Tropaeolum Polyphyllum Update

Tropaeolum polyphyllum with pink California poppies

Closeup of Tropaeolum polyphyllum

Wide view of bed near lionness sculpture

     For some reason I am obsessed with Tropaeolum polyphyllum.  I just love it and it is in its full glory now.  I have previously written about this plant here and here.  In that second entry I described a planting scheme I was working on for the bed the Tropaeolum lives in, which is a small sort of circular bed by the lionness sculpture.  That scheme involved Scilla peruviana and pink California poppies.  As I explained a couple of days ago, the scilla's peak bloom was a little bit earlier than the tropaeolum's this year, but the pink California poppies are blooming now to coincide with the tropaeolum.  Hallelujah!
     In the background of the wide shot above you can see my one remaining Chamaerops humilus var. cerifera that I have in the garden.  I used to have a number of these, but they all died in one winter or another.  This particular one is doing well just now and looking good because we have had two mild winters in a row.  The main growing crown was killed one cold winter a few years ago, but Chamaerops send up new growth around the main crown, and those have since taken over.  It takes several years for these palms to start looking good after they have been damaged like this one was.
     Also in this bed are some self sown alstroemerias which will probably completely take over this bed some day if I am not careful!
     Finally, if you click on the wide shot and view it large, you will see rising above the palm what looks like the flowers of a dandelion.  Although I do have dandelions in my garden, this is not one of them.  Rather, those are the flowers of a self sown Ranunculus baurii whcih I previously wrote about here.