I can’t believe it’s the middle of April already. My the time flies when you having fun Flinging with your fellow bloggers! It was so wonderful to get to meet the founder of Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, Carol, of May Dreams Gardens, in person at the Fling. Here’s what I have to offer for April’s Bloom Day…
My Variegated Meyer Lemon tree has so many blooms on it, I’m already planning a lemonade stand!
And here you see the first of the lemons — it really is a miracle, isn’t it?
Lots of photos to share today. One or two of this and that blooming all around the yard. This month, there are some really interesting things to share as well.
Oxalis
Sedum (with a hint of weedy clover buried in it!)
Winecup
The first, teensy, tiny hint of a pink Skull cap bloom peeking out
I forget what this one is — I think it’s a Texas native … anyone know?
Nicotiana
Oh – I’ve forgotten what this is — I bought it a few months ago …
Drummond phlox
This is a succulent that was a passalong I received 13 years ago from a former neighbor with a greenhouse full of an amazing collection. She is the person who got me interested in cacti and succulents. Aren’t those blooms amazing? I think this one is either in the Aloe or the Gasteria family. It has medium, tongue-shaped leaves that are dark green with white speckles and they are very hard and firm, not fleshy at all.
Impatiens that came back from last year
Verbena
Japanese flowering quince
A long shot of the Society garlic providing a delicate borderthat also keeps the deer at bay!
Angel wing begonia
The first baby blooms of a red verbena
My pomegranate tree
Morning Glory
Osteospermum
Euryops
Phlox
The last batch of daffodils
Blackfoot daisy
Oh – Austinites, or fellow Texans – please remind me whatthis is – it’s late and my brain is dead!
Lavender
ChrysanthemumsThat’s it – I quit there. There are a few more standard things but you’ve seen them all here lately, so I’m leaving them off for now.
Next I will have to show you the veggie garden (sans weeds!) with its little sprouts popping up. This morning, Kallie ate 4 strawberries from our plants with her breakfast and she said they were yummy and sweet.
Wow…lots blooming in your garden! Many of your plants are blooming together that I have at different times of the year…and you have many plants I’ve never heard of before…love that succulent and a variegated Meyer!…cool!
Thanks – sometimes I feel like what I grow is standard fare compared to some gardens, so it was nice to have a few unique things in bloom today. It’s all part of that growing and learning process for me. I visited your blog – it’s lovely. Thanks for stopping by.
Hi Diana,
I love the look of the Society Garlic – it’s great that it deters deer. The Drummond Phlox is so pretty – makes me realise that I am looking forward to Phlox appearing in my garden. The Meyer Lemon Tree blooms are so delicate. I imagine their fragrance is wonderful. Your daughter will enjoy manning the lemonade stand too!
You certainly have a lot going on there. The lemons are so sweet in bloom and giving you something to use in the kitchen as well. Love the variegated leaf on those. I am very interested in your pomegranate, remembering the one at the James David garden. Do you get to harvest the fruit? Or is there an ornamental variety, like the quince? Nicotiana is perennial for you, or self seeding? It too is one of my favorite plants. Thanks for the show.
You’ve surrounded yourself with lots of cheerful color for this Bloom Day, Diana. Up here in PA, we mostly have yellows, whites, and pinks right now: better than browns, but not as fun as the reds and blues. And you have ripe strawberries already? How lucky you are!
Kate – The Drummond phlox color is so vivid – that’s why I bought it. You’re right – the lemon smells wonderful and the bees are in heaven – buzzing all around it.
Frances – we do have fruit on the pomegranate, but I have yet to figure out the right time to harvest it. They are either too hard or already split open. It’s my new challenge – to figure it out and use them since there are so many on the tree. The Nicotiana is brand new for me, it’s only been in the ground for 2 months here. And this morning I realized that I planted that fuchsia right in front of the orange-red Turk’s cap. Everything was dormant when I planted the nicotiana…oh well.
Thanks, Nan, we do have a lot of color starting here. Wish I could send you some strawberries.
