What in the WORLD is This?

 Any idea?

 Any?

He was buzzing all over the place.  Would love to know what it is!!!

The Rain - Oh How We Love The Rain!

 The rain has been wonderful- just wonderful.  Everything is rejoicing in the rain!!

The Texas Sage are blooming all over town- it is a wonderful sight. 

The Cactus have been very showy this year- not sure if it is due to the rain or just a coincidence but I am happy either way.

 The 'Soft Caress' Mahonia are beginning to bloom. 

 I love the contrast of the deep green and the bright yellow.

One of my favorite combos lately is the brightness of the Damianita and the neon purple of the Homestead Verbena.  

 The Thryallis are blooming as well- a lot of yellow I am noticing in this post.....

 The Clerodendrum 'Blue Butterfly' are blooming as well- I think this is such an unusual flower.

And last but not least, the Large Cigar Plant- I love this little Cuphea. There are so many, but I have always loved this one best. it looks like candy corn to me.  

Hope everyone had a relaxing Memorial Day weekend.

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!

This Week....

 Things are really starting to bloom and take off despite this crazy weather we are having.  This week alone we saw temps ranging from 41 and 91.   The Agastache is blooming like crazy and the hummingbirds are zipping all around it.

 The Anacacho Orchids are stunning.  I love the classic white flower and small leaves.

 The Fire Spinners are "spinning away".  Such a cool looking little flower!!!

The Wisteria are blooming and fragrant as ever.

 The Pomegranate trees are full of blooms- can't wait for the fruit!!!

The Pineapple Guavas are blooming- fruit to follow. 

The caterpillars are everywhere- love watching them!!!

Thought I'd share a few blooms that stood out this week.  

Hope you enjoy!!!

April GBBD 2013

Happy GBBD April 2013!

It has been a cactus fest lately- they are blooming left and right!!

Such vibrant colors- pinks, yellows, reds....

The blooms are so big- that's what I love about them, but then, the little ones pack a lot of punch too- see below....

This one little cactus cracked me up- looks like it's a smiley face hahaha

He's all of 6 inches tall but a really heavy bloomer- every day this week had one to five blooms on him. 

I just was partial to the smiley face.  

The Texas Betony is blooming away.  I put some in the front bed and it is doing just fine blooming away.  Tough little guys that I think don't get a lot of attention but they are pretty.

The Helen Borcher Peaches have started blooming this week, well, I guess they started last week but didn't look photo ready until this week with all the wonderful rain we have had.  Yes, rain- we've gotten some this past week and it was fabulous!!!!

 The Icebergs continue to bloom away.

 The Spanish Lavender- oh the Spanish Lavender.  It is wonderful.  

Covered in bees and smells divine. 

Hope everyone is having a great GBBD!!!!

Please visit May Dreams Gardens to see what's blooming all over the world!

And Then There was Rain!!

Yes, we got rain!  It was wonderful.

Parts of Austin got hail, but I think just about everyone got rain.

Today it is supposed to be a high of 60 and then slowly start creeping back up.

Spring has definitely sprung!

 The Dianthus in the front bed is blooming like crazy.

 The Spanish Lavender is blooming and fragrant as ever.

 The Bottlebrush are blooming away.

 The Lady Banks are doing their thing.

The China Snow Trees are solid white full of blooms.

Everything is so happy and showing off as if screaming- Look at me!!  Look at me!!

Then you have little Agaves trying to compete doing all they can do to show off next to the blooms- I love these little Squid Agaves- they look perfect in pots with little spillers.

Going to make one of those up today in a little pot.  

Just trying to decide which spiller to use!

Diving in the Dianthus

 The Swallowtails were having a heyday this week in the Dianthus. 

 They were all over it!  It was so fun to watch. 

 They looked like they were falling into the blooms!

  They could have cared less that I was right there with them- 

they were totally content in "Dianthus love".  

                                                      I got a couple of double shots too!!!

He was looking right at me- it was so funny!

Hope everyone had a great weekend.  I am personally loving this weather.  Things are blooming all over the place and everything is coming to life!