Cactus & Narcissus

We saw this plant combination last February at the San Antonio Zoo. I remembered it when reading this post and its comments at GardenRant on how tough many bulbs can be and whether they look okay next to succulents. What do you think?

1999 Iris List

This wallow in Iris nostalgia was inspired when MayDreams Carol mentioned her dwarf bearded iris. Her post sent me to the old diaries from our last Illinois garden, the one I left behind in Summer of 1999.


The diaries had lists of names and bloom records. Some iris were ordered from catalogs, some picked up at Northern Illinois Iris Society sales, many were passalongs from friends. I don't remember ever seeing dwarf bearded iris for sale at a nursery.

I loved those dwarf bearded iris! They bloomed with Brunnera and Dicentra/Bleeding Heart, when the coral bells and lilies were waking up. Their small rhizomes didn't attract Iris borers like the flashy big hybrids and they fit so well into a small bed designed for close-up viewing.


Some of the dwarf bearded iris had registered names:

'Bright & White'

'Little Imp'

"Pixie Pastel'

'Beau'

'Lillipinkput'

'Eyeshadow'

'Irish Sea'

'Gingerbread Man'

'Bright Eyes'

'Orchid Raye'

'Enchanted Blue'

'Mr Roberts'

'Daisy'

'Hammered Copper'

'Indian Jewel'


Some dwarf bearded iris were named for the friend who shared the plant:

'Ruth's Kansas Prairie Purple'

'Vi's Minister's Yellow'

'Ellen's Yellow & Maroon'

'Vi's Purple w/white beard'

'Vi's Bright Yellow'

'Ruth's white with Blue beard'

'Carol's off white'

'Bernice's yellow & mahogany'

'Vi's Light Pink'


Some tall bearded iris had official names, too:

'Tangerine Sky'

'Orange Parade'

'Cozy Calico'

'Schiaparelli'

'Dundee'

'Stunning'

'Debby Rairdon'

'Carnival Time'

'Superstition'

'Fire & Ice'

'Lacy Snowflake'

'Victoria Falls'

'Lemon Brocade'


And names unofficial:

'Ruth's lilac'

'Bernice's Yellow'

'Sophie's Purple Velvet'

'Lilacia Garden Club Pink'

'Vi's Tall Purple & White'


Siberians were called:

'Sea Shadows'

'Gull's Wings'

'Cabernet'

'Illini Encore'

'Maranatha'


Passalong Siberians had names of people attached:

'Dad's Dark Blue'

'Vi's Dark Purple'

'Vi's Lilac'

Two species Iris came to me from Lorraine:

Iris graminea and Iris pseudocoris.


It's nearly a decade since I left - think any of them still bloom at the old house?

GBBD List for April 2009

For the photos of April 15, 2009 Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, see the Transplantable Rose post.
The Addendum is the place to find a list with botanical names of what's in bloom at Circus~Cercis today. Some of them may actually be spelled right:


Abelia chinensis 'Edward Goucher' smaller pink form of this shrub; it's in flower but large white ones are not.

Ajuga, unknown species, purple-leaved bugle weed. It was already growing under an abelia when we moved here. Now in a couple of other spots as groundcover.

Anemone hybrid 'St Brigid' mixed Windflowers. Some smashed by hail but a few are blooming now.

Antirrhinum majus, Yellow snapdragons looking pretty good since Christmas 2007!

Bryophyllum daigremontianum, syn Kalanchoe daigremontiana, Mother of Thousands, one plant in bloom

Bulbine frutescens 'Yellow'/ yellow bulbine, a few flowers in front center bed

Calibrachoa hybrids, annuals in containers, some from Natural Gardener, some from Shoal Creek Nursery

Canna X generalis 'City of Portland', one bloom on a plant in container

Capsicum annuum – garden peppers, several have flowers

Castilleja indivisa?, Texas paintbrush, grown as annual. It came through hail just fine, but adjoining Bluebonnet was smashed.

Cercis canadensis var texensis 'Alba', has unexpected light rebloom as leaves expand.

Citrus x meyeri, Meyer's Improved Lemon, still a few flowers

Citrus aurantifolia? Mexican lime, still a few flowers

Clematis hybrid 'Ramona', growing in container, 8 or 9 huge light purple flowers

Clematis unknown purple hybrid, budded and ready to go

Clematis hybrid, probably 'Miss Bateman', 6 or 8 white flowers

Coriandrum sativum, cilantro - some gone to flower

Cuphea llavea – small pink & lavender form; one plant begining to bloom - other hit hard by repeated freezes.

Delosperma cooperi ? Dark pink flowered hardy ice plant, spreading over gravel walk in Pink Garden;

Dianthus – ‘Telstar’ hybrids in pink, rose and red, growing in assorted containers front and back gardens

Dietes bicolor, African Iris, butterfly iris - bloomed last week and has more buds

Evolvulus glomeratus, Blue Daze. Two of the lived-over plants are making flowers.

