Blooms and Foliage...May, 2015...

I've been neglecting this blog for a while.  

Travel and weed pulling, have gotten in the way.

The middle of each month, though, is when we join 

Carol at May Dreams Garden

and

Pam at Digging.
for Bloomday and Foliage Follow-Up.

We've been having a lot of rain.
So, I got out between rains, for some of these photos.

Not much is blooming here.
My garden is way behind some others due to a late freeze.

But, this prickly pear has been showing off a little...one bloom at a time.

This one is in the Drive Bed.
And, it's really been growing.

The Feverfew bloomed this year, too.
The flowers are on long stems, and I'm not too crazy about that.
But, the blooms are pretty.

The Verbena Bonariensis is blooming.
Another one with pretty flowers on long stems.

I tried a Mexican Honeysuckle this year.
I really like it and so do Hummingbirds.

It seems the deer like it, too.
I'll be moving it to the Fenced Yard.

What we have most of here, is foliage.

The Japanese Aralia is finally taking off. Mr. Rooster might get covered up.

Lophantha

and Quadracolor agave are doing well.

The Inland Seaoats are finally filling in the way I planned.
They're loving all this rain.

This Japanese Holly Fern is coming back from the dead.

We got the weeds out of the front beds,
and put down new mulch.

I think some cutting back is in store for the fig tree....
which is in a very wrong spot.
It was here when we got here.

In the veggie garden, the grapes are putting on clusters of grapes.

And, even though they got a very late start, the tomatoes are putting on fruit.

There's more going on here.
But, the sun is out and there's gardening that needs doing...
before it rains again.

Be sure to check out the Blooms and Foliage this month.

Happy Gardening...
~~Linda~~

Blending Blooms and Foliage...Again...

Again, I'm combining 

Garden Bloggers' Bloomday

and 

Foliage Follow-up.

We've had some 'interesting' weather, lately.

87F one day, and down to freezing the next morning.

I'm hoping all this excitement is over.

I got out before the cold hit, to take photos.

Glad I did.  Some of the blooms were nipped.

See here's what we have.

The Crossvine is blooming.

Oh...this isn't mine.  This is our neighbor Elli's.

This is mine.

But, hey....two blooms are more than it's ever given us.

And, I have iris blooming.  

Thought this was supposed to be peach.

But, I'll take this pretty purple.

And, there are several white ones still blooming.

This Snapdragon volunteers each year.

Not where I would plant it. but it's pretty.

It's in a pot with pansies.

The little yellow violas have perked up.

Gulf Coast Penstemon

A newly planted Mystic Spires Salvia.

Our one rose...a red Knockout.

A Spiderwort I thought was gone.

Primrose Jasmine.

Jerusalem sage.

This is full of buds.  Love these Dr. Seuss-like blooms.

Now, for some foliage.

Mexican Feathergrass.

Agave Lophantha

Prickly Pear putting on new pads.

Yucca 'Color Guard'

The small Golden Barrel Cactus.

The large Golden Barrel Cactus.

Yep...that damage was fatal.

I think is was more the six hours under water, during the flood,

more than the cold.

And last, but not least...

new leaves and those lovely catkins (a.k.a. Brown Squigglies),

on the Live Oaks.

We've had the leaf drop...twice.

And, there is yellow pollen all over everything.

Next these little green things will turn brown,

and cover the ground, the outside furniture, the plants...

THE DOG.

It's a mess. 

But, I still love the trees.

There is more here....especially foliage.

But, that's it for this time.

Be sure to visit Carol, at

May Dreams Garden

for Bloomday, and

Pam at Digging.
for Foliage Follow-up.

***********
'Til later...
Take care...
~~Linda~~

Blooms and Foliage....

We've had a harder than usual winter.

So, there's not much going on here.

Well...bloomwise.

But, I thought I'd try to join in with Carol at
May Dreams Garden
for
Bloomday.

And, Pam at Digging.
for
Foliage Follow-Up.

As I said, there are not many blooms.

Purple Violas

And, Yellow Violas.

And, just because it has a bloom,
Henbit.
The bloom means it'll probably seed before I get out there and get it out.
So, there will be even more to remove.

Foliage is where things aren't looking too bad.

Gold Dust Acuba, is hanging in there.

The Japanese Arailia really has surprised me.
It looks so tropical.  But, it doesn't even have any burn on the leaves.

Quite unlike my beautiful Dianella.
It obviously doesn't like low temperatures.  Especially lows of 12F.
Guess that'll have to be replaced.
I'm researching what might work, in this dry, shady bed.

The Chrysanthemum pacificum is putting on new growth.

I'll be cutting back these ugly leggy parts, as well as the
Aztec Grass behind it.  I think there's some life left in that one.

The cold...or heat...never seems to bother the Dusty Miller.

Or, these Iris.
I think this is the peach one that Jenny from Rock Rose gave me.
I hope so.  It looks nice and healthy.

The Rosemary and Agave lophantha, in the new Grass Bed area
are unfazed by the cold.

And, the Mexican Feather grass is looking good,
with a new haircut.

This Peter's Purple Monarda, is doing well.  I didn't realize it had that nice purple
on it's leaves.  Another plant from a local Austin garden blogger,
Bob Byer.
I'm looking forward to the pretty purple flowers.

Here in the Front Bed, we have the Texas Sabal Minor...looking not too bad.
The Sago Palm got burned pretty badly.

But, there is some green in there.  So, maybe it'll come back to life.

This palm in the Island Bed, has a little burn.
But, it's held in there.
I can't find my info on what this is.  But, I like it.

This agave is one I rescued from one of our neighbor, Elli's, remodels.
I don't know what kind it is.  It's growing fast, and has several pups.
The cold didn't bother it at all.
I have a feeling it'll get too big for this pot.  And, when the cage comes off,
I'll be getting those pups out of there.

I'll make a wild guess and say this Asparagus fern is a goner.
I forgot to bring it in.  I've just left it out there.  Gold fern...messy, but still interesting.

On the front porch, I didn't think this Foxtail Fern would get hit so hard.
One on the back (north) made it fine last winter...not this time.
This one is larger, and there is some life in there.
I won't cut that burned part back until we're sure of no hard freezes.

This Prickly Pear is one I moved from the Deer Grove.
Actually, it's half of that one.  The other half is almost as big, and in the
Island Bed.
They look fine.  A few little spots, but no real damage.
It's never bloomed.  Are there male and female Prickly Pears?

This, in the back Tree Bed, has collapsed.
I'd blame it on the cold, but it started this last summer.
Can't even blame the Flood.
I'm going to cut it back hard, and see what happens.
It's another one I moved from the Grove.
This one usually has yellow blooms.

This little Purple Prickly Pear is a pad I took off our daughter-in-law's cactus.
We gave her the cactus when it got too big for our old garden.
I 'rescued' a pad from some along a road in New Mexico.
It was winter and they were beautiful.
I hope it does something good here.

I have several of these.  Elli gave me some pieces, and they have grown and grown.
I babied these in pots on the Porch, but some I put in the ground did almost better.
I think it's Bunny Ears.

Then, there's the Big Green Monster.
Rose Jasmine, planted around the power boxes between our driveway and Elli's.
Elli planted these years ago.
The deer don't eat them.  They hold up to cold.
They hold up to heat.  The flood rushed right through them, and they've
been left for long periods without any extra water.

Maybe I should plant them everywhere.

Well...that's what we have here.
Be sure to go to Carol's and Pam's and see
lots more blooms and foliage.

***********
'Til later...
Take care...
~~Linda~~