Leaning on my shovel, gazing at spring
Spiderwort ( Tradescantia occidentalis)
I had ample opportunity to get everything planted from my recent nursery purchases plus the last of the transplants raided from my old garden. The weekend was sunny, warm, and dry, and the family calendar all but empty. Nothing could keep me from getting it all done.
‘Amethyst Flame’ bearded iris
But it just didn’t happen that way. I spent a good deal of time simply leaning on my shovel and gazing around at spring.
More irises
Flower petals fluttered in the breeze. Birds sang to each other. Tiny, green leaves unfurled. Worms wriggled when I unearthed them.
‘Marilyn’s Choice’ abutilon
Spring spoke to me, and I stopped and listened.
Pink bluebonnet
The rogue pink bluebonnets started blooming earlier than the blue ones.
But the traditional Texas bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis ) are finally opening too. Did you know that bluebonnets have a sweet scent? I didn’t. They grow so low that I guess I never got my nose close enough to notice before. These, however, are planted in my raised beds, four feet off the ground, and I can smell them as I walk by. Sweet!
The Mexican buckeye (Ungnadia speciosa )—despite its name, a central Texas native—is flowering. I have really enjoyed this tree in all seasons since noticing it in the lower back yard, where I suspect it self-seeded since it’s growing amid several limestone boulders and a cluster of live oaks.
When we moved into our new house, at the end of last summer, the Mexican buckeye provided a lush, green backdrop behind the pool patio. In fall it turned buttery yellow, and tri-foil brown seedpods full of “buckeyes” dangled from the branches like earrings. Now I’m enjoying the dainty, pink flowers that appear simultaneously with new, green leaves.
My daughter spent much of the weekend outdoors with me, doing a lot of gazing herself. She lay on the trampoline for a while, staring up at the live oaks. She dug around in the dirt for earthworms and pillbugs. And she borrowed my camera and went on a shooting spree. This is one of her images: a close-up of a purple trailing lantana (Lantana montevedensis ) blossom opening. The strong diagonals are interesting.
Here’s another: the spiraling, variegated leaves of sparkler sedge (Carex phyllocephala ‘Sparkler’).
I hope you saw and heard spring—even if only a glimpse and a whisper—in your garden this weekend too.
All material © 2006-2009 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
It was wonderful weather here as well, and I had every intention to get my garden chores done on Saturday, but found it more enjoyable to laze on the front porch with a book and a beverage. Good thing I rested up, it was utter spring chaos at the garden center on Sunday, for which we were thankful.
I’m glad to hear business is good, Les, AND that you found time to laze on the front porch. That’s living! —Pam
Your daughter definitely has an eye for photography, she gets that from her mother! I’m glad you weren’t too busy to stop and share your spring with us.
My pleasure, Robin. —Pam
Love the Tradescantia at the top. I have the T. virginiana and it has reseeded quite a bit all over the place. The bunnies have pruned all of it down to the ground. So we are waiting for new spring growth. I have Carex phyllocephalla ‘Sparkler” too. It is new from last fall. Am looking forward to having a full season of it. your daughter has a good eye. Thanks to her for sharing some springtime beauties.
T. occidentalis reseeds vigorously too, but it’s easy to pull up if it comes up in the wrong spot. I planted my Sparkler sedge about two years ago, and when I moved to the new house I dug it up and was able to divide it into three plants. They’re all doing fine. It’s a lovely shade plant. —Pam
Pam,
I’m glad to see you had a good time communing with the earth spirits in you garden. We should all take more time to do that. Your daughter is quite the little photog. 🙂
She sure had fun with the camera. Now all she needs is her own blog. —Pam
Randy and I had quite an adventurous, spring inspired, garden working weekend, too! We absolutely tired our bodies to exhaustion and still wanted to keep going. LOL… Check out the new blog Randy posted yesterday when you get a chance and you’ll see just how busy we were – we put in an AMAZING amount of weekend work!
