Spring blooms abound

February rains bring March flowers in South Texas.  We love our March flowers even it doesn't make for a cute rhyme.  By May we are well into the heat loving blooms of summer.  And the Pilgrims didn't make it this far south anyway.

From my garden this week an Iris shared as a common purple iris, which seems accurate as I enjoy seeing these very same blooms all around town.

The Yucca recurvifolia in the island bed are producing their first bloom stalks.

Abutilon

Foliage is a mix of variegated and green.

My newest plant is a Sky Vine from Shades of Green.  Having admired my friend Melody's vine  which grows up the side of her house each summer, I snapped this one up the moment I saw it.

Sophora secundiflora 'Silver Peso' at a neighbor's yard sports deep purple blooms against silvery foliage.  Mine will look like this in another year or so.

The next several photos are blooms from the Warrior and Family Support Center at Ft. Sam Houston where I volunteer on Tuesdays.  

Ranunculus

I had no idea they would grow so well in our climate.

Bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis) with orange poppies for contrast.

We call the maroon ones Aggie Bluebonnets for the Texas A&M colors of maroon and white.

Aggie horticulturists have been experimenting with colors of Lupinus texensis like these purple "Bluebonnets" planted last fall.  Aggies enjoy playing with Nature it seems.

The color isn't as intense as the blue so we've had mixed reviews.

More of the abundance of poppies along the trails.

Winter annuals still going strong, Dianthus (foreground) with white alyssum and pink snapdragon in the background around the boulder.

I recently read that alyssum is a favorite nectar food for the Monarch butterflies which will be here in a few weeks.

Loropetalum chinensis looking especially good this year.

Nasturtium edging the vegetable garden.

Redbud, probably Texas Redbud.

Gorgeous, gorgeous gardens at the Warrior Family Support Center and they not only let me work here every week, they thank me for being here.

Amazing pink poppies in a friend's garden.  I'll post more photos from this garden soon.

Oh, and the sunsets are spectacular this time of year too.

Things are looking good in my part of the world and I'll have more good stuff to show you next week.