The Nature of Things

I will be on the road later this week and away from my garden on June 15, or Bloom Day as it is known to garden bloggers around the world, so here is a pre-Bloom Day look at what's blooming in my garden this month. It's almost summer and the summer phlox is in bloom. There are lots of white blooms in the garden this month. They help to bring a note of coolness to my hot garden space. There's almond verbena with its wonderful scent. Too bad I don't have smell-a-blog. The white crinums are blooming. And so is the white 'Texas Star' swamp hibiscus. And the datura, sometimes called devil's trumpet or moonflower. But here's the real moonflower, and, yes, it's still blooming, too.  The beautyberry bloom is not much to look at; the real attraction is the colorful berries that come later. This pretty little white flower is blooming in my wildflower bed. I'm not sure what it is called, but I think it is some kind of alyssum. Also in the wildflower bed is...

In the winter garden, the first daffodils are rearing their pretty heads. And, inside, the amaryllises continue to grace our days. Spring is in the air, which is 80 degrees F and sunny as I write this, and my plants that were frostbitten by our early January freeze are slowly coming back. Welcome, February!