Garden Bloggers Bloom Day Feb 2012

Happy GBBD February 2012!

 The Gazania are full of blooms- I have always found these to be such intriguing flowers.  They are so exotic.  Love em'!

 The Giant Ligularia are hard to beat- the one in the front bed is still going strong and so hard to find things that bloom in the shade.  Always been a favorite.

 The Spring Bouquet Viburnum are in bloom- I don't normally post them but felt they deserved to be featured.

 The Rosemary are busting with color and the bees couldn't be happier!

 The Euphorbia are loving the front bed I put them in.  They have doubled in size in no time!

 The Mountain Laurels are beginning to open up- oh the sweet fragrance!!!!

 The 'Midnight' Salvia are always a show stopper.

 The limes are setting and blooming away.  Love the fragrance of the citrus blooms. 

 The Verbena are blooming away- always been a fan of the purple.

 The Carolina Jessamine are blooming away- trying to figure out where I want to plant this vine.....

And last but not least, the Euryops are blooming away as always.  Not necessarily my favorite plant, but it is great for color.

Hope everyone has a great GBBD!!!  Visit May Dreams Gardens and see what's blooming all over the place!!

Ga What?

Gazania.  That is what it's called.  Bizarre name (to me anyway) but it has moved ranks to my new favorite. I even like the name.  Gazania.  I just like to say it.  It is so pretty.  The colors are so vibrant and the contrast of the colors of the petals with the leaves of the plant are a perfect combination.  Apparently this is planted all over California but it was the first time for me to see it and I fell instantly in love.  

Gazania.  

Enjoy.

I wanted to share two others I had been waiting on to see what they were going to reveal and it was worth the wait.  The Salvia 'Black and Blue' is stunning.  I have placed one right by the door so I can see it all day.  No wonder how it got it's name but it is really pretty and unique I thought.  It grows about 3-4' and is nice as it can tolerate a few hours of shade.  It is always so hard to find pretty blooming things that can stand the shade (of which Texas does not have a lot of....).

And last but certainly not least is the Desert Willow 'Bubba'.  I was so excited to see this had opened up today. This variety has a little darker purple flower than the sp. and shows off a little more in my opinion.

I have captured some great butterfly shots that I am about ready to post- I was trying to get a variety of different ones but there seem to be two in particular that like to pose while the others keep flying away (like that little hummingbird I am determined to get in focus).  Hopefully tomorrow I will have captured at least one more variety and can post.  We just got some of the Almond Verbena in and there is one little butterfly that will not leave it's side.  He will for sure make his debut.