Third wave of species tulips

Today brings several bi-colored Tubergen's Gem tulips and one all-yellow chrysantha. There's a very beautiful pale pinky-mauve Dutch iris. Rain appears to amount to nearly four inches.

New arrivals every day

Our giant tub of nasturtiums is coming into bloom. We have our first sweet pea. Little Marvel and Wando bring us some English peas for the table every day. The loquat fruits are few but very large, bending the boughs way down. We watched a tribe of bluejays gang up on a red-tailed hawk. There are miniature wood hyacinths, and more and more yellow-and-white Dutch irises. We have never had more old-fashioned geranium or poet's narcissus than there are this year; some of those bulbs haven't produced for a decade at least. We read that they like hot weather.

It's a day for irises

We have two new shades of purple Dutch iris, one of them the red-violet shade. There are more and more white Dutch irises, and today's spectacular arrival is the variety that has white standards and yellow falls.

Another armadillo

It was quite light out. This one's smaller and darker than the large pale armadillo recently spotted. Today brings us Baby Moon, Martinette, and two shades of Siberian irises. We also found a flower on a clockvine (thunbergia alata) that wintered over in a pot; it's one with a green eye instead of a dark one.

What's new in the pleasure grounds

The first firewheel is open. White Dutch irises are open. The first ranunculus is a handsome and unusual wine color. Tomato plants are beginning to bloom.

After the rains

We've seen four monarch butterflies on the milkweed. They must have been brought by the weather, which has consisted of one thunderstorm or just plain downpour after another. Today we dined on a copius harvest of Little Marvel and Wando English peas. The blue Dutch irises are diminishing in numbers now, but we counted sixty and more at what we think was their peak before the rains. The first white Dutch iris will be fully open tomorrow. There are buds on the clematis.

The season progresses

Today's newcomers were Hawera, Thalia, and Minnow in the narcissus-daffodil family. There's a different kind of pink hyacinth, one that may have an even better scent than those wonderful blue ones. Spiderwort (false dayflower) has made its first appearance in bloom this season. A neighbor's spirea has burst into bloom, althouth it's not the spectacular sight that it was last year. This morning before it was really light, I saw the very largest armadillo ever.

Trees and tulips

The ornamental pear tree is in bloom today, contrasting beautifully with the redbud flowers still open right next to it. Fig leaves unfolded two days ago. This morning we found more tulipa clusiana (blue-white inside and alternating pinky-red outside) and tulipa bakeri (Lilac Wonder) than we've seen in years. This is the best year ever for Dutch irises, at least the dark-blue ones. Sun Disc is appearing in great numbers. All the anemones are prolific and showing good endurance. Anemone blanda appears in its customary white and pale blue and pink, but there are also many strong magenta and almost navy-blue versions. There are more and more Carlton daffodils each day. Today's butterflies have so far included one monarch, quite a few gulf fritillaries, and countless common red admirals.

Buds and flowers and leaves

It was surprising to see a pink haze and realize that two of the redbud trees are blooming. Buds are swelling on the ornamental pear tree. Two roses of Sharon shrubs are leafing out. One live oak has commenced to drop its leaves. The fig tree is getting ready to bud out but isn't quite ready yet. Nothing is occurring in the usual order.

Returning favorites

There's nothing sharper than the greenish yellow of single jonquils on a cloudy day. We love the quill-like leaves and the color and shape of these old-fashioned favorites. Also making their first appearance of the season are wood hyacinths, iphieons, fattening buds on the Dutch irises, and leaves from Dutch tulips that last flowered years and years ago.

Undeterred by the rain

No flowers have been pounded into the ground by the welcome rain, torrential though it has been at times. We're celebrating the arrival in profusion of Grand Primo, Avalanche, Minnow, and Fortissimo. On these overcast days, the new shoots of fennel look especially attractive, making a fine background for all the spring bulbs.

More and more flowers

Anemones continue to be everywhere. Today brought the first grape hyacinth and the first ornamental allium. Together, Martinette (a miniature), Ice Follies, Carlton, and Fortune daffodils brighten the yard. We just saw a honeybee among the milkweed flowers. It's been mild enough to bring us chile flowers.

