Our season is coming to a close for some of our favorite bloomers. I saw a Zephyranthes candida last week but have a feeling that will be one of the last ones I see. It was in Beaumont with a reporter from the Beaumont Enterprise when we discovered it. I did not realize the Beaumont Enterprise was owned by the Hearst Corporation. When I was a kid we would go to Hearst Castle in California along the coast...it was really spectacular.

I saw some other interesting things last week, like this crinum that was growing in a puddle of water. There is no doubt in my mind that this crinum will live and continue to be extremely healthy. Dr. Bill Welch and others nurseries are beginning to propagate, promote, and sell the 'Peggy Martin' Rose, a rose that survived in New Orleans after being under 20 foot of sea water for two weeks. The only other thing that survived in the garden was a crinum and as Dr. Welch has coined the phrase that no crinum has ever died. We are working on a selection for you this spring.

The spider lily (Lycoris radiata) show was amazing this year in some area and poor in others (like ours). Oxbloods did really well with colors coming into their full dark, oxblood red hues. Ben took a nice photo on the far left showing the differences between a hardy amaryllis and an oxblood. We are going to miss these bloomers, but are looking forward to the Narcissus tazettas and other blooms that are coming.

The whole crew is really working hard right now. Ben has also been doing speaking engagements and Brad is not only holding the fort down, he's reinforcing it with all sorts of good things. I had to get away for awhile with family and focus on some business matters...what better place to do that then fishing in Idaho. Couldn't really cast too well yesterday because the line kept freezing to the pole, but did manage to pull this 30 plus inch brown trout out. What kind of bulbs would grow in Idaho? If we did farm up here, I wonder (for equipment) if there might be any potato farmers in the region? (I'm joking)

I saw this yard being watered last week. We've had quite a bit of rain in Texas and it has made for some pretty skies.















Pumpkins make a nice addition to any setting. This is a picture of Cynthia Mueller at Dr. Welch's cottage near Burton.

Had a brown snake wonder on to the road at the farm. I put him in my personal gardening plot to help manage my pests.