Garden Blogger's Bloom Day - May 2015

The higher than average rainfalls in Central Texas over the last few weeks have my zone 8b garden bursting with blooms this month for Garden Blogger's Bloom Day, hosted on the 15th of every month by Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

First, my poppies wrapped up their blooms this month, much to the disappointment of the buzzing bees, who could always be found on the blooms.

The larkspur has been putting on quite the show, adding an English cottage garden feel to my hot Texas garden.

The larkspur looks a lot like delphiniums, but does much better with the heat and drought of Texas.

Another English cottage-y garden feel flower blooming right now are my foxgloves.  I haven't had luck with these other years in Texas, since they tend to like a bit cooler and wetter conditions than we normally get.  However, we are having a cooler and wetter season this year, so they are loving it, and so am I.

Wrapping up the English cottage garden blooms are the Graham Thomas antique roses.

A few weeks ago, I added some annuals to the courtyard to give it some color and included impatients, kalanchoes and torenias.

In the courtyard, the pansies that were planted last fall are still going strong, especially with the cooler than average temperatures we've been having.

In the shade garden, the agapanthus is starting to bloom, but hasn't reached its full glory just yet.

The gladiolas are just starting to bloom.  I love these vibrant purple varieties that always bloom first.

Volunteer sunflowers, planted by the birds, are also opening their blooms.

As are other annuals, like the blanket flowers,

cosmos,

and zinnias.

The gardenias are filling the air with their intoxicating fragrance.

And the insects are enjoying the nectar of the black-eyed Susans, 

as well as the asters.

Then there are a handful of other reliable Texas blooms, like the prickly pear cactus,

bi-colored iris,

oleander,

guara,

pink skullcap,

and lantana (which the hummingbirds are absolutely loving).

That wraps up my May blooms.  Be sure to stop by May Dreams Gardens for many more May blooms in other gardens around the world.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - April 2015

There is so much to share for this month's bloom day - where do I even begin?

I guess I'll start with some of my favorite blooms in the garden.

First, the bearded irises have been providing non-stop color in the garden.  All of my irises were pass along plants from neighbors last year.  I've been very pleasantly surprised with variety and color I received.

The oriental poppies always make me think of the Wizard of Oz.

Their lush greens filled the garden all winter long.  Now, their papery petals flit in the breeze.

Such perfection.

Next on my list of favorites are the roses.  Belinda's Dream, Mrs. B. R. Cant, Heritage and a couple mysterious varieties (the magenta climber that came with the house and the ruby red pass along rose from gardening friend, Melissa) are blooming like crazy right now and I'm loving the show.

I've highlighted them in their own post, but our Texas state flower, the bluebonnet, is still going strong in the garden.  I've notice some of the rosettes are starting to fill out with seed pods. Yay for even more bluebonnets next year!

The ranunculus plants fill the beds with a burst of color.  I've tried these bulb/rhizome plants several times in the past in containers without any luck.  However, they seem to love living in the garden beds and are providing me with great cut flowers.

The Texas Gold columbine is putting on it's first display of flowers for me since being planted late last spring.  You have to love this Texas Superstar plant that puts on such a show while living in deep shade and loving drought conditions.

 Such peculiar looking flowers.

Other blooms in the garden include the coral honeysuckle - one of the hummingbirds' favorite treats!

Then there are the sweet peas...

Blackfoot daisies...

Salvias...

Tulips...

Including Lady Janes, which do especially well here in the South.

Even the edibles are flowering, including the culinary sage...

Chives...

And even blackberries and strawberries!

That rounds out my blooms for April.  For more garden blooms, check out May Dreams Gardens where Carole hosts Garden Blogger's Bloom Day on the 15th of every month.

Happy First Day of Spring!

Today is the spring equinox, and the flowers and wildlife seem to know that it is time to wake up from their wintertime slumber.

It is so invigorating to see all the life spring forth, helped along with the late winter rains.

Like the daffodils (complete with a tiny spider) and other narcissus,

the sugar pea blooms,

the Mexican Plums,

or even the little blossoms on weeds (like this clover/oxalis).

While the bluebonnets,

bearded irises,

antique roses,

and poppies are all on the verge of blooming.

Even the Florida Prince peaches (which I thought I had lost in the late freezes) are starting to swell.

And the purple martins have returned, officially heralding the start to the new season.