More new arrivals

Our next-door neighbor is way ahead of us with leucojums, but this morning we saw the first 'jums (snowflakes)of the year here. Another new arrival in some profusion is Jet Star, a small narcissus with an ridged orange trumpet and a back-swept yellow perianth. Each day there are more Ice Follies, Fortune, and Carlton daffodils, none yet plucked by a larcenous passer-by. We love the glorious clash of colors where doubled bright-red anemones are companions to strongly fuchsia-colored ones. Window-boxes filled with lettuces of varied colors from an apple-green to a strongly red-violet one and leaves from the smooth-edged to the very ruffled. Asclepias and calendula continue to bloom, as do English peas, now forming some pods. Hyacinths are here now in four colors: two types of blue and a darker and a more pastel pink. We have seen cedar waxwings overhead and kinglets on branches. This morning, we heard a dove for the first time in months.

Erlicheer today

We can never remember what these little double white flowers are called. They came in a mix of bulbs for naturalizing years ago. they never seem to multiply, but they don't fade out, either. We're not devotees of double flowers, but these are very sweet. Erlicheer has withstood the winds and the rains very well. We always forget that the blue hyacinths have the best scent.

New flowers this morning

They are: one appearance by daffodil Ice Follies, one by daffodil Fortune, and one by a strongly blue anemone blanda.

Modern material culture: fan spray nozzle

These are the very best for gently watering newly germinated plants and for moistening the soil or the planting medium in pots where seeds have been planted but have not yet sprouted. On a whim, we bought one years ago (at that time for a dollar or perhaps two). We've been looking for another ever since. The old one was yellow. The new one's purple. One has straight-line ridges and the other, ridges in the form of chevrons. The original had no label; if there was a brand-name on the cardboard to which it was probably stapled or blister-packed for display, that was discarded long ago. The new one has "Orbit" in raised letters right on it. We've always called it a water-comb, because the three rows of fine spray are reminiscent of strands of hair. It's an Orbit fan spray nozzle.

Our mystery narcissus remains mysterious

These flowers appeared among the Montopolis narcissus that came from Bastrop all those years ago. They never multiply and in different years they come at different times. Each flower is tiny and there are up to four on each fairly tall and sturdy stem. The scent is similar to that of most narcissi, but carries a tiny hint of lemon. These miniatures have a very pale creamy yellow perianth and a tiny somewhat darker yellow cup. We have never found any for sale in any catalogue. Also appearing for the first time are deep pink hyacinths, near the gate to Mack's yard. Some chile plants are in bloom. They're in pots and haven't been indoors yet this season. Joining the several red anemones is one magenta specimen. We hear cardinals and wrens each of these mornings.

New floral arrivals

Today brought four stalks of blue hyacinths on the oak motte and two Geranium narcissus flowers near the gate to Mack's yard. We haven't checked yet, but it does seem that flowers are arriving in an odd order this year. There are now two red anemones and one blue one, too many anemone blanda flowers to count, too many Montopolis narcissus flowers to count, and more and more Little Marvel flowers and a few pea pods forming. Late this afternoon we saw a question mark butterfly. Milkweeds continue to be consumed by monarch caterpillars, which eat the seed pods but seem to leave the flowers themselves alone.

Out of order

These new arrivals seem to be blooming earlier than usual: Chinese sacred lilies, one black-eyed Susan, and one red anemone. There are more and more Little Marvel pea blossoms and Montopolis narcissi. Nasturtiums have germinated nicely this time around. The calendula continues to be spectacular and is a great attraction for honeybees. We find new larvae of gulf fritillary and monarch butterflies every day, consuming passion vine and milkweed respectively. There are not yet any Ice Follies daffodils.

