Let the sunshine in!

Because the macro shots are still in my head, I decided to take a few more and to stick with the yellow theme.  I really like yellow in the garden, so it wasn't hard finding some examples of buttery beauty!

First is this jonquil daffodil (Narcissus sp.) that came from a mixed bulb bunch from McClure and Zimmerman.  The fragrance is amazing!  I never knew how awesome daffodils can smell till I got this one!

Next up is a stalk of bulbine (Bulbine frutescens) blooms.  It really doesn't make for a good close-up, and personally I think these blooms only look good en masse and from a distance.  However, it was fun to get a good gander at the funny fuzzy centers.  They remind me of moth antennae, and while reading a post at Great Stems, I learned that male moths have fuzzy antennae which is how you know they're male!  Or something.   I'm awful with insect information.

One reason I have bulbine blooms so early in the year is that the winter was extraordinarily mild, which also helps explain how I have buckets of African Bush Daisy (Euryops chrysanthemoides) although I'm only showing one bloom today.  None of these plants suffered any damage at all which was very shocking.  I thought they might have sustained SOMETHING, not to complain, but it's just weird.

For dessert, I offer Chocolate Flower (Berlandiera lyrata).  This is a very recent purchase, but I am VERY excited about how chocolatey the blooms smell!  Divine!  And I was surprised to learn that this is native to Texas.  I had heard about this plant years ago on a "Gardening by the Yard" episode that featured a chocolate-themed garden.  Isn't that such a neat idea?  I bet you could have a vanilla-themed garden as well and perhaps a strawberry-themed garden and make a Neapolitan garden!

I can't wait for the sunflowers to start burstin' out for some more yellow-y goodness!