Byzantine Glads, etc...

Last fall I purchased some Byzantine Glad bulbs from the Southern Bulb Company. These were NOT cheap bulbs mind you, but I had a terrible time finding them anywhere for much cheaper, so I took the plunge and bought 3 bulbs (12 bucks a bulb - holy be-jeezuz!!). TOTALLY worth it!! These are bea-u-tiful!! Out of 3 bulbs, I got 5 big ol' bloom stalks in the first bloom since planting. Looky:



And closer:



I am absolutely loving these gladiolas. They are a wonderful magenta and they stand up all on their own - I don't need to stake them. I am so buying more of these next year. They are supposed to naturalize, but I am impatient, and I want more, right now. I saw some other on-line bulb stores had something they CALLED byzantine glads for super-cheap, but when I did the research, these turned out NOT to be the same thing - they are impostors. Still pretty, but much lighter in color and much, much smaller. Several people tried these ones and they were very tiny - not at all the same thing. You have to get the ones from Texas, NOT the imported ones. The imported ones are a different thing.

And other things going on in my garden...

The bees and butterflies are loving the Eve's Necklace blooms:



Funereal Duskywing:



Poppies:



Can you tell I love poppy-type flowers? Corn poppies, California poppies, yellow flax:



I planted my Texas bluebell starts around the fountain.I hear they do well around stock tanks and I thought, well I will plant them near the fountain then:



Hill country penstemon (Penstemon triflorus):



I planted my new tulips in the fountain flower bed also:



The Texas tuberose (Manfreda maculosa)are getting bloom stalks:



And a garden friend: