amaryllis Dancing Queen
Amaryllis ‘Dancing Queen’. The most over-the-top flower of this over-the-top bloom day.

April 15th, 2010
GBBD 201004, Apr 2010

Carol at May Dreams Gardens invites us to tell her what’s blooming in our gardens on the 15th of each month.

April 15, 2010

Carol dreams of May but April is when it’s happening at Zanthan Gardens. More plants come into bloom and more plants are in bloom than any other month of the year. And this year more than any other my garden is just a mess of color with no apparent design at all. The feral cats apparently find it quite frustrating. They make their own paths through the flowers and sit right in the middle of particularly large bluebonnet plants.

Zanthan Gardens Meadow
Two thugs, cilantro and Engelmann daisy, fight it out for control in the meadow. Most of the larkspur is in the front yard this year.

April is the month that Zanthan Gardens makes the transition from blue and white to a full spectrum of color. This year because of all the rain, it was even more blue and white than usual. The cilantro has taken over everywhere and the bluebonnets are large and numerous. In most years the bluebonnets have already begun to fade by now. With this year’s cooler, wetter weather, they’re holding on to their flowers longer.

Texensis lupinus
2010 is a banner year for bluebonnets. They are just beginning to go to seed as the pink evening primrose comes into view. False dayflowers peak through the fence with their funny little faces.

New for April

  • Allium neapolitanum
  • amaryllis ‘Amoretta’
  • amaryllis ‘Dancing Queen’
  • Antirrhinum majus
  • Diospyros kaki ‘Eureka’ (Japanese persimmon)
  • Diospyros texana (Texas persimmon)
  • Engelmannia peristenia/pinnatifida
  • Eschscholzia californica ‘Mikado’
  • Hippeastrum x johnsonii
  • Iris flavescens (?) yellow heirloom
  • iris ‘Incantation’
  • Meyer lemon
  • Nierembergia gracilis ‘Starry Eyes’
  • Nigella damascena
  • Oenothera speciosa
  • Papaver somniferum “Dorothy Cavanaugh”
  • Phlomis lanata
  • Pisum sativum ‘Progress #9’
  • Pyrrhopappus multicaulis
  • rose ‘Blush Noisette’
  • rose ‘Madame Alfred Carriere’
  • rose ‘Prosperity’
  • rose ‘Souvenir de la Malmaison’
  • Solanum jasminoides
  • Spiraea bridal wreath
  • Thymophylla tenuiloba (Dahlberg daisy)
  • tomatoes (all)
  • Verbena canadensis
  • Vicia sativa (common vetch)
  • viola (self-sown)
  • yaupon holly

Nigella damascena
The love-in-the-mist will fill in when the cilantro fades.

Oenothera speciosa
Pink evening primrose is considered a thug in other people’s gardens but it is very prim compared to my real thugs.

iris Incantation
Bearded iris ‘Incantation’ among the flowering cilantro.

irises and roses
Yellow heirloom irises and white ‘Ducher’ rose in a field of cilantro and poppies.

Dorothy
I had high hopes that these would be Lauren’s Grape but they are the pale salmon “Dorothy Cavanaugh”. Salmon is the gardener’s name for “orange”. They don’t look very orange in this picture but they do in real life especially compared to the cherry red peony poppies behind them.

artichoke
The artichoke is about to flower. The bluebonnets are giving way to the larkspur. I replaced the entire front yard with larkspur which I can see from my desk.

Consolida ambigua
Some people call these bicolor larkspur “bunny ears”. See the little white bunny face?

2010 has been a great spring for roses in Austin, too. Last Sunday @good_n_evil had us Austin garden bloggers over to look at her roses. Her garden is certainly inspiration to me to work a little harder. In fact you might as well just head on over there virtually and gawk. There’s nothing left to this post but lists.

rose Prosperity
Rose ‘Prosperity’ is the only rose still struggling to recover from the drought.

Between GBBDs

Several flower bloomed and faded in my garden between GBBDs and so didn’t show up in the inventory for either March or April.

  • Hyacinthoides hispanica
  • Narcissus triandrus ‘Hawera’
  • Prunus caroliniana
  • rose ‘New Dawn’ (A couple of flowers early in the month but none today. Gearing up for a big show in about two weeks.)
  • Tulipa clusiana
  • Ungnadia speciosa

Complete List for April

The list of all plants flowering today, April 15th 2010, at Zanthan Gardens. In 2010, 45 different plants are flowering which is about the same as 2007 (41) and 2008 (43). However, it’s much lower than 2009 (70). Many plants flowered straight through the 2008/9 winter because it did not freeze here.

