Spring has sprung

At last, flowers are beginning to bloom in my yard.  This first photo is a small plant I bought the fall before last on sale at the local garden center.  I bought two of them, and the other was eaten to the ground last fall, so it has no blooms on it yet.  It did survive the banquet, fortunately, and is showing green leaves.  I don't remember the name of this one, but I love the flowers.  They remind me of a dragon, for some reason.  (fire-breathing, of course!)

This is the hardiest plant I have in my yard so far.  I have three huge, vibrant clumps of this firecracker penstemon.  The awesome thing about this plant (besides the red flowers) is that the rabbits have no desire to eat it!  That is pretty amazing, considering they seem to eat absolutely everything else.  The hummingbirds love to feast on the nectar of this plant, which is an extra added bonus.  I actually lured a hummingbird out of my garage last year with a stem of one of these penstemon.

Some of you readers may remember my quest last year for the native desert mallow.  I have longed to have one (or two or three) of these orange blooming flowers in my yard ever since I first encountered one!  This year, I am proud to show you the wonderful orange cups of one growing in my front yard!!!!  Yay!  This one was carefully sheltered inside a fortress of chicken wire all winter.  It had grown enough that it filled the chicken wire fortress, and everywhere a stem or leaf was brave enough to protrude beyond its protective shelter, it would inevitably get eaten.  Those pesky wabbits!  I had to make my chicken wire fortress bigger, and I am so proud and happy about each and every orange blossom I see. 

Here is the most recent Joshua Tree painting.  It is SUCH a love affair for me!  Oil on canvas, measuring 24 x 18 inches.