Miraculous Recoveries!!!

So, this was yesterday...I got home from work and popped open a RangerIPA, headed out to my favorite spot in the back~back yard. I sit in that green chair in the middle, It's my favorite view of the yard and where I sit with my bestest~besties. The only thing missing is the chickens.

I had my journal and I was drawing blind contours of a Mockingbird that was going to town with his song when he dropped down and I saw something fabulous...
And realized that the yard was full of minor miracles! Like this Patricks Abutilon...that came up from where I lopped its...what I thought was a 'dead' body off. I stuck the sign in the "Good Times Spent" wall art. I'm so excited...and check it out...BUDS!!!!
Can you tell what you're looking at? That's black bamboo, with 3 new baby shoots!!! It's spreading Hallelujah! I've been wanting to make stuff with it since I put it in the ground 3 years ago...why would it choose to send out new shoots on a year like this?
The last year I worked at Zilker's Green Garden I transplanted this Cherry Barbados pup and this is the first year it bloomed! Why????
A few posts ago I commented that out of 6 spots where I'd planted Oxblood Lily, only 2 had come back...guess what??? They are ALL coming up!!! Whoop, Whoop~whooooo!
This Red Beauty Rose died DEAD the ground and I snipped that crunchy brown crap off...and from the mulch she rises, she's a Zombie RoooOOooose!
So, what you are looking at is truly amazing...these are baby Lady Banksia Roses...they chose this spot on their own...blew me away, I thought it was weedy herb thing and then she put on blooms. I'm letting her get a little bigger while I wait for Bob Pool to make me an arbor for her highness!
What you're looking at here is my front arbor with the skeleton of my Anniversary Wisteria, 9 years old...never got a bloom, dead, with a coral vine going wild in the bramble.
And here is a new sickly plant coming up from her toes!!! I had plans...PLANS!
This is one of just a few transplant survivors...Thyrallis, stunted, but blooming!And this is a much happier transplant, not stunted but filling out Russian Sage!
Best bird shot of the day...Orange Crowned Warbler! This is a danged lucky shot because she's a flittery thing!
And...back inside to blog. All and all, a terrific Autumn...I love this time of year....

Happy Gardening!

Tax Day...no, Bloom Day!

Welcome to my garden today. It's been awhile since I've posted...it's been a very busy spring and one that clearly puts me in the "gardener first" category...I'd clearly rather be outside on a day like today. Cecile Bruner is magnificent...the Lady Banksia last month was unbelievable, this is a year for roses...and so much more.

Carol of May Dreams Gardens started us all on this monthly blog and to her, we are all grateful. I've decided to organize my photos not by front and back yard, new or standard but by color...several things blooming today didn't make the post because I feel like I've seen to much of them, but I've kept the images for further reference...I wonder when Spring will be so glorious again? Thank you for dropping by.

The backyard entrance...please come in for a spell...

Morning light on my onion patch

Onion flower

Isn't she lovely in her smallness? I can never remember her name...some kind of African succulent that literally grows wherever I put it...

The last of the Arugula flowers, so simple yet hot and spicy!

Barrel Cactus buds, a gift from my friend Tom

Seeds are up!

White Lantana

Boysenberry flower (not pictured is the blackberry)

Blackfoot Daisy, I don't care that it's just a Daisy...they mean Spring to me.

I just couldn't resist a few annuals this year...

Oxalis, simple clover

Mexican Sage in front of the upright Rosemary

Spanish Lavender, my favorite of the Lavenders...

Provencial Lavender

This is the first year my Sage bloomed! It's blooming all over the yard...all varieties, I can't tell you how beautiful they smell and how happy it makes me.
Cue the music... XXXX Deep in the heart of Texas...

Purple Lantana, so tough and dependable

This is my newly planted Sky Flower or Duranta, the butterflies love her and the shallow bath.

SpiderWort, still going strong!

Check out the sugar ants on this Sage early this morning!

Cherry Sage

Guara in the morning sun

Volunteer Larkspur, my next door neighbor for many years was a tiny old lady named Freida and she planted them every year...they're only living in my yard now.

Texas Betony and Cosmos...for Buckley.

Fuscia from my friend Elizabeth and the most fragrant of my roses...Cecile Bruner

Old Blush going to town on the front pergola

Belinda's Dream

Scarlet Sage

Salvia Greggi in the warm sunshine

It may be poor form to show such an out of focus shot...but this color combination reminded me of Christmas...it's Firecracker Fern in front of Powess Castle's Artemesia.

Crown of Thorns with spider webs...don't they look like lips?

And, the last of the reds...

The oranges...Red Yucca flower, Nasturtium, Butterfly Weed, Patrick's Abutilon...which is new to my backyard and I can never get a good shot of because it's so low to the ground...still...and the garish orange of my Mini Pomegranate.

The only blossom on the tipity top of my Ocotillo!

The delightful Bulbine

My first crush was on the Pride of Barbados, I still think she's magical with those spitting red ribbons!

New Golden Lantana

Last year, this pokey agave got me good when I was working and I decided that was the end...I didn't want things that hurt people...little people especially in my yard. So, I chopped her back and she was too big for me to pop the pineapple shaped orb out of the ground...so I instructed "Spouse" to do the duty...Spouse was busy. This spring, she bloomed from the stump! Thank goodness he had better things to do!

I love Nasturtium...they are the seed that I can't mess up! and, they're tasty!

This is my second lilly from Randy's yard to bloom...I wonder how mine are doing in his yard?

Had to sneak another shot in...becuase this is my favorite bright yellow...happy face yellow.

These Snapping Dragon ladies wintered over in the window box!

Hell zone Hymenoxis doing her cheerful thing. I think yellow flowers are my favorite, and they remind me of my love.

She spills over nicely, hiding the cracked pot!

And, lastly...a volunteer squash flower with a drunk bee. This bee was here when I began my rounds and an hour later was still at it! You go! Thank you for visiting my garden in Zone 8b, a snowbirds paradise, and my favorite place to be.

Happy Gardening!