March 2014 End of Month View

Sometimes we gardeners are so focused on what remains to be done that we forget how much progress has been made.  This is why I enjoy looking at the changes through past photos, and just one of the reasons I'm joining  The Patient Gardener for the End of Month View for March.

March is one of the best months for gardening in our climate and we are typically in a big push to get large projects finished.  Plants put in the garden now get a chance to grow in and gain strength before the heat of summer sets in.  This year March has been cooler than usual, but the weather has been great for gardening except on a few days when high winds kept us indoors.

The Salvia greggii blooming along the street are an especially welcomed sight after our cold winter.  These tough native plants are evergreen and resume blooming as soon as the weather warms a bit.  By design the front view does not change much through the seasons, providing an enjoyable view throughout the year.

I'd prefer all the Salvia greggii bloom at once but these along the driveway always lag a bit despite my attempts at selective pruning.  Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia leucantha) has been added to the mix after I noted how beautifully they blend with the Gulf Muhly in professionally designed gardens around town.  It will take a while to show the results and should be quite pretty in the autumn.

The Four-nerve daisies which were along the driveway have been transplanted to the island where they show up much better.  I enjoy these almost everblooming native wildflowers which held their blooms all winter and will continue to smile brightly through our hottest summer days.

The iris are in full bloom around the oaks nearer the house.

Spring cleanup and renovation in the side yard is underway.  The perennials have been cut back and the bougainvillea have moved to their summer homes out in the garden.  It's time to plant around the new stone path but I still haven't made up my mind....

No March report from South Texas would be complete without our native Bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis) which are naturalizing in the buffalo grass lawn.

The new cedar post fence shows them off well.

One of the first plants in the new deer-proof garden behind the fence is this 'Moy Red' rose developed by Ying Doon Moy at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens.  The rose was shared by my friend Melody.  Dr. Moy's story is an inspiration and I'm thrilled to have this gorgeous rose in my garden.

That's the view from our gardens for March.  Thank you to Helen at The Patient Gardener for this helpful meme which encourages us to take a look back to review the changes and progress in the garden.