WHO IS ON THE STAGE THIS WEEK

The most dominant flowers of the last 4 weeks have been the bluebonnets, columbines and Indian paintbrush. They are now busy setting seed for next year while a whole new range of plants take over, primarily the yellows. Our roadsides are quite stunning with their yellow composites mixed in with blanket flowers.

My garden is not so shabby either.

Square bud primrose, Calylophus barlandieri, nestled in among rocks and gravel.

Engelmann's daisy, Engelmannia peristenia. I remember when I bought this at the Wildflower Center sale some years ago someone said they would be everywhere, and they are.

But so far, only in the from Courtyard garden where I pull those that are in the wrong places. I am hoping to get them to move outside the walls at the front. The question is always, will I be around at seed collection time.

Four nerve daisy, Tetraneuris scaposa,

Damianita, Chrysactinia mexicana.

Threadleaf coreopsis, Coreopsis verticillata, swaying around on two foot high thin stems.

And California poppy, Eschscholzia californica, a vigorous self seeder.

These are all native to Texas but there are a few more yellows enjoying the stage. The native Coreopsis tinctoria is a few weeks away from flowering but other tall and short coreopsis are flowering.

And the silver leaf gazania, Gazania tomentosa, perfectly at home in a bed of gravel.

And in the English Garden the many petaled, fragrant  Rosa 'Molineux' named by David Austin for the football stadium of his favorite soccer team, Wolverhampton Wanderers.

And finally the large yellow named bearded iris which is a favorite because blooms after my other iris have finished blooming.

Will the yellow flowers please take a bow.

HOW I LOVE SURPRISES

Who doesn't love a surprise? Today I had three. Lucky me.

The first came in the mail from my friends at Gardeners Supply. It was a thank you for letting them film in my garden last fall. I thought they had thanked me already! The frogs were one of the items they were filming and I fell in love with them. A must have. I waited and waited for them to show up in the catalogue and in the meantime used my gift card to buy hedgehogs, (an absolute must for an English garden) and tomato trellises, gloves, boots. All manner of things including some items to encourage my son and his family to try raised bed gardening. (It's all installed with tomatoes, peppers and herbs and trellises). I never did get the frogs.

Then two boxes arrived this morning, and there they were. I need to find them the perfect spot to sit and have a chin wag.

And another surprise. This is the cactus arm I brought back from Phoenix. It was languishing on the ground under a huge group of the same. It had clearly been there a while judging by the scar on its underside. I brought it home and potted it up in some pumice. A few weeks ago I noticed two little bumps on the side. New arms? flowers? Yesterday I was pointing them out to visitors and this morning a flower opened. The arm till hasn't rooted. I hope this isn't a swan song.
Surprise number three was when yellow iris opened. I hope it will be able to cope with 90 degrees and a fearsome wind.