Friday, May 15, 2009

GARDEN BLOGGERS' BLOOM DAY MAY 15th 2009

By now many northern gardens will be in full swing and ready to show off their blooms on Garden Bloggers' Bloom day, hosted by Carol at Maydreams. Here's what is blooming in Austin, Texas.

I'm quite amazed this year how long the blooming of spring flowers continues. The larkspur, corn poppies and pink primroses continue to bloom among the newly blooming purple cone flowers, despite the record heat. 
I have done a lot of tidying out in the sunken garden, removing all the spent bluebonnets, alyssum, toadflax. I need to keep it a lot tidier in future. One of my absolute favorites is the swan river daisy Brachycome iberidifolia. I save the seeds each year and they come back in shades of blue and purple. The pill bugs love this plant but I usually manage a fairly good flowering. Not long lived in the heat but oh so worth it.

In the vegetable garden achillea and gaillardia pair together.

Coreopsis tinctoria is also in this garden. It tends towards weediness, but such a pretty plant wafting its blooms in the breeze.

This is my first year for growing heartleaf skullcap, Scutellaria ovata. It is definitely on my list of to keep plants.

Here's another 'weed' but I allow one or two to grow for a little while anyway. I usually pull them out shortly after they get to this bloom stage.

A new addition to the garden this year is this echinacea 'harvest moon'. I wonder if seeds are available? If so I'll be getting some next year.

Outside the garden it has been a superb year for the prickly pear flowering. 
In the front garden the pale orange daylilies begin to bloom.

I faithful rebloomer, an English daisy.


And finally, the Texas clematis.


19 comments:

  1. The 'harvest moon' echinacea is lovely and very photogenic!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your garden looks lovely -- so much color! I have S. ovata too and really like it. I have been pleasantly surprised by how adaptable it is.

    ReplyDelete
  3. PS. I love the Texas Clematis. I have a thing for Clematis with bell-shaped flowers, they look so dainty and elegant.

    ReplyDelete
  4. It is curious about the spring flowers continuing while the "heat is on". Adaptation of some kind?

    Anyway, it is all very pretty and wouldn't that Texas clematis go well with my shrub clematis now blooming?

    Thanks for joining in for bloom day!

    Carol, May Dreams Gardens

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jenny, it's all so beautiful! I too want the harvest moon and the Texas clematis. But I want them all! Linda

    ReplyDelete
  6. It's only a weed if you don't want it. I like the gaillardia and yarrow together, another combo to try soon, thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Of course! How could I forget: C.texensis comes from where you are.
    Is this C. tex, "Etoile Rose"? C. tex "Duchess of Albany"?
    The hybrids are lovely of course, but have you ever seen the C. texensis species? In the wild?
    sigh. Talk about envy.
    jo

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi RR.
    You have so much color! And so many cone-flowers!
    My (all to few) cones have only now just started to form!
    That first pic is an absolute stunner...like an English cottage garden in Texas.

    Hope your foot is doing better Jenny, that sounded like a nasty and painful experience.
    ESP.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Robin- That cone flower sure is thirsty. I can't keep it from wilting and it was in a gallon pot.
    Sweet Bay-I wonder about cutting back S. ovata early in the season to make it more bushy.
    Carol- Everything is topsy turvy this year. Interesting but I would rather have the more normal year. If there is such a thing here in Texas.
    Linda- and I want all yours too, but not Harvey! We have a problem at the moment with destructive rock squirrels
    Nell- My problem is I do want it but only for a short time and that means more work pulling out.
    Jo- Etoile rose- you have reminded me of the name. When I was at a garden shop in England I saw Clematis tex"Ladybird Johnson" and was thrilled.
    ESP- Next year you will have billions. How are you doing with the amaranth. Plenty of them!! I bet.

    ReplyDelete
  10. How lovely! The first photograph is especially breathtaking.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I do love seeing coneflowers all in bloom. I threw out a lot of seed from my old garden, and some leaves are forming, but it'll be a while before I get a show like that.

    My 'Duchess of Albany' clematis (is that the same as Texas clematis?) has already finished its first flush of blooms in my old garden. I collected seed from it last year. Must see about propagating some this fall.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow, how beautiful!! You have such a green thumb, and toe!

    Are you enjoying the rain today? I am!!! Cool front expected tomorrow. Looking forward to it!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I usually don't think I like Achillea but that combo of yours might make me rethink my prejudice!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love the picture with all of the cone flowers! I recently planted Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus' in my garden and I love it! This is by far my new favorite blog... what a beautiful Texas garden!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Jenny, your garden looks fabulous. That Texas clematis is one I've been wanting to try. How much sun does yours get? Wondering if it would bloom in dappled sun.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Every view is lovely, Jenny - and the variety is wonderful. As in ESP's garden, the echinacea here is just thinking about blooming. The heartleaf skullcap is so happy in your garden!

    In Illinois I had Clematis texensis 'Duchess of Albany' and loved it. We've seen the species blooming here in Texas at a few parks, and the vines never seemed to be vigorous or to have more than a couple of flowers. Maybe hybrids are the only way the Texas clematis can be grown in a garden setting?

    Happy GBBD,

    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

    ReplyDelete
  17. Pam- Your clem. is a cultivar. You need to try cuttings.
    Texas Mum- If I get a green toe, I'm in trouble!
    Ms Wis- We can't afford to have prejudices in Texas. Anything that can stand the heat is welcome.
    Sara- I need to branch out with more coneflowers. They are such a success.
    Renee- Mine is is a shady spot. It may do better in more sun.
    Annie- I don't find my cultivar any more vigorous but maybe it would like more sun. I may try another in the fall.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hello, reaching out to meet new gardening friends and came across your beautiful blog. Your flowers are very pretty. Keep up the good work & Happy Gardening. Levia-Arlington Texas, AKA:leviasplantzone.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  19. LVA- Thanks for visiting. I'm heading over to your blog right now.

    ReplyDelete

I love your comments unless they are spam comments which will always be removed in comment moderation.