SPRING IS HERE AGAIN!

 It seems the arrival of spring flowers has jogged me into writing a post. This, after an absence of 11 months. I don't know what happened. Maybe it was being away from my garden for 3 months last summer, or the daily walks and hikes which take up most of the morning. Maybe it was the long breakfasts after the morning exercise... they certainly eat into your day, or maybe it is my shortening attention span for everything I do. Could it have been our purchase of a new trailer and the planning it takes to book campsites. Or was it quite simply the ease of posting a few pictures on Instagram and the scrolling that goes along with it. Sheer laziness?

So here we are, our third spring in the desert. It has been a magnificent winter with lots of warm sunny days but no rain all winter long. My newly acquired rain barrels filled up during a rain in November. I emptied the contents into 50 gallon milk jugs and used the rest. Since then not a drop. And no rain in the desert really means no rain and no spring wildflowers. Of course we have a drip irrigation system but it has been very difficult judge how often to run them. I fear not often enough. Even with all that warmth the budding of leaves and the opening of cactus flowers did not happen earlier. It has been right on schedule. 

For any gardener seeing that first green leaf begin to unfurl brings enormous relief. Relief that the lack of rain did not kill it. The first to break were the two Wonderful pomegranates, purchased for $5 each from our power company. The one from the first planting produced one tiny pomegranate last year, too late in the season for it to mature. This year I have counted 14 flowers on that tree and one is starting to swell. Undoubtedly I will have to protect it from birds and wandering javelina. This morning I noticed 1 flower bud on the second pomegranate, planted a year later than the first. 

The next, of the deciduous trees to begin leafing out were the desert willows. Similarly purchased from TEP. I have 4 of those all of which are coming along nicely. We removed a Texas olive from this spot in favor of desert willow. 

And another deciduous Sonoran tree is the Arizona wild cotton, Gossypium thurberi. Growing to about 10' 

this tree was nearly eradicated because of a fear of the boll weevil which had attacked the cultivated cotton fields. It turned out it was not the same weevil and the cotton tree is now returning. I first saw it growing at Tohono Chul garden and was able to buy one from their garden shop. I look forward to its pretty white blooms later in the spring. 

   

                                                                Arizona cotton tree

                                                               Cotton tree bloom from last year.

And then the cactus begin their spring routine. They sit quietly all year until the first buds start to appear. At this point they need to be checked every day as if you blink you can miss them. 

Yesterday the first bloom on the ladyfinger cactus, Echinocereus pentalophus, followed today by two blooms on another plant. 

And then a cluster open on another plant.

When we moved here I brought a number of plants with me. One was the Myrtillocactus geometrizans, or

bilberry cactus. I had planted it alongside the garage, far too close to the wall. Unfazed it began to send out arms and last year produced a pup and yesterday I noticed flower buds. This morning when I took David over to show him one of the buds had opened. It is not showy as many cactus flowers are but certainly welcome. 

A purchase last year at Tohono Chul plant sale. 

                                                           Echinocereus engelmannii

It is a great time of year for the aloes to bloom and for the first time in its life the Aloe vera, I brought with me in a pot and planted in the ground, is blooming. I found the perfect place for it alongside the fence where there was another Aloe vera clump. Both have produced many pups. 

The large stand of giant aloes in the back garden have bloomed with one side taller than the other. I can only assume that the uneven growth is due to the lack over overall watering provided by rain and one side receiving some irrigation water. I would love to divide this aloe but it looks like a daunting task which would likely damage the symmetry of the plant. 

It is visited by the hummingbirds and Gila woodpecker. 

New blooms on the mammillaria open in tiers every day for several weeks. 

There is sure to be something new every day and it looks as though tomorrow it will be the first flowers on the Gymnocalcium baldianum.

TIME TO DUST OFF THE TIARAS

With the royal wedding less than a week away some of my plants are getting pretty excited. Those who can will be wearing tiaras.

Today they had a dress rehearsal.

They had lots of admirers. Little bees were rushing in to take a look. Wallowing in the pollen.

I don't want to tell them but I don't think anyone will be wearing tiaras at the wedding. In fact they may even have been told to leave hats at home. Aghast! A British wedding where the ladies don't wear hats!!! I don't think so.

IT'S THE CAT'S WHISKERS

It was a favorite expression of my father to describe something wonderful. Along with the "bee's knees"

This morning I took a stroll around the garden and exclaimed out aloud on three occasions. First when I saw this plant in flower. It is commonly know as 'cat's whiskers' and in the botanical world as Orthosiphon aristatus. It is a herbaceous perennial but only to zone 9. I will have to take cuttings if I want to keep it over the winter, and I do! Thank you Robin, at Get Grounded, for this passalong. I had completely forgotten about it so my absence from the garden this summer, and any kind of weeding, saved it. I spotted it last week and noticed the development of flower panicles at the end of the stems. I was just waiting to see what the flower looked like as I had no idea what it was. This morning, when I saw the flowers open I knew immediately. I had a grin like a Cheshire cat, even though I'm from Lancashire!

The second surprise came in the cactus pot. I had seen flower buds developing and this morning the first flower opened. This, despite the fact that the cactus itself has gone from an upright form to a prostrate form over the summer. Even after rain it hasn't perked up but it is flowering.

