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With one of the coolest summers in a while, plants at the Garden are staying fresh longer despite the end of the rains. As usual, the bulbs have finished their bloom, although there are still a few scattered ones in bloom such as the California brodiaea (Brodiaea californica) near the lodge and bulb bed, and fading blooms of golden bowl mariposa tulip (Calochortus clavatus) in one of the new bulb beds by the Franciscan Section.

Some of the summer-active grasses such as alkali sacaton (Sporobolus airoides) and blue gramma (Bouteloua gracilis)--both near the visitor's center--are displaying seed heads just now. Despite the prevailing impression that our native grasses grow and seed in spring, California is home to a number of species that are winter dormant and reach their best development in summer. Perhaps the most dramatic of these is the deer grass (Muhlenbergia rigens) which typically blooms and seeds in late summer.

Predictably, the sunflowers and their relatives in the Asteraceae and the wild buckwheats (genus Eriogonum) are particularly beautiful in summer, many extending their flowers well into fall. Both groups are widely scattered in the Garden, making it a sort of treasure hunt to look for as many examples as possible. As well many mint relatives, particularly the coyote mints (genus Monardella) are in good bloom just now, attracting a wide variety of colorful pollinators including bumblebees and butterflies.

A visit to the Garden will reveal many other floral surprises. See how many you can find.

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