March 16th, 2011
GBBD 201103: Mar 2011
2011-03-16. Second generation pink bluebonnets. Austin, TX
Carol at May Dreams Gardens invites us to tell her what’s blooming in our gardens on the 15th of each month.
March 2011
The paperwhites and kin got frozen out in February but the other classes of narcissus have had a great year. I planted 100 new ‘Ice Follies’ bulbs and they did not disappoint. Even some old clumps of ‘Ice Follies’ that haven’t bloomed in the last few years threw out a few flowers.
This week the daffodils turned center stage over to the irises. Unfortunately I wasn’t home during daylight hours so I missed getting a photo when they were at their best. The grape hyacinths hit their stride and the cherry laurel is loaded with flowers. The Texas mountain laurel is a making a good show, especially on the east side of tree where visitors can be surprised by the scent of grape soda as they walk down to Auditorium Shores for SXSW concerts.
Because of the drought, this has not been a good year for bluebonnets (especially when one contrasts it to 2010, the best year ever). My experimental stand of pink bluebonnets is very healthy only because planted them early and kept them watered. Self-sown bluebonnets are small and few in my meadow this year. The cilantro and arugula were both barely up before they bolted. The roses haven’t started yet. I think ‘Souvenir de la Malmaison’ will open her first buds tomorrow.
All the trees decided to leaf out today: cedar elm, oak, and Texas persimmon. I’ll be thankful for the shade in July but as long as the temperatures remain in the 70s, I wish the yard was sunny and the flowers had a chance to show their stuff.
2011-03-16. Bridal wreath spiraea. Austin, TX
Complete List for March 15, 2011
- Bridal Wreath spirea
- Commelinantia anomala
- Coriandrum sativum
- Dianthus chinensis (a single flower)
- henbit
- Eruca sativa (arugula already bolted but the flowers are yellow not white)
- Iris (unnamed blue)
- Iris albicans
- Leucojum aestivum (fading)
- Leucojum aestivum ‘Gravetye Giant’
- Lupinus texensis (both pink and blue)
- Muscari neglectum/racemosum (full bloom)
- Narcissus ‘Ice Follies’ (one late flower)
- Narcissus jonquilla ‘Trevithian’ (fading)
- Narcissus triandrus ‘Hawera’ (one flower)
- Nemophila insignis
- Oxalis crassipes
- Oxalis triangularis (purple)
- Prunus caroliniana (Full Bloom)
- Prunus mexicana (a handful of flowers on smallest tree)
- rosemary
- Solanum jasminoides (potato vine)
- Sophora secundiflora (full bloom)
- Tradescantia
by M Sinclair Stevens
March 22nd, 2011
Yes,it was a tough year for the narcissus and of course the wildflowers. But you’ve got a great bloom display from your list!
March 24th, 2011
The little Narcissus ‘Thalia’ just opened this week – always the last daffodil here. Remember all those Bluebonnet seeds you gave me? And said to plant with a lavish hand? A handful sprouted and are now in beautiful bloom, thank you! But a lot of them didn’t germinate until February – dryness? cold?
Fingers crossed for some rain in late March or early April.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
I believe it’s the drought not the cold that’s made 2011 such a poor year for bluebonnets. I have only a few this year and only the ones I’ve watered (like my special pink strain) have done well. And the small weak ones have fallen victim to the pill bugs that give you so much trouble. I bet some more will sprout next year. I’ll give you more seeds in any case. — mss
June 4th, 2011
this year has been very hard for me too, when it rains, it will be spontaneous about a week or so, then followed by extreme heat my flowers dies and everything else on the farm