Bluebonnets, ‘Chocolate Chips’ & more in bloom
Is this perhaps the prettiest week in central Texas? Or will it be next week? I don’t know, but early April is looking mighty fine in my own garden and I hope in yours as well.
Our state flower, the Texas bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis), adorns a miniature roadside in my garden: it grows alongside my new gravel path, planted directly in several inches of decomposed granite. Lady Bird would be proud, I think.
‘Empress of India’ nasturtium, my first nasturtium ever, is not blooming prolifically, but she is doing her best in spite of our unseasonably warm weather.
Shoshana’s iris, an unknown passalong I named for the giver’s daughter, is showing off its ruffled, lavender petals.
And the globemallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua) is flaunting its eye-popping coral-orange flowers.
Our native purple skullcap (Scutellaris wrightii). You can probably find this low-growing, drought-tolerant beauty at the Wildflower Center’s plant sale this weekend.
The first purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) of the season is unfurling its petals. I know this must seem exceedingly early to you northern gardeners, but this is right on schedule for central Texas.
Jerusalem sage (Phlomis fruticosa) sprawls over the Lion King rock in the back garden to reach more sun. It’s a stunning, dependable plant for sun or mostly sun, with fuzzy, white-edged, green leaves all year and tiers of buttery blossoms in spring.
And check out the enthusiasm with which this ‘Chocolate Chips’ manfreda is greeting spring.
Whoooooop! A bloom stalk five feet tall and still growing has sprung up from the undulating, spotted, ground-hugging leaves. A spider waits expectantly atop the unopened flower. I am eager to see how this unfolds.
All material © 2006-2011 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
The bluebonnets are astonishingly blue! What you’re describing sounds more like summer to me. Enjoy your lovely blooms.
You’ve had success with manfreda re-blooming, haven’t you?
I haven’t had ‘Chocolate Chips’ manfreda bloom for me before, but a native Manfreda maculosa in my former garden would bloom each summer. I figure this one is a rebloomer too. —Pam
Pam, it’s looking like spring, isn’t it? I loved your comment recently that just as we are hurrying to finish up garden projects and planting before the Death Star arrives, while the rest of the country is just now opening the garden shed to begin. But I have to admit, when I read your headlines, I thought of my own Chocolate Chip Ajuga, in full purple bloom right now. We have a plethora of Chocolate Chips!
Oh Pam everything is looking so good. I have Texas Bluebonnets up from seed..hooray! Don’t know that they will amount to much, just had to give it a try. I have coneflowers ready to bloom as well.
Glorious color!
I love your comment about The Death Star, Robin. Too true!
I think your garden is ready to film Monday.
Your garden is way ahead of mine Pam. I love seeing some of what will come in my garden. When you mentioned chocolat chips I thought you might mean CC Ajuga which is about to bloom in my garden. Ha… should have known it was a manfreda.
The bluebonnets reminded me of Spring Fling 3 years ago! It’s almost the anniversary. Thank you Pam for inviting the garden blogging community to your Austin get together. Now to those photos! Wowzer!! The blue in the second one is fantastic….and I love your Shoshana’s iris…the petals are water colored beauties. Have a great weekend, gail
Your garden is way ahead of mine, too. I think we’re in a colder spot, here in Wimberley. Love all those bloomin’ things.
All so pretty, I especially like the globe mallow, bluebonnets and manefreda. Hope it re-blooms and also give you some pups!
Your pictures always leave me wanting more but today, I am in the mood for chocolate after this post. LOL
When I read the title, I was thinking Ajuga ‘Chocolate Chip.’ It’s pretty cute, but that manfreda, yummy. I found some bluebonnet plants this year, and I bought five. Only two made it, but they are starting to bloom. They make me happy, and I think of you.~~Dee
Thanks, Pam.
I think my question was really about the mangave [sp?] in your former garden. I remember that blooming and the hanging question of whether it would be done, like an agave, or come back, like the manfreda… ?
Do you mean the ‘Macho Mocha’ mangave? It bloomed in my current garden, and yes, the mother plant did survive. But she started throwing out pups from the crown and got weird-looking. So I ended up replacing it with one of the pups. —Pam