Phlox divaricata.

i'm very happy with the phlox divaricata (louisiana phlox) i bought last march. it started blooming about ten days ago and is still going. it's a great looking groundcover by the front door; if only i had twelve plants instead of two.

p. divaricata can be propagated by division in the fall; hopefully i'll remember to do it.

Weed Catalog.

embarassing as it is to admit, these are some of the weeds growing (and thriving) here:

• nutsedge -- cyperus esculentusL.
  
• indian strawberry -- duchesnea indica
  
• bedstraw -- galium l., possibly g. aparine (stickywilly); see also http://aggie-turf.tamu.edu/answers4you/grasswee/broadlf/bedstraw.html
  
• dollarweed -- hydrocotyle l., possibly h. umbellata; see also http://aggie-turf.tamu.edu/answers4you/grasswee/broadlf/dollar.html
  
• yellow oxalis -- oxalis l., possibly o. stricta (common yellow oxalis)
  
• pink oxalis -- possibly o. violacea (violet woodsorrel)
  
• starwort -- stellaria l., possibly s. media (common chickweed); see also http://aggie-turf.tamu.edu/answers4you/grasswee/broadlf/cchick.html

then there are those that are in the grey area between weed and desirable plant, depending on individual taste.

for now, i choose to call these desirable. i have three reasons: 1) they appear on their own in my yard and are, therefore, free of cost; 2) assuming i have them correctly identified (and i think i do), they are native to this general area; and 3) they are attractive.

• dichondra (ponysfoot) -- dichondra l., possibly d. carolinensis
  
• false garlic -- nothoscordum l., possibly n. bivalve (crow's poison)
  
• wild violet -- viola l., possibly v. sororia (common blue violet)

Ipheion uniflorum "Wisley Blue".

the wisley blues that were just starting to bloom nine days ago are gradually increasing in number.

the flowers are not large, but they close at night (and on overcast, rainy days) and reopen for three or four days. i haven't tried cutting any to bring inside, so i don't know how well they hold up. i'm torn between leaving them to try for the flower-carpet effect and satisfying my curiousity about their vase viability.

update: i decided to go ahead and cut some to put in water. i'll try to note how long they last. the erlicheers i brought in yesterday remain beautiful.

i'm also trying to remember to note how flowers smell. the wisley blues have a delicate scent similar to green tea.

Narcissus "Erlicheer".

the narcissus "erlicheer" by the front door started blooming late last week. unfortunately, the recent rains have beaten down the scapes. i think part of the problem is that they are top heavy -- the scapes are relatively long and have multiple flowers, anywhere from six to twelve per scape.

since the poor things were pretty much lying flat on the ground i went ahead and cut them to bring inside. and that led to an extended flower photo session. my digital camera is far from top-of-the-line and my photographic skills are far from great, so i had a tough time getting pictures that could do the erlicheers justice. and, of course, pictures can't convey the scent of the flowers. it is strong but not unpleasant -- sweet and citrusy, i would say. in the background is my lavandula multifida (fern leaf lavender).

last year the erlicheers bloomed a few weeks earlier, early-february rather than mid- / late-february.

Lilies in the Liriope.

i've been watching and waiting for signs of the "royal fantasy" lilies i had last year but had started to despair that they weren't going to return. yesterday i finally found sprouts. there are some offsets also sprouting but i'm not sure they'll bloom.

now, for the pixie lilies i loved so much -- no sign of them yet.

Ipheion uniflorum "Wisley Blue".

the wisley blues that started sprouting long ago in november may finally be ready to bloom. one lonely flower opened today.

First Crocus.

at last, a month after i found the first sprouts, the crocus tomasinianus have arrived. i had thought that last year they were blooming on february 3rd (our anniversary) and was a little discouraged that they weren't blooming yet. of course, if i'd bothered to look in my own archives, i would have discovered that they are pretty much right on time.

next year i'll try to remember that the crocus bloom for valentine's day, not our anniversary.

The Crocus are Coming.

when i went out to pick up the newspaper this morning i stopped to look for signs of the crocus tomasinianus that are scattered in the vicinity of the driveway end. after some serious searching, i found several sprouts just beginning to emerge.

Narcissus "Erlicheer".

all five of the original narcissus "erlicheer" have now sprouted, as well as three offsets. so far, three have flower scapes visible, but they're still some time from blooming.

at an average of twelve inches tall, the erlicheers are ahead of where they were last year.

Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum (Bird Pepper).

last week darin brought me an unknown plant from a friend's property near austin. it had been growing in the underbrush and its sparse leaves made it look ratty. however, it was covered with tiny, bright red berries so i had him put it in a temporary container until i could decide what to do with it.

today i squished one of the berries -- they are tiny, pearl sized -- with my finger. not much came out, just a little juice and a few seeds. looking at the seeds, i realized that they looked just like pepper seeds.

i've read about chile pequin, aka "bird pepper,"  and know they grow wild in texas, but i've never seen either plant or fruit.

now, i'm an incredibly cautious person and have a very healthy respect for what i don't know. totally against character, i touched the squished berry to my tongue. only a teensy bit.

holy cow, it was HOT! my lips were on fire for twenty minutes. these are much hotter than serranos.

drinking lots of milk does alleviate the burn.

i didn't think chile pequin had any use beyond providing food for birds (certainly reason enough for existence), but it turns out that they are attractive small perennials and can be used as an ornamental.

they can also be used in salsas, soups, and such, but i would use with great caution.

now that i know what it is, i'll definitely be keeping this plant. somewhere.

more chile pequin info:

• bird pepper (garden bits)
  
• pequin chiles (a taste of texas)
  
• chile pequin, chile petin, bird pepper (lady bird johnson wildlife center)