‘Colorado’ Lily | My Gardener Says…

A flower profiled on a gardening blog–who woulda thunk!

Given the devastation from the February snow and ice storms, flowers have been non-existent in my garden these past few weeks. But this pretty-in-pink ‘Colorado’ water lily opened petals this morning to the cheers of the gardener and the feeding and pollinating efforts of a native Sweat bee, Lasioglossum.

There were two of these little bees, but one winged away before I captured its presence.

My garden currently boasts a dreary range of browns and tans, highlighted by occasional burnished green–and those colors are on plants not yet pruned to the ground. That said, low-growing, spring-blooming perennials are coming on strong and flaunting their happy green foliage, blooms to follow very soon! Spring is just around the garden path!

The surprise water lily beat them all and its welcome spring color, with accompanying bee, brings joy and hope!

As we roll into our long warm season here in sunny Austin, Texas, perennials segue from the early cool season blooms to heat-loving (or at least heat-tolerant) late spring/summer blooms. Several different native yucca plants grace my gardens this May, such as a Pale-leaf Yucca, Yucca pallida.

Another native yucca, Red Yucca, Hesperaloe parviflora,

will bloom continually until fall. The flowers are delicate looking and favored by hummingbirds.

Another native yucca, Twistleaf Yucca, Yucca rupicola, shot up a bloom stalk this spring.

Heat-loving Zexmenia, Wedelia texana, begins its long bloom cycle in May. This hardy perennial blooms prolifically throughout our hot summer and into the cooler October.

A favorite spring and summer bloom for butterflies, bees and people is the Purple Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea.

Here it resides across from patch of cheery Zexmenia.

The Heartleaf Skullcap, Scutellaria ovata ssp. bracteata, is a beautiful, spreading ground cover which develops stunning blue/lavender flowers, blooming April through June.