Seasonal Interest in the Garden-January (1 of 3)

February is here!  But, let’s take a few minutes to look back on January and what was in flower or otherwise gave us good seasonal color in “winter” in Southern California.

First up – Manzanitas!

Some of the manzanitas started blooming in December, and among the very first every year is the magnificent Arctostaphylos refugioensis from the coast Refugio State Beach area in Santa Barbara county.  This fast-growing species grows to 15+ feet tall and puts on a great show of big white flowers.

Manzanitas will continue blooming their white or pink bell-shaped flower clusters right through February, providing important food source for hummingbirds and other pollinators.  After the bloom we can look forward to a new growth flush that in some species is a colorful pinkish or even an orange tinge, such as on Arctostaphylos pajaroensis or A. ‘Sunset’.  And manzanita provide year-round interest with their beautiful burgundy bark and evergreen leaves.

Do you have a manzanita that looks particularly wonderful in your garden?  Let us hear where you are and which one of the numerous species and selections we have here in California are working for you….