Split limb on wax myrtle
We haven’t seen the sun in 5 days and don’t expect to until Tuesday. We’ve been just below or just above freezing for nearly as many days. Until yesterday, a half-inch of ice weighed down the garden that was responding to last-week’s unseasonably warm, spring-like temperatures.
Well, so what? The weather in central Texas plays these kinds of tricks every winter. Aside from a couple of split limbs on my Southern wax myrtles, the garden looks today as if nothing unusual had happened.
In fact, I’ve been feeling pretty happy about the amount of precipitation we’ve received lately, whether in actual rainfall or ice or snow: four inches of rain in the past week, plus probably another inch of moisture in ice and freezing rain. Considering the drought of last year, this is good news for Austin gardens and bodes well for spring growth.
Local farmers and wildflower enthusiasts concur. Today’s paper ran a story about the good effects from the ice, including an expected bumper crop of bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush, and Mexican hats. Wildseed Farms founder John Thomas is reportedly “ecstatic” about the nasty (for people) weather. “Cold, wet weather actually has a positive effect on [spring wildflowers],” he is quoted as saying. “The freeze also keeps grasses dormant, so there is less competition for wildflowers from early spring grasses for moisture.”
With that in mind, I’m already planning an April pilgrimage to Wildseed Farms in Fredericksburg via bucolic Hwy. 290 and other “wildflower trails” through the Hill Country.
Despite the ice, I found that a few flowers in my garden came through virtually unscathed, including the ‘Valentine’ rose and the coral honeysuckle vine. Here are pictures from this morning.

‘Valentine.’ Ah, the power of a south-facing wall.

This coral honeysuckle grows in an exposed location in the front garden, yet it’s somehow still blooming now that it’s thawed.

The newly redone area of my back garden—still somewhat green (including the weeds on the gravel path)

The Barbados cherry (behind that silly pink flamingo) is still trying to stand up, but at least it suffered no major breakage. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the freezing temperatures will not have stressed it too much, though it does look OK. So does the bamboo muhly grass to its left, which looked pitiful just yesterday.

The south side of the front garden seems unscathed as well. No black leaves on the agave (would they show up this soon, Bill?), no wilting even on the tender bulbine. I’m starting to wonder whether the plants were simply put into suspended animation by the ice.

And the daffodils are still pushing their way up.