It is time for the late-spring flower update.

Every year I try some new seeds, or try to improve on what has gone before.

Here we have Schizanthus, California Bluebells, and Gilia Tricolor.

I planted all three species in large pots outside on March 1st, just as the weather started to tilt towards spring. The pots have copper tape around them, since we have a lot of slugs, and our slugs like almost all types of flower babies.

I used large (~12″) pots, and did a cluster of seeds in the center, and three clusters equally spaced around the edge. I did not thin — I think these species really didn’t need it (with the possible exception of the Schizanthus).

The Gilia Tricolor was the first to bloom, opening a few flowers in late May. 

The pollinators like it!

I think it’s starting to fade — it’s basically a California wildflower, so a relatively short bloom season is to be expected, but it has been a lovely addition to the mid-spring garden.

It has a naturally cascading habit. Next year I think I’ll do a bit more in the way of supports, but it doesn’t break when it bends over.

The California bluebells opened a week or so later, at the start of June.

I had grown them before, but previously I had started them indoors and transplanted them. They did much better direct-sown into their big pot!

Their color is amazing. They really are that blue!

They are still going strong, but I don’t expect them to make it far into July. They are another wildflower that really hasn’t seen any hybridization.

They also have a cascading habit. Some short supports will help control and spread the cascade. I might try a couple more vertical supports for the central cluster next year, to see if I can make more of a mound, but they are lovely as-is.

The Schizanthus were the last of the three to open, starting just after the CA bluebells. 

I should have staked the Schizanthus early and vigorously; they want to be vertical, and they snap under their own weight when it rains.

The flowers are quite pretty; the common name is “Poor Man’s Orchid.”

I think this one has been hybridized more. We’ll see what the bloom span is like.

So far, the three make good friends, since their bloom period and color range overlap nicely.

Two of the three are basically CA wildflowers, so I expect them to finish fairly soon. Hopefully the Schizanthus will continue into the summer!

I think I’ll grow all three again next year, but with a lot more staking for the Schizanthus.

This year I did one pot of each; next year I’ll multiple the California Bluebells and Gilia Tricolor. They are very pretty at a time when not much is blooming here.