March Bloom Day...a little late.

I completely forgot about Bloom Day until it was too late to take pictures, so this month's chronicle is a day late. Compared to the other Austin garden bloggers, my garden still seems brown and sleepy. I completely forget to plan for this time of year with better evergreen structure and flowering bulbs. I did finally get around to adding some permanent color with three blue-glazed pots and several rose pillars spray-painted with what turned out to be a pimped-out glittery blue car paint (now I'm just waiting for the rest of my garden to bounce at stop lights).

You can see one of the blue pots, planted with Agave Americana, in the background:

Ok, this oft-photographed viola wins my own personal award for awesomeness in winter annuals. While the rest of my violas upped and seeded out the minute the weather warmed up, this one is still cool and perky when it's 94 degrees. I hope it sticks around for a while.

Tangerine crossvine, blooming at last!

Oxalis "Garnet," from The Natural Gardener. The pink is a bit loud for my taste, but I bought it for the cool mottled leaves. They have a distinct red-pink tinge when it's colder.

Mexican Feathergrass, taking off:

A new purchase from Barton Springs Nursery, Harry Lauder's Walking Stick. I've never seen one grown in Texas, but when I was in college, there was a gorgeous specimen at the Allen Centennial Gardens, a short walk from my dorm. I love this tree for winter interest:

Chinese witch hazel. It's a short distance from the redbud, and I suspect that
the bloom colors will match. A few more days, and I'll know for sure:

The aformentioned Agave Americana in a pot. I've been thinking a lot lately about hardscaping, color, and winter interest in my garden, and considering the possibilities within my budget. Last week I bought three matching blue-glazed pots to space throughout the garden, and hopefully guide the eye to some nice all-season views. So far two of the pots have been planted with the agave, and the third is waiting for a bed redesign. The pot by itself is heavy enough that I know once it's filled with dirt and extra-pointy agave, it's not going to be moved again any time soon. Anyway, I like the contrasts of the blues with the purple.

Henbit and the first Blackfoot Daisy. I scattered so many bluebonnet, bachelor's button, and viola seeds there, and what came up, despite my faithful watering? Henbit. Sigh. I've had no luck so far with direct-sowing winter and spring flowers, which I find especially depressing when I add up how much I've spent on seeds. It's too bad I have equally lousy luck starting seeds in flats. Maybe the bluebonnets will sprout next spring? My fingers are crossed.

And yet another picture of "Marilyn's Choice" abutilon. The longer I have this plant, the more I like it. It flowers right through the extremes of Austin winter and always looks good. I'm hoping it can deal with the heat with as much grace as it's dealt with the cold. At Barton Springs Nursery last week, I saw a much, much larger version blooming in a pot. I'm hoping mine will grow up to look like that one. It's too bad I didn't have my camera.