That yellow-flowering plant near the end that you need an ID for is damianita. I forgot to show that one on my Bloom Day post, so I’m glad you have it. Your pomegranate tree is much more flowery than mine, and I love your society garlic deer deterrent—like a garlic necklace to deter vampires, right?
Thanks, Pam – I knew you’d think of it for me and I was just too tired last night to go look for it. Sometimes things fly right out of my head and don’t come back! It is like a garlic necklace around the outer edge of my bed. I try to not use it too close up because it can really get smelly and unpleasant sometimes. I love to cook with it, but don’t think I want to have it as an air freshener.
I think I have the same Sedum as yours & this morning I bought a pot of Osteospernum that looks the same as yours. Everything else – totally different. I really loved those Oxalis when I saw them growing all over Austin. The baby lemons are cute.
I am envious of the Meyer Lemon. Don’t tell anyone, but I bought one once, with the intention, of course, of bringing it in for the winter and it died on me! I want to try again. Love all your other blooms!
Carol, May Dreams Gardens
MMD – I think that sedum is really interesting. This is the first time it’s bloomed for me. Don’t you love how perky and happy those osteospernum look? They look like a cross between some sort of daisy and a mum. Let me know how yours do.
Carol – I won’t tell anyone about your lemon. I killed a lime tree in the middle of summer last year – hard to believe since they love our weather. Try again – they are so much fun and it’s great to squeeze fresh lemon into your tea.
Wow! You took so many photos! I got exhausted after trying to take just a few and gave up.
I love the winecup. I’ve tried to grow it a few times but can never keep it. And I can’t believe your society garlic is already blooming. You have so many nice little shrubby plants. I need to invest in more stuff like that to fill in after the meadow dies down.
Did you get Vicki’s recipe for Meyer lemon ginger jelly that she gave out at Spring Fling? Heavenly.
Dear Diana, there are so many lovely flowers blooming in your garden…we have pomegranate blooms in common. And Chrysanthemums already!!We have atleast six months from now before they come to bloom.
You have a lot of stuff blooming at your place. I did see the photo of us at the fling. We WERE cute!! I sure loved meeting you. Austin gardens and gardeners are a blast.~~Dee
I can almost smell the lemon blossom! Let me know when the lemonade is ready. Maybe I should plant garlic everywhere to repel the deer. Good idea. You have so much in bloom and so much I have never grown here in New England. I like that impatiens overwinter there. Great picture of the flowers but also of your husband and daughter along the sidebar.
MSS – I can only grow the winecup where there are no bunnies. Apparently it’s very tasty, in addition to being pretty. I really have to work at getting seasonal layers of blooms. Most of mine are just Summer bloomers (well, here that means Spring, too). I’d like to get some fall layers in my beds, too. I love the marmelade, I may have to attempt it this summer.
Green Thumb – I saw your pomegranate, too, but your photo is so beautiful. The mums are in pots and I tried to kill them this winter, but they are coming back. Wish I had some of my tropicals already like you do.
Dee – thanks. We’re all so glad everyone had a good time. Now I feel like I really know my blogging friends.
Layanee – wish you could come sit here and have a lemonade in my garden. Daddy and his girl were cute, weren’t they? Last weekend with her long hair – we cut off 11 inches yesterday – locks of love – and she has a bob to her jaw! It’s adorable. I’ll have to post a picture.
Hi Diana
Lots of pretty things. My blackfoot daisy is looking so sickly compared to yours. Can’t figure it out, as I thought they thrived on crappy ground.
I think the little yellow daisy is Dahlberg daisy. Scrunch up the foliage and if smells like camphor, pungent, then it might be Dahlberg.
Libby
Wow great blooms! I loved your pics of the Fling too… I almost feel like I was there after seeeing them. 🙂
You have lots blooming in your garden now. I am envious of your lemon tree. I think they smell so good when in bloom. The lemons are a bonus. I too think this a miracle.
Wow, the last few weeks have really brought out so much in the gardens here in town. I feel like suddenly there is so much green around me it hurts my eyes…but in a good way!
I know what you mean. Green is one of my next posts – the idea came to me two weeks ago, but I was kind of busy with the fling and other things but it’s still in my brain. Maybe today!