Sunday, April 15, 2007

April bloggers' bloom day

I'm pleased to participate for the second month in Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, sponsored by Carol at May Dreams Gardens. Ever since my photography breakthrough (relative though it may be) a week ago or so, I've been looking forward to the chance to record the garden in its April moment.

Here's what's blooming in my south Austin garden this beautiful Sunday.

All four roses are blooming. From the top, the new Cecille Brunner in a pot; Climbing Pinkie (check out my last post for a view of this whole plant; she's been stunning for a week now); Old Blush, past her first flush of bloom but working on another; and Maggie, so sweetly scented and about to burst with blooms.





I couldn't resist posting a picture of my rescued-from-the-construction columbine in both bud and flower.



Here are two flowers so delicate that I had a hard time getting a good picture. At the top is bush germander (Teucrium fruticans); this picture makes the flowers look much larger than they really are. At the bottom is Gulf Coast penstemon (Penstemon tenius).



These are the flowers of two succulents. The top is a plant that was a gift a few years. I can't remember what it's called but these blooms appear on a tall stalk. And I can't remember what the bottom plant is called either but you can see it in the background and I'm sure someone will tell me what it is.



These are two of the six salvias I have in the garden. At the top is a fuschia salvia greggii and below salvia nemarosa "May Night" (I have another clump of salvia that was sold to me as salvia superba "May Night"; they look identical). Cedar sage (Salvia roemariana) is also blooming but for the life of me I couldn't get a good shot of it; Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha) is also sending up a few bloom stalks, although it's mostly a fall bloomer.



Here are two in bud and oh so close to flowering. At the top is red yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora) and at the bottom the annual cleome, planted from transplants not seed. Also in bud are winecups (Callirhoe involucrata), California poppies (from transplants, planted very late), and zexmenia.



And here are two final perennials (well a tree and a perennial): The anacacho orchid tree again and a globe mallow (Sphaeralcea), variety unknown.



And one annual that I wasn't going to post (from a big pot of pansies and violas that I'm hoping will hold on for one more week as the temperatures rise). I couldn't resist the face of this viola.


A few other things are flowering that I didn't include: orange and yellow bulbine, a Laura Bush petunia that survived in a pot from last fall, purple and lavender verbena in a pot, and a fuschia bougainvillea (but it was blooming when I bought it so it may not count).

Whew. This is a busy time in a Central Texas garden. If the temperatures don't skyrocket the garden should be in peak form for another month or two and then I'll be reduced to the truly tough plants.

10 comments:

Annie in Austin said...

Your photos are wonderful - and you have a lot to photograph, Susan! I love the columbine, and am glad you included the sweet little pansy face.
Your mystery plant looks like something in the kalanchoe family... if the leaves look like the jaws of an alligator, maybe it's Mother of Thousands?

I'm looking forward to seeing your garden in person.

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

Susan said...

Annie — Yes indeed that's the one, although the woman who gave it to me called it something else, like Prosperity Plant or something related to money. It reproduces with astonishing ease. Every dropped leaf makes a new plant, it seems. I had no idea it was a kalonchoe.

And congratulations to you on your (many) nominations in M&T. We will have to shower you and Pam with adulation when we see you next weekend. You're certainly keeping up the reputation of Austin as a garden blogging hotbed.

And I want to know how you inserted that link in your comment. I can't get it to work.

Carol Michel said...

Susan... your flowers are outstanding. It must be wonderful to walk through your garden right now. I think I would get all twittery seeing so much in bloom so soon after winter. I'd be pointing and exclaiming and trying to smell everything and take it all in.

Thanks for participating in Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!

Robin's Nesting Place said...

Susan, thank you for visiting my blog and for leaving the comment.I saw your blog earlier this afternoon and tried not to envy! Your roses are beautiful. I think I saw everyones blog that posted and then followed some links to other blogs. That got me in the mood to go to garden centers even though it was still pretty cold. I'm primed and ready to plant now!
Again thanks for stopping by.

LostRoses said...

My neighbor buys pansies everytime he visits the garden center. He says he can't resist their "faces" and I think he's right! Great photos.

Anonymous said...

You have a lot in bloom, and you photographed it beautifully, Susan. I think our garden-bloggers tour is going to be at peak bloom for most of us.

Susan said...

Robin — I'm glad you stopped in but I take no responsibility for encouraging garden shopping!

Lostroses — Thanks for the kind words about my photos. I've been enjoying taking them, especially for Bloom Day.

Pam — Kind words from you about my photos are especially welcome since you are my inspiration. I sure am looking forward to seeing everyone's blooms next weekend. And did you notice that I stole your technique of putting my responses in italics (once I finally figured out the right html tag for italics!). I hope you don't mind. I've always thought it made it easier to keep track of the back-and-forth comments.

Unknown said...

This is beautiful and inspiring gardening, writing, and photography. Nicely done and thanks for sharing.

Susan said...

Dan — Thank you for stopping by. I hope you come by again.

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