Three years ago I planted several Lycoris radiata bulbs in the English garden. I thought they had disappeared. Nothing until this morning. Only two showed up but I'm thrilled. I must put a marker in the ground so I remember where they are.

GARDEN BLOGGERS' BLOOM DAY JUNE 2010

Summer is well and truly underway in every part of the USA and the northern hemisphere. We are all invited to share our garden blooms with gardeners everywhere, as part of Garden Bloggers Bloom Day hosted by Carol, at May Dreams Gardens.

Sometime back in the year 2001, at a Newcomers' garden club meeting, I took some cuttings from the above plant. Photographs showed a beautiful stand of pink blooms among green foliage.

For the last nine years I have tried to rid my garden of this plant. It spreads by underground runners and pops up all over the place. It is rather smelly when you rupture the stems. One runner finally made its way into the corner of the front garden. It is rather a no man's land where I just allow columbines to grow. However, this plant was softening the corner so I let it stay. Lo and behold it has flowered and I remembered why I was so taken with the plant when I saw its photo. I would love an identity if anyone can help me out.

The pink rose, Felicia responded to recent rains by growing a long stem clustered with pink fragrant roses.

Verbena bonariensis along the edge of the dry creek.

In the background a glimpse of the Texas fish hook cactus which bloomed especially for bloom day. Another plant responding to the recent rains.

Along with rain lilies and

Texas sage, Leucophyllum frutescens, our barometer bush.

Gazanias and native cosmos are reliable bloomers in any heat.

As are the rudbeckias. Behind is the snapdragon vine, Maurandella antirrhiniflora.

This delicate vine resembles the snapdragon in looks only. It produces a mass of flowers in late summer, dying back to the ground in winter.

The garden snapdragon, is a very late bloomer this year.

Lurking behind the blanket flowers is the red spider zinnia, Zinnia tenuifolia.

I couldn't be without the zinnias, especially the narrow leaf zinnia, Zinnia linearis, seen here in the orange and white forms.

Gomphrena globosa returns from seed for another year. This plant is a favorite of the hispid cotton rats. They will sit and pick at the seeds for hours on end leaving behind a mass of snowy litter.

This little plant is Texas tough. Ruellia, the Mexican wild petunia took root in a crack along the wall. Cut it back and it will bloom on and on into the fall.

HAPPY JULY BLOOM DAY GARDENERS.

THE JOYS AND REWARDS OF GARDENING

It has been a wonderful week for a gardener. But I must start with today.

I was out in the front this morning tidying up the large granite area when I happened to look across towards the front gate. Oh! my, I couldn't believe my eyes. My hedgehog cactus, Escobaria missouriensis, was in full flower. Last year it flowered on May 28th.

Not just one but two others close by. For these smaller ones it is the first year for them to bloom. They grew from seed and I see new babies on the way.

Last night as I glanced through the dining room window I caught a glimpse of yellow. The unidentified cactus, which came in the cactus bowl I bought in Arizona last winter, and which I split up and repotted, was in bloom. This cactus, unlike the previous ones, is not hardy, and will spend the winter indoors.

For some reason I tend to think that it is a small miracle when a cactus flowers, but actually they flower quite readily with little attention and are a joy to behold.

I have to wonder whether the flowering is related to the 2 1/2" of rain we had earlier this week. This was the scene in the garden Wednesday morning. It looked as though it would never stop. This was the day the Ivette Soler, the Germinatrix, was coming to Austin and was to visit EastSidePatch for a tour of Philip's wonderful garden.( In October ESP will be on the Garden Conservancy Tour). Maybe Ivette didn't mind the rain at all coming from a place where there is little rainfall. By the time we all arrived at ESP the rain had stopped and the sun was peeking through.

Philip thrilled us all with a tune on the bagpipes. Is there no end to his talents.

Ivette and her Aunt were in for quite a surprise.

We toured the garden, enjoyed a glass of Sangria, some delicious appetizers, chatted with our guest and tested out Phillip's newest project for our group photo. Yup! it's really sturdy. Thanks to Pam, Jenny, Philip and Leah for their hospitality.

Y'all come back and see us now, Ivette.

NOW FOR A LITTLE COLOR

This has been the scene in our garden, every morning for the last few weeks. The poppy petals and other plant residue look like a Japanese painting against the dark bottom of the pool. Or at least to my eyes. The poppies have just been outstanding this year; pink, red, yellow and purple; ruffled and single petaled. The bees have been in a frenzy wallowing in the multiples of pollen laden stamens.

The first of the prickly pear flowers are open. Another favorite f the bees. These prickly plants are in what I call my native areas.

Some of the flowers have an orange tinged center. I don't know if this is a different variety.

Walking around with camera in hand was the reward for the full day, I put in yesterday, working in the garden. It was the perfect day. Cloudy. The Wildflower Center has now identified this flower as Prairie Brazoria, Warnockia scutellariodes.

Lace cactus are flowering there
and in my entry courtyard.

If only I could get these blanket flowers to grow out there. These ones are growing alongside my tomatoes in the pathway of the vegetable garden. Do I have one growing out in the wild areas. Not a one! Even though I have tried to spread the seeds out there. I'll be trying again this year.