A POPPYLICIOUS MOMENT

California is not alone in its display of poppies. Look at this clump of California poppies, Eschscholtzia californica, growing in the upper level of my sunken garden. It is probably a seedling of the variety 'white linen' which I purchased many years ago. It still pops up occasionally.

Last year there was a small clump of white poppies in the corner, this year there are even more. It wouldn't be fair to say that I like the white one better than the orange one, but the fact is the orange one seeds with abandon, the white one rarely.
Here they re growing in a fallow bed in the vegetable garden. I shall need that bed soon to plant beans.

But there are plenty more growing in other places, which if I leave, will be enough to insure a fresh crop next year. It will just be a matter of trying to collect the seeds before the seed capsules open.

If you haven't realized already I am very tolerant of plants seeding themselves. So there are always plenty of corn poppies, Papaver rhoeas,  flowering in competition with the California poppies.

And more intruders in the vegetable garden.

But where are the Lauren's Grape poppy I seeded this year. I have tried to grow that variety several times and have always failed.

WHAT A FRILL!

I was just lamenting the lack of a frilled poppy this year. I suppose it is because I tend to control how many poppies throw their seeds, removing their heads before they ripen.  I had already walked past this area this morning and never noticed.

And then the second time there it was. The flower of my day. Of course the bees don't like this flower. They can't find the pollen among all those petals.

With the threat of wind and thunderstorms tonight I decided it was time to go out and take a few photos of delicately petaled flowers.

Pink evening primrose, Oenothera speciosa. What's not to love about this pretty pink flower? It's rampant invasive behavior?  Still, now I have it and it isn't going away anytime soon. I might as well enjoy it and I do.

Then the mock orange, Philadelphus "natchez' In the space of 24hours all the blooms opened. That's what 3 days in the 80s will do. Every year I say the same thing. "Hold your horses" and save something for next week, please.

GARDEN BLOGGERS' BLOOM DAY, APRIL 2013

It is the height of spring in Central Texas. The garden is a sea of poppies from the orange California poppies Eschscholzia californica...

To the common corn poppy, Papaver rhoeas.

Pink poppies, the seeds given to me by a friend.

And one white California poppy this year.

I could easily have missed the flowering of my lace cactus, Echinocereus reichenbacchii. Typically her blooms open well into the afternoon when the sun reaches that part of the garden. I just noticed that flush of pink as I was getting ready to come inside.

It now meant another half hour with the camera checking all my lace cactus. They were all blooming.

The ones in the front driveway area among the bluebonnets.

And the ones up on the top wild area. They looks so fat and happy. The pistil in the center of one was moving. Deep inside the flower a bee was wallowing among the stamens.

When he emerged pollen was flying everywhere.

Here are a few of the flowers that are blooming in the sunken garden.

Ruby crystal grass, Melinis nervigumis, with Damianita, Chrysactinia mexicana.

Dahlberg daisy, Thymophylla tenuiloba,

Blackfoot daisy, Melampodium leucacnthum. with blue eyd grass, Sisyrinchium pruinosum.

More blue eyed grass with sedum.

The sunken garden.

Square bud primrose, Calylophus berlandieri.

Scarlet penstemon, Penstemon triflorus.

Anacacho orchid tree, Bauhinia lunarioides.

There are so many more on this bloom day. Drop later this week to see more of my garden blooms. Let us celebrate springs arrival with gardens far and wide at May Dreams gardens. Happy Bloom Day everyone.

CAUGHT IN THE ACT

It is only the end of February and yet today the first poppy. I just happened to catch it before it burst forth.