Saturday, April 16, 2011

late garden bloggers' bloom day

first-ever larkspurs from seed
I'm positively giddy about my first-ever larkspurs from seed that MSS gave me.
I'm going to blame being a day late for garden bloggers' bloom day (GBBD) on my larkspur fever. Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting GBBD on the 15th of each month. It's a great place to see blooms from all over the world. Part of the allure of the larkspurs is that they are so different from all my drought-tolerant perennials. I haven't minded watering them every other day. Okay, on to my other blooms.
gazanias in the new side yard vegetable beds
volunteer viola in the garlic bed
The vegetable bed flowers are the happiest right now because they benefit from regular water. In this never-ending drought, my vegetables are going to get watered before the native tough guys in our lawnless xeriscaped front yard.
Heirloom Byzantine Gladiolus are a little early this year.
reliable red cascade rose
Also blooming today are purple and white ruellia, blackfoot daisies, torenia, gerber daisy, white gaura, pansies, marigolds, phlox, trailing verbena, society garlic, and cilantro.

10 comments:

Annie in Austin said...

Your larkspur are beautiful, Iris - such variations in shading! They look cool with both the Byzantine gladiolus & the Red Cascade.

But when you said "A Volunteer Viola in the Garlic Bed" the children's song "Lonely Little Petunia in an Onion Patch" popped into my head. Listen if you dare & Happy GBBD,

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

Caroline said...

Love your Byzantine glads. Wonder how long it will take my single bulb to multiply into a big glorious patch like yours?

Iris said...

Annie--I'm amazed at the variations in shading in my first larkspurs, too! Loved the Lonely Little Petunia song--had never heard it before. Thanks!

Caroline--I feel very lucky to have inherited the Byzantine glads! They've been here more than 21 years, planted by a previous homeowner. I'll be interested to see how quickly yours multiply, too. I can give you a few of mine, too.

dorothy said...

Hi Iris, I enjoyed reading your Bloom Day post and especially seeing your lovely larkspur! I wintersowed larkspur seed last year, and I was hoping the little seedlings would be big enough to survive the hungry snails, but I only have a few left standing. I gave in and bought a nursery six pack and will plant some out tomorrow.

Iris said...

dorothy--I was really surprised my larkspur seeds came up as well as they did! But, like you, I would have bought some from the nursery if they hadn't come up. I have to have some instant gratification sometimes.

Anonymous said...

I'm echoing Caroline here: my 2 little Byzantine Glads look so lonely after seeing your huge patch. Do you have them in full sun?

And MSS Larkspur is a wonderful thing, isn't it? I KNOW you love those purples!

Larry said...

Congrats on your larkspur success... something that I've never been able to claim... even after several attempts! Larry

Muum said...

Nice larkspur, and I love those byzantine glads, too! Are they a hardy glad?

Christine said...

Love your Larkspur - I'm trying them for the first time now. Happy GBBD :)

scottweberpdx said...

Congrats on the Larkspur...they are so lovely!!!