"Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil, getting dirty without feeling guilty, and generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity. " ~Lindley Karstens

Sunday, April 25, 2010

My Favorites -- April 2010

It is that time again!  On the 25th of every month, Susan at "Simply Susan" asks us to join her to show our favorites of the month. 

April is a month that made even more difficult to choose the favorites.  So I decided that it is okay to have many favorites :)

From top left clockwise:  Carolina Breeze Hibiscus, Sedum Gold, Double Impatiens,
Yellow Lantana Trailing, Vinca, Milkweed.
 Middle: Gazanias

Purple, Blue and White are my favorite colors in the garden.  Here are some of blooms in this category.

From top left corner clockwise: African Iris, Society Garlic, Purple Verbena,
Mona Lavender, Crape Jasmine, Blue Verbena
Begonia is my new favorite.  Since I bought the dragon wing begonia in January, I have been in love with this flower.  So I got more...  Only I don't have the names for the two shown in the first row of the following picture.  They have similar flower structure as dragon wing begonia (in cluster), but the leaves are different.  Anybody recognizes them?  The second row is dragon wing begonia and wax begonia.

Begonias (Enlarge to see the detail)
I don't have many orchids in my garden.  This month I have four of them in blooming.  My very first Cattleya bloom (Jewel Box)  opened at the end of last month and lasted until the first week of this month.  The two Phalaenopsis Orchids shown are the ones reblooming for me for the first time since I got them about two years ago.  As an inexperienced gardener, I thought orchids are house plants, only found out the indoor environment is too dry for them.  Only until last year, I realized that they do best outdoor in the shade. I guess these two  Phalaenopsis Orchids are the rewards to me :)  The new epidendrum orchid is still holding its brilliant orange flower heads. 
Jewel Box Cattleya, Phalaenopsis Orchids and Epidendrum Orchids
(click to enlarge)
This month my rose corner experienced the first flush of blooms since I established them early this year.  I know I have showed all these roses several times, but I am afraid with the fast approaching summer of south Florida, this month could be the one they look their best for many months following.  So, I have to show them again to remember them in their glory peak.


From top left clockwise: First Prize, Paradise, Double Delight, Queen Elizabeth,
'Burgundy Surprise', Perfume Delight and Peace (Click to enlarge to see detail)
Hope you enjoyed my favorites of this month.  What are your favorites this month?

12 comments:

  1. I can see why you have so many favorites. When all is blooming it's hard to not love them all isn't it? That epidendren orchid is very nice, so bold and bright. I hope you are able to enjoy your roses right on through summer, but if not, I'm sure once it cools down again they will be right back to all those beautiful blooms. Thanks for sharing your favorites.

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  2. Ami,
    You have really done well with your Roses. They all look great which is not an easy task in South Florida.

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  3. aloha ami,

    love the blooms and the mosaic do did for them.

    hope you can join again for the hot, lout and proud meme at the end of every month?

    here's the last one, hope you can join us for the end of the month....

    http://aplantfanatic.blogspot.com/2010/03/hot-loud-and-proud.html

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  4. You have a beautiful collection of roses! And you're lucky to have orchid blooms. Right now, I only have a couple in bloom, although there are new bloom spikes rising on a few of them. :D I had stored them by the back doors during the cold blast and withheld watering for two months. This is probably why they stopped blooming.

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  5. Haha, "So I decided that it is okay to have many favorites." ...
    I know how difficult it was for you to choose your monthly favorite, all of them are your babies from the garden in this lovely spring time. And for me, it's really nice to see you "collcet" all the beautiful photos together! :)

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  6. Yes it is difficult to choose the favorite, i like your changing them every now and then. I love them but most especially how you make them into a collage, esp because i dont know yet how to do them. By the way, the epidendrums are beautiful for me if only the flowers are seen, but i dont like their vegetative form, so long and struggly.

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  7. What beautiful collections of flowers blooming in your garden this month. I love the way you categorized them together in mosaics...very clever. April really does seem to be a high volume bloom month. Thanks for joining me by posting your favorites.

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  8. I like your list, I am in complete agreement with you about begonias, they love the Florida April weather.

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  9. So many beautiful flowers to pick from. I'm sure it would be hard to choose just one. I admire anyone who does well with roses in Florida.

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  10. Thanks all for the nice words.

    NanaK, Sanddune, Deborah: I also wish my Roses will look as beautiful as now in the summer. Actually with recent wet weather, they start showing the black spots already. If they don't survive this summer, I am going to try some other varieties that are more suitable for Florida, such as knockouts and antique roses.


    Noel: Thanks for stopping by my garden. I wish I can join your meme again. But recently I am quite busy with work, and I again have no idea what I can show :(

    FG: As long as the orchids bloom, late showing will be just fine. For me, since they rebloomed for me the first time, I am happy enough. You must have a great collection of the orchids. Looking forward to some pictures in near future.


    Muggle: It is so right that I feel all the plants are my babies, and I am a proud mom to show them off, and don't want leave any out :)(well, I still left some out)

    Andrea: I just learned how to make collage photos not long ago. I downloaded the Picassa from blogpost dashbord. Susan told me that. It is quite easy to use once you start it.

    Susan: Categorizing them was the only way that I can include many for favorites, and yet not bore the readers with long list of pictures :) Thanks for hosting this great meme!

    Rusty: I saw you have two exact begonias in your garden, they look lovely in the ground. I currently have them in the containers. Once I have a more suitable area in the garden, I will try to put them in the ground as well. LOVE LOVE you lotus leaved begonia in your garden!

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  11. I'm glad you have so many favourites. Varieties is what I like. They are all very lovely, bright and the colours are vibrant!

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  12. I've been selecting plants in the yellows, oranges and reds to plant in our new garden, because I felt that would go better with the color of the brick and siding of the house. But I *love* your photos of the flowers in the blues and lilac color palette! Just beautiful.

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