Spring riot in the garden
A riot of spring color—and tremendous foliage growth—is the result of winter and spring rains in central Texas, including in my garden. Here’s a small sampling, starting with shade-loving Salvia coccinea ‘Molly Ivins.’
A new favorite for tough, dry, sunny conditions: gray globemallow (Sphaeralcea incana)
Our native spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis), happy in shade or morning sun
‘Tangerine Beauty’ crossvine (Bignonia capreolata), clawing its way up into a live oak
And a rather washed-out picture of this beautiful native vine draped across my cedar-pole fence
I have to end with the iconic flower of the Lone Star State: the Texas bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis)—easy to grow from seed in poor, gravelly soil in sun
Happy spring!
All material © 2006-2012 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
orange globe mallow is really nice. I haven’t seen this plant yet and will be on the lookout for it in the nursery.
Mallow looks really nice.
Lovely! I miss my ‘Molly Ivins’. She left my garden last summer and she’s not coming back.
I’m seeing a theme of orange against black/shadows looking really, really awesome. The crossvine in the oak and the mallow against the black lattice. Lovely!
Those Bluebonnets are spectacular. Such a great colour. I love the vine draped fence too. The flower colour is brilliant. You’ve got lots of fabulous spring colour at the moment.
Is that mallow deer resistant? I think it’s so lovely! I adore orange these days…after years of avoiding it!
It seems to be, Freda. I’m trying three little ones in the front garden. So far so good, but it’s early in the trial. —Pam
I hope one day my mallow will be as full as yours. It really is a beauty.
A flood follows a drought. Looks like your flood is blooms.
I’ve GOT to get some of that Globe Mallow. It’s beautiful.
You have a lot blooming there, already.
Whoooo hooooo. It is a riot of color in your garden. Here too. Don’tcha jus luv it??
Your mallow looks great. It’s so full. Do you prune it or does it form that shape naturally with time?
It naturally forms a mounded shape, Ally. I’ll prune it back hard after the blooming slows down. —Pam
Oh I must have a “Molly Ivins” in my collection!
I didn’t know a salvia was named after that great lady Molly Ivins. It’s a beaut, too.