Instant color in January

January 28, 6:42 PMSF Gardening ExaminerChris McLaughlin

Previous Next

1 comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the SF Gardening Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Lavender stock

January feels mighty cold this year. But, compared to the rest of the country, California has mild winters. Take advantage of it and go for the many winter-blooming plants available to us.

Stop by a local nursery this weekend and check out what’s in bloom in January. You may be surprised. Along with the early-blooming bulbs, you have some perennials and annuals in living color right now. Some perennials are primrose, salvia, chrysanthemum, clivia, and violet. As far as annuals, we have Iceland poppy, pansy, sweet alyssum, calendula, anemone, forget-me-nots, and my personal favorite, stock.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting stock, do so at your earliest convenience. It comes in both single and double petal varieties in colors of lavender, yellow, white, red, pink, purple, crimson, and red. Stock with the double petals is exceptionally charming. Put them by your front walkway in color bowls to enjoy the heady, spicy-sweet fragrance.

Make sure you have a camellia japonica or two in your yard. If they aren’t blooming now, they will be soon. Camellias are the queens of the winter garden. Consider the cymbidium orchid that will also be blooming very soon. Cymbidium orchids look lovely in your home as well as on the front porch in glazed pots.