Brave Little Winter Buds & a New (Old) Table

Some of our spring-flowering bulbs--just planted last year, and therefore not well established--have already started blooming.

One of the cemetery irises (Iris albicans) that Matt found for me last winter is putting on its first flower. Unfortunately, I didn't catch it at its peak, so it looks a little squashed.

Our first iris

We planted green-dotted snowflakes (Leucojum aestivum) among the roses, and most of them are blooming confusedly on abnormally short stems.

Snowflakes (Leucojum aestivum) have an endearing modesty and primness

A particularly ambitious but confused little snowflake--all of 2.5" tall

The iris and snowflakes are the only bright spots in an otherwise desolated garden. Those cold snaps in the 20s really put the kaibosh on the usual staple winter plants in Central Texas. Our rose garden looks especially grim.

Amidst the general devastation in the rose garden, I do kind of like the arching, looping structure of this 'New Dawn' climbing rose

Meanwhile, at least we do have a nice green lawn... of a sorts. The St. Augustine--loathesome stuff--is all browny-grey, but we have large patches of this pretty ferny unknown. It's like a zillion little carrot seedlings. No idea what it actually is, but it's a nice bright green, and it's unfazed by frost, so I'm happy enough to see it.

Our "lawn"

New Table
Someone on a listserv I belong to (called "HerDomain"--for women in technology in the Austin area) offered this table from the 1920s for sale for $200. Now's not the best moment for us to be buying furniture, what with the ongoing fireplace project, gutter project, pond project, and an upcoming professional development training session I'll be attending, but the price sounded pretty darn good to me, especially for a table made out of real wood that is period-appropriate to the house. And we've been wanting to replace that tile-top table (such a pain to clean, and wobbly to boot) for ages.

So I ignored my checking account's indignant squeals and... voila!

I like to think that this is more or less how Spiderman would protect his furniture during transport, if he had a trailer.

Braced for highway travel

It's a bit small, but it's in very good shape and has nifty draw-leaf action. Looks good, no?

The new table in its new home