But what I really want to show you here is the shell necklace Patty made for the pot!

That. Is. Gorgeous. Like I needed to add to my gardening wishlist, lol!

:-D

What’s sorta’ coming back to ‘normal‘ in your yard?

Had my first rosebud open yesterday. <3 The others, of the same variety ('Starla'), should follow soon. Oh, and I saw green at the base of my passionflower. Totally thought it was a goner. I even yanked a rhizome out, and instantly regretted it, since it only looked 1/4 rotten. Thankfully, I left the other one there!

My Teddy Bear & Little Gem Magnolias are promising me flowers in a week or two. Can't wait! They kinda halted production last year, apparently they thought they weren't essential workers. My 3 baby Maggies were moved outside, after germinating in my fridge last Fall. No idea what I'm gonna do with 3 more Magnolias (of uncertain cultivar), but I'm too excited about growing trees from seeds I harvested, to worry about it just yet. I'm only on like 1/5 of an acre, of which the house takes up 2100sqft.

The earliest "normals" were the wild bunnies, unfortunately. Makes me want to get a high-prey drive terrier for pest control. The rabbits are really really numerous, and I found a tunnel under my brand new garden shed, a few days ago. I need a million tons of blood meal to toss all over my yard, to deter them, lol. If anyone has any sources for organic blood meal that's larger than a 5-lb bag, I am all [bunny] ears. :-D

Oh! And I'm waiting on Ajuga to come back in stock at PlantDelights, so I can install some flower bed groundcover. I uprooted all of my Starla roses in the front yard back in late January; the western sun was just too much for them last summer. Flirting with the idea of mini crepe myrtles as substitutes. And going all bonsai with them! :-O

Thank you One Devoted Dame! I was posting at the same time so am editing this to make some comments.

I love hearing about what's going on in your yard and what you're buying and/or replacing.

So sorry about the bunnies! I struggle with deer, but at least they don't come into the back yard. Since blood meal works I'm wondering if the deer deterrent I make with eggs and garlic powder would discourage them. I spray it on. It smells awful, but only for a couple of hours, but it keeps the deer away for days.

~ ~ ~

I took this photo last week. Any one know the cactus variety name?

...

Karen gave me a start of “Baby blue eyes” several years ago. I failed to get it established. Look what popped up in a pot this spring! This is the kind of surprises you get when you reuse potting soil ... :-)

...

Something else that came though from unprotected roots is Texas native pitcher clematis. I finally found the red one for sale last year at a native plant nursery near Kerrville.

...

The only flowering plants I’ve purchased this year are Blackfoot daisies and these red dragon wing begonias. Please notice that I painted the plant stands, but mostly note that I found the perfect size pot on Amazon that fits inside so no need to use a liner. Yay!

...

How about you? What plants are you starting with over again?

One Devoted Dame, I added some comments directed towards you to my post above. Oh and I hear you on the 1/'5 acre less the footage of the house. I plant closely, trees and all! After all in the forest things grow practically on top of each other, right? I love it.

I love hearing about what's going on in your yard and what you're buying and/or replacing.

You are such a doll. <3 I love having a place where I can talk everyone's ears off about plants. My friends all grow weeds, or whatever pops up in their compost piles, lol.

Since blood meal works I'm wondering if the deer deterrent I make with eggs and garlic powder would discourage them. I spray it on. It smells awful, but only for a couple of hours, but it keeps the deer away for days.

What is this magic potion you speak of?!? Eggs and garlic powder? Like, rotten eggs? I am so desperate, I will spray anything *nontoxic* all over my yard, if necessary. I'd love to attract any birds of prey who eat bunnies, too, but there aren't any mature trees in the neighborhood yet.

Karen gave me a start of “Baby blue eyes” several years ago. I failed to get it established. Look what popped up in a pot this spring!

Nothing like a polar zap to get the juices flowing, huh???

Something else that came though from unprotected roots is Texas native pitcher clematis ...

That is the prettiest purple bell-shaped flower. I've never heard of it before, thank you for sharing. Is it toxic at all, do you know?

I plant closely, trees and all! After all in the forest things grow practically on top of each other, right? I love it.

Absolute Heaven! <3 Unfortunately, my husband is kinda-sorta opinionated about what everything looks like.... I'm a wildflower-cottage-garden type of girl, myself, and he's a carefully-cultured-English-manor-grounds kind of guy. It's fun. lol

And the Burgandy shamrock at the base of blue pot.

Can I bug you about these? :-)

Are they evergreen? Well, everpurple? lol Are the flowers white or pink? You're always good with botanical names; I'd like to start searching.... :-D

Basically, I need a broadleaf evergreen groundcover for a flower bed, and goshdarnit, PlantDelights only has 5 of the Ajuga I wanted. :-( So, I'm looking for alternatives. <3

Thank you!!!

Edited to add: Unless, of course, the name is just Burgundy Shamrock and I'm just a sleep deprived idiot, lol.

Devoted; you may certainly 'bug me'. I love to talk about plants. The botanical name for what I called Burgundy Shamrock I believe is Oxalis triangularis.

Grown as a houseplant in many places it does great outside in my part of Texas. They die back in winter, but are quick to return from it's little red bulbs in spring. It doesn't need a lot of water, but if it doesn't get any irrigation in hot summer it will die back, but quickly recovers if it rains, or when it gets cooler. It's a great little plant with pale pink flowers that seems to be able to spread itself around, but never takes over. Most often I take a few bulbs and stick them in various locations and in pots, especially pots with yucca, agaves, aspidistras, or other succulent type plants to add some color. Where ever it grows in my yard it is very welcomed.

Just lovely, Roselee. Things will start to come around soon.

"I took this photo last week. Any one know the cactus variety name?" Pretty sure it is Echinocereus coccineus, hedgehog cactus. The is a similar king cup but it has way more spines