Clianthus puniceus

Wow! Very posh earrings? .......looks quite spectacular!

I think of it as a poor mans version of this Sticki...............

http://bit.ly/107ljxm

How did I guess that's where the link was going?! I see what you mean but I don't think it's too shabby! I rather like it!

I love it!

Dont blame you, the leaves look interesting too

Well worth the wait ,it's spectacular ! I remember seeing the ones on your link pics at Kew Gardens ,fabulous !

The leaves are lovely and glossy.

I love it Amy, and the Strongylodon is my lottery win plant!

Lottery win !! Oohh I didn't know about that ... I hope it was enough to buy lots of ' wish list ' treasures ! :o))

Ain't won the lottery, but if I do I'll build a glasshouse just to grow me a strongylodon!

Ha ha!!!!

It sure blooms late there, doesn't it?

Very beautiful close up, by the way.

Thanks Delonix! Everything is late this year.

Meanie:

Almost everything is late blooming here this year, also. It had to do with the consistently below normal temps in Jan/Feb.

I wish that we suffered your "cold"!!!!!

I did have one early morning low when the temp dropped very briefly down to 37ºF (2.8ºC). This is still the second coldest temperature I've ever recorded here in 10 years. Typically the morning lows average around 50ºF (10ºC) during the coldest part of January.

Did you forget to put the minus in front of the 2.8ºC!!!!!!

No, I don't think this area has ever recorded a -2.8ºC. temp! Typically on the mesas here in San Diego, the coldest temps ever recorded in history are: 28 - 32ºF (-2.2 - 0ºC), which happened back in January of 1913.

You don't have to be very old to remember temperatures that cold here - probably about two months old?

Stickitoffee:

That's very funny! :>)

That's very cold temps for just two months ago!

More like a week old! I've had the wood burner roaring this week...........

;-))
If it wasn't so,bad it would be laughable!
Warm in London tonight! Bit cloudy though?

Good job that I have a limitless wood supply from what I've heard of this summers prospects!

Oh great! We need this island to be towed back into the path of the Gulf Stream!

I can't imagine having a wood-burning stove going at this time of year. I just can't comprehend it! lol!

I'm wearing shorts and tank tops at home! My house never gets below 78ºF (26ºC) this time of year...soon it won't be going below 80ºF (27ºC) at all! And then those nights when it'll stay at 90ºF (32ºC) and the a/c has to be turned on or we'll all die of heat-stroke!!! :>(

You need to toughen up at both extremes young man!!!!

32 at night? I don't like it when it's over 15 at night.....not that it happens very often!

Stickitoffee:

That's 32ºC in my house. Our overnight low temps outside are almost never higher than 77ºF (25ºC). But with this being said, sometimes the night time temps stays above 80ºF (27ºC) for most of the night...only dropping down to 77ºF (25ºC) very briefly just before sunrise.

i cant sleep if its that hot and obviously we dont have/need air con!!

Yes, I understand that completely (not being able to sleep when it's so hot). Last summer we had such hot and humid weather which lasted so, so long. I had the highest electric bills ever last summer due to running my a/c continuously! The very hot weather was due to the very strong monsoonal flow.

we have high fuel bills too ~ but due to bad weather!!

Typically, my San Diego Gas & Electric bill is pretty reasonable. However, last summer and winter it was very high. Summer and fall due to heat and Jan/Feb due to cooler than normal temps...I had to use my furnace more than I ever remember using it (in Jan/Feb).

i dont have a furnace ~ wish i did!

My bills are not too bad - gas & electric comes to £89pm.

Stickitoffee:

Not all homes have heater or furnaces here in San Diego (can you believe that?!). Older homes have chimneys. In a typical winter I only use my furnace about 10 to 12 times, only at night or early morning.

Meanie:

£89pm is expensive! Is that every month?

I know people pay more than $300.00/mo for SDG&E for their A/C use in further inland areas where it's so super hot all summer/fall.

Trust me- it's cheap! I have friends who're paying £130/£150 pm nowadays!

Yes, that would be very cheap by comparison.

A lot of people here in inland California are going to be paying that $300.00/mo soon. Interiors areas of all California have been experiencing extreme heat to as high as 118ºF (47.7ºC). This morning I'm seeing on the news on the tv about all the heat-related illnesses and deaths. It's very early in the year for this kind of extreme heat even in the deserts.

Id rather be paying through the nose for air conditioning than for heat!

Yes, I think I remember you saying: "you love the heat!"

I like warmth, but not hot! The weather here closer to the coast has been perfect! Temps hi/low: 75ºF/63ºF., which is a little below normal. Tomorrow a little warmer, maybe a high of 83ºF., still perfect! :>)