New friends

So, I stopped at Red Barn Garden Center a week or so ago, and went a little crazy. I had a running list of plants I wanted to pick up for the west-facing mulch bed we built last year, and I snapped up several of them... and more.

Japanese Aralia, Heartleaf Skullcap, Columbine, Salvia Mystic Spires (a relative of Indigo Spires) and Tropical (or Scarlet) Sage bring up this side of the bed, which was formerly occupied only by two tiny transplanted Columbines and the Cedar Elm.

At the other end, I planted a couple of Yellow Shrimp Plants and another Salvia Mystic Spires to join the other occupants (Knockout Rose, Blanc Du Bois Grape, Pavonia/Rock Rose, Texas Lantana and those newly planted Crinums.)

 

Here's the view from the middle of the bed. It will be fun to see these plants grow up and take over the now mostly-mulch space.

 

A wider view shows the whole bed, which doesn't look like much yet. I have faith.

Here's a closer look at that Scarlet Sage. 

Over in the dirt rectangle left by the transplanted garden box, Natalie and I scattered some wildflower seeds from Native American Seed. Winecups seedlings are slowly emerging. There's Black-Eyed Susan and a bunch of others in the mix.

The Crape Myrtles are leafing out.

That Wisteria I had almost given up on? It's leafing out, too!

Here are a couple of pictures of the towering Chinese Tallow that we are having removed (by Austin Tree Experts) within the next couple of weeks. I'm confident in my decision, and there are things I won't miss (like the hard pollen spikes and cracked-open seed pods that clutter up the yard every year). It's an invasive tree. Still, it has been a reliable shade tree, with attractive foliage, and I've enjoyed watching the wildlife in its branches.

At its base is a small watering hole for birds, squirrels and butterflies.

Back to all things new--on the same Red Barn trip,  I picked up several succulents to replace the ones I lost in this year's freezes. Kelanchoe, Hens and Chicks, Echeveria, some kind of Sedum, and Dragon's Blood liven up the pots now.

Catmint is perking up nicely. I've told Rachel she has to withhold the scissors until this one gets big enough that the leaves are spilling out of the pot. She loves to cut on this plant, and it didn't seem to mind last year.

The chimney garden--all of my Leucojum (Snowflake) bulbs were blooming at one point. I think three are blooming in this picture.

I had to catch the Texas Redbud while it was blooming. That never lasts more than a couple of weeks before the green leaves start to take over. I think perhaps it's not completely happy in this spot, but I love to look at it from the kitchen window.

Meanwhile in the garden box, strawberries are plumping up. This photo was taken a couple of weeks ago. A couple of these are big and turning red now.

Vernal Equinox... Spring is finally here!

Google has a cute Spring banner up today, announcing the first day of Spring this year. My yard is showing hints of coming around to Spring, at long last. Still keeping my fingers crossed that we don't have a freaky late freeze, but it feels good to reach this point.

Here's the vegetable garden, plugging along. I managed to assemble a salad of spinach, beet greens and mint yesterday, which was very satisfying.

A few strawberry flowers are hinting at the possibility of strawberries to come. It'll be a miracle if I get to them before the birds do.

The purple elements of the chimney garden are coming back to life. Huechera (a.k.a. "Coral Bells") is showing some lovely new purple growth up from the center. Purple Oxalis and Purple Heart are showing signs of a second rebound as well.

Catmint, twice shy from frost bites, is slowly daring to return.

The bees are still loving the Meyer Lemon. My camera phone isn't the greatest for capturing them in action, but here's the profile of one deftly hanging on to a flower.

Another pollinator in action.

Nothing like your garden variety Geranium to perk things up with some early spring color.

Cardinal Vine transplants are hanging in there, flanking the Blanc Du Bois grape which is starting to leaf out this week.

Close-up of the Blanc Du Bois grape leaves. Will have to try making dolmas this year. I'd be surprised to see grapes in this second year, but anything's possible.

Another shot of the same mulch bed along the Western fenceline. I have been giving it TLC lately in the form of fresh mulch and daily rainwater for the transplants and their neighbors perking back up for spring.

Cute little Cardinal Vine. I love the spiky shape of the leaves.

One of my harbingers of spring - Cedar Elm leafing out for the year. Yay! I'm noticing that its taller Cedar Elm neighbors are about a week behind in leafing out. So this one might leaf out later in the season as it matures over the years.

A promising surge of green is showing at the top of a few of the Crinum bulbs I planted over the weekend. This is my first run with Crinums, and I ordered several from the Southern Bulb Company. Excited to see how these shape up, though I understand flowers might not be forthcoming until next year.

A closer look at Crinum. I believe this one is 'Ellen Bosanquet'.

Each of the Yellow Columbines I recently transplanted from the too-shady Eastern fenceline appears to be perking up in terms of new, slightly larger leaves. Again, not sure whether flowers will follow this year, as I'm bringing these back from what appeared to be the brink of death.

Not pictured here--I was delighted to notice some definite new growth on the buds of the Amethyst Falls Wisteria I planted along the Southern fenceline last year. It was a grocery store purchase (almost never a good gamble for plants), and it wasn't thriving last year, so I had little hope for this season. I'll take a photo when it greens up a bit more.