Garden Blogger's Bloom Day April 2018

It's been a challenge to blog lately with near perfect gardening weather awaiting me.  We have a short planting window in spring to ensure plants are established before the summer heat sets in.   It's especially important this year since I've been moving a lot of plants to expanded areas of the garden.  While my blogger friends farther north are digging out from their second snow storm in as many days I'm joining Carol at May Dreams Gardens for Garden Blogger's Bloom Day and sharing blooms from April in my San Antonio garden.

Native Lace Cactus and Damianita make a nice bright combination.  This pretty cactus used to grow among the rocks in vacant areas around our neighborhood and I miss seeing it in the wild.

In the back garden Belinda's Dream and Mr. Moy roses are getting along well.

Belinda's Dream produced a dozen pink blooms at once.  Beautiful!  She's a good cutting rose and they last quite a while in a vase.



Grandma's Yellow is still blooming too.

John Fanick Phlox was discovered blooming in an old San Antonio neighborhood and is named for a local nurseryman.  Gardening Volunteers of South Texas will be holding our April Gardening Essentials Class at Fanick's beginning noon tomorrow and you're invited.   Learn more about gardening, and tour a 75-year multi-generation family business, and also get a nice discount.

Pomegranate blooms are a favorite.

Bright orange and a pretty shape that stands out in the trees.

A Pomegranate forming on the lower left.  We don't count on getting fruit since it is so variable with weather conditions.

Henry and Augusta Duelberg Salvias bloom with little to no care.  I tried the white Augusta in a separate bed but they look much better in combination with blue Henry.  I think they would have liked it that way.

My weeds really are wildflowers or many of them at least.  As I wait for woody perennials to bloom yellow Greenthread and Prairie Verbena fill in among Bluebonnets going to seed.   Looks like a great crop of Bluebonnets for next year.

All in all a great month in the garden.



That's the best of blooms from my garden for April.  Be sure to head over to GBBD at May Dreams Gardens to see what Carol and other bloggers are sharing from their gardens.  I look forward to meeting Carol and 90+ fellow bloggers at the Garden Bloggers Fling in May.

GBBD December 2015

December has been amazing for blooms this year with warmer weather and plenty of rain early in the fall.  Since many gardens in North America are dormant for a few months, it's a good time to share December blooms from my Zone 8B garden for Garden Blogger's Bloom Day.

Unnamed Hibiscus shared as a passalong plant is gorgeous and will be stashed in the garage when the weather turns colder (eventually).

The garden celebrates in Red, White and Blue

It's the Fourth of July and time to display the colors and celebrate the Red, White, and Blue from my garden this week.

Kicking off the festivities with a first-time bloomer and current favorite plant Heartleaf Rosemallow (Hibiscus martianus).  I purchased this native hibiscus from Medina Garden Nursery about 18 months ago and the deer loved to eat the buds (but not the plant) so it never bloomed until we fenced the deer out.

Surprises

It's not easy for us to surprise each other with gifts.  I'm not good at waiting for a special occasion to buy something and neither is he.  This year was an exception.

"This will instantly make your blog better."  He handed over the box and I paused wondering what it could possibly be.  He was so certain.  I couldn't think of what it would be.

It's a new camera lens.  An 18-135mm which will provide more versatility over a broader range of distances, including doubling my zoom while out and about.

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day May 2014

It's Garden Blogger's Bloom Day and time to share the plants blooming in my garden.  It's been a very dry spring in San Antonio but substantial rains in the last few days are helping out quite a bit.

The biggest and best bloom surprises are these Color Guard Yuccas planted just over two years ago, which are sporting their first ever blooms.  With more than 10 hours of direct sun a day during summer months these plants have grown to nearly four feet diameter in a very short time.  The third bloom was caught on a leaf and is lagging behind.  I will look forward to these creamy, bell-shaped beauties each year from now on.