Spring is Near

Spring is near here in Austin, Tx.  We just finished a little run of freezing weather which was preceded by 78 degree days.  Texas weather.  Nothing like it.  I for one am happy it is over- we might have a little snap in the mid 30's but nothing like we just had.  It registered 21 at the nursery- that's cold for us.  I know our customers and friends from up north laugh at that, but for us, that is really cold.  Especially when we were enjoying such amazing weather days before.  

Posting a few photos I have taken the last few weeks- I admittedly have been bad about posting here and for that I apologize.  I am going to try to be better.  I have been posting on Instagram almost daily - it is just so easy.  @viverogrowers if you do Instagram.

Peach blossoms

 Tecoma, aka Yellow Bells, also Esperanza

 Kalanchoe bloom

 Wisteria bloom- wish this were scratch and sniff!!!!

 Kalanchoe

 Gopher Plant blooming

 Dwarf Bottlebrush

 Butterfly on Carolina Jessamine

 Succulent planter- took this right before I moved it inside last weekend.

Love this color combo of the sedum and the senecio.  

  Hope you enjoyed the pics!!

Hey Bud!

Pomegranate 'Wonderful'

Big Tooth Maple

Things are getting ready to pop! I can't wait! It is incredible to watch things change so rapidly. I can't wait to see them take off. We have a few new things that I haven't seen in full swing yet that I am anxious to see how they look when they are full of leaves and/or flowers. It is so fun to watch the what for weeks has just looked like sticks change and grow. I snapped a few shots of the buds getting ready to show their true selves. There are a few that are really changing but I haven't quite gotten the right angle on the camera, maybe tomorrow. I attached the Big Tooth Maple and the Pomegranate 'Wonderful'. Still trying to capture the Wisteria, Philadelphus and fruit trees- all are full of buds but for whatever reason the shots are not coming out very good- operator error I am certain. I will try again tomorrow. Enjoy for now.

How Pretty Are These?

One thing that I love about having the nursery is all the pretty plants and flowers. I have learned so much in the short time I have been doing this. My husband I feel knows everything, but I am still a work in progress and am loving every second of it. Today we got in these really unusual pretty flowers, they are called Helleborus. I love them!!!! I put some under the Fatsias and the color combination looks pretty I think. I am sure I will keep moving them but that is where they are for now.

Things are starting to bud and starting to wake up and get ready for spring. They say there will be another freeze- just please not one like the three days of sitting in the teens I hope. That was painful. I am ready for spring, make no mistake. I do not think I am alone in this.... I think everyone is ready for spring.

Pair of Monarchs

There was a pair of Monarchs yesterday that were hanging around the nursery all day yesterday. I tried to get photos of the two of them together but they were not posing at the same time. I got about 60 shots of them individually though that were good I thought. They were all over the Butterfly Weed / Milk Weed. They would go over to the Lavender for a second or the Salvia but obviously were having a better time with the Butterfly Weed. I took some pics and selected my three favorites to post. I am going out today to take pictures of the plants- everything is in full color with the cooler weather- It is absolutely beautiful out there. I love this time of year. We had a guy come in today asking about the Little Ollies- said he could see the shimmering silver from across the street. They look stunning. Hope you enjoyed the photos!!!

It's Like Christmas!

I know I have said it before but every time a truck pulls in here to unload I feel like it is Christmas time. I love seeing the new plants. Now, of course this means I have a whole new batch of things to learn about- what likes sun, what likes shade, what needs to be watered daily, what needs to wait, how tall this will grow, etc... I could go on and on, but I love it and am not complaining. Who knew when I stopped the "corporate world" and entered the "garden world" that I would enjoy it so much. I knew I would like it, but never did I imagine how much. Today I got something called a Shrimp Plant. How cool is that???? Who knew there was a plant called a Shrimp Plant, and well, if you have seen it, you understand the name- it looks like big jumbo shrimp hanging off this plant. Hysterical. We do not grow that one here so it was a total new thing for me to learn along with a few others we got in. I love unloading and seeing all the new things, deciding what is going to go where; what blends best next to what; what is a good compliment to line it up next to. Then comes my second favorite part, picking what I want to go plant.

