As Spring Wanders Through!

Wild Onions * photo by Suzanne * March 15, 2017

Hello, dear readers, fellow blogmates, and, all newcomers!  I will just bet you all are excited that Spring has finally arrived!  I know...some of you are still experiencing the wrath of winter and out of the way rainstorms!  I hope those annoying spurts of  mother nature do settle down for you soon.

In the meantime, I'm taking stock of all that is growing and sprouting here at MyTexasGardens!   We get a little bit of everything as Spring makes its entrance.   As you can see in the photo above, I am the proud recipient of what is known as "Wild Onions"!  It's the strongest smelling perennial weed I have!  "Wild Onions" are a common grass-like weed, and happen to be cousins of the garden variety kind!  These onions can grow in cooler weather, (faster than grass), as well as in the sun.  The interesting thing about these onions, though, is that the bulbs go dormant as the weather warms up.  AHA!!!  That is why I don't see them in the heat of the summer season!  Sources inform us that "Wild Onions" are edible, however, we are advised against eating ANYTHING that grows on our lawns!  Don't worry...I'm not interested in digging them up for my relish plate, haha!

That brings us to the weed known as "false garlic".  Another source tells us that, "if it smells like an onion, it is safe to eat, but, if it smells like grass, it is toxic 'Crow's Poison', aka 'false Garlic' !   Crow's Poison looks like a wild onion, but does not SMELL like one! 


~Crow's Onion in bloom * yahoo images

I don't think I've ever seen "Crow's Onion"...the blooms are very pretty, aren't they!  In the future, I will beware of onions bearing beautiful flowers, with no aroma!  And, I guess, Rusty will continue to mow over the "Wildly" fragrant, hard to dig up, annoying onions we all know and love!

***
Well, here they are now!  My garden associates!  
Rusty and Scootie have planted a few herbs, peppers, and, green onions from seed in a small garden out in the back '40 of our property.  Some of the plants are sprouting up now, and there is quite a lot of excitement about it.


~photo by Suzanne * March 14, 2017


~photo taken March 15, 2017


By the way, I collected my "Wild Onion" information from:
lawn-care-academy.com
foragingtexas.com

***
And, now for a sneak preview of what's happening at MyTexasGardens!


~photo March 23, 2017
~These are Zinnias, sent to me from a classmate in Kansas.  He had an abundance of seeds after harvesting them in the fall.  This is my first planting...I will need to thin them out some as they grow.  No worries...I have plenty more seeds to plant!
Thank you so much, Mike!

***


~Hosta growing in broken clay pot, watching over a red Canna plant,
and cushioned by dead leaves from winter's frosty temps.
March 22, 2017

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~Dianthus and Dusty Miller
I planted them in the fall, and they made it through our Texas winter!
March 22, 2017

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~Mums from last Halloween 2016 coming back for a Spring show!
March 24, 2017

***

~ An all time favorite!  Bearded Iris budding out!
March 22, 2017



~First Iris bloom of the 2017 season * Blue Iris
photo 3-23-17

Well, my gracious readers, that is it for now.   Time sure does fly when you're having fun, doesn't it!  I hope you have enjoyed my post today.  I'm sure you may want to run outside and look for "Wild Onions", and "Crow's Poison"!   

While I'm here, I wish to express my sorrow to the families in London for the tragedy that occurred earlier this week.  We can't always find the answers to why these terrible acts occur...we can only pray for more peace in the future, worldwide.

Thank you so much for coming by!  I know there are a few of you out there who are pretty shy about stopping in to say hello! 
  I am here to encourage all shy folks to take deep breaths, stand up, and say hello!

Be safe!  Love and laugh!  Until next time! ♥

Thank you Blogger  

Hi Mom! ♥


"It's Spring Fever!  That's what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want-oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so."
~ my old friend, Mark Twain

Look what just blew in!

~Early March 2012 * 3 years old * photo by Suzanne

'Earth to Spring'...not a moment to waste!

~photo by Suzanne * February 28, 2014 * Fort Worth, Texas

Here we are in the midst of ...well, we're being told it's Spring!  What a HARD winter it was for a lot of us.  Not so bad for Texas as was other parts of the country. And, I certainly hope it's coming around to being green for everyone at this point!

