Thanks again, all. :-D I'm glad you enjoyed the pictures. I do feel very lucky to be able to enjoy so many lovely blooming things so early in the year, between my neighbor's yards and my own it's a feast for the senses. Julie, I wish that I could bottle some of the wisteria scent and ship it to you. You're right, it's just wonderful. And with it growing both out front and behind the house, it just seems to flow through the windows which ever way the breeze blows. We live in a little micro-climate, being so close to the ocean makes it hard for the weather guys to give us a really accurate forecast, they said we'd only see the high 50's for today but my back porch thermometer reads 68 right now, so who knows?? 8)
Zuzu, your photos continue to WOW me! That Azalea is gorgeous! We have Azalea's here, but they don't grow anywhere near that size or produce that many flowers. And your Wisteria is beautiful too. I bought a Carolina Wisteria last year that I want to keep in tree form. I'm not even sure it survived the winter or the rabbit attack yet. Apparently the Carolina Wisteria is the only one hardy enough for my yard.
Oh Zuzu, what beauty you have in your garden. Such stunning sights. Do you really grow your amarylis outside? Ours are grown indoors and given as Christmas gifts! I do so hope the weatherman is wrong wrong wrong, but just in case, I do think I would go out and fill a couple of big vases with fabulous flowers!
Oh cripes Zuzu I don't know how to express my fondness for those shots, just great. The Sparaxis looks unreal. I also like the way you are giving us a view of the neighbours' too
Y'all are just too, too kind! Netty, I'd put my money on the survival of your Wisteria, they are surprisingly tough. For me, keeping them in tree form is not really a hard job, but it is a constant one. They grow so fast that I think those two on each side of the driveway would meet in the middle and forbid us entry if we left on a 2 week vacation. The good thing is that they bloom on "old" wood, so the more I cut them back, the more densely they flower. E.J., I was so surprised when we moved here and I saw so many Amaryllis being grown in local garden beds. I'd always thought of them as potted plants too, in fact, most of mine were received as holiday gifts over the years. I do still have some that I grow in pots, so that I can display the pots on the front porch, but I leave the pots out in the winter weather so that they will bloom at the same time as those in the ground. You might want to try one to see if it will work for you, too. :-D I've read that they are hardy to USDA zone 7b which equates to winter lows of 5° to 10°F (-15° to -12°C). Our temperatures usually dip to about 20°F/-6C° a couple of times each winter, but I don't think I've ever lost one in the ground. I don't think it would be good for them to stay too wet in cold weather 'tho.
Thanks for the tips on Wisteria Zuzu. I've never grown it before. So the rabbits may have actually done me a favor by "pruning" it? I see no sign of growth on it yet, but then it's still a little early for that here...I don't even have blooms on my Daffodils or Tulips yet.
Interesting Zuzu - so in theory, if I plant a couple of bulbs in a sheltered well drained spot, and mulched them in the winter to keep the bulbs warm, they might grow for me outside. Now that would be an achievement!
Love the wisteria!! These are GREAT PICS!! I love the ornamental cherry. I wish I could find one here!! It would look great in my yard!! The amaryllis are nice, too. I have to do some covering tonight, we are expecting a freeze here after a month of 80 degree weather.
