Marching into spring
For a mostly evergreen garden, mine is looking pretty flowery right now, although perhaps not in the wide view. I took these pics yesterday after I’d planted several new plants and before the cold front and rain blew in, dropping temperatures from the 80s to the 50s in an hour. I’m delighted to have more cool weather and rain, and I’m soaking up the cool temps while the garden soaks up the rain (remembering last summer with a shudder).
Highlights from right to left: The cheery, yellow daisies of hymenoxys (Tetraneuris scaposa) atop the wall; powder-blue Agave ovatifolia; ‘Blue Elf’ aloe blooming in the round, blue pot; a new ‘Color Guard’ yucca in a blue pot, brightening up the somber trio of softleaf yuccas (Y. recurvifolia) behind the bottle tree; and Mexican honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera) flowering orange by the orange pot at left.
I recently posted about Mexican honeysuckle, so click the link for more information. But it’s blooming so beautifully this spring that I couldn’t resist posting a couple more pictures of it.
It looks especially vibrant contrasted with purple heart (Tradescantia pallida).
My first species tulip popped up yesterday. This little Tulipa clusiana ‘Cynthia’ is no doubt battered by the heavy rain today, but more will follow. These didn’t do well last year during the drought, but here’s what ‘Cynthia’ tulips look like in happier springs (and I hope this will be one of them).
Growing in the understory of several live oaks, the Mexican buckeye (Ungnadia speciosa) is at peak bloom. Despite its common name, this small tree is native to Texas and grows well in sun or dappled shade.
The first pointy leaves are already appearing on the branches, and soon they will overshadow the pale-pink blossoms.
Even the softleaf yuccas are getting into the spirit of spring. This one is sending up the first bloom stalk of the season. Soon there’ll be a cascade of white bells to attract nighttime pollinators.
By the way, my blog Digging is a finalist for Best Gardening Blog in the Readers’ Choice Awards at About.com. I’d love to have your vote. You can vote once a day (it’s on a 24-hour cycle) until March 21. So vote early and often! Thanks for your support! (And thank you to Pamela Price for the vote graphic.) Click to VOTE.
All material © 2006-2012 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Just love the consistent beauty of your garden throughout the seasons, Pam. Neither my Mexican honeysuckle and Tulipa clusiana ‘Cynthia’ are blooming yet, even though they both have lots of foliage. Do you have any of MSS’s larkspurs? Mine have become a dense thicket this year!
Thanks, Vicki. No, I don’t have much room in my garden for sowing seeds, so I miss out on the beautiful larkspur display in spring. I’ll look for pics to enjoy on your blog! —Pam
I love the use of orange containers to pick up the flower colors in your garden and complement the blue.
The Mexican Buckeye really caught my eye. I want to add a spring flowering tree to an understory spot and was considering one of the new redbuds. I’ll have to do more considering….
There’s also Mexican plum, Eve’s necklace, and Anacacho orchid tree. So many great choices. —Pam
Ah, I miss my old Mexican buckeye. Yours looks lovely. My clusiana tulips are starting to bloom but they don’t look as vigorous as last year. Maybe that was the drought too? Love your Mexican honeysuckle!
Thanks, Jean. Yeah, my clusianas were total duds last year, and this first one is kind of weak. But I’m optimistic that the ones that follow will be more promising. We’re getting more rain today… —Pam
I want it all, including the moisture that petered out here! I see why you like the MX Honeysuckle, but the MX Buckeye steals the show for me…and it is perfect for smaller spaces or under the noble live oak.
Yes, I really enjoy the understory buckeye. The foliage is pretty all summer, it turns yellow in fall and is ornamented with dangling “buckeye” seedpods, and in spring it blooms. A performer! —Pam
My goodness you do have lots blooming right now. Enjoy this weather while it lasts. One never knows.
How well I know it, Lisa. I am soaking up the good weather while we have it. —Pam
Pleasure to meet you this week Pam. After years of enjoying your pictures and your take on gardening you sure get my vote. I’ve followed that beautiful orange pot around your gardens in your “join me in the garden” wide angle shots. This year I got one for our garden and also discovered how cool it is with the Mexican Honeysuckle. I guess we could call it honeysuckle orange the colors are so close — should look even better when the blue plumbago joins the show. Thanks for the many ideas!
Hi, Tom! Thanks for introducing yourself at BSN this week. I came home and looked you up on “Central Texas Gardener” and really enjoyed seeing your garden, and especially that pond you created. Great idea on adding plumbago to the mix with the orange pot. I’ve popped a few purple iris in front of mine and hope that’ll be a nice contrast too. Yes, that orange pot does get around, as do I. P.S. Thanks for your vote too! —Pam
Your garden looks lovely, as ever, Pam…that Mexican Buckeye really is amazing!
Thanks, Scott. I was glad to finally capture the buckeye in full bloom this year. It has eluded my camera in years past. —Pam
I think if I visited your garden I would feel like I was on another planet. So many plants in your garden are so foreign to me. Love the Mexican Buckeye….but then I love purple.
Janet, I bet you would learn the plants quickly if you lived here. I spent many a pleasant hour at the Wildflower Center, learning the native plants, when I first moved here. It was a great foundation for learning to garden successfully in Austin. —Pam
Hi Pam
Beautiful photos of a beautiful garden as alwaysHere in Sweden has the spring just started. Our garden is on the swedish TV on sunday the 11/3 19.oo clock swedesh time. If you want you can see it on the internet at http://www.tv8play.se/play/266404/ it is the second program. I think you find it intresting interesting for you to se how a swedish garden in cold climat lock like in the summer.
Have a nice wekend, Ken
Congrats on your television appearance, Ken. Your beautiful garden will inspire lots of people. Happy spring to you! —Pam
So that’s what the bloom stalk on a yucca looks like! I love that first panoramic view, thanks for identifying what’s growing there. What a bummer that your species tulips didn’t do well with last summer’s drought and heat. I noticed recently when reading Beth Chatto’s gravel garden book, that she grew species tulips there. I’m hoping they’ll do well here. We don’t get anything near your heat, but we do get about two months of droughty conditions in the summer.
I have higher hopes for the species tulips this year. Fingers crossed for both of ours! —Pam
Love that Mexican honeysuckle. It does look good with the purple heart. I have some holes that need filling. This might be what I’m looking for.
You’ve got my vote. Good luck.
Thank you, Linda! —Pam
Gorgeous. Love your Mexican buckeye. I’m definitely planting some Mexican honeysuckle. I have a dry and shady area. I wonder if it would do well there? Most things that like dry, like sun and most things that like shade, like moisture. Ugh!
That can be a tricky issue, for sure, but even some plants that prefer moist shade will tolerate drier soil. I’m thinking of American beautyberry, inland sea oats, oxalis, Turk’s cap, Salvia coccinea. Lots of great plants for shade! —Pam