Apropos of April

I never seem to get organized in time to participate in variously occurring "days" where garden bloggers show off what is blooming at regular intervals (or in other cases, what their foliage stars are up to). I applaud those who do so.  I openly admit that sort of advance planning is not one of my strengths. 

Regardless, there is a lot going on in our spaces this time of year.  At the risk of being designated a "petal pusher" (I'm looking at you, DC!) and apropos of nothing more than April itself?  Here's what's been grabbing most of the local attention lately.

This Grass Spider (Agelenidae) is apparently suffering from an identity crisis as it spent all day posing on the pink evening primrose (Oenothera speciosa).

Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) has rewarded me for cutting back overhanging branches with an abundance of scarlet trumpets.

This stray cat has adopted our garden spaces.  We keep her well fed and I can gratefully report no signs of bird predation on her part, though she does find the water in the birdbath especially flavorful.

The Hub carefully repots and sets out his growing collection of Plumeria alba plants annually.  This anole (Anolis carolinensis) will be disappointed they've been moved to their summertime spot in the back as he was a regular sun bather out front in the afternoons.

This Corn Poppy (Papaver rhoeas or Flanders poppy) is not very deer resistant but I have hopes it will freely reseed so Bambi's periodic chomp-pruning won't keep me from having a few blooms each year.

The Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) was designated the official state bird of Texas in 1927.  This one serenades the entire neighborhood from various perches in the tops of the oak trees.   Occasionally he'll set up in trees close to a street light on our corner and sing all night long.  All.  Night.  Long.

Yellow Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata - I think) glows in the morning sun.

Another singer in the local oaks - a black crested titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)

A consistent favorite of local gardeners and birds alike - Possumhaw Holly (Ilex decidua).

I realize Pyracantha coccinea is now considered invasive, but this one has been growing here since before we moved in and has reached considerable size and thorniness.  The birds love it and as long as I don't have any work to do in the bed close by, I do too.

It can look pretty sketchy off season, but it is hard to beat Damianita Chrysactinia mexicana) in bloom.

I wish these two were more seasonally synchronized, but at least I've got one "late" bluebonnet playing nicely with an "early" Salvia coccinea.

Mexican honeysuckle (Justicia specigera) growing in between paddles of Opuntia ellisiana.

The delicate bloom stalk of Provence Lavender (Lavandula Intermedia which grows well here in Texas), highlighted against a backdrop of Damianita.

With a promise of blooms to come, Opuntia ellisiana, or spineless prickly pear, is setting out rows of buds.

Those are most certainly the highlights of our garden spaces so far this April. Happy Earth Day 2014 (hey - I can plan ahead!) and thanks as always for dropping by.

What a difference....

24 little hours can make.

We'd kept an eye out on these plumeria buds for a couple of weeks.  My hope was that since these are plants especially dear to the Hub, we might get our first blooms of the year on Father's Day.

Alas, it was not to be.  Plants have their own timing and designated holidays are not on whatever passes for their calendar.

The shot above is how they looked yesterday, and then.....

Today.

The original plant was a gift from a co-worker to the Hub years ago.   The Momma plant was dormant, looked like something that had broken off a walking stick, but we were assured with a little support, it would pop into high gear once the season was appropriate.

And so it did.  Since that time the Hub has carefully tended and repotted until now we have a mini-grove of personally propagated potted plumeria plants (try saying that 3 times fast!).

We admire the plumeria's broad leaves displayed umbrella style at the tops of the branches.  Their presence in our garden beds powerfully evokes memories of family trips taken to Hawaii in summers past.

But what we love most about plumeria are their showy blooms. Clearly, we are not alone.

Look closely at the photo above, and you'll see we were not the only ones tracking the progress of these flowers.  The blooms had been open for barely a couple of hours before two spiders had set up shop waiting to prey upon unwary visitors.   (I think they are crab spiders.  But.  Blah blah blah, I stink at identification, you know the drill...).

Though the blooms weren't open in time for Father's Day, I have no way of knowing if the bloom's appearance is on schedule for the crab spiders.  In the garden, it would seem everybody has their own agenda.