Last night we got one of those strange Texas storms.  Heavy rains rolled in sometime after we went to sleep, and this morning when I woke up, the birds were chirping, and there was that great smell that happens in the mornings after it rains.

Of course, one of the the first things I do every morning is make a pot of Peet’s coffee, and then open the french doors to our red deck and take a look out back.  When it rains here in Austin, it’s usually a torrential downpour for a couple of hours. 1-2 inches a night isn’t uncommon  I’m guessing that’s what we got last night, as there is a bit of standing water left in some patches of the yard.  I’m gonna have to work on the drainage issues later this year, and try to get the patches of bermuda grass to grow back in.

What I was most interested in was over against my south fence.  Last fall I prepared a couple of beds of bulbs, and over the last few weeks we have been watching and anxiously waiting the spring blooms.  This is the third post in the series of four:

1. the first was planting the beds
2. the second was sprouting bulbs,
3. this post is the third, with the first bloom,
4. and the last one will be  when the daffodils are in full bloom.

Since it is so early (March 1), I’m hoping to get a great display throughout the end of winter, and most of spring.

It’s only mid December here in Austin, but we’ve already had a couple of nights dipping below freezing. So I guess the daffodil bulbs I planted a few months ago think that spring is coming soon.
It’s strange to see Christmas lights out, and activity in my garden, but I guess that’s what you get when you live in zone 8.
I know from experience that these little guys shouldn’t be disturbed right now. They are at a very sensitive stage. But I’m hoping I planted them at the right density and spacing to get a fantastic bed of yellow flowers.
And, I’m not the only one, either – over at Gardeingweb.com, there are a bunch of people getting sprouts even earlier than me.