April 1....

April 1...

Already...

Yesterday, it was in the 80s.

Then, a cold front came through, and today it's in the 50s.

This morning, the sun was hitting the tops of the trees.

But the storm clouds were forming. 

Soon it was raining, and we had tiny hail...no damage.

I've been weeding...and, weeding...and, weeding.

Oh, yes...and some mulching and graveling. (is that a word?)

The front beds are done.

And luckily, I finished the Island Bed yesterday, before the cold and rain.

The Veggie Garden is weeded, and ready for some veggie plants.

The Round Bed (which isn't really round.) is ready for mulch.

The Back Bed isn't completely weeded yet, but it's doing pretty good.

The leaves I put down in the fall have done a good job of keeping weeds down.

The purple iris are done, since this photo.

But, the white ones, and this one have started.

The stems on this one are so short, it's like it's hiding.

The Crossvine isn't hiding. It's finally really blooming...for the first time.

Other things showing up...

 'Hot Lips' salvia

 Purple Heart

 Silver Germander

Looks good against one of our fountains.

 Jerusalem Sage

The other Jerusalem Sage 'Edward Bowles', has bigger leaves and didn't like FULL

Texas, afternoon sun. So moved it to the back. It's looking good,

But, no blooms, yet.

And, look at this!

The Softleaf Yucca, at the front corner of the house,

has a bloom stalk, for the very first time.

It has been properly caged, against the constantly foraging

horde of deer.

****************

So, that's what's been going on here.

Still have lots more weeding to do.

And, cleaning up Live Oak leaves, and soon the catkins (brown squiggleys).

Then, more mulching and graveling.

It just never ends.

Happy Gardening...

(and, Happy April)

~~Linda~~

Bloomday, for June 2014.....

Here I go again....a day late.

But, I wanted to join
Carol at May Dreams Garden
for Bloomday.

There are several things blooming here.
I'll show you a few pictures, with few words.

 Daylily...'Chicago Star'

New Zealand Impatiens

 Jerusalem Sage/plomis fruticosa

 Lantana

 Monarda 'Peter's Purple' and Lantana

 Periwinkle/ vinca

 Impatiens

 Pink Turk's Cap

 Marigold

 Autumn Sage/salvia greggii

 Mealy Blue Sage/salvia farinacea

Purple Heart Bloom/setcreasea pallida

There are a few more.
But, this will do for now.

What's blooming in your garden?
Go over to Carol's, and see what's blooming, around the world.

www.maydreamsgardens.com

Blogger is being squirrely....again.


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

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day...April,2013

It's been a long time, since I've joined in with Carol at

May Dreams Garden
for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.

Things are perking up around here,
but, I still don't have much blooming yet.

The one iris I have has bloomed.  It didn't for two years.
This is the only one that came all the way out.  Three other blooms were
'stuck', inside the leaves.  Not sure what that was about.

The Bougainvillea that has lived on the porch all winter...being covered and uncovered...
has been putting on new growth and blooms for a while.

I trimmed the Salvia greggii way back, a couple months ago, so it will bush out more.
It's beginning to give us some blooms.

The Jerusalem Sage is full of buds.  Some are beginning to open up.
Love these Dr. Seuss type blooms.

I moved this Silver Germander last fall, and trimmed it way back.
It's finally putting on new growth and a few blooms.

This Mealy Blue sage has multiplied, and is putting out some blooms.

It's such a pretty blue.  Not sure what the 'Mealy' part of the name is about.

The Stella d'Oro daylily is budding.
Some say this is an overused daylily.  But, I like the way it keeps on going.
The other daylilies here, are not budding out yet.

And last, but not least....the Ruby Chrystal Grass is blooming.
I thought it was a fall bloomer.  But, all the ones I have are blooming.
And, they made it through the hard freezes we've had.

Well....
That's All Folks.

Wish I had more.  But, it will come.
We're having very warm weather today.  But, they're saying we'll have
some cold mornings again, by the end of the week.
I may be covering some things...again.

Be sure to visit Carol at
May Dreams Garden
for more blooms, from around the world.

Happy Gardening...
~~Linda~~

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood...2012...

Yesterday was hot and humid.

Today is cool and dry.  A beautiful day to be outside.

The palm is doing well, in the Island Bed.

And, lots of things are blooming.

We've had this chrysanthemum for about two years.  It blooms spring and fall.

The Autumn Sage...Salvia greggii...is blooming away.  

The magenta ones that were here when we moved in, seem to do the best blooming.

The Coral vine has a few blooms.  It really needs to be moved to a sunnier place.

The cosmos in the veggie bed just keeps on going.

The knockout rose is liking the cool weather, and the extra rains this year.

This lantana has been blooming a lot this year.

You know...I see this kind all over the neighborhood, without a fence around it.

Why do the deer only eat the blooms off this one?

I have to put wire around it.

The Lion's Tail is blooming again.  I needed to prune it back.  And, it needs more sun.

So, it's moving sometime soon.

The Oleander is finally blooming.

The Turk's Cap seems happy at the back of the fenced yard.  

It's been a challenge for me to get something to grow in this super shady spot.

The Mexican Bush Sage is putting on a show.

Truth in blogging....should I have pruned it, during the summer?

I'm not too happy with it flopping out into the yard.

And, I'm not too happy with the cannas here.  Only one bloom all summer.

There'll be some rethinking in this bed.

I must have picked a good spot for the Philippine Violet.

I love it's pretty purple blooms.

***********

Over in the Veggie Garden:

The Hyacinth Bean is looking good.

I've never cooked any of these beans.  Maybe I should.

There won't be any lack of seeds for next year, though.

I planted some Tatuma squash.  The guy at Natural Gardener steered me to these.

They're less likely to have the Squash Vine Borers.

That seems to be true.  But, they sure take over a space.

They have LOTS of pretty yellow blooms.

But, few squash. (?)  The squash are good, though.  They're a bit more like zucchini than 

yellow summer squash.

And, look....the tomato vines are putting on fruit again.  The same vines from spring.

What a difference a year can make.

***********

Now, from the 

DEER ARE EVIL

department.

This agave was growing and looking really good.

It dodged the Agave Snout Nose Beetle.

Then I go out and find this.  Shredded!!

Now, I have to figure out what to put in it's place.

This is the Drive Bed.  So far, the yuccas got zapped by the dreaded Snout Beetle, 

and now the agave is shredded.

A Sotol maybe?  

They don't seem to bother those.

***********

I hope it's beautiful in your neighborhood.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~