Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Spring Colors: Purple and Lavender

The purple and lavender plants of Spring, in no particular order.



Jacaranda trees in bloom. This photo was taken a year ago near the USC campus in South Los Angeles.



There is some debate about how to pronounce the name of this tree. We thought that the correct pronunciation was with the Spanish 'h' sound for the 'j', as in Hawk-a-rahnda. You can see rows and rows of them from the 110 Freeway, lining the streets below, reaching west to the beach and east to the desert.

MamaMia and The Professor made up a little ditty in honor of Purple Jacaranda Trees in Springtime:

(use the Spanish pronunciation)

Jaca-, jaca-, jacaranda!

See them blooming- ovah yondah!

When I drive my purple Honda,

I look like a Jacaranda!


But evidently the tree originated in a region where its name is pronounced Jack-a-randa. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

Wisteria blooming on vines tangled over a trellis in Old Town Camarillo.

Lavender surrounded by wood chips on a front garden border.



Mexican Sage




A close up photo of tiny purple lobelia blooms




Lavender Lantana, used mostly as ground cover in my 'edge of the mountains' neighborhood.





Purple bouggainvillea cascading over a stucco wall.




Purple geraniums





"Freeway Plant". I have no idea what the proper name of this plant is. My neighbor simply calls it the freeway plant.






A vibrant and showy succulent.




24 comments:

ellen b. said...

Beautiful blooms!! I love the jacaranda ditty!!

Islandsparrow said...

Gorgeous colours and blooms. I also love that shade of hyacinth.

Mama Mia said...

Very pretty! :o)

Mary Sheehan Winn said...

Beautiful purples every where!

Thanks for visiting my blog.
I'm happy to be passing on some relevant information about my painting process. I learned from a really good teacher and although I haven't studied with him in a few years, there was so much great information about how to SEE light hitting an object.

Marg said...

I love those flowers. On my most recent trip to the Pacific Islands I spent time taking pictures of flowers and ocean waves, waiting to be posted.
Thanks for your hints about finding the center yarn. I was hoping that you might have some suggestions.
The yarn cost $12.34 for 1/2 pounds (6strand wool yarn)
I'll keep learning as I move along.

Unknown said...

Hi there, feel free to add me to your link, it'll be my honour :0 and the flowers, all i can say is CANTIK, CANTIK, CANTIK, CANTIK, CANTIK !!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

What lovely blooms!

Happy Easter to You!

Jane said...

Beautiful flowers Willow and ditty, they are my favourite colour. I would love to be on your sidebar (sorry I've already put you on mine, hope you don't mind)
Happy Easter Jane x

Elizabeth said...

There are a lot of the 'freeway plant' in Morocco. Some come in yeoow too.
I'm afraid I don't know the name of it either.
your wisteria looked gorgeous!
purple is sort of unuaual fro spring - but so pretty.

Vanessa Cole said...

Yes, I'm back and so glad to be reconnecting with blog friends. Thank your your comment; I appreciate it so much. :-)

The flowers are beautiful.

HAPPY (late) BIRTHDAY!

Vanessa

Sue Krekorian said...

How these colours sing to my soul.

roxie said...

I am just relishing your photos! So many lovely visions. And happy, happy birthday, my dear!

Jaca,jaca,jacaranda!
Growing out by our veranda.
Not much else will rhyme but panda,
and a bandicoot.

Anonymous said...

Just so lovely!

Knitting Linguist said...

Great pictures! Your jacaranda are earlier than ours this year -- I'm still waiting for that magic moment (they're my favorite). But our wisteria is starting up, and all of our sages are going wild, so I can't complain :)

Bethany said...

Willow the sunlight on all these flowers is just gorgeous!!! Happy Spring! We finally got some sun this afternoon... thank goodness! I was thinking winter would last into May! Thanks for brightening my day!

Sherida said...

The wisteria is gorgeous! Does it have a smell?

Flower said...

Beautiful flowers and colors!
They look pretty enough to paint!!

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

Such beautiful colors....yummy!

Anonymous said...

gorgeous, gorgeous. I did a google search and I actually think the trees I mentioned are eastern redbuds. The flowers are absolutely tiny, which gives it an almost Japanese, stark look to it.

Frank Gardner said...

Hi Willow, Your'e right about Jacaranda being pronounced like an H ( ha car anda). Our town is full of them blooming right now. From the lookout above town it looks like a sea of purple.
Happy belated birthday by the way.

kate smudges said...

Those are beautiful blooms, especially to my colour-starved eyes. I would love see a blooming Wisteria and a Jacaranda.

Barbara said...

That Jacaranda tree is the stuff of fairy tales to me. I am looking forward to Sara posting the whole line at the bottom of her road when they are next in flower.
That Wiseria b looms so much earlier than here.
The flowers on the succulents look just like the Ostospurnum flower. Beautiful colours all of them.
Happy Easter.

Anonymous said...

I like your song so much. I wonder why it appeals to me? ;-)

Mary said...

Willow,

Love all the purple and pink flowers, but the Wisteria is my favorite of the ones you've shown. Mom has a wisteria tree in her front yard and I love it. Maybe one day I will have one.
Thanks so much for sharing.
Easter blessings to you and yours.
Mary