Bucking and blooming and sprouting

There's no bucksaw in this household, but a crosscut pruning saw with champion-style teeth worked just as well for preparing fallen limbs to be placed at the curb in a week for the City's "large brush collection." Not having a sawbuck or even a sawhorse, I used two plastic stacking chairs as a makeshift substitute. When I went to wipe off stray sawdust, I found that Austin air is dirtier than it has ever been. It does get filthier each year. Soon, we'll be just like industrial towns before the federal clean-air legislation; we'll need to clean everything indoors and out at least four times a year to get rid of the sticky black residue. We continue to enjoy paper white narcissi and related varieties. Montopolis narcissus is almost ready to burst forth, with many, many bud stalks to be seen and more every day. We are enjoying Avalanche and Grand Primo. Everything so far apart from the paper whites are not to be seen most years until after Ice Follies flowers have opened (usually just in time to be stolen on Valentine's Day or its eve). Other blooms visible now are a few lantana flowers in sheltered spots, along with orange calendula, pink oxalis, and yellow and yellow-and-orange asclepias, all in pots. This morning we found caterpillars of gulf fritillary butterflies in the passionvine and of monarch butterflies in the asclepias. We are enjoying various lettuces grown in pots; they're highly ornamental and also very tasty. Other flowers are Little Marvel peas. We were surprised to find volunteer clockvines (thunbergia alata) in one pot. Purplehearts are blooming. So is anemone blanda, and we've seen one bud on a florist's anemone. At least three kinds of species tulips have sent forth leaves. It's too soon to tell what other spring bulbs are making an appearance. We have no good maps and the squirrels move everything anyhow.

Sarkozy-Merkel and plastic stacking chairs

I was entertained by the very first photographs of Sarkozy and Merkel together, and I still am. Lately, I find that other people enjoy them just as much. Some publication (I forget which) even predicted in a joking way that they'd run away together in 2012. I'm also fascinated by the way that plastic stacking chairs have found their way around the world and can be seen in photographs taken in the most remote places. The most popular ones are those with arms. The first ones I ever saw were Grosfillex ("commercial resin"), perhaps the original style, and Ace Mart Restaurant Supply always kept them in stock. Similar chairs have been photographed on every continent in every sort of situation. They don't stand up well to direct sunlight if the temperatures are torrid, but they're all very versatile and quite comfortable. Their light weight and "stackability" are wonderful features. Small stacking tables are sometimes to be found, and they make fine footstools.

Monopoly favorites, in order of preference

Flatiron, opera hat, cannon, racing car, Scottish terrier, high-top shoe, and battleship. The first three listed are much greater favorites than those following. Those are the favorites from the current set. Where available, the thimble and the wheelbarrow are favorites, also--one and two.

Leaves

In the course of a few days, the leaves on the ornamental pear tree turned dark red, bright red, and then golden. Yesterday, they began to fall; today, nearly all are down. The pecan tree has shed its leaves late. The fall began a few days ago and last night's wind and rain have brought nearly all leaves to the ground. The redbuds and roses of Sharon lost theirs last week, as did Turk's cap and lantana plants. Four o'clock plants have collapsed to the ground. There are larvae of gulf fritillary on the passion vines, which remain green. Mockingbirds continue to prospect for lantana berries. Honeybees remain busy in the loquat flowers and there are many more to pollinate. Other than loquats, only potted milkweeds (asclepias of two varieties) remain in bloom. We had thought that all hummingbirds had departed about three weeks ago, but saw a male black-chinned hummingbird in the yard on Thursday. There have been ruby-crowned kinglets among the loquats. Nothing has been brought indoors permanently yet. We'll preserve some potted chiles and wheel in some giant houseplants eventually. We are finding new shoots of anemone, hollyhock, various kinds of narcissi, daffodils, and jonquils, ranunculus, sweet peas, rain lilies, hyacinths, Dutch irises, calendulas, and mysteries. At Wheatsville, we've picked up a few straggler packets of bulbs put up by the Southern Bulb Company.

RQOTD: random questions of the day

(1) After seeing Joseph Schildkraut in the movie "The Tell-Tale Heart" (not seen in years and years) and realizing that he must have been a stage and perhaps silent-movie actor, I ask this question: "What was the career trajectory of Joseph Schildkraut" and what was his later career in particular? (2) After listening to a great many recordings by David Lee Garza 7 Los Musicales and realizing the number of hits over the years that included vocalist Marcus Orozco and several of his compositions, I ask: "What other vocalist or vocalists have sung with the group?" (3) After beginning to reread "Tales from Shakespeare" by Charles and Mary Lamb for the first time in a great many years, I ask "In what year were these published?" As to question number 1, Joseph Schildkraut did work for a long, long time, according to Imdb. The Tell-Tale Heart might as well have been silent. The most interesting answer to item number 2 is that the vocalist who sounded like Emilio Navaira was Emilio Navira. The answer to number 3 is 1807. The book in which these are now being read was printed to order and also includes retellings by E. Nesbit, which I've never read and never knew existed. I look forward to reading them for the first time. Also included is a little concordance of Shakespeare quotations by topic, with no credit given.