Feijowa sellowiana / Pineapple guava, two plants - one flower

Gaura lindheimerii, unknown tall rose-pink variety (‘Pink Cloud’?), many flowers

Hesperaloe parviflora, Red yucca - first time blooming!

Hippeastrum seven hybrid varieties in bulb garden including Red Lion, Minerva, San Antonio. Four are budded- one open.

Impatiens walleriana, bedding impatiens. A couple of lived-over white impatiens bloom in containers in the Secret Garden

Indigofera amblyantha? /pink false indigo -one wandy pink flower unfolding.

Iris bearded hybrid, passalong from Ellen, later-blooming, grape-scented blue violet

Iris siberica, Siberian Iris, blue-violet, passalong from Barb in IL

Ixia, unknown species, pale cream-colored Corn lilies from bulbs planted fall 2007

Jatropha integerrima 'Compacta', couple of puny flowers, few leaves

Justicia spicigera/ Mexican Honeysuckle, a few light orange flowers

Lantana, unknown varieties both upright and trailing; yellow just budding, trailing white bloomed all winter

Lavendula heterophylla, Sweet Lavender, many many wands ready to open

Lavendula stoechas, Spanish lavender, covered in flowers

Lobularia maritime, Sweet alyssum (dotted around), blooming since last winter

Lonicera sempervirens, coral honeysuckle, some flowers

Lupinus texensis, Bluebonnet. I planted 8 of them but the hail hit hard and only a few still live.; one is finally blooming.

Lycopersicon lycopersicum, Tomatoes, several have flowers, including ‘Juliet’

Mazus reptans, tiny blue flowering ground has a couple of flowers

Michelia figo - Banana shrub, past peak but still has buds. Shrub is now shedding hail-damaged leaves and trying to grow new ones.

Nicotiana 'Perfume Deep Purple', annuals from Shoal Creek

Osmanthus fragrans/Sweet olive three shrubs still in light, fragrant bloom

Oxalis crassipes 'Alba' (dotted around and in containers), several blooming

Oxalis regnellii 'Atropurpurea' (dotted around and in containers), a few flowers

Passiflora X possibly 'Lavender Lady' Passionvine - many buds and blooms

Pelargonium hybrids– assorted bedding geraniums, red, white & coral

Pelargonium hybrid, coral, blooming in breakfast room window

Penstemen tenuis, Gulf coast penstemon, a few flowers

Philadelphus inodorus, English Dogwood/Scentless Mock orange, at end of huge bloom

Phlox sublata/Creeping phlox in lavender blue, three plants all in flower

Plumbago auriculata (two shrubs), just beginning to reflower after winter

Portulaca - reseeded Moss Roses and Flowering Purslanes - one flower

Punica granatum, pomegranate - might be 'Wonderful' - one flower, couple of buds

Punica granatum 'Nana'/ dwarf pomegranate, very small plant but keeps making flowers

Ranunculus hybrids, bulbs planted fall 2007 - fewer blossoms than last spring and hail-damaged, but they're alive

Rosa banksiae 'Lutea'/ Lady Banks rose, peak of bloom over, but some buds still opening

Rosa 'Belinda's Dream', Pink shrub rose- buds and blooms

Rosa ‘Champagne’ mini rose, delicate pink , two plants, in bloom

Rosa floribunda ‘Julia Child’, butter-yellow rose, many flowers and a few buds to come

Rosa 'Mutabilis' (two good-sized plants) my darlings have been in nonstop bloom

Rosa /unnamed apricot mini-rose, one open flower and a couple of buds.

Rosa, unknown variety/ tall pink climber, about 8 or 9 flowers and buds

Salvia coccinea ‘Coral Nymph’, coral pink Hummingbird sage, in Secret Garden

Salvia greggii, many plants with flowers of creamy white, deep rose, true red, cherry red

Salvia microphylla 'Hot Lips', now reblooming after winter

Salvia roemeriana /Cedar sage, dark red flowers in shade

Salvia X 'Nuevo Leon' (several borders and containers), many small violet flowers

Scabiosa columbaria ‘Butterfly Blue’/Dwarf Blue Cushionflower, one plant in full bloom; a division still becoming established has a few flowers

Scutellaria suffrutescens, pink skullcap, two plants - one has a few open flowers

Scutellaria wrightii, blue skullcap, three small plants lightly flowering

Sedum, several unknown species here and there, all making white flowers

Spiraea - three of the bridal wreath type shrubs are still blooming

Stachys coccinea/Texas betony, coral flowers - didn't bloom last year but are in flower for 2009

Trachaelospermum jasminoides, Star Jasmine, Confederate Jasmine, evergreen vine with white, fragrant flowers. Three vines, on veranda, Secret Garden fence and on shed, all in bud and/or blossom.

