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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.
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Thursday, February 24, 2011

Grape Hyacinths

These little grape hyacinths used to grow in deep shade near the back fence where the squirrels liked to dig them up and leave them on top of the ground. Last spring we made a long bed in semi-shade, so I poked in the grape hyacinths to accompany daffodils and narcissus and scilla.


The freezes killed the buds of the daffodils, leaving the stage without headliners and the spotlight shining on the bit players.


For Monica the Garden Faerie, who needs to see some spring.

8 comments:

  1. Yay for grape hyacinths. I am surprised that your daffs were ruined by the freeze. Our daffs are often frozen and snowed on two or three times before they give up. I am glad you have somehting to take their place.

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  2. Hey - I saw that. The word 'shade' was in there twice! So you have my attention. Do your daffs & hyacinths return each year and bloom?

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  3. My daffs are just now beginning to bloom. My grape hyacinths, though, are so far a no show. I'm hoping they'll pop up soon! Loved seeing yours. I think they deserve more of the spotlight than they usually get.

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  4. Forgot to mention that if you double-click the photo it will expand twice...

    They're little, Birdwoman, but what a form & color!

    Lisa of Greenbow - I've never seen them completely demolished before - battered yes. But these were slime.

    RBell, This is a newer bed so I'm still experimenting! Because the pecans leaf out quite late in spring, there seems to be enough sun for moderate bloom from early bulbs. I think columbines & cedar sage can make some flowers, too - but this area is very shady in late summer.

    Hello HolleyGarden - see you're in Zone 8, too. The earliest daffodils & paperwhites were frozen, some midseason yellow daffodils blooming now, others budding and the 'Thalia' narcissus just thinking about it. Bet your grape hyacinths are ready to appear!

    Thanks for the comments,

    Annie

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  5. Such a sweet spot of color there amid the brown leaves of fall. I'm still awaiting spring bulbs in my garden, Annie. But then again I don't have any hyacinths.

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  6. Love the good 'ol hyacinth and it's symbol of spring soon to arrive. We have nothing yet here in NJ so I'm enjoying reading about spring all over different parts of the country. Thanks for posting!

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  7. I cannot wait to get home this weekend and see if my daffodils are beginning to bud!

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