I keep hearing how much fun Fredfest is! Haven't been to one, though.
Hints of Spring! Please share yours....
Are you talking about the one down at Gruene Hall next weekend? I kinda doubt I can get my husband down there. He's already agreed to go with me to TMR on March 16, and then I'm dragging him all over Texas during April. LOL--poor guy! I'd better save my silver bullets.
But hey, now that I think about it, I just made him very happy. I've been trying to think what to replace my giant photinias with, and all that talk about roses on the other thread convinced me I should plant a few. Thinking about Belinda's Dream combined with a couple of red Knockouts. Since he's the rose lover--not me--that oughta be worth a few brownie points, don't you think? :)
This message was edited Feb 20, 2008 6:34 PM
This message was edited Feb 20, 2008 6:35 PM
Hey, I don't blame you at all! I've decided that we make NO MORE TRIPS without planning time for me to visit the local nurseries. That will probably not include College Station, but that's only because I think the car is already full!
We go down to San Antonio/Gruene every year in August. I will have to plan a trip for us to ARE this time.
The Arizona Ash Tree has a lot of blooms and lots of bees! Glad to see the bees....was wondering if the honeybees would be back this year, since they were almost not seen last fall. And I've got over 2 feet of new growth on my Clematis pitcheri vine!
Excellent Linda, you are a lot farther ahead than us here.
As far as I know, CCD just affects European-type honeybees, not other bees. Thank goodness!
I was talking to DH about CCD today and he was wondering if it might have something to do with an experiment some scientists were doing on fire ants. They gave the queen ant a hormone that made her infertile I think. The result was supposed to be that the mound would die. I remember hearing about the research, but I don't remember if it really worked or if they are still doing it. Is it possible that it had an effect on the bee population?
well, i am pretty excited! i just noticed a big bloom bud on a TB iris that i planted last fall. i didnt even know if any of the would bloom at all this year, much less this early. will try to post a picture when it opens. besides that, lets see:
yellow daffs
paperwhites
flowering quince, full of flowers!
coreopsis Nana has several flowere per plant, really suprised me
bunches of grape hyacinth blooming
supposed to get down close to freezing next week, hope it doesnt hurt the new growth.
Pod, you are in east texas, right? where are you located? i am in lufkin, good to see someone else on here that is local. :)
tracie
I have 4 blooms on my Jake Iris!!! Daffs up and going too!!
Hi Tracie ~ I am over near Toledo Bend. There are a few DGrs scattered around here. One east of Nacogdoches, one from Brookeland. A light frost shouldn't hurt most of your blooms. We'll hope we don't see a hard freeze tho. I noticed a huge Bradford pear beginning to put on a show.
It is exciting to have buds and blooms EVERY spring. Just like opening Christmas gifts when we were kids.
My Iris are slow compared to y'alls. I will have to search for a bud this weekend.
i know what you mean. my family thinks i am nuts how excited i get when something new blooms. i guess that is one reason i love this forum, you guys understand me! :-)
tracie
I've been out weeding the flower beds and discovering just how many things are already coming back up. I found salvias, mistflower, tecoma, and lantana all showing new growth. I also thought I had a weed infestation in one bed until I remembered I had thrown out poppy seeds on it earlier this fall....lol. I love spring!
:) Kim
Yay ~ for the poppies. How fun and glad you remembered before you went to weeding ~ lol.
I noticed some volunteers peeking thru here. The green of what appears to be soapwort, it probably rooted from a plant I had sitting there. I have a Verbena with ferny foliage and I undercovered the mulch to find that it has really spread, Yes! Can't wait for blooms.
By the way ~ PBTXlady, the little birds are thinning out. Must be heading your way! 8 ))
Oh, now the Blackfoot Daisy is starting! In the mornings, I can't wait to go out and see what's blooming!
You are right, pod. I've had lots of birds this week. :)
That too is a good sign. When the birds head north, summer is on the way. This morning I see the snowdrops ~ Leucojum are beginning to bloom.
My Pincushion Plant is showing a little bit of bloom. When everything else is still dormant, their purple color is much appreciated.
Carla
I harvested the last of the Meyer lemons yesterday - even though a couple of them still had tinges of green on the rind - because the tree is setting the buds now for this season's blossoms. I'm giving it a deep watering now. The tangerine and kumquats will be following soon. Oh, how I love the fragrance!
The fig trees are leafing out and the huisache is full of its little yellow puff ball blossoms. Flocks of birds everywhere.
What time of year do your figs come ripe and what kind are they? We, when I was a kid, had the old sugar figs -tiny, sweet and - I think- open ended. Loved them! Need to get some for this house.
Ann
And today was a wonderful taste of what lies ahead. Pretty purple on the pincushion plant...
After living in AZ I can understand the fragrance of the citrus. How delightful.
This is a closeup of the snowdrop Leucojum
I have a Latarulla fig and a Petite Nigra. They have a small early crop usually in late April or early May, then the main crop starts up in July and just keeps going, producing new ones until the first freeze. I eat 'em, dehydrate 'em and supply the neighborhood.
The Texas Mountain Laurels and Mexican Plum trees are blooming! 2 years ago the Mountain Laurels were stopping traffic (on our very NOT busy subdivision's street, but still...) and people were knocking on our door asking what they were. Last year they got a grand total of 6 blooms, all on the side of the trees facing the house. Go figure. LOL So far they seem to be blooming nicely this year, on all sides of the trees. (They're technically bushes, I know, but they are both a good 18 feet or so high.)
The plum tree is just starting to pop out a few blooms, way up high, so I couldn't get a good picture of them. Here are the laurel blooms, though. Take a big breath and imagine sweet grape kool-aid and you'll know exactly how they smell. :-)
This message was edited Feb 25, 2008 12:55 PM
Beautiful Marylyn! I have 2 that Josephine gave me in October. I still haven't planted them because I want to put them in the perfect spot and I just haven't decided where yet. Yours must be quite old if they are 18 ft tall.
Those are gorgeous Marylyn, you are quite a bit ahead of us, mine are not showing color yet.
I'm not sure exactly how old they are... We've lived here for 6 years and they were pushing 10 feet then.
How long do the blooms last on the Tx mountain laurel? It is most beautiful!
Umm... A couple of weeks, I think. I don't remember! I'll pay attention this time and let you know. :-)
Shoot ~ was hoping it would last for a while. Guess there is no ideal plant.... pretty, fragrant and generous with its' blooms.
camellia
Lenten Rose
NOID, little blue flowers
Jack in the pulpit
Oxalis
The Mexican Plum is just starting to pop out blossoms. It will be covered in blooms in a few days.
howdy,
i am no expert, but i think your noid with small blue flowers is veronica speedwell. i planted a few a couple of weeks ago and they look the same to me. i really like them and the frost we had didnt seem to bother them.
tracie