Happy GBBD May 2013!

 Happy GBBD to everyone!!!!

 Hope everyone is having a great May so far- it has been wonderful here in Austin.  We have had rain off and on and the weather has been beautiful!!!  Enjoying it while we can.

 Posting some photos I have taken this week- I have not been to the nursery much this week, so relying on photos I took earlier while out there this past week/weekend.  The above is the Brugmansia which blooms like upside down trumpets- I love them- in Houston (where I used to live) my neighbors had a HUGE one- it was stunning!!

 The white Leucantha are blooming away- always have been and always will be a favorite.

 The bees are all over the Bulbine!!!

 The Palo Verde 'Desert Museum' is blooming away.  I can't believe how much this tree has grown in the past year!!!

 The red Passion Vines are blooming- love them as all the Passion Vines but something about a red one.... just love it!

 The little Peanut Cactus- love this guy- such big blooms for such a little cactus.

 The Chollas are blooming like mad.  Pretty purple.

 The Bat Face Cuphea- interesting little blooms- they look more like little pig faces to me but intriguing nonetheless.

The Goldenball Lead trees are in full bloom as well.  Our neighbors tree is solid yellow.  They look like little golf balls to me all over the tree.  Hope everyone is having a great GBBD and be sure and visit May Dreams Gardens to check out what is blooming all over the world!

I Swear I Am Not Turning This Into A Hummingbird Blog...but...

Ok, can't help it, more hummingbird shots!  But this one of the hummingbird with this bug?!?!?!  Love it!!!!  I was so excited Wednesday after capturing some shots of the hummingbirds that I have basically been stalking all year, and thought FINALLY!  I captured them!!!  Well, then I got even MORE shots.  I was and am so excited.  It was unreal.  They were so close to me- they were not bothered that I was standing out there at all. They definitely seem to have their preferences though plant wise- the White Salvia and the Black and Blue Salvia.  They venture to other things but inevitably come back to these two.  

I was having so much fun with them buzzing around me.  They could care less if I walk up closer to them or stand right in the middle of the Salvia to get the shot.  There seem to be two groups of two that fly together.  I have yet to capture that- them in air playing Avatar but I also haven't tried, maybe I will go for that next.  

Today someone told me that they are more than likely fighting.   Interesting.  I am going to keep watching and see.  I knew they were territorial but these two sets that keep together seem fine with each other- perhaps a male and a female?  I don't know a lot about hummingbirds and am still reeling that I have even been able to get any shots of them that are not total blurs that I don't hardly know what to do with myself.  

Enjoy!!

Hummmmmmmm

Finally! I captured the hummingbirds.  There are 5 that are constantly buzzing around the nursery and I have yet to be able to get a good picture.  Until now.  I have had so much fun out there with them- they buzz right by me and make the most unusual little sound as if they are chirping while flying.  

There is one that loves to swoop down then go sit on a branch and just observe.  They have been so much fun to watch.  

They are confused I think by the Bay Laurels, as there are no blooms right now but they continue to go over there in hopes to find one.  The Black and Blue Salvia and the White Salvia leucantha seem to be the top two favorites.  Then it would be the Trumpet Vine and the Calandrinia.  A few find their way to the Hamelia but tend to stick right there in the group of four I have been calling it as I can stand right there in the middle of it all and they fly around me.  Hopefully I will have more photos to post soon!

Enjoy!

The Blooms are Coming!!!

 The Cereus Cactus are getting blooms on them.  I can't wait.  They are night bloomers but I get here early enough that I see them in the mornings.  I don't remember how long it takes from this point but I just noticed these and there are 5 between two of the cactus.  So exciting!

 Here's another one and you can see behind it is yet another!

Not sure what this is going to amount to on this little guy, maybe this is all it does?  I have been watching this develop for a while now wondering if it will bloom or if this is it's thing.  This is the Peruvian Old Man Cactus.

Here is a shot of one side of the front planter- it was just planted up so it is going to take a while to fill in but I like the way it looks.  Shonna did most of the design/placement, I must give credit where credit is due.  Here we have a  mix of things and I think they all compliment each other nicely. The Furcrea gives it nice height I think.  Other plants in there are the Hamelia (which the hummingbirds have been all over by the way), Variegated Sedge, Delospermum Ice Plant, Queen Victoria Agave, White Salvia leucantha, Crassula Silver Dollar, Tecoma stans, Calandrinia, and  Schizocentron.

Here is a shot of the outer bed- it is not finished but it's a start.  The Mystic Spires Salvia are going strong and the Chocolate Mimosa I think adds a nice tropical touch to the bed.  We put a few grasses in there and two different types of Caesalpinia- the yellow form of the Pride of Barbatos and the Bird of Paradise.  I like the yellow and the purples together so I threw in a Buddleia with purple blooms to round it all out.  I am not done, still have to mulch etc... but I like the way it is coming together.  I will do close ups of the blooms and post but it is just too sunny right now to capture them nicely.