"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

Thursday, August 26, 2010

My Favorites -- August 2010

Once again, I am joining Susan at Simply Susan! to show my favorites of this month.  

 
 
From top left clockwise: Cats' Wiskers (Orthosiphon stamenis) seems very happy with the new partial shade spot in my new sidegarden bed. One kind of ground orchid is also at the blooming peak. Torenia is my new favorite in the garden. It really brings lots of color into the shady spot of the garden. Angelonia angustifolia is the new addition to the garden. Datura metel double layered huge trumpet shaped flower sometimes looks so unreal, yet just gorgeous! Siam Tulip (Curcuma alismatifolia) is also my new favorite of this month.


The above are my heat loving favorites.  From top left clockwise: Zinnia, Allamanda (It has been blooming so flower prolifically!), another type of zinnia (a gift from my son);  Marigolds has passed its peak time, but now I have lots of seeds for the new season.  Canna Lily (Bengal Tiger) is soaring high into the sky.  My biggest zinnia in the garden! 


My favorite foliage:  From top left clockwise:  Crotons (can you believe they were just bare sticks after our January freeze?), Charmed Wine Oxalis, young caladium leaves hidden among the ornamental sweet potato leaves, Brazilian Red Hots (Alternanthera), more Caladiums!

Here comes more of my favorite foliage:

From top left clockwise: Coleus, Bromeliad (Neoregelia X Ultima), Coleus, Bromeliad (Neoregelia Tequila), Bromeliad (Neoregelia spectabilis), coleus. 
Center: Two kinds of bromeliad (identification, anybody?).

What are your favorites for this month?

18 comments:

  1. I really wished I got that lovely orchid in my garden, (Mine never seemed to flower - and Im thinking of giving it off)

    Really love your collection of wonderful coloured foliages.
    They are truly lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow Ami, you really have some wonderful, lovely, colorful plants.

    FlowerLady

    ReplyDelete
  3. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!! My cat whiskers finally has little buds!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Ami, you have some beautiful colors and contrasts in the garden! Every time I've visited you I learn about at least 1 plant I'd never heard of. You are good with the camera, too:-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ooh, beautiful bromeliad collection! Your garden is so full and mature for your having been at it for such a short time. I am very jealous of your ground orchids. Mine nearly died in February, and though we have nice leaves again, there are no signs of flowers. (Still crossing my fingers.)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Ami,
    Oh, how I wish my ground orchids would bloom. They are just now looking like real plants again since the winter freezes.

    All your blooms and plants really brighten my day. You put them together artfully in the collages. Very pretty. Great choices this month.

    Have a great weekend.
    Meems

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Ami...So glad you found a few extra minutes. WOW, you've got lots going on in your garden this month. I'm jealous that your ground orchid is blooming...mine isn't yet. And, your croton looks great. Mine are just starting to comeback. It's slow going around here. Your collages look beautiful! Also, I received your seeds and have already planted them in small containers. I can hardly wait til they sprout. Thanks for your genersity.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Ami,

    Although all of your plants are beautiful, I had trouble moving past the photo of your orchid....such a beauty :-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ami - all your plants are beautiful, but I'm just totally in love with your foliage plants.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Your Zinnia flowers look really outstanding. The bugs and assorted Zinnia pestilence always seem to get to my Zinnia attempts.But I keep on trying hoping for a breakthrough. :]

    ReplyDelete
  11. James: Sorry that your ground orchid doesn't bloom, maybe need a little bit more sun/light? Mine does get about 3 to 4 hour sun each day.

    FlowerLady: Thanks! Seems when putting everything together in the collage made my garden looking more colorful :)

    Darla: When I bought cat whiskers, I thought they were very delicate looking. But now they really grow like weed, and bloom crazy as well! I really love its flowers, and it is so easy to propagate from cuttings too!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Jan: I am glad that you are able to find something in my garden you never heard of. Maybe because we have three zones difference between us?

    FG: Thanks! Looking the garden today compared to one year ago, I guess I did spend lots of time in the garden, and plant shopping! I hope I can slow down the plant shopping a little bit since now I can get some free plants from cuttings and seedlings.

    ReplyDelete
  13. FG, Meems and Susan: Your comments about ground orchids made a good reminder to me that this beauty is not cold-hardy. If this coming winter gets real cold (hope not!), I may consider digging them out and put them in the container.

    I am also glad that at least they are all coming back alive to you all. Hope you can get some flowers soon!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Meems: Thanks! Your photos often brighten my day too!

    Susan: Yes, I was glad that I could make it too! It is nice to put the favorite together at the end of the month. Also, it is a good book-keeping too.

    Hope the seeds can sprout for you since I never had any experience with these seeds. I am still trying to collect more, but the majority flowers seems just fall without producing the seeds.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Noelle: Glad that ground orchid grabs your full attention :) This is also my first time to see the ground orchid blooms like this in aboundance! Pretty!

    Wendy: I also appreciate more to the beautiful foliage. As matter of fact, I am collecting more and more plants with pretty foliage, in that case, I can always have something to enjoy even nothing is blooming.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Sanddune: Luckily I have not seen any pest/bugs on my Zinnias yet (knocking on the wood). Good luck with continuing trial. I like it not only it is heat tolerance, but also I got lots of free plants from the self seedlings.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Your garden and my, are on the same page, except for the wine oxalis (the word oxalis brings chills up my spine) I have everything else. I love the cat whiskers but I lost them all this past winter

    ReplyDelete
  18. Rusty: I guess the word "oxalis" brings some bad memory for you, huh? :) Fortunately this is not same as the oxalis weeds. Also, currently it is not in ground, still in a container, but it is supposed not to be invasive though. Thanks for letting me know this cat's wiskers is not cold hardy, another thing I need to watch out before the cold front coming. I guess I can take the cuttings before, since it is very easy to root the cuttings.

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...