April Bloomday 2011

Bloom day, the blog roll for gardeners world wide is the creation of Linda at

May Dreams Gardens, and you're one step away from having a look at gardens in bloom across the world. Thank you Linda! Now here's a quick peek at some of the things going on here at Conscious Gardening!

Red Yucca One of 12 tomatoes currently in bloom, I pinched off the first set to encourage the plant to set out more roots, I'm giving the ground a rest from the nightshades and have put them in pots! One of the multiplier onions blossoms in the onion bed. A pass along Canna from a plant swap, years ago at Elaynes. A gulf fritillary caterpillar munching away on one of several pass along Passion Flower Vines from Randy Case's garden 3 years ago. Spiderwort, coming up all over this year! Cecille Bruenner Rose with this years booming crop of blackberries! Also in bloom are my first Dewberries and Boysenberries! Summer ice cream fun on it's way! I am in love with the Peggy Martin Rose! I've planted two and they have been stunning. I'm not sure if they officially changed the name to the Katrina Rose, but I call her that too. This was the first rose to return to New Orleans after the hurricane, and she's a hurricane of pink!

Baily's Red Rose

This is another pass along rose that I picked up a few years ago and this is the first year it's done anything. I think it's a climber, well...a fainter actually. She's sent out several sprays that creep on the ground but put out these beautifully colored blossoms...this is the last of them unfortunately, now to get a trellis!

Katrina Rose, up close.

I don't know this lovely ladies name. I ask every year when she blooms for some help on an ID but have never heard back from the rose aficionados. So, I'm going to simply call her "Red."

Knock out!

Oh yea, she's a Knock out!

The fernleaf verbena and santolina have taken over the south end of the mound.

Fernleaf verbena

This is a long shot of the hummingbird and butterfly mix I threw down in my culinary garden, why? So I could watch my favorite garden faeries from the window in the Bird blind Bar through the summer, and stay nice and cool with a frosty Margarita in hand! I'm no dummy! Summer's upon us!

This is a portrait of the first cosomos in the mix, by afternoon several others had opened up.

Confederate Jasmine, and there's that sole cosmos in the background...so rich and lovely!

Frida's larkspur, a volunteer from my deceased neighbor that comes back each year in my yard.

She was a great gal, and I have fond memories of her quirkiness. Everytime I see a larkspur I think of her. I don't see people in too many flowers, but this one belongs to her.

The common pittosporum, covered in bees each year is one of my favorites.

The first blog entry I did over 3 years ago now, was about my amazement and love for the

Pride of Barbados, she's nearly 6 ft. tall now and no longer needs to be covered in winter...thank goodness, because I forgot all about her!

My sole poppy, I'm envious of those of you who have them return year after year.

Gold Lantana and pony's foot.

Simple marigolds and such in the boxes, but check out the height of the river fern and

heartleaf scullcap...they've come back with a vengence!

Jerusalem sage

This last shot is the promise of winter...a persimmon blossom, my favorite brown flower.

Here's the rest of the shy bloomers, whose photos didn't turn out so well...but deserve a mension just the same:

Iris

Gulf Coast Penstamon

Texas Sage

Rosemary

Oxalis

Autumn Sage

Cherry Sage

Lipstick Sage

Gregg's Mistflower

Mutabilis Rose

Pansy

Indian Blanket

Mexican Sage

Blue Mealy Sage

Alyssum

and volunteer Squash (?) flowers

Now, I've got 4 cubic yards of compost stinking my neighbors out, so I've got to get busy! I hope April finds you in blooms wherever you are! Thanks for stopping by, and do a little rain dance for us here in Central Texas...will you?

Happy Gardening!