I can see why you were so tired, Jamie. You guys were super productive. No leaning on the shovel at your house, I imagine. 😉 —Pam
What a beautiful iris! It was a great weekend here too and all of a sudden, everything looks fresh and green. I got a lot done too.
The southern gardeners had a busy, productive weekend, it seems. I bet your garden is looking beautiful, Phillip. —Pam
Oh yes, I have been doing a lot of leaning on the ole rake. A little too early to get the shovel out yet.
Well, Lisa, leaning on the rake works just as well. I’m glad you’re able to be outside even if it’s not exactly shovel weather yet. —Pam
I also wanted to say that it appears that your daughter is going to be quite handy with the camera. She seems to have her Mother’s eye.
Thanks, Lisa. —Pam
Interesting that your Mexican Buckeye is blooming ahead of mine! I have one in the front and one in back … I’ve seen minimal budswell on them thus far. I’m eagerly awaiting their blooms.
So does that mean Austin is hotter than Houston? Egad! 😉 —Pam
Goodness, photography skills in your family are hereditary, Pam! She did great with that photo! Just how far off the ground did you build the actual raised bed? I know you said the plant was four feet off the ground, but figure the beds must be lower. I need to do that, to save on my back muscles hurting all night while trying to sleep.
Brenda
Brenda, I didn’t build these raised beds. I had the good fortune to inherit them with the house. Here’s an old post with some pictures of the raised beds. The tallest is 5 feet; the shortest, 2 feet. The bluebonnets are in a section that is 3 feet high, putting the one-foot-tall flowers within easy reach of the nose. Ahhh! —Pam
Pam, I’ve been lying down myself…looking up at the sky and waiting for the leaves to open on the trees. May I echo Lisa and others in saying~~Your daughter has her mother’s eye for composition! The blooms in your garden are lovely. Gail
Thanks, Gail. And good for you for making time to look up at the new leaves and the sky. —Pam
It appears that your daughter has got your “camera eye”! How fun.
Beautiful weather here too..I am anxiously awaiting sunrise so I can go back out to continue the myriad of yard projects that await.
Nice to have your blog to read in the meantime.
Thanks for spending time here, Cheryl, and have fun in the garden today! —Pam
Lovely Pam, great photos and this Mexican buckeye wow it is very exotic looking almost a bit frightening, like an alien.
Greetings from Tyra in Vaxholm
Hi, Tyra. I have several much scarier plants than that buckeye, mainly agaves that seem desirous of poking holes in a person. 😉 —Pam
Hi Pam, I love the thought of you and your daughter listening to spring’s poetry. It sounds like a delightful day. She did very well with the camera too. How fun to have another hobby to share with her. Love seeing these new plants too. They are wonderful.
Frances
We’ve both been having fun outside. Now if I could just get my son out there. —Pam
Looks like you’re passing on the photography genes! The weather’s been wonderful here as well. But instead of leaning on my shovel I’ve been sitting on the deck (after getting the gardening done of course). We had a Mexican buckeye at our former house and it was one of my favorite trees. Blooms in the spring, buckeyes in the summer, yellow fall color, and sculptural beauty in the winter. Can’t beat that!
You’ve got it, Jean. I think it’s a great native plant. The only downside I’ve heard about it is that it can defoliate in a hot, dry summer. But mine is growing in the shade, and it stayed leafy last year. —Pam
The Mexican Buckeye flower is beautiful. I just saw a small tree down at the bottom of our hill. I must go back and see if it flowers. So, the art of photography is clearly hereditary! Soon you’ll have some competition in the blogging world. I thought it was more like summer this weekend. In fact yesterday it was so warm in the afternoon I gave up gardening until the sun went in. The flowers say Spring but the weather says Summer.
Whew, it WAS hot last weekend. My DH and I considered jumping in the pool. We didn’t this time, but it won’t be long. —Pam
Beautiful narrative to those gorgeous photos Pam!
Your daughter has a very artistic eye! I wonder who she might have inherited that from? 😉
Your spring blooms are beautiful. Good for you leaning on your shovel, stopping to enjoy the sights, sounds,and scents of spring in your wonderful new garden.
