Garden Blogger's Bloom Day - February

I really had to hunt to find some actual blooms for this month's Bloom Day. Luckily, the first flower that popped to mind was the bulbine, both bicolor and yellow, blooming in a fairly sheltered sunny spot. They're flowering more than I've ever seen them flower right now. Once the mesquite tree leafs out, the bulbine/agave bed will be in filtered shade, and the show will pretty much be over until next winter.

Due to the lack of flowers, foliage has been keeping things interesting. Here are a few leaves of the Tropicana canna, which I've been covering during freezes since I planted it so late in the fall. I had green and yellow variagated Pretoria cannas right next to the Tropicana, but alas, the ROUS ate them in the dead of night.

And speaking of foliage, I thought the colors and textures of this cold-burned agave were kinda cool.

Every year, I plant some blue pansies. These are this year's selection.

After last week's rain, the wildflower seeds I sowed in the side yard are finally, finally taking off. Here's the first to bloom, white alyssum.

The only rose in the garden right now with blooms is the Rainbow Knockout, and even those are well past their prime. Instead, the Rainbow Knockouts are really shining right now with their bright red hips.

My absolute favorite thing in the garden right now, Pandora's Box pansies from Barton Springs Nursery. I couldn't help myself-- I got an entire flat and planted them all around the backyard. I only wish I had some luck with pansies reseeding. These are my favorites of all time. Look at those colors!

The first bloom of 2009 on the Homestead Purple verbena. Usually, the Homestead varieties of verbena are the first to really go crazy blooming in the spring, followed by the magenta blooms of an ice plant I picked up at Walmart years ago. The front bed should be covered in these purple blooms in a week or so.

Finally, some daffodils! Here's the first bloom on Narcissus tazetta 'Grand Primo.' The blooms aren't as showy as Ziva, but boy, oh boy, do they smell better.

A promise of things to come...the bluebonnets are starting to take off!  Maybe next month we'll have some more blue in the garden.

Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for coming up with Bloom Day.  And check here for a list of more February Bloom Day posts!