Montanoa abloom!

It's been some time since I last posted and in that time much has bloomed, grown and dropped Autumn leaves. The Montanoa grandiflora (which has topped out at about six feet in its' first season) has started to bloom. Unfortunately in order to sniff the lovely chocolate/vanilla fragrance I have to get up on a steep slope and twist myself and the plant around into some rather unnatural directions. I'm hoping that a closer branch will soon bloom, thereby solving the contortional problems. The Mesoamerican Salvias are in an impossible to describe frenzy of bloom. Purples, pink, and reds everywhere! The Salvia involucrata in particular is sprawling all over, sending out the unique rosebud inflorescenses in every direction! Of course there's a lot more but I can't recall everything right now, and it's dark now so looking outside won't help. Though I certainly shouldn't forget the natives! I'm trying to grow some wildflowers from last year's seeds (Layia platglossa, a Collinsia, and Clarkia) we'll see how it pans out. And my lovely Summer-dormant Polypodium ferns have renewed with the rain, sending out their green fiddleheads. Also awakened are a Calochortus, a couple Delphiniums, and a Dodacatheon I forgot was there! It's nice to see everything growing, I'm just waiting for more rain. Amongst the non-Natives my little Mandrakes (Mandragora officinarum) and Asphodel (Asphodelus albus) were also dormant during Summer but have sent out leaves and are growing strongly. These needed not just the rain but the cooler weather to really get started! Well, I'll try to get pictures up later (I've already forgotten how to get pictures off the camera - I knew this would happen)