Early Bee Gets the Flower

An Australian genus of 300+ species well suited to dry conditions and poor soils like here in San Diego.  Local nurseries are selling more and more varieties so try one out. They come in many sizes and flower colors to fit any space in your garden. In Australia they are a favorite of honeyeater birds so I presume that our hummingbirds will go crazy for these.  Photo credit; C. Bell (Geelong, Australia)

“Queens Tears” is a bromeliad with long slender green leaves and pink bracts with blue/purple and yellow petals.   C. Fitzgerald garden.

Pinus radiata is native to the California coast. In the mid-19th century seedlings were sent to New Zealand for evaluation. The example you see here is from one of those original test plantings in Wellington, New Zealand and is approaching 175 years old.  Pinus radiata is now the foundation of commercial forestry in NZ and in Chile because in these locations this species grows faster and larger than in California with trees ready for harvesting in just 30 years.