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Thursday, March 26, 2015

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.
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15 comments:

  1. Linda LehmusvirtaMarch 26, 2015 at 8:32 PM

    Love those heritage iris! Must find some. And as always, you're ahead of us on abutilion and poppies. Must have sky vine myself (Thunbergia?). And I'll be in touch with contact for Ft. Sam Houston soon!

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  2. AnonymousMarch 27, 2015 at 12:30 AM

    Great variety, S. Fox. The ranunculus is pretty cool. The towering cholla with the poppies and bluebonnets is my favorite, of course.

    Someone I was with at the conference in Austin told me how the A&M researchers who selected their Aggie Bluebonnet threw out the ones that came up burnt orange... I'm not so sure some UT fans haven't found a few of those, and are planning something special...just so they don't sneak them into my alma mater, in case they're hardy in Norman!

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  3. mcray@satx.rr.comMarch 27, 2015 at 7:40 AM

    I've always loved ranuculas-my Mother grew them when I was little and they were so rewarding to plant. I have those iris blooming now too--I didn't exactly know they were heritage iris though. I have enough to share, Linda.

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  4. TexasDebMarch 27, 2015 at 8:17 AM

    Gorgeous photos! Wonderful glimpses into the abundance timely rains can trigger. I have a few irises that simply are not blooming for me where they are. Every time I see your photos (or others) of iris in bloom I think I absolutely must dig them out and give them a fresh start in another spot. Then things heat up and I forget for another year.

    As to those purple and maroon bonnets- I'm a fan. I've got maroon and white (OK - kind of pink) bonnets coming back after allowing them to seed out last year and they pop in contrast with the more plentiful blues. The bees don't care - they love them all (and so do I)!

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  5. UnknownMarch 27, 2015 at 8:43 AM

    I love this time of year - something new seems to be blooming daily. Bluebonnets are always wonderful to see. I'm still a fan of the original. The "maroonbonnet" is a fun surprise to see here and there, but I would have to agree on the dark purple. Interesting, but not my favorite. I enjoy the poppies (California and otherwise). I'm waiting for my first batch of them in my garden this year. I see the bloom heads swelling, but they haven't opened yet - maybe this weekend? Those ranunculus look fantastic. I planted some rhizomes last fall and I have a bit of foliage, but not blooms. I wonder if they will bloom this year, if I'll have to wait until next season for blooms, or maybe they will fail. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll end up with something that looks like your pictures!

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  6. www.ravenscourtgardens. comMarch 27, 2015 at 12:07 PM

    Beautiful blooms! I love the poppies and bluebonnets...especially since lived most of my life in California! The Ranunculus are amazing.

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  7. TinaMarch 27, 2015 at 12:39 PM

    Great photos and magnificent spring show all around. I have those same iris--no idea where I got them from but they are real winners, aren't they. Love that last photo.

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  8. Kris PetersonMarch 27, 2015 at 1:53 PM

    I loved seeing those Iris. I have the same or similar variety in my own garden but I got few blooms last year and there's no sign of any yet this year, although I've tried to supplement our miserly rain with manual watering. I do love your blue lupines best but I wouldn't mind finding some of the maroon and purple ones in my garden.

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  9. HannahMarch 27, 2015 at 3:21 PM

    Your flowers are spectacular, my ideas of gardening in San Antonio from my childhood looking at the cactus and mesquite are blown to bits. I have some of those older varieties of irises and they return better every year than the newer fancy irises I have bought. I really enjoy your bluebonnets and other wildflowers don't get to see anymore. This must be your most floriferous time of the year!

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  10. Beth at PlantPostingsMarch 27, 2015 at 4:49 PM

    That patch of Ranunculus--wowza! I seriously had to scroll back up just for the pleasure of looking at them again. Gorgeous! OK, you've convinced me I need to spend more time in Texas in March. That's when I've been there before and it was perfect. You are having a glorious spring. Yay!

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  11. outlawgardenerMarch 28, 2015 at 9:57 AM

    Oh, the sunset through the live oaks is spectacular! Interesting to see what y'all grow as winter annuals which are mostly summer annuals for us. Love the silver foliage of Sophora secundiflora 'Silver Peso' against the purple blooms. Do the flowers of this variety still smell like grape Kool Aid?

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  12. rickiiMarch 28, 2015 at 12:41 PM

    We all love spring, but yours is especially spectacular.

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  13. Pam/DiggingMarch 28, 2015 at 10:38 PM

    It's a wonderful spring all the way around. My early bearded iris are already fading in the heat, but they were pretty for about a week. I still have another bearded variety that usually blooms later, so something to look forward to.

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  14. Donna@Gardens Eye ViewMarch 29, 2015 at 7:49 PM

    Oh wow Shirley...irises and then the Ranunculus patch. How gorgeous.

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  15. Diana StuderMarch 31, 2015 at 2:40 AM

    that Silver Peso is covetable.
    When we go to the Kirstenbosch plant sale I'll be seeking my version of a shrub with silver leaves and gorgeous flowers.

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