Blooms for Good Friday

Let's take a peek at the Easter basket and see what's blooming this holiday weekend.

Bougainvillea

Reflections on Blogging and answers to a few questions

The Outlaw Gardener posed questions about blogging in a comment a few days ago and I promised to answer soon.  I think it's been a week, long enough to interview myself and make up some answers.  

Gomphrena 'Fireworks' with Zinnias

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day: December 2012

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day for December 2012 finds plenty of blooms in the garden even with two freezes this past week.

Bougainvillea, light and deep pink mixed in the same container look great considering they are not too hardy and I forgot to cover them.

Foliage Follow-Up: February 2012

Newly emerging spring foliage is the focus for this February 2012 Foliage Follow-Up post hosted by Pam at Digging on the 16th each month.  Join Pam and other bloggers from around the world as we show off the foliage in our gardens.

Spring arrives early here in south Texas.  While our winter was mild overall we had a freeze back in the late fall that knocked back many perennials.  With our recent warm weather, the foliage on those plants is emerging and perennials that didn't die back completely are showing new spring growth.

Salvia Madrensis is a shade loving favorite that blooms only in the fall.  I'm pleased to see all this new growth on a first-year plant meaning I can probably divide it this year.

Leap Year

The calendar shows 2012 as a Leap Year.  And in gardening terms, It should also be "leap year" for my garden.  There is a saying among gardeners regarding perennials that the first year they sleep, the second year they creep, and the third year they leap.  In other words, after transplanting perennials, they need to first get established, then they slowly start to take hold, and finally -- beginning with the third year -- they leap into full growth.  If that holds true, the perennials I began planting in 2009 should be "leaping" by early summer.


Of course, the weather has to cooperate and that's sometimes a tall order here in south Texas.  The big freeze in February 2010 and the heat and drought of last summer knocked some of the perennials for a loop.  This creeping germander has been set back by the heat and spent last summer sleeping when it should have been creeping.   It's beginning to creep a bit now so what will it do next spring.  Will it leap or creep?

 The Russian Sage should be taller and fuller by next fall's bloom season

 

 
Perhaps this Blue Hill Salvia will "leap" over the stone edging as planned

The white-blooming lantana, salvia, and plumbago in this bed have definitely slept and crept, so even a little leaping would be appreciated next year.

 
No doubt the Artemsia "Powis Castle" will leap.


This Flame Acanthus has not disappointed so far with its growth and blooms last summer.   I will enjoy seeing it leap and set even more blooms next summer.

Will the Callistemon "Little John" (in the foreground above) recover from last year's deep freeze?

This Firebush (Hamelia patens) is already growing well and setting blooms right through December.  Should I expect even more next year?

Is this the year Pomegranate "Wonderful" will set fruit?

 

This Indigo Spires Salvia has already grown and bloomed beautifully these first two years, how much better will it look when "in-Spired" by leap year?

 Yes, this should be a great "leap year" in the garden.