing ferns from spore (color me very impressed).

Max and Justin you're such talented plantspeople. Thanks for making my dream of seeing your gorgeous garden come true!

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All material © 2009-2025 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.