Photo credit: Susan Reimer

May, I think, represents the last of a flowering season that might begin in February in Southern California and is certainly underway in March. The flowers that you recognize from the East – foxgloves, lantana, roses, geraniums, straw flowers, petunias, day lilies, and gaillardia – are in full flush, a good month or more ahead of us in Maryland.

The climate in San Diego is so diverse that they give the weather reports in three parts – coastal, mountains and inland. And the differences can be striking. I am just guessing here, but the cool moist climate of the coast – my son and daughter –in-law living in a gated community with no air conditioning because it isn’t needed – means  that the flowers have a long bloom time and it is almost unfair.

I mean, I can’t grow foxglove and delphiniums. Why should someone 20 minutes from the Mexico border be able to grow them?

For pictures of the delphiniums, continue...