§ Backyard Botany...

It's been yard work mostly the last two days. Altho, I figured we lost more again to the deep freeze of 2021-22, I do believe the plants are a bit more hardy this time around. I thought, early this Spring, we wouldn't have a surviving pomegranate tree [as you can see with the first two photos], and Bud drastically trimmed away most of it to near the ground. But, the last couple of days, fruit blossoms have taken hold, and some are now in full bloom. Sadly, I was warned that with the cholesterol meds I'm taking [statins], just like grapefruit...mixing pomegranates and meds is a dangerous combination. Bud doesn't like 'em, so either, if they mature well enough, the neighbors will get 'em, or the birds!! Bummer. While securing our Don Juan Climbing Rose, I gazed around the yard and so much is blooming. I grabbed my cellphone and hit the shutter icon...

I have a couple of pots with yellow marigolds and sweet william by one of the benches on the patio. The amaryllis are blooming! Yes, they are planted in the ground and didn't freeze!! The cactus I bought long ago and moved it here when we relocated to Texas from Arizona --I thinned it out several years ago and potted them in small clay pots...all are blooming. The Duranta is blooming [a favorite of mine...weeping purple clusters], the hibiscus are recouping and showing some growth again. My two Easter Lilies are getting buds! The Esperanza bush is flowering. The crepe myrtle are all leafed out, soon to bloom. And the gardenia, well it survived again, but little flowering so far. Here are photos of some that I took when I was supposed to be assisting dear hubby [lol]...

Lady Banks Rose [aka Tombstone Rose]

Someone asked why it's called Tombstone Rose. Well, in Tombstone Arizona, there is the world's largest Lady Banks ....'tree'! Read about its history HERE My bush is cut back often, but still measures about 1/4 of our 100' fence.

Don Juan Climbing Rose
My favorite rose!!!



Sweet William and Marigolds in pots on Patio




...and a biology FACT SHEET: Koalas have two thumbs on their front paws!!
They also have unique and individual fingerprints.
‘Koala’ is thought to mean ‘no drink’ in the Australian Aboriginal language
one source

§ I Beg Your Pardon...I Promised You a Rose Garden!

Okay, so, for the last few posts I mentioned that my last trek around the Botanical Gardens ended at the Rose Cotillion.  I've been at the gardens each season, and at times, especially with the drought and extreme heat, they're not too pretty.   This time of year, and with all the nourishing rainfall the few weeks prior to me walking around the grounds were a god-send for the roses. They were all flourishing!!! With such a beautiful array of color and scents. And of course, I couldn't resist going over-board with the shutter button...

...and the fountain...

...and to continue showcasing my Trolls...

↓ My 14th Troll Share ↓

TROLL DOLL COLLECTION !!RARE!! Mermaid circa: early 90s

§ Bud's Siesta Time...My Time

Once again this week, I'm staying close to home. It's becoming a bit too routine, and I'd Rather B Birdin'!!!!! I have sketched some more, then using my oil pastels to add color. A couple of times, like I mentioned in a previous post, I nixed some of my sketches. I just wasn't pleased with the outcome of the outlining. I started two 'new' ones, and finished one. I had a most difficult time getting depth in the blossom [beginning of the 'coloring' seen here, the end result will be the last image shared on this post]. Anyway, we worked on the last of our jigsaw puzzle; almost done! And while Bud was taking his after-lunch siesta, I went outdoors in the yard to inspect the plants, etc. Just to see how much needs to be done in a week or two. Yes,  with some trees and plants going dormant, there will be a chore of winter kill and trimming. The temps are warming up again, Spring arrives shortly here in the south!! I did notice that my hybrid variegated hibiscus froze with the very low over night temps a few weeks back, but it survived and will have new growth showing up soon. In a way, the freeze probably did some good...revitalizing. Okay, so as I walked around noticing all the weed pulling and a vision of the electric hedge trimmer coming out of storage...this will be needed to be added to our work list, I took photos with the cellphone; the hibiscus [the insect on the blossom, by the way, is a Milkweed Assassin], the Christmas Cactus, and tea roses, the Mary Banks rose climber [Tombstone Rose] are all in bloom at the moment:

...and the last one, my finished oil pastel: Daffodil [aka "Sunny Delight".]

§ Timeless...

While the cold weather set in for a few days last week [mornings mostly], I did finally bring out my sketch pad. Then, the oil pastels and created a red rose. I titled it TIMELESS

§ 2020 in Review - Part III

More photos collection throughout the year. Taken from our yard, AND along the walkways when out birding. Speaking of birding, I think, going through folders on the computer, I realize that I take more pictures of flowers than birds even!! Here are a few of many, many in my collection, beginning with a panoramic view of bluebonnets...