Right now we are in the process of building some beds so I am planning my next two gardens but I have it all set in my head. I can't wait. I make my daily rounds and see how everyone is doing, snap a few pictures of the butterflies, dragonflies, bees, praying mantis, beetles, lizards, grass hoppers, lady bugs, you name it, I take their picture. I still have not captured the hummingbird- I have lots of shots of a blur but nothing you can make out what it is. As of late I have seen this one dragonfly that is red. He is so cool looking and he follows me. It is so funny. He literally follows me but when I snap his picture I get nothing. Just a red blur. One person told me it was a hummingbird dragonfly.... hummmm..... I know I am new to all this but I am not sure I am buying that one.... but who knows- maybe they exist.

Ever heard of one?

I am going to post a picture of the Shrimp Plant- it might be common to a lot of people but to me I just thought it was one of the coolest things! I will also post my little ladybug I found today. She just sat there while I snapped. I get those all the time but normally they are on me and pictures of a ladybug on me aren't that exciting so I finally got one on a plant. She was hanging out on an expired Salvia bloom. Hope you enjoy!

Who knew?

Who knew there were three types of bees? Not me. I do now but was totally clueless to this. George, our neighbor at the nursery, pointed this out to us the other day that we have not one, not two, but THREE types of bees hanging out with our Salvia. We have this incredible Mystic Spires Salvia that is just breathtaking. I posted a photo of a bee on it so you can see. I love to sit and watch them - they are much better photography subjects than the hummingbirds that I have still been unable to catch and the dragonflies, who I can get one at a time while they sit but the tandem ones, not great shots nor when in flight.

Everything is blooming right now and it is just so pretty. I have had so much fun doing this nursery with my husband. He is very patient in teaching me about all the plants , what does well where and how big this or that gets etc.... as well as about the plants themselves. I was just informed a few minutes ago that after I have learned about everything out there, we are getting about 20 new items tomorrow. Just when I get to where I am feeling comfortable BAM more to learn. Keeps me on my toes. That's for sure. I am not complaining, I am excited. I love putting things together and setting up the little gardens around- they aren't all done - which is what brought up the conversation- I was telling him I was trying to decide what to include to finish this one garden I had started the other day when he said, why don't you wait until the truck gets here tomorrow and decide then. Well who knew. More stuff. It's like Christmas when those trucks come in - I stand back there watching them unload and make all my comments and ooh and ahh over things ha ha. The drivers I am sure think I am nuts. I can't wait to see it all- apparently lots of new fun stuff coming in- Spider Lilies (one of my favorites), Variegated Dianella, Firespike- just the name itself - can't wait to see what that is going to look like and then a bunch of other stuff. I will take some pictures and post them after I finish organizing everything- I am all about the rows. ha ha ha. I told my husband that is one thing I honestly enjoy doing- organizing the rows, arranging by color etc... I take great pride in my rows. It's the little things in life.... ha ha.

Dragonflies or Avatar???

Yesterday as I walked around the nursery watching the dragonflies chasing each other it reminded me of the end of the movie Avatar- it was mesmerizing. They were swooping down, soaring high and fast, siting as if to stall mid-air. Attacking one another, hiding for the right moment to go after each other all the time making this buzzing noise and there I was right in the middle of it all. It was straight out of a scene from the movie I tell you. I found myself just staring. I went and grabbed a camera but they are so fast and to really catch it all you really need a video camera, I got a few shots but did not capture the true essence of what was happening around me. The butterflies were back yesterday as well- the Swallowtail was buzzing around the citrus trees and I got some great photos- or so I thought.... I had taken the disc out to check out my photos of the dragonflies and well, forgot to put it in. So frustrating- I had taken so many great shots and gotten a really good close up of a bright yellow grasshopper. The weather has been so pretty here in Austin the last two days that it is hard to find anything to do inside that just can't wait. (like writing this- hence blogging this morning instead). I spent the day out in the yard, planting my garden, figuring out what else to plant and weeding. It is so relaxing to just be outside. I am posting a few of the pictures of the dragonflies wars though I don't think they do it justice.