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April 2018 Garden Scrapbook
April Fool! Here’s what is left of that viola bowl.
The is the first time two blooms were open at the same time
on these pale yellow Louisiana iris. They make a lot of leaves and take up a
lot of space but are stingy with bloom.
The white eye ring makes me pretty sure this cute bird is a
Nashville Warbler. They’re not here all year but they’re here for a lot of the
year.
Iris and columbine – a favorite combination.
The unscented native Mock Orange (Philadelphus inodorus) was
spectacular this spring, and even prettier with a swallowtail butterfly
hovering.
At one time I had four clematis vines but I was not a good
enough gardener to keep them alive. I’m grateful for the lovely no-name
clematis that has survived.
This purple iris is usually the last of the bearded iris to
bloom – this year it’s backed up by annual poppies and Coriander/Cilantro in
bloom.
My Byzantine Gladiolus is a treasured passalong from a
friend in the old part of Austin.
Against my advice, a pair of cardinals made a nest in the
Lady Banks rose, two feet from the patio table, not far from the birdbath
fountain. The male cardinal then attempted to chase every blue jay from the
area.
Since the Lesser Goldfinches are here all year long we
sometimes take them for granted. When visitors get all excited to see them we
remember how special they are.
In the middle of April I saw a lone Monarch fluttering
around one bed. Most of the milkweed froze and the few surviving milkweed
plants were just starting to regrow. After checking out the bluebonnets the
butterfly left.
Third week in April and the pecans are putting out leaves
and pollen tassels… goodbye Sun.
After the green bowl smashed I rescued the violas and put
them into a hanging basket. In the third week of April I added a hot pink
calibrachoa.
Our pomegranate tree had a lot of blooms this year. We’ve
never had a single pomegranate fruit – will this be the year we do?
Larkspur reseeds every year but the number of plants keeps
going down as the garden matures and the sunny spots shrink.
The climbing mini-rose is called Red Cascade and it’s a real
trooper.
Tiny wildflower Venus’ Looking Glass deserves a closeup
photo.
When the hard freezes came most of the developing loquat
fruits dropped off the tree. Only these three loquats matured. It’s OK – while
I like the fruit, I like the tree more.
