Monday, April 14, 2014

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day April 2014

It's Garden Blogger's Bloom Day and time to join Carol at May Dreams Gardens to share flowering plants in the garden for April.  It has turned unseasonably cold again this week befitting this wacky winter which means the blooms have been slower to arrive.  Still there are some old reliables and new ones to share so lets get started.

Claret Cup Cactus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus) or hedgehog cactus is native to West Texas, the cup-shaped red flowers brighten up the spring garden each April.




This was shared as a small pup.  The new pups emerging at the base will eventually form a large mound covered with blooms each spring.



Bright orange blooms have appeared for the first time on Pomegranate 'Wonderful' in the front garden.  An important development because this is the only one of the four trees which had not bloomed in the five years since they were planted.  I chose Pomegranates for their beautiful blooms and fruit but they can be a bit stubborn by never blooming or setting fruit so I'm happy to see they are all setting blooms now.  A busy bee has shown up to help out with the fruiting part of the equation.


After success with purple and yellow passalong iris, I purchased a few more last fall to add to the garden for early spring color.

This is 'Batik' bearded iris which I selected on a whim from the bin at a big box store.


These are fun and a bit like those dyed orchids.  Appropriate for Semana Santa or Holy Week when cars from Mexico outnumber the locals at the shopping malls in town and the clerks speak more Spanish than English.  It's all good for our city which runs on tourism.


My garden isn't all about bright colors in the spring.  'Superstition' bearded iris is on the dark side and reminds me of the deep purple/black tulips I loved growing in pots by the front door when we lived in Virginia.  Tulips are a challenge to grow in our milder climate so these work beautifully.


We had a little rain this morning ahead of the cold front.  When the sun came out the raindrops appeared to be pink bubbles.



I'm getting more iris bulbs for next year!

The Texas Bluebonnets are beginning to fade even as the Navajo Tea or Greenthreads lead off the next wave of wildflowers in the back garden.



Prairie Verbena is taking advantage of our cooler weather and hanging around longer than usual, to the delight of the bees and butterflies.


The hummingbird moths are sticking around to enjoy the blooms as well.


The cooler spring has meant good weather for propagating and transplanting which has kept me busy.  All in all spring is off to a late but good start.

Thank you to Carol for hosting this bloom fest.  To see how blooms are going in far flung places around the globe be sure to check out the list at May Dreams Gardens.

19 comments:

  1. Shirley, I love your beaarded iris. I purchased some at the Helotes Garden Club plant sale about 3 years ago and this is the first year they have bloomed and I am just so excited to see them. I had forgotten what colors I got so eaach one is a surprise. I know that I don't have the batik--quite unusual! Thanks for sharing

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    1. Aren't they so cool! I did forget which ones I selected so these are also a big surprise. There are so many new ones I plan to go back and find more soon.

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  2. Love your iris. I'm going to plant more, too. Some of mine, as pass-alongs, aren't what I thought they'd be. But, I like them.
    Hope you're not going to get the cold, tonight.

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    1. They seem to bloom best and add interest to the garden in a typically dull time of year.

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  3. I like the bright flowers on the cactus. I can't figure out what that is with the prairie verbena. It looks kind of like a loaf of bread. Do your prairie verbena only bloom for a short period?

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    1. One very large and somewhat orange loaf to be sure Michael!

      The Prairie Verbena usually disappears in the late spring heat. A few remain in low spots with afternoon shade until late summer.

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  4. OK, those 'Superstition' iris are to die for! They look quite tall, yes?

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  5. Oh that pomegranate blossom is beautiful! I really wish we could grow them here. These photos are a true feast, Shirley - I especially enjoyed seeing the pollinators enjoying your garden. Absolutely lovely.

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  6. Love that Claret Cup cactus with its striking blooms and every time I see bearded iris it reminds me that we must grow them!

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  7. Those iris are stunning but it is that claret cup that really caught my eye. Maybe that is because I grew up seeing iris but the cactus in bloom was more a rarity? Interesting that your verbena ducks out when the weather warms. I have several in part shade and though they get leggy they bloom nearly year 'round.

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  8. How nice that you can have bearded Irises down in San Antonio! Yeah, I think that would be just fine--seeing as I've given up on Tulips, anyway (the rabbits eat them). I love to see the blooms on the Cacti. I'm still unsure whether my little Cacti survived the winter (and 20F last night, after 70F on the weekend!). I'm glad you're having a beautiful spring. :)

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  9. Oh, that Batik iris is gorgeous!!! But then, when I saw Superstition, I fell in love! What a dramatic color. I must add some dark irises to my garden! I even like it spotted! ;)

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  10. Such fun to see a completely different palette of blooming plants. We do share iris though, but ours will bloom next month.

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  11. I know I'm in a very different part of the country when the Bloom Day post opens with a cactus flower. Your Irises are so very pretty. Happy GBBD!

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  12. I enjoyed seeing what's blooming down south! Happy Bloom Day!

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  13. Your garden is full of spring color! All of your blooms are gorgeous and I love the purple and orange theme! Happy belated GBBD Shirley!

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  14. Love, love, love that 'Superstition' Iris. My Iris seem somewhat slow to show up this year but perhaps that's just a trick of memory. A belated happy GBBD, Shirley!

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  15. I've been a huge fan of Batik for many years. You lucked out in the bin on that one. I'm smitten with Claret Cup. In part because I can't grow it this far north.

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  16. most beautiful garden with colourful flowers
    very nice!

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