Established Plants
Missouri Violet (Viola missouriensis) has started to produce a few tiny blossoms.
Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis) has a few buds, but only one flower has opened.
Pink Shamrock (Oxalis crassipes 'Rosea') has just begun to show a few blooms.
Chocolate Chip Ajuga (Ajuga reptans 'Valfredda') flowers spikes are just beginning to rise, presently most are under a half inch in height.
With only a couple of bloom stalks rising up, the Catlin's Giant Ajuga (Ajuga reptans 'Catlin's Giant') is at its very initial bloom stages.
Reifler's Dwarf Viburnum (Viburnum obovatum 'Reifler Dwarf') only has a couple of florets - I'm hoping more are coming, but I am unable to locate any.
The blooms of the Dwarf Buford Holly (Ilex cornuta 'Burfordii Nana') are inconspicuous (though not to bees!), but hold the promise of red berries for the next winter.
Though damaged by our extreme winter, the surviving Friendship Plants (Billbergia nutans) have produced a few flowers.
New Plants in the Garden
Purchased and planted already in bloom, the Gopher Plant (Euphorbia rigida) shows off its bright yellow colors.
Potted Plants
Pulled out from winter storage, the Ox Tongue (Gasteria liliputana) surprised me by already being in bloom.
The one Ground Orchid (Spathoglottis plicata) that started blooming prior to the winter and was brought inside for protection, has kept its flowers throughout.
Covered in flower buds, the Formosa Red Azalea (Azalea indica 'Formosa Red') only has a couple of blooms presently open - but it holds the promise for quite a show in the not-so-distant future.
Indoor Plants
Almost all of my Moth Orchids (Phalaenopsis sp.) are either in bloom or producing bloom stalks.
Flower Wannabes
Beloved by Mockingbirds, the Mahonia (Mahonia aquifolium) berries are slowly ripening.
Berries of the Nandina (Nandina domestica) seem to last forever, their vibrant red colors brightening the garden.
Almost hidden from view, the black berries of the Liriope (Liriope spicata) shimmer when the sunlight reaches them.
As the leaves of the Possumhaw (Ilex decidua) begin to sprout and grow, its berries are slowly getting hidden away amongst the foliage - though the birds will certainly be hunting them.
Dwarf Chinese Holly (Ilex cornuta 'Rotunda') berries have started to fade, but a few still decorate the spiny leaves.
Tardies
Lady Tulips (Tulipa clusiana) flower buds have begun to rise from the ground, but none of mine have opened.
My Texas Betony (Stachys coccinea) have several flower buds at their branch tips, but none have produced their bright red flowers yet.
The recently added 'Mrs. Pollock' Geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum 'Mrs. Pollock') has yet to open a flower, though a few bloom stalks have risen.
Looking like some brightly-colored horror picture monster, the Texas Gold Columbine (Aquilegia chrysantha var. hinckleyana) has several flowers that have not quite opened.
This will be the first spring for my Mexican Buckeye (Ungnadia speciosa) - so I'm hoping the hint of reddish color on the stems is the beginning of its beautiful bloom cycle.
After being severely trimmed back, the old-fashioned Rose (species unknown) has responded by putting out a lot of growth - most new shoots ending in an unopened flower bud.
Be sure to visit May Dream Gardens to see what is blooming in gardens around the world.
A beautiful tour of your spring blooms...you've got a lot going on! I didn't know lenten rose would perform well here...yours is looking happy.
ReplyDeleteWow! Spring has sprung for you!! You have so much happening in your garden! I absolutely love the Friendship Plants as well as the Mahonia :)
ReplyDeleteMy goodness, what a wonderful collection of plants you have! I see that we have the mahonia in common. Don't you love that winter bloomer? It was just about the only thing blooming in my garden in January and much of February.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool garden you have! I mostly plant veggies so I love GBBD because I get to see intersting flowers in bloom. My favorite is your horror picture monster--what a great shot!
ReplyDeleteYour one hellebore blossom beats my hellebore, which has yet to bloom. I see you have fallen under the spell of the gopher plant; I may be next! My species tulips opened this morning, long after I'd made my post. Happy GBBD.
ReplyDeleteChocolate Chip Ajuga: great name and color scheme. Your garden looks so exotic with the mahonia and orchids. And I so want some gopher plant, but I'm not sure where to put it. Happy March Bloom Day!
ReplyDeleteMan, that Bilbergia nutans is a stunner, and completely new to me.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite stage of blooming is when the buds are just beginning to open...so full of promise.
You have so many interesting things goin on inside and out and your photographs are wonderful. The columbine bud is spectacular. A. chrysantha has been short lived for me. Cat was wondering if you could grow hellbores in Austin, and your s look healthy. They are supposed to be good to zone 8.
ReplyDeleteLove your well organized bloom list! Your blooms are always so interesting, the Texas Gold Columbine is awesome, I want one!
ReplyDeleteCat: My Lenten Rose has done alright, but I've seen other Austin blogs with some really nice colorful varieties.
ReplyDeleteBacon: The Friendship Plant blooms are really quite exotic.
Birdwoman: Yep - Mahonia is the only thing blooming for me at that time of year; I want to try even more varieties.
Bumble: Wish I could grow veggies, but they tend not to like shade.
Caroline: Yep - been wanting the Gopher; only brave enough to try a single plant - will see how it does.
Amy: Thanks; lots of other Austin gardens have the Gopher, but not sure how it will do in my filtered sun.
Ricki: Bilbergia have some really intense colors on their flowers; they did get hammered by our unusually cold winter - so I'm hoping the recover.
Carolyn: Thanks; this is my second try with the Columbines - hopefully it'll do better for me this time around.
Tina: This will be my Columbine's first spring after a full year in the garden. Last year it had only a couple of blooms, but appears to have quite a few buds this time around.