Thanks, Linda! —Pam
I can see why you spent some time leaning on the shovel with beauty all around you! It must be fun being in the new garden in the new season.
It sure is, Layanee. March is one of the best months of the year in Austin. —Pam
Pam,
Such beautiful flowers and photos! Your daughter must be just like you! 🙂
It was up to 85 degrees here today! I didn’t open my computer until 3:00pm! I am blogging from my back porch. I love having a wireless notebook Mac to carry about to my favorite places.
Cameron
I’m sitting on the couch with my MacBook too, Cameron. Very handy for blogging. —Pam
You know what else you can lean on in the spring? A hoe. I highly recommend it.
If I had a vegetable garden, Carol, I’m sure I’d have to have one. And you’d be the person I’d ask for advice on which one to get. 😉 —Pam
Lovely post and photos – funny: someone just today said, have I ever smelled a bluebonnet? So for the first time, I got down to the one I’d photo’d today and took a whiff – very mild, but beautiful and probably stunning in a whole field.
Even a small group has a lovely fragrance when they’re all heated up in the sun, Kelly. —Pam
I am with you. Spent the afternoon and evening cleaning, weeding and moving things. Got screamed at for not coming to the dinner bell the first time around….spring is here!!
Alas, I’m in charge of the dinner bell as well as the gardening, so instead I have kiddos hollering at me for dinner when I stay out too long. 🙂 —Pam
Pam, you’ve talked about several small ornamental trees on your blog. Just wondered, what are your very favorites. We need to replace something that died, and could use some suggestions for full sun, in an area with deer.
Becky, it’s hard to pick just one or two. I like many of the ornamental trees commonly planted in our region, including Texas mountain laurel and Texas redbud. But if you want something a little more unusual, try one of these deer-resistant small trees: Anacacho orchid tree, Mexican buckeye, possumhaw holly, desert willow, and chitalpa. —Pam
Pam, your girl has really got the artists eye! I’m glad you took some time just to enjoy the garden. It’s so hard to do during the busyness of spring. Isn’t it great when some neat native volunteers in your garden. I’ve never heard of Mexican Buckeye; it is very pretty.
Hi, MMD. I hope you and your kids enjoy some spring gazing weather soon too. —Pam
I always enjoy reading your blog & have admired your Marilyn’s Choice abutilon. Is it planted in the ground and, if so, what kind of conditions? Thanks for your beautiful site.
Hi, Frankie. Thanks for visiting! Yes, the abutilon is planted in the ground here in central Texas. Because we have such hot summers, I’ve heard morning sun and afternoon shade are best, and it may require regular watering in the summer. I’ve had my abutilon for only a few months, so I’ll have more to report after the summer. —Pam
Pam, your Tradescantia occidentalis is gorgeous. Here in New Zealand we have Tradescantia fluminensis, a truly awful creepy weed that smothers eveything in a blink of an eye. Horticulturalists have tried unsuccessfully to introduce non weedy Tradescantias but gardeners see the name and keep well away! Much the same has happened with garden varieties of Oxalis too!
That’s too bad. Those are such great plants for shade here in Austin. Perhaps the heat and aridity keeps them from being too invasive, though the Tradescantia does seed out readily. —Pam
Absolutely no sign of spring here!! However, it’s definitely autumnal.
That’s my favorite season, Chookie. Enjoy! —Pam
I spent all day outside today cutting back the ornamental grasses and feverishly transplanting things, including the wax myrtle from the front yard to back, and introduced the new purple-leafed acacia to its new home. Now if only it would rain! Then I’d have the perfect excuse to sit on the porch and do nothing but enjoy spring!
You got your wish, Lori! My garden has seen an inch of rain so far, and it’s still falling! —Pam
The blue bonnets are gorgeous; remind me a bit of false indigo…but I’ve not seen them IRL to know!
They’re our state flower and practically sacred around here, Monica. I’m glad you like them. —Pam
Gorgeous pics and very nice blog. Enjoyed stopping by.
Debbie
Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment, Debbie. —Pam