Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, March 2009

A rain gauge is not a bloom, but without rain there would be no flowers to show May Dreams Carol for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. Rain crept in early on Wednesday morning and it has stayed a few days, refreshing our gardens and making a small dent in the ongoing drought. Above is the old reliable gauge...the new rain gauge from the last post knew how to be a vase but it did not know how to be a weather instrument.


The rain kicked the three kinds of Redbud tree in the front yard into bloom. A play on the Latin name for the genus Redbud, Cercis, led me to name our place Circus~Cercis a couple of years ago.

Our first redbud tree was planted at the end of the house in the front yard under the canopy of a live oak in October 2004 - the purple-leaved Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy'.

Then in October 2006 we bought a Texas Redbud/Cercis canadensis var. texensis from a Tree Folks sale. The tree grows next to a bat-shaped bed formed by three Bridal Wreath-type shrubs, part of the Pink Entrance Garden leading to the gate.

When the largest of our three Arizona Ash trees died and was cut down in Spring 2007, first I sang a song about it, then we planted a Cercis canadensis var texensis 'Alba' - a Texas Whitebud. When seen in close up, the small flowers are enchanting and it's easy to see they're in the pea family.

Here the Whitebud is a background for the 'Mutabilis' rose, growing in the middle of the front yard in what was once the footprint of the Arizona Ash. This rose just started a bloom cycle.



In back, around the far end of the house in the Secret Garden, buds suddenly appeared on the small pomegranate tree. Last year was the first time it bloomed- we've never had fruit from this tree.
The Mexican Lime, bought last fall and growing in a pot, seems to be setting some fruit already.

Near the lime a few of last summer's bedding geraniums and impatiens managed to survive the mild winter and have begun to rebloom.

Back in the main part of the garden behind the house another pomegranate grows in a pot. Unlike the full-size tree which is deciduous, this dwarf pomegranate can be evergreen in the right place. given protection.


We have two Meyer's Lemon trees - one in a container brought into the breakfast room for winter, and one planted in the ground outside. The one in the kitchen bloomed earlier and now has small fruits developing. The Lemon growing against the back wall of the house began to open flowers a week ago.

This little Scabiosa 'Butterly Blue' is sometimes called Pincussion Flower. It blooms off and on for 8 months of the year.

The iris kept opening flowers even on drizzly days so this clump of pale peach iris has only a few buds left to open.

The white iris and the few remaining narcissus petals turned almost transparent from the soaking.
The petals of the 'Amethyst Flame' iris shared by Pam/Digging kept their violet-blue color even though bedraggled from the weather.

One 'Amethyst Flame' bud sneaked in when I tried to capture the buds of a Salvia greggii. I've planted dozens of salvias here in 4 and 1/2 years and have lost track of identities - this might be just plain Salvia greggii alba or could be Salvia greggii 'Navajo Cream'.

Here's another example of why I enjoy Slow Gardening - a year and a half ago I poked a couple of rescued snapdragons into a hanging basket with pansies. One plant lived but just sat there and refused to bloom. When the pansies were done I pulled them out but left the snap alone, tucking summer impatiens in next to it. All year I watered the basket and gave it occasional doses of fertilizer & seaweed, and the snapdragon hung on, growing slowly and making roots in the basket. Once the cold weather killed the impatiens, that snapdragon saw its opportunity to shine, draping almost to the ground, covered in two-toned yellow flowers and buds. I didn't even know what color the flowers were until two days ago!


The real show in the garden this week is still the arch covered by the Coral Honeysuckle/Lonicera sempervirens and the Lady Banks Rose/Rosa banksiae 'Lutea'.
The light yellow perfectly echoes the interior of the honeysuckle trumpets. In Illinois tulips and snowdrops and crocus said 'Spring' to us, but now this vibrant combination is our surest sign that winter is gone for good.

Here's one last photo of the Whitebud. This tree would be a sign of spring almost anywhere in the United States - but look down at its feet...you must be somewhere in the South if there is sub-tropical Yellow Bulbine blooming under your Whitebud tree!

Have fun visiting Carol's blog for more bloom day posts from around the world! The complete list of everything in bloom at Circus~Cercis will appear soon on the Addendum.