Cool spring Bloom Day
Bloom Day in the new-baby garden this March is damp and cool, with only a few bright flowers to show for my manic planting efforts over the past months. Where are all the flowers? Saving it up for April, I suppose. Still, the garden is green and fresh thanks to the inch and a half of rain we received over the past week, so no complaints. Pictured above is red Autumn sage (Salvia greggii ) in front of a blue glazed pot.
The Texas bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis ) look remarkably like the blue bottle tree growing behind them.
The crazy pink bluebonnets mix with blue bluebonnets in the other raised bed.
Crossvine ‘Tangerine Beauty’ (Bignonia capreolata ), planted by previous owners, drapes languidly across the cedar-post fence along the back of the garden.
The balloon-like buds are waiting for the party to start.
‘Marilyn’s Choice’ abutilon is still flowering, as it has since I planted it last fall.
But the ‘Amethyst Flame’ irises are limp and nearly spent after several soggy days in the rain. This flower and one other are all that’s left of the good ones.
Spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis ) is still sweet-looking in the shade.
‘Diamond Frost’ euphorbia sailed through our mild winter with no die-back and is actively growing again.
Mexican buckeye (Ungnadia speciosa ) has more tiny, green leaves than dainty, pink flowers now. It’s putting on its summer frock.
Purple trailing lantana (Lantana montevidensis ), which I completely take for granted and almost neglected to mention, is flowering with abandon in the lower garden, a reminder of owners past.
Back to the red Salvia greggii , this time with the ‘Whale’s Tongue’ agave in the background.
To see what’s blooming in other gardens around the world, visit May Dreams Gardens. Happy Bloom Day!
All material © 2006-2009 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
It might not seem like a lot of bloom to you, but it looks “bloomy” to me. Thanks for sharing the great pics with us.
Close-ups make it seem “bloomier” than it really is, Carol. But I recognize that I may have more going on than northern gardeners still waiting for spring to arrive. I’m trying not to take it for granted. 🙂 —Pam
Hi Pam – for the month of March in a new place, I think your garden looks wonderful! The ‘Amethyst Flame’ iris that you shared with me just started blooming a few days ago so there are still buds unopened. The rain did spoil the white iris show for 2009.
How cool that the previous owners had the foresight to plant the Crossvine and let the self-seeded Mexican Buckeye grow. It’s nice to have something pretty and native with a little size on it, isn’t it!
Happy GBBD
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
It is, Annie. I’m very happy with the plants that were already growing here when I moved in. —Pam
Great pics Pam! You have a lot going on.
Helen
Thanks, Helen. —Pam
Must have that iris! And a Mexican buckeye. More to the add to the list. . .
The new garden looks great, Pam! Linda
The next division of iris will have your name on it, Linda. —Pam
Beautiful photos! Salvia greggii is one of my all time favorite plants. Love that color. I love the pink “blue” bonnets. Cute little sports they are. Love the lantana too. It’s such a stalwart–blooming constantly and impervious too the elements, except cold. Unfortunately we can’t winter it over here in the PNW. Thankfully it’s readily available at the nurseries. I can’t imagine a summer without it. Beautiful garden, Pam.
Thanks, Grace. The purple lantana is the most cold-tolerant of the lantanas. It’ll go through light freezes with only a darkening of the foliage. I’m glad you can enjoy it in the PNW too. —Pam
Pam, Your Baby Garden is delightful…I know you are celebrating the rain! We are all glad you finally got a break. The Bluebonnets…I called them bluebells when I was last here…are wonderful…wish they liked the middle south! gail
I wish they did too, Gail. But I’m sure you have Tennessee lovelies that won’t thrive in central Texas, like witch hazel. Regional differences keep it interesting, don’t they? —Pam
I think you got lots of color going on in your new “baby” garden today Pam! Nice bright colors to cheer me up on this gloomy rainy weekend.
It’s been pretty gloomy here lately too, Racquel, though we were all sure glad to have the rain. Happy Bloom Day to you. —Pam
The new garden seems to be coming along nicely. The recent rains must be such a help to it. I love your blue bottle tree/Bluebonnet photo – nice juxtaposition.
Thanks, MMD. That was a serendipitous juxtaposition. —Pam
Your garden is going to be amazing in another week…
and absolutely gorgeous anytime of the year.
Little by little, Nancy. I have to remind myself that Rome wasn’t built in a day. 😉 —Pam
Gosh Pam, you have lots blooming compared to our area. I grow the Diamond Frost as an
annual here. It is so cheery and never gives up blooming even during the swings in moisture.
Happy GBBD.
I thought ‘Diamond Frost’ would be an annual here too, Lisa. But our winter was mild enough that it never died back. —Pam
You really have a lot of blooms! Great to see some COLOR! 🙂
Cameron
Thanks, Cameron. —Pam
I am jealous of your bluebonnets. It was a magical time in Texas when the bluebonnets bloomed. I am going to have to read more about Diamond Frost Euphorbia. Just how hardy are they?
Good question, Janet. They’re treated as annuals in most parts of the country, I think. But it came through the winter in my Zone 8b garden, in a protected location. —Pam
Pam, my baby plants are also waiting for more rain and April. I know what you mean about so much planting and not seeing the results! Ah yes, there’s always next year, right? I adore the bluebonnets, in both colors.
