Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - March 2011

The calendar says it is five more days until spring arrives, but here in Southeast Texas, spring has been softly creeping into our yards over the last few weeks, until finally, one early morning in March, I opened my back door and looked out onto the first true spring day.


Nothing says "spring" like apple blossoms, and my old tree has been in full bloom over the last several days. Honeybees come from all around to sip from those blossoms until the whole tree fairly buzzes with excitement!


The big fuzzy bumblebees, though, seem to prefer the bell-shaped blueberry blossoms.


This Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly likes them, too.


Spring in Texas, of course, means bluebonnets. Mine are still pretty sparse, but they should fill in nicely in a few more days.


The roses are joining the party, too. Last year, I had moved 'Old Blush' during the winter and she pouted all year, never giving me the kind of blooms she normally does. This year, it looks like she has forgiven me and can't wait to show what she can do. She was the first of my roses to bloom.

The Knockouts followed close behind.


'Radazz' came first.


Next up was the pink Knockout.


Finally, just in time for Bloom Day, the sunny yellow 'Radsunny' is chiming in with a bloom.


We can't have spring in the South without a camellia blossom or two! This one is anonymous, like many of the plants in my yard.


And, of course, we must have at least one azalea.


Hinckley's columbine is a pretty spring bloomer here.


In a pot near the front entry, some yellow columbines team with phlox and rosemary.


The dainty little leucojums are almost past their bloom by now.


Meanwhile, the loropetalum is a mass of color in fuchsia and purple.


The dwarf 'Walter's viburnum', installed last fall, is giving me its first season of bloom.


The coral honeysuckle couldn't even wait for spring. It started blooming in mid-winter.

There are no happier faces in the world of flowers than daisies. Like these gerberas.


The yellow one.


The red one.


And this coral one.

Coral is a color that is popping up all over my garden this spring.


There's this 'Coral Nymph' salvia, a very early bloomer.


And then there is the coral geranium that welcomes visitors at my front door.


Sweet little creeping veronica 'Georgia Speedwell' blooms among some variegated artemisia.


And speaking of sweet, there is nothing sweeter than jasmine. This one is still sitting in its black plastic pot, waiting for a permanent home.


All the "springiness" in the air has even encouraged the Salvia gregii to start blooming. It may be popularly known as autumn sage, but here it blooms almost all year. This plant had just shut down blooming in January. Now here it is again! Spring will do that to you.

I hope you are enjoying the season where you are this Bloom Day. Thanks for visiting me and thanks to Carol of May Dreams Gardens for thinking up the concept of Bloom Day and for hosting us each month.