About Me
My Photo
Annie in Austin
Welcome! As "Annie in Austin" I blog about gardening in Austin, TX with occasional looks back at our former gardens in Illinois. My husband Philo & I also make videos - some use garden images as background for my original songs, some capture Austin events & sometimes we share videos of birds in our garden. Come talk about gardens, movies, music, genealogy and Austin at the Transplantable Rose and listen to my original songs on YouTube. For an overview read Three Gardens, Twenty Years. Unless noted, these words and photos are my copyrighted work.
View my complete profile

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, May 2009

It's already May 16th here, long past midnight after a long hot day. I went out to take photos for GBBD early in the morning under an overcast sky, hoping the flowers would be fresh. The back lawn looked pretty raggedy so I mowed it, then took more photos in the late afternoon. Many of the photos of individual flowers are pretty good. But you won't see them! I've spent hours formatting the pictures and trying to write this post but Blogger is being a pig as usual, uploading most of the closeups sideways. They look like crap that way so I deleted most of them. I might try to put the apricot daylily on my Twit-pic page instead. This little harvest of a 'Spanish Spice' pepper, 3 'Juliet' tomatoes and 8 peapods appeared there a couple of days ago. What you get is the garden in long shots - perhaps it's just as well. It's hot, we need rain, and insects and crustaceans have been chomping everything. Poor Rosa 'Julia Child' has been devoured. Pillbugs got the marigold seedlings. The front garden - 'The Bride' white gaura, Salvia guaranitica, Texas paintbrush, Yellow Bulbine, lavender blue Creeping Phlox, Salvia 'Nuevo Leon', Verbena bonariensis, the dependable Mutabilis rose The Pink Entrance Garden - a dwarf burgundy daylily, Mexican oregano, Rose-pink gaura, verbena bonariensis, rose Ice Plant, Deep pink 'Telstar' dianthus, white trailing lantana, pink skullcap, 'Belinda's Dream' Rose, deep magenta Calibrachoa. Just inside the gate, flowers in purples and oranges, blues and apricots. Mexican honeysuckle, Orange cuphea, , 'Vi's Apricot' dwarf daylilies, Verbena bonariensis, Setcreasea(Purple Heart tradescantia), Bicolor iris and Butterfly Blue scabiosa. In the middle and at the far end of the fence bed two shrubs of Mexican oregano are in full bloom And in the far corner the Rose of Sharon has a dozen flowers and the top of this shrub has finally reached the level of the fence, a small step toward the dream of a green screen.In the triangles and the center back bed are more 'Vi's Apricot' Daylilies, white salvia greggii, one lonely larkspur, tropical Asclepias/Butterfly weed, snapdragons, cilantro gone to seed, lavenders, Zinnia linearis,
the tiny flowers of Myrtus communis nana, Dwarf Greek Myrtle

The large fragrant flowers of Little Gem magnolia A white delphinium Budded daylilies, Batfaced cuphea, Black & Blue salvia, Salvia coccinea, Salvia greggii, Salvia guaranitica, Shasta daisies and Perovskia Head back to the patio and the color comes from geraniums and petunias (and more calibrachoa offscreen)Abelias dangle from the tall shrubs at the entrance to the secret garden. Inside are geraniums, impatiens, passionflowers, Mexican lime flowers, 'Coral Nymph' salvia and two pomegranates with a few flowers, one regular variety and one dwarf kind. In a few hours I'll be digging with the Divas of the Dirt so goodnight! Wonderful flowers with much less cranky gardeners can be found at May Dreams Garden, where Carol keeps track of more than 130 Garden Blogger Bloom Day posts from around the world.

30 comments:

  1. Very beautiful Mexican oregano, I like the natural stones and landscape design in your garden.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Annie, your garden is always a botanical wonder to me, whether long shots or close-ups. And I'm always grateful to get to see it.

    I hope you all do get some rain soon and I hope your white delphinium blooms soon. I love delphiniums but have had very little luck growing them in my garden. I tried some seeds this year and they dried up on the bottom shelf of my seed rack. I felt bad about that. I do have one bloom stalk on a delphinium I bought last year, it looks to be a week or so behind yours. We'll see. I hope a storm doesn't knock it down!

    Anyway, thanks for joining us for bloom day, and I hope you have an enjoyable day with the divas. Good garden therapy to garden with others!

    Carol, May Dreams Gardens

    ReplyDelete
  3. I always find a welcoming place to rest when I visit your garden. Love the long shots so the whole garden can be enjoyed. We are warming up here in RI and I guess you are in the thick of heat there. What is the cooling drink of choice? Mint julep, iced tea or lemonade or, maybe a nice cold beer!? Just wondering how you get through the heat.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I was so taken with the long shots and the next few posts, I forgot to leave a comment and had to come back.

