Colorful native blooms

In an otherwise quite dry and tan landscape due to drought, colorful native blooms bring so much joy.

It's that time of year for the native Ella Nelson buckwheat to bloom.

It is one of my very favorite buckwheat plants because the blossoms are so very lovely, growing in sprays on the branches.

Although the two Ella Nelson plants have multiplied to three, I purchased another seedling the other week.

Buckwheat seems to be the best bet to plant in clay soil. They seem to thrive the best, with very little water throughout the year.

These Thai Silk California poppies suddenly started to bloom.

I planted them in the native patch several years ago, and almost forgot about them.

And here they are, in all their loveliness.

The California Bush Monkey Flower Mimulus aurantiacus is another SUPER easy plant to care for.

This perennial usually occurs in a light orange color.

Pictured here is a cherry colored version, growing in the garden bed on our patio.

The shrub thrives on neglect. I never water or fertilize it, and basically ignore it.

It rewards us with a ton of lovely blossoms.

These shrubs are considered host plants for the Variable Checkerspot and Common Buckeye butterflies.

Hopefully this is the case with our shrub here.

A closeup of one of the blossoms on our Bush Monkey Flower shrub.