A skim of ice

The creatures' water bowls are lightly iced over this morning, not frozen solid, and the ones on the south side of the house have thicker ice than those on the north side. It's a good thing that we thought to bring tomato seedlings indoors last evening. We may be sorry that we didn't do the same thing for tiny pots of violas. It's likely that four o'clocks will have collapsed by the end of the day. Before last night, despite all the warnings about cold temperatures, the only damage had been to one hyacinth bean, in a hanging pot. We'll know more by tomorrow about any damage suffered this time around. Flowers still looking fine are cosmos, fennel, a tithonia, milkweed in pots (two kinds of asclepias), pink oxalis, and some calendulas. All in-ground seedlings, including hollyhocks and everything else, seem to be fine. On the north side of the house, various plants that winter indoors but that are still outdoors seem to have suffered no damage. Even potted basil appears just as it did yesterday. Lantana plants in some places may be affected around the edges of the leaves. Mockingbirds have been depending heavily on their berries this year. Loquats appear to be unaffected; on them some fruits are in formation, and the flowers continue to attrct clouds of honeybees. Peas and sweet peas continue to flourish; whether various lettuces are in good shape remains to be seen. Yesterday, pecan and fig leaves began falling in good earnest. Monarch butterflies have been gone for about a week and a half ago. Two stalks of paperwhite narcissus have been open for three days. Their perfume is strong, but loquat flowers are still outdoing them.

"Dig we must"

There are those who continue to believe that this motto belongs to Con Ed, but I know that the squirrels deserve full ownership. It's maddening to find entire pots of lettuce seedlings excavated to the very bottom. We never need to thin anything. Were it not for the squirrels, we'd have many more lettuce plants of many more varieties; there'd be calendulas, nasturtiums, and sweet peas galore, instead of in moderation only. At this time of year, the squirrels are so deeply engaged in burying acorns and pecans that they'll break off only if they think you're within an inch or so of actually touching them. They are obsessed and they have no fear. They also explore any newly turned soil. That's why the plants that stand the best chance of survival are volunteer seedlings and returning bulbs. Today's discovery was an overnight springing up of sweet peas. If we're lucky, any resulting flowers will be something better than the washed-out pink ones that often result.

Hummingbirds are gone

They stayed a long time, right on up until last week, but now they've moved on. Our Turk's caps were the greatest attraction, but they took advantage of every flower. We've had a slight shower this morning, and so have seen no butterflies today. Right through yesterday, we've seen several monarch butterflies each day, along with the occasional gulf fritillary. Honeybees are out working after the shower. Flowers include morning glories in profusion, Bright Lights cosmos in profusion, lantana in profusion, Turk's cap, purpleheart, four o'clocks in three colors, milkweed (asclepias) in two varieties, two kinds of calendula, ruellia, hyacinth beans, wild sunflowers, pink oxalis, and fennel on new green shoots up from the ground. Several kinds of anemone are sending up leaves. Mockingbirds squabble over lantana berries, both green and ripe. Serrano and jalapeno chiles in pots are blossoming and forming peppers, which are quite picante. Loquat buds are swelling on the bough. Grape hyacinths are showing their leaves, as are ornamental alliums, and so are various clumps of paperwhite narcissus where old pots of forced bulbs were dumped long ago. There are more pecans and acorns that could have been expected after this hot and dry season; they are sought by squirrels, blue jays, and a young woman who gathers them to take home as treats for her pig. The transoms were closed this week and most of the various fans have been packed away in boxes now that it's cooler. The sun rises and sets in what seem to be different corners of the sky this time of year. We are so glad that stupid Daylight Saving Time has finally concluded. It's cool enough now that the pumpkins on the porch have not even begun to rot. When they do, it's off to the compost pile for them. Every day, we find strange seedlings in strange places, thanks to the squirrels, which have no fear of us at all. One of these days it will be time to see if the floor furnace will ignite, just in case we need some heat in the house this winter.