This is Earth Week, isn't it?  We've had Earth Day, and then Arbor Day all in one week-hey, I almost forgot!  Karo planted an apple tree today.  He started this tree a couple of years ago from the seed of an apple he was eating.  Oddly enough the little seed had a root on it.  This was a Gala apple from the grocery store, and it has been in a small plastic pot for two years, braving the stifling Texas heat and the bitter Texas frost!  And, Karo's friend Ron says that apple trees cannot survive the Texas heat.   But, I guess time will tell all...the job is not complete...the tree will have to be nurtured and protected in order to ensure it's success.  And, Karo is just the man for this job!  He says, "Anything that can live in 4 inches of dirt for two years can surely survive the true element of our Texas soil." 

photo by Suzanne * Karo's Gala Apple tree * April 24, 2014

Soooo...moving right along!  How are you all doing lately?  At MyTexasGardens, we're spinning our wheels, hoping for the best showing of our plants and flowers this year.  

Here are some early signs of Spring in my neck of the woods.

~photo by Suzanne * April 13, 2014 * Fort Worth, Texas

Large white Iris, pink Dianthus, and yellow Violas

~photo by Suzanne * April 11, 2014

~a lovely peasant girl * Violas, Vinca Major, Day Lilies and,

all the way down is a Loropetalum !

As always, I like to refresh my 'Private Garden'.  It is so much fun to spruce it up, and, add new elements and trinkets each year.  The photo below is just the beginning of this process!

~photo by Suzanne * Easter Sunday * April 20, 2014

***Remember, the earth is God's gift to us.  It is ours to enjoy, to lavish with beautiful colors of our own personal choosings, and, to roam through and through as our hearts desire.

It is our responsibility to serve and protect our earth.  Let's keep it picked up and beautiful!

And, I'm talking about everyday, NOT just April, once a year!

~Mother Earth * Cool, huh?

"Like the trees, we are visitors, 
Guests of the earth."
~Kim Stafford

thanks Google and Yahoo!

And, the biggest thank you goes out to you, my dearest readers!  Please stop in and say hello if you get the chance.  I accept kindness from all...and, I strive to pass out all the kindness I can!  Our hearts can give and receive more love than we know!

***

Please be safe, laugh a lot, and give love!
Til next time, I remain your faithful blogger servant!

Two-Stepping Into Spring!

~Grandson Shawn * Easter Sunday * March 31, 2013

Can you hear it?  Spring's sweet 'cantata'...making it's way over meadows and fields, winding in and out of  streams and rivers, whisking it's way into nature's gardens.  And, along the way, it deposits droplets of vibrant color in the form of blossoms and blooms, showcasing the onset of a most anticipated and revered season! Phew!!!  Did I spit that out, or what?

As for me?  I've been quite the bum thus far, basking in the warm sun, with cool breezes that lend just enough comfort to keep me feeling fresh and renewed...ah yes! 

*** 
But, my laziness was to subside quickly...come Easter Sunday, up at the crack of dawn with 'Scootie', he got to come for the weekend, and was more than ready for the Easter Bunny (literally)!  It had rained heavily on Friday nite, and, was still pretty damp outside come Easter Sunday morning. 
 But, we had to get those eggs out!  

~Shawn * Easter morning, March 31, 2013

As the day went on, the sun became more obliging, and we were all outside enjoying the day with our little 'Scootie'.  While he was happily showing Pawpaw where he found Easter goodies, his dad (Rusty) was busy working in one of my gardens, that had succumbed to the hideous heat of the past two summers.  It is a rather large flower bed that encircles the huge, old Mulberry tree.