Tradescantia geniculata, groundcover , in bloom

Tradescantia pallida, syn Setcresea pallida/ Purple Heart, many lavender flowers;

Verbena bonariensis – let them seed all over - a few are blooming now

Viola spp– various hybrids of Pansies and violas in containers and hanging baskets with a few flowers

Weigela florida 'Rumba'/ Weigela Canadian Dance series - photo shows peak of blossoming last week but there are still flowers today.

Carol of MayDreams Gardens thought up GBBD - please go to her blog for links to the other gardens. Happy Blooming Day!

Bloom List for April 2nd

Although leaves and flowers were damaged by last week's hail, many plants are blooming right now. It seems like a good idea to keep a list for myself, even if no one else ever reads it.

Abelia chinensis 'Edward Goucher' smaller pink shrub, just opened

Antirrhinum majus, Yellow snapdragons

Bryophyllum dalgremontianua, Mother of Thousands, just taken out for summer

Bulbine, yellow in front bed

Canna 'City of Portland' - one bud stalk, on plant in container on holding table

Castilleja - not sure species, Indian Paint brush, lovely corally color in front bed next to non-blooming, hail damaged bluebonnets


Citrus x meyeri, Meyer's Improved Lemon, a few on container plant now on patio, tree in ground has many flowers

Clematis 'Miss Bateman' (best guess at ID) several flowers twined into Lady Banks rose.

Clematis 'Ramona' - 8 large buds and blooms - in container

Cuphea - pink & lavender- may be one of 'Tiny Mice'. Plant in bloom is near back door. One in front dies back harder in winter

Delosperma, ice plant, gone crazy in rosy-red

Dianthus - 'Telstar' hybrids in containers and hanging baskets -shades of pink and red, some combined with white

Dietes bicolor, AKA African Iris or bicolor iris, creamy yellow with maroon markings, one flower

Gaura, burgundy leaves, pink flowers

Hesperaloe parviflora, Red yucca - spike is starting to open!

Impatiens - lived over white in container, Secret Garden

Iris - one last stalk of pale peach, a couple opening buds on fragrant tall purple

Jatropha integerrima 'Compacta' - spicy Jatropha - couple of flowers, barely a leaf on it

Justicia, Mexican honeysuckle, clear light orange

Lantana, a trailing white variety in Pink Entrance Garden

Lavendula heterophylla, Sweet Lavender

Lavendula stoechas, Spanish lavender

Lonicera sempervirens, coral honeysuckle - heavily hit by hail and had to have lots of cracked stems cut clean, but still opening some flowers

Mazus reptans, just a couple of tiny pieces left, but blooming

Melampodium leucanthum / Blackfoot daisy - a few blooms in front bed and small triangle in back

Michelia figo - Banana shrub had some cracked stems but still has some buds and flowers

Nicotiana fragrant purple hybrids, just bought 3 plants and put them in long fence border with Julia Child rose

Osmanthus fragrans/Sweet olive

Oxalis, both green leaves/white flowers and burgundy leaves/pale rose flowers.

Passiflora X possibly 'Lavender Lady' Passionvine - buds and blooms

Pelargonium - most plants hail-damaged. One in breakfast room blooming coral and another coral under overhang in Secret Garden

Phlox sublata, creeping phlox

Punica granatum, pomegranate - might be 'Wonderful' - one flower, some hailed off

Punica granatum 'Nana'/ dwarf pomegranate, steady light bloom, safe under roof overhang

Rosa mutabilis, both plants

Rosa, 'Champagne' mini rose

Rosa 'Julia Child' - in spite of a dozen buds hailed to the ground, she is gorgeous

Rosa 'Lady Banks' - all open flowers knocked off by hail, but some tight buds remained and they're opening

Philadelphus inodorus, Scentless Mockorange, English Dogwood, a wall of blossom

Ranunculus hybrids, orange and yellow. Planted fall 2007, just a couple of bulbs returned

Salvia greggii, Cherry color
Salvia greggii, creamy white

Salvia 'Hot Lips'

Salvia 'Nuevo Leon'

Scabiosa 'Butterfly Blue'; teased off section a few weeks back so now have two plants in bloom.

Setcreasea 'Purple Heart'

Spiraeas - four white in two varieties

Stachys coccinea, Texas Betony, coral flowers. Did not bloom last year.

Verbena bonariensis here and there

Viola actually Pansies - some hit by hail, a few blue and yellow okay

Weigela florida 'Rumba'/ Weigela Canadian Dance series. Two tiny pieces bought as souvenir of Howard's Nursery on Koenig in spring 2006 are a couple of feet tall, covered in trumpet shaped, deep rose flowers.