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Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Mild winter brings plenty of March blooms to the garden

In our warm climate we don't wait for April showers.  Signs of spring are all around the yard this week and quite a few blooms are springing up.

Texas Mountain Laurel, a favorite native plant, is blooming out in the front yard
 


I check every year and they always smell like grape soda.

 
Bluebonnets, our state flower, are just beginning to bloom in the back yard


Silver germander sports very tiny, delicate blooms in the circle garden.  I like the silvery foliage in the garden.


Mexican Flame Vine on a trellis by the kitchen window is one of my favorites.  It usually dies to the ground but this year it had a head start on spring due to our mild winter.


Love the  bright yellow-orange color


The blue potato bush is blooming for the first time in over a year.  I cut it back and transplanted it in spring 2012 and it sulked all year.


It's off to a good start this year


The Bougainvillea usually goes dormant in the garage but it continued to bloom all winter and is outside for good now.


Salvia greggii and Color guard yucca by the driveway

 
 
My neighbor's snapdragons make me smile.  Not exactly spring blooms, snapdragons are a winter annual in our area.


It looks like good start to the gardening year.  Now if we could just get some rain.
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30 comments:

  1. Steph@RamblingWrenMarch 5, 2013 at 10:40 AM

    Your Mountain Laurel looks so pretty loaded with blooms. Ours haven't bloomed that much. They are older trees. Love your Mexican Flame Vine. Do butterflies and bees go to it?

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  2. Shirley FoxMarch 5, 2013 at 10:46 AM

    I was surprised by the number of blooms as the buds had been attacked by bugs. I haven't seen many pollinators on the Mexican Flame Vine, I'll keep an eye out for them now.

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  3. Sarah ShoesmithMarch 5, 2013 at 11:49 AM

    Hi Shirley, that Mexican flame vine is gorgeous - so is the Texan mountain laurel. I suspect I would love that fragrance. I cannot believe you have such exotic plants in spring.

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    Replies
    1. ShirleyMarch 5, 2013 at 12:00 PM

      We are lucky to have so many blooming local native plants. A few from nearby Mexico help round out the mix.

      Delete
  4. outlawgardenerMarch 5, 2013 at 11:54 AM

    Wow! You've got a lot of things blooming there that I associate with summer. Your mountain laurel is gorgeous and I've been reading about it on a couple of other blogs as well. It looks like it would be hardy here but I don't see it in gardens so maybe it doesn't like our wet winters. Your garden is looking good. The anticipation of a new garden season is nearly as much fun as summer itself!

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    1. ShirleyMarch 5, 2013 at 3:55 PM

      The TML prefers dry climates, especially in the winter and that wouldn't work so well up there. A gardening friend spotted them in a Chicago street planting so I'd say that's quite hardy.

      Early summer is fun, you don't want to be here in August though.

      Delete
  5. David C.March 5, 2013 at 1:31 PM

    Nice color for my day. Rain, sorry but we just keep sending you all wind from NM, since we have none of that there rain here. I remember the huge TX Mountain Laurel trees at a motel I stayed at first time in SA.

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    1. ShirleyMarch 5, 2013 at 3:55 PM

      All wind, no rain. There is a chance later in the week.

      Delete
  6. Pam/DiggingMarch 5, 2013 at 3:18 PM

    No rain, but lots of pretty blooms. Texas mountain laurel is my perennial favorite, and I always have to stop for a sniff whenever I see one.

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    1. ShirleyMarch 6, 2013 at 9:20 AM

      It draws you in and for some reason I am always surprised at how it is so identifiable and intense.

      Delete
  7. LindaCTGMarch 5, 2013 at 5:00 PM

    Absolutely lovely! One advantage to this crazy year is all the flowers up and going, though some of mine are behind yours. I must have the blue potato vine! So hard to find, so I'm glad your beauty recovered!

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    1. ShirleyMarch 6, 2013 at 9:12 AM

      The plant was given to me as a rooted cutting from a gardening friend about two years ago. I didn't know they were hard to find, they are apparently easy to propagate. The deep color is gorgeous.

      Delete
  8. Linda/patchworkMarch 5, 2013 at 5:16 PM

    You have so much blooming. I'm quite jealous.
    But, we get a bit colder here, I think.

    Love the Mountain Laurel. I've see a lot blooming up in Austin. None here, yet.

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    1. ShirleyMarch 6, 2013 at 9:19 AM

      We are quite a bit warmer and it seems ours are past peak now.

      Delete
  9. khakiMarch 5, 2013 at 5:45 PM

    Great bloom shots! Our Mexican Flame Vine is starting to bloom over on the gate as well. It's crazy with all this mixed up weather- 88 yesterday and supposed to be 30 tonight. Nuts!!!! Thanks for the id on the House Finch!!! =0)

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    1. ShirleyMarch 6, 2013 at 9:17 AM

      Strange weather, but that's Texas!

      Delete
  10. TinaMarch 5, 2013 at 6:00 PM

    Beautiful blooming things! I especially like that Mexican Flame Vine. I think we're a little too cold here in Austin for that, but I love it south of here.

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    1. ShirleyMarch 6, 2013 at 9:13 AM

      I have heard that the Mexican Flame Vine is an annual there. This one is protected against a stone wall on the south side of the house.

      Delete
  11. HolleyGardenMarch 5, 2013 at 6:37 PM

    So colorful! I want a Texas mountain laurel so bad, but I doubt they would like my acid soil. :( Love the colorful snapdragons. How fun to be able to see that all winter long!

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    1. ShirleyMarch 6, 2013 at 9:15 AM

      We had one in our yard in Houston when I was growing up, but I have heard they don't do well outside their native range.

      Delete
  12. rickiMarch 5, 2013 at 7:41 PM

    I love enjoying your blooms without having to covet them, because most would die a death by drowning here. Lovely!

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    1. ShirleyMarch 6, 2013 at 9:17 AM

      The snapdragons might be okay. I am always amazed by PNW blogs which show photo after photo of dripping wet plants all winter.

      Delete
  13. AlisonMarch 6, 2013 at 10:55 AM

    You have so many bright cheerful flowers, and foliage! I could do with some of your warmth and sunshine.

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    1. ShirleyMarch 7, 2013 at 10:01 AM

      Would be nice to trade since we could do with more rain which you have in abundance.

      Delete
  14. ReneeMarch 6, 2013 at 6:30 PM

    I like that orange vine, so cheerful! And a plant that smells like grape soda sounds cool too.

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    1. ShirleyMarch 7, 2013 at 10:07 AM

      They are bright and fun, the vine should do very well in your area too.

      Delete
  15. AnonymousMarch 6, 2013 at 7:12 PM

    Boy does it look different where you are, so colorful. It's nice to get a glimpse of what is to come.

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    1. ShirleyMarch 7, 2013 at 10:09 AM

      The differences in regions are especially striking in early spring.

      Delete
  16. Casa MariposaMarch 6, 2013 at 10:42 PM

    Texas feels like a different country to me sometimes. You grow plants I've never even heard of! The mountain laurel reminds me of wisteria. :o)

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    1. ShirleyMarch 7, 2013 at 10:12 AM

      That's exactly what our travel and tourism folks say. When I lived in New England returning home seemed like visiting a different planet


      http://www.traveltex.com/

      Delete

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