  • Allium neapolitanum (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
  • amaryllis ‘Amoretta’ (2010)
  • amaryllis ‘Dancing Queen’ (2010)
  • Antirrhinum majus (2010)
  • Commelinantia anomala (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
  • Consolida ambigua (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
  • Coriandrum sativum (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
  • Diospyros kaki ‘Eureka’ (Japanese persimmon) (2007, 2009, 2010)
  • Diospyros texana (2010)
  • Engelmannia peristenia/pinnatifida (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
  • Eschscholzia californica ‘Mikado’ (2008, 2009, 2010)
  • Hippeastrum x johnsonii (St. Joseph’s lily) (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
  • Iris flavescens (?) yellow heirloom (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
  • iris ‘Incantation’ (2010)
  • Kalanchoe daigremontiana (Mother of Thousands) In pot this year. (2009, 2010)
  • Lobularia maritima (2008, 2009, 2010)
  • Lupinus texensis (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
  • Meyer lemon (2010)
  • Nemophila insignis (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
  • Nierembergia gracilis ‘Starry Eyes’ (2009, 2010)
  • Nigella damascena (2008, 2009, 2010)
  • Oenothera speciosa (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
  • Oxalis crassipis (hot pink) (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
  • Oxalis stricta (yellow flowering weed) (2010)
  • Oxalis triangularis (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
  • Papaver somniferum “Dorothy Cavanaugh” (2010)
  • Phlomis lanata (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
  • Pisum sativum ‘Progress #9’ (2010)
  • Pisum sativum ‘Wando’ (2010)
  • Pyrrhopappus multicaulis (2010)
  • Rhaphiolepis indica (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
  • rose ‘Blush Noisette‘ (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
  • rose ‘Ducher’ (waning) (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
  • rose ‘Madame Alfred Carriere‘ (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
  • rose ‘Prosperity’ (full bloom) (2008, 2009, 2010)
  • rose ‘Souvenir de la Malmaison (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
  • Solanum jasminoides (potato vine) (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
  • Spiraea bridal wreath (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
  • Thymophylla tenuiloba ‘Golden Fleece’ (Dahlberg daisy) (2009, 2010)
  • tomatoes (all) (2007, 2009, 2010)
  • Tradescantia (spiderwort) (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
  • Verbena canadensis (lavender wilding) (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
  • Vicia sativa (common vetch) (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
  • Viola cornuta (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
  • yaupon holly (2007, 2009, 2010)

And just for the record, these are the 45 plants which were blooming on April 15th in previous years that aren’t flowering today. Or should this be on a separate non-bloom day post? Some of them are dead and gone. Some of them froze to the ground this year but are slowly making a comeback.

  • Aloe barbadensis (2008, 2009)
  • Asclepias curassavica (overwintered) (2009)
  • Asparagus densiflorus ‘Sprengeri’ (2008, 2009)
  • Brugmansia (from Annie in Austin) (2009)
  • Centaurea cyanus ‘Black Magic’ (2007, 2008, 2009)
  • Crinum bulbispermum (2007, 2008, 2009)
  • Datura (from Diana which overwintered) (2009)
  • Duranta erecta (overwintered) (2007, 2008, 2009)
  • Eupatorium wrightii (from Pam) (2009)
  • Hesperaloe parviflora (2008, 2009)
  • iris bearded ‘Strictly Ballroom (2009)
  • Iris x fulvala ‘Full Eclipse’ (2009)
  • jalapeno (2009)
  • Lantana montevidensis (2007, 2008, 2009)
  • Lantana x hybrida ‘New Gold’ (2008, 2009)
  • Lathyrus odoratus ‘Knee-Hi Mix’ (2009)
  • Lathyrus odoratus ‘Perfume Delight’ (2008)
  • Lathyrus odoratus ‘Regal Robe’ (2007)
  • Lavandula heterophyla ‘Goodwin Creek Grey‘ (2007, 2008, 2009)
  • Lavandula stoechas (2009)
  • Lonicera japonica (2009)
  • Malvaviscus arboreus (2009)
  • Mirabilis jalapa (2008, 2009)
  • Narcissus jonquilla ‘Quail’ 2007
  • Nerium oleander ‘Turner’s Shari D.’ (2008, 2009)
  • Orchid (from Dawn) (2009)
  • Oxalis pes-caprae ‘Scotty’s Surprise’ (fading) (2008, 2009)
  • Polanisia dodecandra (2007, 2008, 2009)
  • Retama (2008, 2009)
  • rose white Lady Banksia (my neighbor’s but droops over the fence) (2009)
  • rose ‘French Lace’ (2007, 2009)
  • rose ‘Heritage‘ 2007
  • rose ‘Mermaid’ (2009)
  • rose ‘New Dawn’ (2007, 2008, 2009)
  • rose ‘Penelope‘ 2007
  • rose ‘Red Cascade’ (two small flowers) 2008
  • ruellia (overwintered) (2009)
  • Salvia farinacea ‘Indigo spires’ 2007
  • Salvia greggii ‘Raspberry’ 2007
  • Sedum album (2008, 2009)
  • Setcreasea pallida (2008, 2009)
  • tomatillo (2009)
  • Trachelospermum jasminoides (2007, 2008, 2009)
  • Tradescantia pallida (purple heart) 2007
  • Zexmenia hispida (from Pam) (2009)

bearded iris Incantation
Bearded iris ‘Incantation’. April 29, 2009.

April 30th, 2009
Iris ‘Incantation’

A lavender blue bearded iris opened this week and I had to go through my files of photographs to identify it. Everyone is under the misconception that I keep great records. In contrast, I feel like I never write down the precise bit of information that I want to know later. When did I transplant this iris? Where did I move it from? What is it? Why didn’t I label it or jot down a few notes?

In my files I found several photos of ‘Incantation’. Some taken with my digital video recorder in on April 21, 2002. Another set taken with my first digital camera on April 24, 2005. These showed the distinct veining on the falls and the bit of bright orange on the throat of the otherwise white beard.

bearded iris Incantation
Bearded iris ‘Incantation’. April 24, 2005.

This year ‘Incantation’ opened on April 25th. I have only one rhizome left which has sent up one stalk with three flowers. I originally bought three rhizomes from Schreiner’s in 1999 for $7.50 a piece (not factoring in the discount). They bloomed in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, and now 2009. I thought I’d lost them to rot completely. I transplanted them again last fall and only one survived. It has been smothered by bluebonnets most of the spring and I was completely surprised when the flower stalk popped up last week.

Here’s my original impression from April 20, 2000.

First flower. Well-proportioned with standards the periwinkle blue of some of the larkspur. It blends very well with the larkspur but what I really need is contrast. This is the trouble with liking one color and buying every flower that is that color.

I think I was wrong. I look at the photo at the top of this post and now I think that’s just perfect.