Corkscrew Buds

Corkscrew Vine Flower Bud


The corkscrews are coming! My corkscrew vine (Vigna caracalla) has buds. I can't believe that I will be getting actual blooms from this vine. I really lost hope as all year it has been growing and taking over my balcony but no sign of any flowers. While spraying (Stupid mites and white flies) I saw buds, everywhere!f I've been so disattached to my balcony garden that I didn't notice. It's been so disappointing to go out and water all the wilting plants that are infested with bad bad bugs that I can't get rid of. Now that the weather is cooling I hope my plants can get healthy again and fight off the bugs. It's so hard to keep them all properly watered when I am gone for 8 hours. I deeply water them all before I go to work but it does not help them all. The corkscrew has been doing really well but it is starting to get mites and the white flies love to hide behind all those leaves. I can't wait to see and smell these blooms. They better come soon before the bugs take over.

GBBD: Flowers Galore

Dimorphotheca aurantiaca 'African Moon' and Pansy

I know I've said it before but this month I have the most blooms out of all the months I have participated so far. There are tons and a few in bud. If all the daylilies were blooming I would have so much more.

Thank you to Carol from May Dreams Gardens for putting together Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. Make sure to check out her page and all the wonderful garden bloggers that participated this month.



Dimorphotheca aurantiaca 'African Moon' about to open


Dianthus Pinocchio


Godetia half blew off from last night


The ever blooming Knotweed


Phlox 'Phlox of Sheep'


White Columbine



White Petunias





Mt Fuji Morning Glory. This just opened up today. It's a mutant it's so large. I have seen the blooms before and this is like a two in one. This is also the first bloom that hasn't torn when it has opened.


The only bijou mix sweet pea to bloom so far


Candytuft



Laura Bush Petunias


Madagascar Periwinkle


Celosia


Pink Snapdragons


Red Petunias


Barbara Karst Bougainvillea


Armeria formosa


The ever blooming Cocktail Vodka Begonia


Gaillardia Razzle Dazzle Bud



Daylily Buds. Sadly the buds for what I think might be Abstract Art broke off from the winds the last two nights.


Hibiscus Rose Bud


Grape Hyacinths. These are very late and don't bloom all that well once they open.

Green Thumb Sunday: I've got Buds!

Dianthus barbatus Pinocchio Mix has buds.

Many of my plants are in bud. This makes me very happy because I've had hardly any flowers on my balcony. For Garden Bloggers Bloom Day this month I'll hopefully have plenty of flowers to show.



Hibiscus Rose with many buds.

The Hibiscus Rose has many buds. There are about 5 and all at the same stage. These pictures above are taken on different days. The buds are about to open any day now maybe in two days. They might just bloom way before GBBD but I'll be taking pictures and count them anyways.


Sweet William tall double flowering mix with buds

The sweet william are looking like they will have some blooms soon. I'm excited about these since I've been waiting for a while to see them. I'm still so surprised I got some seeds to germinate at all.


Pansy corso mix bud.

This pansy has actually opened today. It seems whenever I buy a mix plant either seeds or the actual plant...I really don't get a mix. The only one that I really did get a mix was the candytuft. Maybe when the other ones bring out blooms they will be a different color. So far they have been blue but still beautiful. I love blue anyways so I can't complain.



Evening Primrose Buds

My evening Primrose has been packing on the buds for the past week or two. There are about 4 or 5 that are enlarged and ready to burst. Then there are around 8 little ones dangling and waiting for their turn. I just love love the evening primrose blooms. Seeing them on the side of the road in masses makes my heart flutter. These might be a weed/wildflower but I would love a large part of my garden to have them. Who cares if they take over it wouldn't bug me at all. I say this not having a yard. They probably would bug me if they took over at least until they all bloomed.



Corkscrew Vine is starting to climb.

Okay, this is not a bud but still just as exciting. The other corkscrew vine has finally started to vine and reach up. So now I get to weave this one up and over to the right to meet the other corkscrew vine that has been climbing for month. I do hope these flowers! I can't wait to see the snail shaped blooms in their great purple cream and white color. Maybe I might even get seeds from them. I won't get my hopes up on the seeds though.


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New Buds

Dianthus Pinocchio about to bud.

Well I have some two sneaky plants that decided to bud after bloom day. How dare they hide from the event. My Dianthus has some fuzzy stuff on one side which appears under their blooms. I'm assuming this is what they do before they bud and make some awesome flowers. I'm really excited to see this bloom! I'm a fan of the Dianthus but have not seen a Pinocchio mix in person. Even online I can only find a couple of pictures of the blooms. Some day soon I'm hoping for some flowers to show.


Armeria Joystick Mix buds.

The Armeria has about 5 buds. These were not here yesterday, I swear. I look and inspect my plants almost everyday. They can't hide things from me for long. Apparently the Armeria wanted to wait until night time to start showing those buds. This is another plant I'm excited to see the blooms of. I got this as a freebie with a plant order I purchased online. It's going to be an interesting combination with the grass like foliage and round blooms on long stems.

Sadly today I found that my spearmint has ants which brings aphids. It's a never ending battle with the ants and aphids on mint. They didn't used to attack my spearmint when I had the chocolate mint. Now that the chocolate mint is gone the spearmint is it's new friend. So frustrating if only there was a solution that would make them gone forever.

New Buds and New Growth

Weeping Dwarf Crape Myrtle "Sacramento" has buds.

Today to my surprise I saw some signs of life in two things I thought for sure must be dead. First my crape myrtle is showing some buds. This is very excited for me. I really thought I would have to be getting rid of this dead tree. When I bought it I potted it in a new home. It didn't like the new home and environment thus dropping all it's leaves. Nothing ever came back after over half a year. It was really coming down to whether or not there would be any new growth this spring. Now there are buds so it is alive. I'm very glad because I loved the Weeping Dwarf Crape Myrtle.


More buds everywhere.

Now I really thought I had killed this next plant for sure. I got it and it was in a decent condition but small. I potted it up with the dianthus pinnochio mix. The dianthus took off but the Dr Ruppel Clematis did not. It stayed the same and the leaves browned. Yet it again is was just up for time to tell if it was alive or not. I have not looked at the clematis for a month now. Today I checked it out since other things and other trees and shrubs around in San Antonio are starting to get new leaves and buds. New leaves!!! It is alive so I will be having a clematis growing. I'm kind of concerned though because the dianthus has grown so much. I'm not sure if the clematis will need it's own pot that isn't crowded with roots already. I'm assuming that the pot has many roots in it considering how the dianthus looks. Yet again if anyone can give me some help on that it would be greatly appreciated. I just didn't want to pot it up while it is starting to finally show signs of life and risk transplant shock or whatever else. Do you think the clematis will be okay with it's dianthus buddy? I like the dianthus there because it shades the roots and doesn't allow the sun to really get to it. Right now I think it's in an 8 inch pot so it's not big at all. I have no idea how big of a pot a clematis would need or if it will even survive in a pot at all.


Dr. Ruppel Clematis has new leaves.