Vinca Major
~photo by Suzanne * March 31, 2013

My current garden help, Rusty, had cleaned out this bed, and, he wanted to put something in it.  In 1995, I had purchased 2 small pots of Vinca Major, the plants you see in the photo above.  Note, I said TWO pots at around  $2.25 each!  And, over the years, my 'two' plants have become '200' plants (lol!)... it has jumped over to the south side and the north side of the yard, and taken hold.  Since we didn't have any new plants for this bed and Rusty was very eager to put something there, I suggested he dig up some of the Vinca around the yard and plant it around the tree.
The photo above shows the first installments.
***Now, Vinca is a member of the Periwinkle family, and vinca major is actually an 'herbaceous' plant that disappears in the winter, and, soon pops back out in the very early spring. If you'll recall, we did a study on this very blog about 'herbaceous' plants just last fall in September.  Herbaceous plants have little or no wood in their structure, and usually die back at the end of their season to where you can't even tell if they're still there!  Then, presto!  They come back for the new season.  Vinca major is only herbaceous to a point in MY yard.  It is a ground cover that is virtually shade loving.  When the summer gets too hot, the leaves turn a papery light brown, and I will have to cut them back.  Then as it cools down in the fall, they begin to re-appear, and, most of the plants will be evergreen throughout the winter...go figure! And, once a year, depending on their mood, they will bloom lilac colored little periwinkles.  I don't know if it depends on the sun, or what...I just accept the blooms when they come!

Here's what the bloom looks like...mine aren't blooming right now (of course).

Hey!  I guess you could say this plant is unpredictable, couldn't you?

We don't know when it will bloom...

...We don't know where it will pop up next!
It's not totally seasonable-comes and goes as it pleases!

I've read some comments about vinca...some say it's 'devilish', oh...THAT'S NOT NICE!  Yes, it is true, vinca major is invasive-it will hop all over a neighborhood I suppose.  But, mine is variegated and so lovely.  I just let it go where it may.  If I don't approve of a spot it has chosen, I just dig it up and move it, or pot it and give it away!

Here, you see, the vinca has grown on the south side of my yard, and, Rusty is digging it up in clumps to transport them via the 'Red Flyer' wagon to their new home under the Mulberry tree.  To the left of Rusty up against the fence, is quite a bit more!  

And, now, this part of the makeover is about completed.  Rusty has planted 'umpteen' clumps of Vinca Major around this massive tree!  

photos by Suzanne * March 31, 2013

"Ka-Ching!"

Well then, I decided that we should add some color to the vinca plantings...something that is shade-loving, and color-popping!  I decided on Impatiens, and high-tailed it to my local WalMart, where I knew I could find them...and, they were incorporated in front of the vinca to fill the spaces.   And, finally, last week, we planted some caladium bulbs behind the vinca, so I can't wait to see how they look when they appear.  You know, the deadline for planting caladiums is May 1st, so I'm right on time.

* And, I will need to stay on top of the vinca spreading and possibly choking out my impatiens...this brings forth another customer complaint..."It's aggressive and a nuisance to keep in bounds!"
  Here's a good one.  "I hate this stuff, it is a major headache!"
And, "It will jump any edging to take over your lawn!"

OK, OK..granted, all of this is true!  But, here is this same garden a few years ago.
Note the gorgeous vinca climbing up the wood ladder!  It was a great backdrop for my pink coleus and white caladiums...oh, and there are some begonias bordering around the edging, and gladiolas flanking either side.  This was probably the most lovely garden I ever designed.  There were pink hydrangeas on either side of St. Francis...I will show another view in a future post.

~photo by Suzanne * Fort Worth, Texas
September 2009

Never fear, my gracious readers...I will keep you posted on the progress of the plantings.  In the meantime, I am also working on a couple of other projects.  My private garden has been neglected...Rusty cleaned the area up, and we are currently making some new, fresh, 'easy maintenance' plans for this garden.  I sent a sneak preview of it to my sidebar.

As you know, we had high winds a couple of weeks ago resulting in an old tree splitting and taking down phone lines and electrical lines with it!  GAH!!! We are so relieved to be past that, and grateful that it wasn't any worse (although it was quite expensive).  The company that came and took out the tree did a wonderful job-I mean-they cleaned up all the debris and took it with them!
Thanks, guys for a great job!

And, thank you my great blogmates for your good wishes and prayers coming our way to the folks in West, Texas, who are sadly, but bravely, picking up the pieces after that horrific explosion.  Stop by and say hello if you get the chance.  It's a beautiful, sunny day in Fort Worth...Scootie is in residence!  I believe I'll make a spot of Columbian coffee and venture outdoors to see if I can get my hands dirty!

*** Thisisme, I'm glad you enjoyed my Peace roses...but, your roses still rule! ♥

*** Take care, I'll see you soon! ♥