    Your Little Gem blossom pic looks like my own. They are so beautiful floated in a glass bowl, even if they do last only a day. The fragrance is wonderful.

    Happy Diggin'

    ReplyDelete
  5. For a garden that has been completely eaten alive, yours is looking quite good, Annie! I guess it was a month for long shots, most of my pictures this month are views too. Seems like I never have time to actually make the lists like Carol does. She amazes me, I wonder when it is that she sleeps.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Annie, I see I'm not the only one who was up past midnight last night. It's a struggle to keep up, isn't it? And it's especially frustrating when Blogger is being a pain.
    The daylily is gorgeous! No veggies in our garden yet (except garlic). Spring crops still taking up hubby's time.
    Delphiniums don't last long in my garden. They're finicky in our zone 5 winters. Your white is beautiful even in bud.
    I envy you all those lovely salvias.
    Love the longshots and seeing all the 'action' in your spring garden.
    Have a wonderful Diva Day and I hope you're blessed with good rain soon. There's some in our forecast today...severe thunderstorms in fact. We'd rather have the gentle stuff :)
    Happy Bloom Day Annie, from one tardy poster to another :) Thanks for keeping me company!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Annie,

    I, too, really enjoy seeing the long shots. It's nice to see the context of all your lovely blooms!

    In the fourth pic, what are the tall purple flowers (far right) near the gaura?

    ReplyDelete
  8. I like the long shots, it shows off the wonderful texture contrasts that you have. I wish I could have diverted the rain we had today down to you.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Rain today in NW Austin!! Did you get some too, Annie? I recorded an inch in the new-baby garden and am so grateful.

    Of course, it's only going to make the grass grow faster, isn't it? ;-) I hope you had a good and productive morning with the Divas before the rain arrived.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I'm a pretty cranky gardener right now, too, Annie:) But mine is for the opposite reason--I am waiting for the rains to stop and the ground to dry out so I can plant all the things I've bought and get some seeds in the ground. Wish I could send you some of this rain...hmmm, I think I've said that before:)

    Despite the lack of rain and the pillbugs, your garden looks fabulous! The Mexican oregano is very interesting. Hope you've had some fun and relaxation with the Divas this weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Yay! We got rain today, Annie! I went out and did a happy dance and it felt so good. That northwest wind had a chill to it.

    You have a lot going on in your garden--it looks wonderful! Your garden is ahead of mine--I am still waiting for the tomatoes to ripen.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Annie- Your long shots make your garden look rather like an English garden with the island beds in the grass. You have an amazing assortment of flowers and some I also have but they seem to bloom at different times. My scabiosa bloomed and died weeks ago. A short life. A delphinium- now that's very English and I didn't know we could grow them here. Pills bugs- I'm sick of the way they eat the seedlings too.
    We got the rain yesterday and I know it will have refreshed your garden and everything will be looking perky in a few days.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Annie, I also lost three marigold seedlings to pillbugs! I thought nothing at marigolds. Geese! b Now watching all my seedlings like a hawk.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I hate pillbugs, or sowbugs, which is what I call them because they're such pigs. It may be hot, but in photos your garden looks cool & restful.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Yes, good for you for getting delphinium to thrive in a Texas garden. God knows I gave up on them in mine.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Your Mexican oregano looks great! I keep trying to grow it, but it keeps dying on me.

    But you can keep delphiniums alive in Texas, so I know right there that you've got mad skillz. :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Annie, it looks pretty and fresh in spite of the heat. I'm sorry that Blogger was being bad again. Stupid Blogger!~~Dee

    ReplyDelete
  18. Did you love the rain this weekend???

    My MX Oregano has just gone into full bloom and it looks so fresh and wonderful! Yours looks really nice.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I so enjoyed the 'long shots'. It allows the feeling of serenity I often get from your photos to shine through. You may feel cranky because of Blogger but your garden looks like an oasis in the midst of it all.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Annie, your garden looks quite inviting in the long shots. I have to comment on your pepper -- wow, big and beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  21. At least we got some wonderful rain and several very nice days this week after GBBD. I had forgotten how much my moods were so affected by the heat and humidity.

    Your garden always seems to be brimming with flowers whatever the season. Hope it continues to recover from the terrible hail storm. I know you lost a lot of plants that were pummeled into the ground by hail.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Ah, scabiosa! I saw that just the other day and was wondering what it was called. :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Here's to many more such beautiful bloom days in your garden! I know you've been enjoying the cooler weather ... we must make the most of it while it lasts!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hello vuejardin - thanks for visiting - where do you garden?

