Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - March 2015

Spring has sprung in my Zone 8b Central Texas garden.  The weather broke from cold and rainy days in the 30s-40s (our version of winter) to sunny days in the 70s and I'm lovin' it.

Relatively few plants are in bloom right now.  Most are still shaking off the winter chill, but here are some of the plants that are blooming in my garden right now:

The hyacinths are in full effect right now.  I planted a border of them in January after chilling the bulbs in the refrigerator for several weeks.  I'm not sure the chilling was necessary, since I've planted hyacinth bulbs other years, left them in the ground, and they still came back, but it apparently didn't hurt.

I'm not sure of the varieties, other than the mixed bag they came in said they were "shades of purple." Most look to be pink to me, with a few lavenders scattered in.  But, no matter.  They are beautiful and smell lovely.

The Erlicheer narcissus are also blooming away right now.  They were also new bulb additions to my garden last fall.  I'm definitely enjoying their first bloom season and looking forward to many more to come.

My Meyer lemon tree is still sitting indoors, as I haven't had a chance to move it outside after the freezing temperatures.  It has started blooming (five blooms at the moment), and since it is indoors and without pollinators, I've had to step in and do some hand pollination.  It is really quite easy - just use a cotton swab and get some of the pollen on the stamen.  It seems to be working, as I can see little lemon fruits start to appear.  I think these blooms have my favorite fragrance - nothing beats its floral citrus smell.

Back outdoors, the arugula is still blooming like crazy.  The bees are loving it, and since the ground has been too wet to plant any new spring veggies, I'm keeping the arugula in place and letting the insects enjoy the blooms for now.

I've shown the pansies before, but they have been going strong all winter, adding a burst of color to the otherwise blank courtyard.  And since they will most likely be nearing their seasonal end soon, I thought I'd showcase them one last time.

And finally, while not quite making it in time for this month's GBBD, I see the potential of other blooms around the garden, including other narcissus and daffodils, and even my first Blue Bonnets are well on their way to blooming!

Thanks to Carol over at May Dreams Gardens for hosting this garden meme each month!

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day - December 2014

It is time for me to join Carol again over at May Dreams Gardens for a monthly view of what is blooming in the garden.

There aren't too many December blooms in my USDA Hardiness Zone 8b garden.  Those that are in bloom are featuring shades of purples and pinks.

A new bloom this month is the Oxalis Iron Cross.  These were some free bulbs that I got along with my fall bulb purchase.  The dainty pink flowers are very charming.

The pansies are a cold-weather performer.  I haven't had to protect these guys from any of our mild freezes, nor have I needed to provide them any supplemental water.  They do well with the misting precipitation that we get every few days.

Pansies always make me think of Alice in Wonderland.

The purple trailing lantana is helping to provide nectar to the few remaining butterflies that have stuck around for the Texas winter.

The hot pink of the autumn sage brings a pop of color to the front beds.

The vitex is looking pretty bare these days, but there are still some blooms hanging on.

Thanks for joining me for my December blooms.  Be sure to check out other gardeners' blooms over at May Dreams Gardens.