Myrsine africana, It Turns Out/Traschelospermum Starring Moment

 

I decided to leave the Nandina and the Myrtle where they were and bought a Myrsine africana, common name "African Boxwood" (no it's not boxwood, it just plays like one).  Purchased to hide the unattractive piping and valves by the front door, it may do that job perfectly.

 The name Myrsine is from the Greek name for the similar-looking Myrtle.  This species is native to many places from Africa to Arabia and Southeast Asia, one location being the western  Cape region of South Africa, a climate very similar to ours.  It handles summer dry and summer heat perfectly well and has dense, evergreen growth, perfect for hiding something.   I've long wanted to try this plant, and the opportunity to do so has arrived.  

 

Or maybe the task of moving an established shrub scared me off.  

 The star of the garden, indeed the star of many gardens in our neighborhood at the moment, is Trachelospermum jasminoides, common name "Star Jasmine".  Common, useful plant as vine but also as groundcover.  I grow several as vines.

A very pretty place to store the trash bins.  I moved the bins for the photo:

The flowers are sweetly fragrant.

It's fighting the Hardenbergia for control of the arch:

Any thing else at its best in this moment?  Aloe pseudorubroviolacea, now ready for Orioles to pull off the flowers one at a time and fly away with them:

After much thought, I'll plant the Myrsine in a pot (they do well in pots for quite a long while) and see how it does, before putting it into the ground.  Digging up an established shrub...it's a tough job!

Easy job:  Alstroemeria admiration 

Lately I've been enjoying the garden more instead of getting anything accomplished in it.  

But that's okay.  

The Hunnemannia are fabulous this spring.

Seeing this newly hatched Mantis was magic:

I hope you are relishing Spring's magic in your garden, too.