April morning

It is a golden maxim to cultivate the garden for the nose, and the eyes will take care of themselves. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

What I love about the blue salvias is that when the weather is chilly and damp and overcast these flowers are a brilliant and deep blue.  They will fade in the heat of summer and become darker when cooler weather arrives.
I took these pictures on a chilly, windy morning.   Don't forget to click on picture for larger

A day comes in the springtime
When Earth puts forth her powers,
Casts off the bonds of winter
And lights him hence with flowers...
~Dora Read Goodale, 

 

 If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. ~Nadine Stair

As I write this, rain is pouring down.  We had storms last night.  Today more of the same.  This time, however, it is chilly (I have my window open and cold air blowing in) so there is no heat to build storms and tornadoes and hail.

Took this picture yesterday, promising hail.  Not for us thank goodness.

Lantana and a lesson in patience

It’s spring fever. That is what the 
 name of it is. And when you’ve got it, you want — oh, you don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! ~Mark Twain

 Click on picture for larger                                                                                         
 This is an example of patience.  The front flower bed has
two low growing lantana plants.  The tiny picture is proof
that you have to wait, and wait, and wait....
I was tempted to pull out this "dead" plant but thought I'd 
just wait and see.  This is all there is so far.
The plant below, planted at the same time. Same care and  
and same weather conditions.
Why one is bursting out of the ground 18 inches next to
 the tiny plant is nature doing her thing.

These were planted last spring and did very well. They were actually the same size by fall.
Winter was cold and wetter than years past.
I am going to leave the small plant to its own growth time table and will water and feed both the same.
We will see.

Another view of plant above. Note tag.

In June as many as a dozen species may burst their buds on a single day. No man can heed all of these anniversaries; no man can ignore all of them. ~Aldo Leopold

 This is the oldest lantana in my yard.  It was 4' tall and 5' wide last fall.  Managed on no extra food or water. Just what nature gave it.  Impressive to say the least.

I left this plant alone this spring.  Only tried to clear leaf piles caught in the stick looking plant.  It was difficult not to cut back the "dead" sticks.  Patience won.
What a fascinating lesson in same.
The green stems are all coming out of the "dead" sticks.  They actually snapped off when tested.  Still, I waited.

Tiny green things started at the base of branching sticks.  Then, wonder of wonders, started sprouting up and up

Hoe while it is spring, and enjoy the best anticipations. It is not much matter if things do not turn out well. ~Charles Dudley Warner                                                            

Will watch dead looking branches to see what happens.

Spring and Irises

 I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden. ~Ruth Stout

The weather has been perfectly Spring like for days and days.  Except for the wind, couldn't be more perfect.

Things have been popping up all over.  California poppies are in full bloom.  I have moved most of the cone flowers from the bed where the caterpillars ate the heck out of them.  There are still a few that are really to large to move.  So, will try to keep the caterpillars off of them.  I hope moving them to another site will confuse them enough not to find.

I have put in 2 new Butterfly weed plants and an Orange Zexmenia. Bought a flat of verbena and have stuck them in pots and hope they do well in summer.

My lavender plants are blooming!  I hoped and hoped that the newest one would survive.  It has many blossoms and smells sooooo good! 

The big surprise?  Irises!!  This stand of Iris had one blossom on it last year.  I did some cleaning out and moving corms and it paid off. 

An additional surprise.
I was cleaning leaves and branches from under the big live oak and found one of nature's treasures.
A perfect mobile.

From a Sweet Gum tree

These are part of the old windows project finally painted