February 22 , 2022
Budding Surprises!
For three weeks now , I ’ve audit my Mexican plum tree betimes every morning when I course the birds and squirrels . Last February ’s sweetly - perfumed heyday literally got nip in the bud and this year ’s drought ( and the freeze ) stressed all our plant . So , I squint for any sign of swelling buds . And then on that furiously windy day last week , a stain - new efflorescence lightly unfurled , signaling a splendiferous fall back . Then I realized that the incandescent lamp had n’t shown up . Just before Valentine ’s Day 2021 , they were so plentiful that I tailor handfuls of fragrant redolence whenfrosty rainwater ushered in the magnanimous frost . Narcissus ‘ Marieke ’ was in bud when I rescued it , open 24 hours later in its warm water vase . Even when the might went out , all the flowers were hunky-dory , including Leucojum ’s tiny blank snowdrop . But this year is quite another story . This year , ‘ Marieke ’ just popped up from under the now sheer back aster . Narcissus ‘ Erlicheer ’ has always been true to its name — the first to bloom — sometimes even in late January as it did in 2021.Typically , they fend tall against nearby Yucca pallida . This winter , they ’re inch shorter and bud are just now forming . Here ’s another chemical group of telescoped narcissus with downsized flower bud stalks . I do n’t know the factors that contributed to this year ’s performance , though others describe the same experience . I did find this fromNew Mexico State University in an archived January post:“There must be moisture in the grunge for good flush stubble ontogeny to happen . ” And , you get laid what : we missed out on important rainfall last fall and the first week of wintertime . Typically , pelting in late August and early September prompts descent - blooming oxblood lilies ( school lilies ) and spider lilies ( Lycoris radiata ) to bloom . Last surrender , after weeks of drought , flowers indicate up late and somewhat on the skimpy side , if at all . Still , their robust winter foliage remind us that they ’re still growing strong underground , gathering nutrient for next year ’s flowers . Obviously , this little grouping of Lycoris needs dividing , and perhaps I ’ll get around to it once their foliage embrown up ! For now , their plushy deep unripened direct contrast nicely against bamboo muhly ’s freeze - pinch foliage ( I ’ll cut brown canes to the earth once we ’re definitely past frost nips).Over the old age , I ’ve planted bulb that bloom progressively from early wintertime to spring , so even though I pretermit out on the “ early ” part , I look to some flowery fun soon . They harbour their garden department while dormant perennial familiar gradually riff out . Sometimes you just have to accept reality , specially when it comes to weather and wildlife . Anxious squirrels dig up most of my fall - planted wild flower source . In a layer where I ’d seed lettuces , arugula , cilantro , and wildflower seeds , a family of raccoons tossed whatever the squirrels had escape .
as luck would have it , over the years , my native wildflower Texas baby blue eyes ( Nemophila phacelioides ) had “ banked ” hundreds of seeds underground . And for me , it ’s not a disappointment that in a few hebdomad this blot will be a field of study of blue , buzz with bee of all variety . In another seam , a Thumbelina - sized baby blue centre bravely bloomed untimely on its 2 - column inch stalk . These yearbook go for part sun and companion beautifully with aquilege . Spuria irises skyrocket higher daily , line up for their flower show scheduled for April . Winter - tone inland sea oat warm the back stage , until I fleece them to the ground this weekend . Happy hound your own new wonders ! Linda
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