Enjoying the rain and cooler weather

The rains and cooler weather came in time for us to enjoy our fall flowers. The asters survived the drought as did the lantana, white boneset and purple cenizo.

Many wildflowers that will bloom this spring have germinated after the rains. I can see bluebonnets, gailardia (also called Indian Blanket), poppies, Mexican pink primrose (Oenothea speciosa) and blue curls seedlings in my meadow.

If you are not familiar with these wildflowers, I recommend looking up the images on the internet or in a wildflower book such as “Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country,” by Marshall Enquist.

Now is the time to think of spring and plant your bulbs. Hyacinths and narcissus flowers do well here and start to push up through the soil in January or February. I like to force paperwhite narcissus to bloom in the house, but they can also be planted in the ground. If you force them in rocks and water to bloom in the house, the bulbs are too depleted to bloom again. If you plant them in the ground, they will not bloom until winter, but they will return each year as long as you let them grow until the foliage turns yellow. (Do not cut the foliage before it turns yellow.) They are very fragrant whether they bloom in the house or outside.

Enjoy the fall flowers as you prepare for the holiday season.