My Bigtooth Maple is turning color and starting to shed its leaves. It always does this noticeably later than similar maples up toward the area around Kerrville. And mine has no red colors, only peachy colors and yellows. And I just love it!
Winter Blooms and Color
That is very pretty Linda, most of our trees have lost all their leaves already, but here is my little Dogwood earlier this year.
That's cool, Josephine! I can't remember my dogwood having that nice a color. I saw this cute little Sweet Violet bloom this morning and took the picture just as some kind of wild bee was checking it out.
That is an adorable violet and bee. It is starting to get cold here again, today and tomorrow are supposed to be very cold, I hate it.
I keep thinking these purple cupheas are through blooming...then one more...and one more after that.
That is so pretty Linda, is it native?
No, I don't think so. It must be kin to the multi-colored Batface Cuphea. Sometimes the wasps get stuck to the sticky stems and die there...I kind of like that!
Linda, that pic of the violet and bee is wonderful. I never manage to do very well with my camera. Luckily my DH is always willing to do the pics if I just point out what I want photographed. That one is a great photo. I've made dozens of attempts at butterflies and birds, but they seldom cooperate.
Josephine, the color on that dogwood is exceptional. I can never get a dogwood to live here in Houston. I've killed enough of them that I must be on the dogwood's outlaw list.
Thank you, that was an exceptional year, they don't always do that well, they do require a lot of water all through the summer and droop at the smallest hint of dryness.
Josephine.
How is this for January 6th!!!? I have had them bloom in Feb and March, but the first time they showed up in early january!!
Wow Sheila, that is beautiful and that is early, are they in a sheltered spot?
No, they are in front at my rail bed by the driveway on the north side. I figured the freezing temps we had lately would have gotten them, but I guess by keeping the yard watered helped. It is not a named iris but it is a double bloomer, I get more blooms on it later in the year.
Quince. Thank you Cocoa lulu!
Rosemary. Ahh!
Four nerve daisy has been blooming lightly all winter.What lovely weather.
Those sure look nice Anna.
I took a walk today and found a few things.
Here is my little Star Magnolia
Some Winter Honeysuckle
A trailing Rosemary "Irene"
I know this one doesn't have any blooms, but I was amazed that it had no damage by our recent freeze.
White Sage
Very pretty Annette.
Josephine.
The star mag. is only about 5 1/2 feet tall, and has a slight fragrance. It put on a sudden growth spurt last year, had about a foot. It's only been there about 12 yrs.! I thought it was a dwarf!!!!
cocoa_lulu, keep in mind that I may not have planted it in the right place. It was something I just had to have, and the space it's in was the only one ready i my yard at the time. It now has more sun, thanks to Rita and some other clearing we have done in the past couple of years. It was nearly all shade. I had to move a lot of shade plants two years ago, when DH had some trees removed. It was a real "scramble" at the time!
I have another Camellia blooming. My green ash is also budding.
Bonnie
I am hoping someone can help me as it's driving me crazy..I saw a tree today with the most unusual "fruit"..it was a prickly round pod..looked like it would have had seeds in it & I couldn't tell the color of the leaves as it was dead..unfortunately I didn't have a camera or cellphone to get a picture.
Sounds a bit like datura. Did you touch the "fruit"?
I don't think it would have been Datura, not a tree and not growing this time of year in 7B. Could it have been a sweetgum with a few gumballs left from last year?
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/34310/
This message was edited Feb 7, 2009 10:24 PM
I was wondering if it was sweet gum...that's the tree I would like to get this year..I am hoping I can anyway but with out TX soil I prefer containers only I am sure the tree wouldn't grow so well..
Thanks Sheila_FW ....are you itching to get into the garden as much as I am!! hahahaha
I just looked at the link & yes, that was the fruit I saw....I am so pleased!!! hugs to you Sheila_FW!!! hahaha
Glad I could help Cindy. If you want a SG tree and are going to make one of the RUs this spring, just ask if anyone has one that could be potted and brought to you for trade.
Thanks Sheila... I don't have too much for trade though as I am just getting into DG..but I will be saving this year's seeds!
I love my 3 daffodils that have bloomed!! hahahaha but my other bulbs are popping through!!
My daffs are blooming too. However today I had a volunteer meeting at the Botanic Garden and we toured the gardens. The Iceland Poppies are blooming already!
The Snowdrops were looking dainty but strong!
And this star magnolia was in bloom as was the darkest saucer magnolia to be found. This walk definately got me ready for spring.
Cindylove,
If you plant a Sweetgum beware walking outside in the fall and winter. Those SG balls are painful when you step on them!!
I pass out newsletters in my neighborhood and this one house has a incline between the houses and a sweetgum there. I fell on my hiney in a flash when I stepped on a pile of those. Both feet went out from under me. I bet the postal worker hates that yard too.
Sheila, I bet that was a funny picture; skiing on sweetgum balls! Your statement of falling on your hiney reminded me of the first time I used that word in front of my DH. I said something to the effect he was going to slip and bust his tiny hiney. I got the stangest look. He didn't have a clue what I was talking about. Seems that word isn't known in Scotland. He also never heard of saying give me a sugar as in a kiss. I've worked hard to educate that boy!
I also never heard of a sweet gum that doesn't have the seed balls. Do any of you know if this is commercially available?
Crow
No, I don't but that would be interesting if it was.
It is funny how some people in different parts of the world view our language when they come over here. We take great liberties with words.