finally...astilbe blossom

It's very pretty! It reminds me of my of my Odontonema callistachyum, which blooms most of the year here.

Thanks D1~ it's an all time fave of mine. This year it's been slow...only just started blooming recently and it's usually earlier than this. I think I've planted it in the wrong spot... it's under a black walnut and I think the hostas and astilbe don't like the juglone in the tree sap.

Black walnut trees are difficult to plant under. I used to have one in my yard in the San Francisco Bay Area. I remember the horrible black whatever that came from the walnuts, also! lol! I have never seen a black walnut here in San Diego. It's most likely too hot and dry for them here (during the winter).

HA! HA... "(during the winter)." you funny!
We had no walnuts at all last season...but there are some forming on both trees at present. The nuts are surrounded by a very aromatic pulp which stains everything which comes in contact with it a yellow/orange colour...horrid. It has to be removed and the nuts washed then the hulls which are VERY tough must be removed...that's why black walnuts are expensive and hard to come by... it's so much dirty work just to get a few nuts. I much prefer beech nuts anyway. I don't think the regular walnut would survive our winters. Walnuts and Almonds are grown in the central/northern part of California aren't they?

I'm glad you had a nice laugh on that: "It's most likely too hot and dry for them here (during the winter)" :>))

It's too hot here for walnuts, apples, cherries, anything that has high-chilling requirements. It's just too warm in winter for them. They will eventually die due to the lack of chilling hours required during their dormancy. In the San Diego's foothill and mountains they grow.

I do remember very vividly the black tar-like sap that comes from the black walnuts. It was awful!

Yes, Almonds and walnuts grow very well in the California's Central Valley. We grow a large percentage of the world's almonds. All for the U.S. Driving on interstate 5 through the Central Valley you see nothing but almond trees for miles and miles. You also see lot of citrus, avocados, pomegranate and walnuts trees.

Of all the things the internet has brought to us, I'm most thankful for Google Earth. I 'm going to google Interstate 5 in the Central Valley. So many wonderful trees in California. Always wanted to see the Giant Sequoias.