    Thank you, Carol - botanical wonder sounds a lot better than horticultural menagerie, doesn't it? I've grown delphiniums off and on but never from seed - usually little starter plants. I hope yours makes it through the storm.

    Philo & I ate lunch on the patio yesterday, Layanee, and he also commented that this year the garden has a different, more relaxing feel. I get through the heat with air-conditioning!

    Thank you for visiting and commenting, NellJean - you're so right about the fragrance of the 'Little Gem' flowers!

    It always looks better if I go outside without my glasses on, Healing Magic Hands! My whole lot would fit in a corner of your garden, so I like the illusion of space given by those long shots.

    The midnight thing has got to stop, Kerri! Summer heat means I need to fight my natural rhythms and get outside when it's not in the nineties.
    My flowers thank you for the compliments - more daylilies ahead.
    The Divas met, had breakfast and were outside when the rain started and didn't stop...we gave up after a while & will try again. Not good for the schedule but lovely to have it!

    Hello Iris - thank you. The tall purple flowers are Verbena bonariensis - short-lived as a perennial but reseeds around so you always have it.

    Thank you, Apple - sometimes it looks like a mess...other times I think maybe it's working.

    Pam/Digging - we had about an inch, too, but it started soon after breakfast before the real work had begun. We'll try again.

    Two years ago we Austin gardeners had a very wet spring Prairie Rose, and were complaining about too much water - it's never just right, is it!
    The Divas enjoyed a delicious breakfast and caught up on fun conversations while we waited to see if the rain would end. So we had the relaxation - what's left is the hard work!

    I'm glad you got some of that rain too, Morning Glories in Round Rock - and haven't these cool mornings been wonderful?
    Only 2 tomatoes - the grape-sized 'Juliet'...most of ours are small and green.

    Thanks for the comments,

    Annie

    ReplyDelete
  25. Thank you, Lancashire Jenny - the layers are supposed to make it feel like a larger garden. Our soil and locations do make our gardens different.
    Your comment on the scabiosa sent me off to check my plant list. My plant was bought in 2006, sometimes blooms 7 or 8 months out of the year and has been divided so there are now two in the bed. The usual annual larkspur failed here this spring - this delphinium will no doubt be annual, too.

    Earwigs used to like marigolds in IL, Tabor- do you get them? Can't imagine geese!

    Sowbugs is a good name, Mr. McGregor's Daughter - rolypolies makes them sound too cute!
    The pecan trees make a mess, but boy, that shade makes it possible to live here!

    There's no magic involved, EAL - here's How To Grow Delphinium In Austin!

    Really Lori? The Mexican oregano died? I started out with small plants and they've turned into small shrubs. Maybe it's soil? None of mine are in full sun...actually there isn't anywhere in my whole yard that gets all-day sun.

    Sure wish I could figure out how to overrule Blogger's rotation of photos, Dee of Red Dirt - there must be a trick to it!

    The Mexican oregano is having a good spring, Bonnie - glad yours is, too.

    Thank you, Leslie - maybe having no closeups worked out okay. We've had cooler mornings this week -back to heat soon, but it's been wonderful!

    We had two big peppers and that was it so far, Renee's Roots- hope there will be more!

    The pecan flower pollen made me feel even worse when it was hot & humid, MSS of Zanthan Gardens, maybe they'll be cleaned up and gone by the time it heats up again.

    A lot of my flowers are tough plant varieties that I've grown for years but last year even they couldn't cope with the weather. The old standby plants seem to be doing well this year. Amazing what rain can do!

    Hail damage is all over -close-ups would probably reveal how scarred things are.

    This particular Scabiosa is a more dwarf variety called 'Butterfly Blue', Rurality - they're very old-fashioned flowers.

    We sure are enjoying it, Cindy from Katy - a cool morning here is such a treat!

    Thanks for the comments!

    Annie

    ReplyDelete
  26. How fun that your Rose of Sharon is blooming now--it's so much later up here in the North, that it's a pleasant surprise to see it on a blog post anywhere in May. The plants barely break dormancy before June in my aunt's garden! (Did you grow those in you IL garden, too?)

    Hope your dirt-digging eased the crankiness, Annie. Have a great week! :)

    ReplyDelete
  27. i love your blog! your garden is very similiar to what we are hoping to achieve in our own garden. thank you so much for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Gorgeous pics... love the magnolias.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Well, this is just simply gorgeous, you diva of dirt. Just an oasis on the web, that's what this is. Thanks so much for the color, the texture, the beauty.

    ReplyDelete

A comment from you is like chocolate - maybe I could live without it, but life is more fun with it. I'll try to answer. If someone else's comment piques your interest, please feel free to talk among yourselves.