After the rains

We found a clematis flower this morning. The honeybees are busy again. Calendulas are blooming in pots. Fennel flowers are reappearing. Lantanas and Turk's caps are renewed. One oxblood lily remains in bloom. Rain lilies are expected any day now. There are still monarch butterflies and hummingbirds. We're all happy.

Pleasures of the pleasance

We had a fine view of a very dapper fox yesterday morning at 7:15 exactly. It had been a while since we had see one, although armadillos have been more in evidence than ever. The fox was in fine condition, trotting briskly across the street, ears up and tail floating behind. There has continued to be a profusion of monarch butterflies. Their caterpillars are accounting for many, many milkweed leaves. We see the larvae chewing and chewing, fattening by the hour, but have not found a chrysalis yet. We continue to enjoy visits from goldfinches. We see them on wild sunflowers but wonder whether they aren't interested in fennel seeds, also. Some creature is. Cantaloupe seeds from H-E-B Pecos melons have sprouted and so have many kinds of morning glories, some deliberately planted two days ago and others as volunteers. We're finding nasturtium seedlings in all sorts of places, in pots and in the ground, where they were never planted. We'll take that as a sign that it's time to deliberately plant some nasturtiums. Oxblood lilies have not quit yet. We seem to have enjoyed more rain yesterday afternoon and evening than most did. Our screen house collapsed in a gust of wind, but was easily set up again before breakfast this morning. The angle of light from the sun has definitely changed with the season, and so we have adjusted our openings and closings of windows and window-coverings accordingly.

Flights of fancy

We continue to delight in the aerobatics of black-chinned hummingbirds and of monarch butterflies. At a time when neighbors complain that hummingbirds are not attracted to their feeders, Turk's caps in our yard draw hummingbirds every day, mostly in the mornings and evenings. They also go to pride of Barbados, Bright Lights cosmos, and lantanas, but the eternal favorite is Turk's cap. Every day brings more and more monarch butterflies. They prefer milkweed, but are attracted to other flower, also. Four o'clocks and pink oxalis are in bloom again. Every single location where we ever expect to see oxblood lilies has produced them, the last appearing in Mack's flower bed and on the oak motte. We don't know what creature has consumed nearly all the fennel seeds; the goldfinches, which head first for wild sunflowers, are suspected. A majestic red-tailed hawk has been scanning the horizons from atop a utility pole. Early in the morning, just before true dawn, we have seen an armadillo twice in the past week, a very spritely and fast-moving specimen of an armadillo, first trotting across the street and then almost bounding. Chiles are producing many flowers, now that the nights are beginning to be cooler. Morning glories are blooming much more profusely in these more pleasant temperatures. Hyacinth beans are about to bloom. Assiduous watering during the permitted hours of the permitted day has resulted in the appearance of two spider lilies (lycoris radiata) and one miniature yellow rain lily.

Unexpected arrivals

We've been trying to water at least two hours on each of the two permitted watering days per week (now down to one day allowed, beginning this week). We have only two hoses (and therefore two sprinklers), and they must be moved about. Water pressure is extremely low this year. It takes some thinking to settle on the spots that need the water the most. Our efforts have had something to do with bringing forth the oxblood lilies, which have now appeared in some profusion in all the places we expect to see them except one, which is always the last; those bulbs came from a different source, mixed in with some old-fashioned jonquil bulbs that grew originally in Bastrop, not from our old neighbor next door. With our watering, we've also encouraged our more unusual rain lilies to appear; so far, we've seen one small golden one (yesterday) and another today, along with three of the very tiny pink rain lilies with pale greenish centers (picture here). The dainty pink ones are all in a clump. There are quite a few of the common medium-sized white liles. The strong winds have borne monarch butterflies to us. They're to be seen fluttering around the milkweeds, both the all-yellow asclepias and the bi-colored variety with red-orange and golden flowers. Milkweed that survived the summer is in flower pots. We're so happy that we have quite a lot for the monarchs.