We’re cultivating patience right now, aren’t we, Robin? —Pam
I think it’s neat that they have pink bluebonnets. They look like a deep rose in this photo.
Yes, objectively I agree with you that they’re kind of neat. And I have nothing against pink. But bluebonnets are supposed to be blue! 😉 —Pam
It’s nice that the previous owners left you some interesting selections. I’ve been grateful for some of the plants the previous owners left us, things that I’d never have planted but am so glad that they’re there. Your S. greggii definitely steals the show with its amazing color.
Exactly, James. Sometimes a previous owner’s selections open your eyes to some new plants. In my case, I’m enjoying a Japanese maple I would never have planted (assuming they don’t grow well here). But I really love the established natives like the buckeye, Texas persimmon, and evergreen sumac they wisely protected when they landscaped the back yard. —Pam
Your blooms don’t look sparse to me and the photos, fabulous. I do like that bluebonnet with the bottle tree in the rear. Great shot. The salvias are always a great addition to the garden with their bright blooms and the way they attract the hummers and the bees. Looks like you are in the midst of blooms.
Hi, Layanee. Macro images make it look less sparse than the wide view. But I am enjoying the bright spots of color amid the evergreen. —Pam
Salvias and agaves make excellent companions.
They sure do. —Pam
That’s more flowers than Country Mouse and myself can brag about! And beautiful colors…thanks
My pleasure, TM. Thanks for stopping by. —Pam
You have blooms aplenty and that Marilyn just keeps on going.
Yes, she does. I wonder if I’ll get tired of her? Nah. —Pam
It’s interesting to see such a different range of plants in flower to what we have flowering here in the UK.
I agree. That’s the fun of following Bloom Day posts around the world. —Pam
I was just commenting on another blog about the Texas bluebonnet. It is so pretty. I plan to buy more of the euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’ this year. It is a fantastic plant for containers here.
Yes, I want more of that euphorbia as well. It’s wonderful. —Pam
Wow, Pam, a few bright flowers! What a wonderful March GBBD posting I’d say and not a crocus or snowdrop in sight 😀
Now… perhaps you would like to see a few thousand snowdrops in a woodland setting? If so take a look here 😀
I just visited your “snowdrop fantasy,” Shirl. Fantastic! —Pam
What beautiful photos. I smiled at the bluebonnets and bottle tree. Yes, they are mimicking each other! The rain beat the heck out of my irises too. But I can’t be mad about rain at this point. 🙂
Me either, Jean. We really needed that rain. —Pam
Your bloom day has nice looking photos as is usual. I have found a place for a crossvine to be planted this spring. It will likely do battle with Lady Banks for dominance of the front porch.
My money would be on the Lady Banks, Les, but I hope the crossvine holds it own. —Pam
My bluebonnets have yet to bloom. Or the irises. I think we must be way behind Austin in gardening times. Everything looks so beautiful. Of course you could make most anything heavenly with your eye in a camera lens, I believe.
Brenda
Thanks, Brenda. I guess Austin is probably a couple hundred miles south of you, so I guess that’s why we’ve got the jump on spring. —Pam
My purple trailing lantana is taking over the easement near the water hydrant, too. I’m not complaining–like you, I usually take it for granted.
I’m intrigued by your Diamond Frost. Is it drought tolerant?
I’ll let you know after this summer, Iris. The euphorbia came with the house, and we moved in in October. I’m not sure how much water it got all summer. —Pam
Pam, did the blooms on the Mexican Buckeye seem sparse to you this year? Neither of my two trees has had the kind of blooms they did in past years. I’m wondering if the drought was responsible.
Hi, Cindy. I’ve never seen one flower before, but, yes, the blooms were sparse. I’m glad to know that it can do better. —Pam
The red autumn sage against the blue pot is stunning! Did your baby garden come with a Mexican Buckeye? Are you liking it so far? I’ve considered adding one to my garden for the fall color and the spring blooms.
Yes, this Mexican buckeye was already growing here, having sprung out of the limestone boulders in the back yard. I’m already quite fond of it. —Pam
The bluebonnet/blue bottle combination is perfect! Glad you are getting some rain.
Me too, Linda. We sure do need a lot more though to pull us out of this drought. —Pam
Hmmm, crossvine looks a lot like trumpet creeper vine here, and that makes sense–even though “my” vine is Campsis radicans, I just found out it’s in the Bignoniaceae family! Yay, botany!
I didn’t know that, Monica. They do look a lot alike. —Pam
Pretty blooms. You’ll have even more for April I’m sure. I like irises, and I have quite a few, but I’ve noticed they, like the peonies, often are ruined here by rain, or a cold snap, or just garden life. Such a short bloom season, but I don’t know what I’d do without them. I’m glad your Euphorbia made it through winter. Of course, mine did not, but I didn’t expect it to. I can answer that it is pretty drought tolerant.~~Dee
Thanks, Dee. As for the irises, I don’t really mind the short bloom season since they are so pretty while in bloom. And I kind of like the fresh, green spears the rest of the year. —Pam