Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Love Is In The Air

DSC_2559_6103Twitterpated.  The birds in the garden are completely twitterpated.  This afternoon at lunch, this fellow was letting the entire neighborhood hear his treetop opera.  He sat at the very top of the neighbor’s mulberry tree trying to impress all the ladies while I was out noting the progress of some buds.  These birds look like a sparrow dipped in that powder that my kindergarten teacher used to mix with water to make finger paints.  THAT came out of nowhere.  Back to the garden…

DSC_2548_6095 One of the lilacs has very plump buds ready to burst.  I suspect tomorrow at lunch I may be able to enjoy lilac perfume.  I have two different varieties of lilacs in containers.  Each one has a story to make them even more enjoyable.  This one was given to me as a gift.  It is from a cutting from a lilac that came to California from Mississippi.  Allen’s great-grandmother brought it with her.  Allen’s mother had a cutting in the yard of every place she lived.  This cutting was taken in the spring of 2004.  Looks like it’s going to do well.  If you have a lilac, make sure to prune it right after it blooms if you have to prune it at all.  The flowers form on the growth from the prior year.  If you prune too late or too much, it will take at least another season to enjoy the bouquets these shrubs provide.

DSC_2553_6097 This freesia reminds me of the crazy plant in the Little Shop of Horrors.  It should be blooming tomorrow.  I certainly hope it’s only a freesia.

DSC_2554_6098Buttery yellow petals will most likely enjoy the spring sun by the end of the week.  I thought I had transplanted all of these bulbs last fall to a better location allowing me to transplant more strawberries.  Seems I missed a few and they seem to multiply fairly easily.  The freesia bulbs were a gift to me as well.  These gifts keep on giving.

Lilacs and freesia grow vigorously in zone 8-9 in Bakersfield, California

4 comments:

Donna said...

I love lilacs. When we lived up north we had quite a few, but in the south they don't do very well. Great photos.

dorothy said...

Love your photos. Do you know the names of your lilacs? I tried 'Blue Skies' and it died. It was supposed to do well without so much winter chill. Last year I bought 'Lavender Lady' because it too is supposed to do well in warmer climates, but I got cold feet, didn't want to kill another one, and returned it next day to the nursery...the first time I have returned a plant!

MAYBELLINE said...

I do not have the names of the lilacs. Try picking the brain of a good local nursery. Bare root season is most likely finished in your area but you have a year to research.

Chiot's Run said...

Love seeing spring in your garden as we woke up to 6 inches of snow this morning. It will be a while before the lilacs bloom here. The birds were back at the feeder in full force this morning since all their natural foods are covered in snow.

Soak up some sun for me!