"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

Saturday, May 21, 2011

May Flowers


Just realized that I have not posted for quite a while, although my May garden has been growing by leaps and bounds. 

I have been working on a new raised bed in my garden, which will also be served partially as a vegetable bed.  Will show you some photos when it is more presentable.

For now, let me just show you some new flowers in the garden.

Tropical Liac (Cornutia grandifolia) lost majority of leaves during the cold weather in last December.  It grows so fast after the weather warmed up.  Now they are shooting their  lavendar colored flower spikes into the air again.



Just love the scent of this plant when walking by and brush against the leaves, or when hand-watering the leaves.


Since this plant is not seen in the nurseries, I have tried several times to start more of this plant from seeds, or cuttings to share with friends,but with no luck. I heard it should not be too difficult based on what I read from the Internet. So, I will keep trying.  Maybe I just did not do it in the right way.


I picked up this Salvia 'Black and Blue' at the clearance rack in last December after the cold front visited Florida.  The plant had bad frost bites.  Now it looks so happy in a full sun location of my garden.  I love any blue flowers in the garden, and the almost black sepals contrast the blue flowers so nicely.  Oh, wait a minute.  Is that a spiderweb?  Often when I intend to capture a spiderweb in the picture, it hardly comes out good.  It is either out of focus, or invisible in the photo.  Seems this spiderweb that I caught by accident in the photo  is my most successful shot!

Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'

 Another blue flower: Blue butterfly. It has such beautiful flower, does look like a blue butterfly.

Clerodendrum ugandenseCommon name: Blue Butterfly

This Penta plant was started from several cuttings from my friend's garden.  It now becomes my favorite Penta plant.


Yay, Medinilla started showing lots of flowers again after a dormant period!  Remember how I got it?  See the story behind this plant, read here.
Medinilla cumingii
Crape Jasmine in full blooming...


Love the combination of Crape Jasmine and the pink Ixora.


My friend gave me this bush daisy.  I love its airy leaves, and risen cheery yellow flowers.  The flowers come in waves, one flush after another with a short resting period in between.

Bush Daisy (Gamolepis chrysanthemoides)
Remember I mentioned that I only have one green branch left in my Hybrid Tea Rose 'Peace' in my Rose Update post?  That single green branch recently had one bud developed, and it is blooming now!

'Peace'
Look what I found in the garden!  A Calla Lily bloom!  Yes, you can tell I am excited.  My friend gave me a bunch of seedlings from her Calla lilies, which were originally bought from a big box store.  She said every year the leaves emerge in early spring, but never re-bloomed for her.  Last year, the leaves grow so nicely, but no flowers, and then leaves disappeared in the winter.  This spring the leaves grow again, and I did not expect much from them although the leaves alone are beautiful.   My friend called me a couple of weeks ago and told me that she saw one flower from her Calla lily, and sure enough, one week later, I saw one from mine!  Yes, it only has one flower, but better than nothing, and it is a good start!



Here is another surprise from garden. When I just started my garden almost two years ago, one of my coworkers gave me one bromeliad with dark purple leaves, and no name.  He only told me that the leave will burn if put in a sunny location.  So I kept it in a container located in a partial shade area.  For two years, it did nothing except shooting out of the pups.   It started looking messy, and working around it becomes a dangerous job since the edge of the leaves has saw blade like spikes.


I am that close to toss it away.  It seems knows what I am thinking, almost like all of sudden, two flower spikes shot out from the middle of leaves, and The flowers are orange-red color, and have wax like texture.  Anybody recognize this bromeliad?  I think for the time being, it will be a keeper.


What have been flowering in your May Garden?

18 comments:

  1. Ami ~ You always have such lovely and interesting plants growing and blooming. I've never seen the tropical lilac. I too love blues in my gardens. That was a great surprise shot with the spiderweb and the salvia.

    Once again, I've been inspired by your wonderful array of bloomers.

    Have a great weekend ~ FlowerLady

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  2. You have lots of beautiful tropicals of which a few grow here with protection. Pentas may or may not return, so I always root a few in case. The ones that return from the roots take until sometime in June to bloom. Cuttings are blooming now for the delight of butterflies.

    When I read 'Crape Jasmine' I thought, Cape Jasmine? I know the difference now. My MIL called gardenias Cape Jasmine. They're blooming now. Crape Jasmine couldn't take our winters.

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  3. Oh, what great images! The salvia's picture with a spiderweb is absolutely stunning!

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  4. Oh Ami, your May garden is wonderful. As I looked at each photo, I thought "oh this is my favorite photo" and then I looked at the next one and thought "no, this one is my favorite!" Each one more beautiful than the last :-)

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  5. Your May garden is doing great! I'm so happy you got a good spider web shot even if by accident. I've been trying to capture the ones around here and I just don't seem to be able to either. Maybe I'll get a happy accident soon:)

    I've never seen the tropical lilac before. It is quite pretty and if it smells good too, what a great combination. Your garden areas are looking very filled in since last year. Can't wait to see the new area with the veggies!

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  6. Hey Ami...You've always got so many colorful and wonderful flowers blooming in your garden. Your brom is very unusual. I don't think I've ever seen it on anyone's blog. Perhaps Rainforest Gardener might be able to i.d. it for you.

    Great shot of the spiderweb. I always have trouble photographing them, too. Your black and blue salvia looks so pretty against the white fence.

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  7. FlowerLady: Thanks! For some reason, I also have not seen Tropical Lilac for sale anywhere here, although I have seen it in Miami Fairchild tropical garden and another Garden. I got it last year at a Memberday of Flamingo gardens.

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  8. NellJean: Yes, I think we have lots of common plants that can grow in our different zones. Pentas here are almost perinnial, only I found they don't look too good after two years, you just reminded me that I should have taken some cuttings and start some fresh plants.

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  9. Tatyana: Thanks! I am happy to get that spiderweb picture with the blue salvia :)

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  10. Jayne: You are so sweet! Glad that you loved my pictures!

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  11. NanaK:

    I often saw some fabulous spiderweb pictures on other bloggers' sites. I guess I don't know what are their secrets :)

    Yes, that Tropical Lilac has great smell on their leaves when rubbing against, not the flowers. I love the scent and the lavender flowers. You are right about my garden is "VERY" filled since last year, maybe it is more than "filled", it is crowed in some area :)

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  12. Susan:

    Thanks! That brom's flowers do look lovely, only the leaves are a little intimidating to me with all those spikes.

    Those spiderwebs are hard to photograph, aren't they?

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  13. Oh my goodness... I have NO IDEA what kind of bromeliad that is, though it does remind me of an aechmea. I'm going to ask around and I'll get back to you!

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  14. I love all of it, Ami, but that Blue Butterfly is so precious. I'm going to look it up!

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  15. Oh, Ami, THAT LILAC is really something. I remember when you first got it... it has grown nicely and the blooms are lovely. And what a bonus that it is fragrant. Keep trying on cuttings. :-) I can't believe your ugandese is already in flower. Mine has come back from the ground but no buds yet... not usually until the middle of summer. Reminds me of how different it is down south of here.

    Fun that your calla is blooming... and the bromeliad... love the foliage color, too.

    So much going on in your May garden and all very exciting.
    Meems

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  16. Wow! I really enjoyed your photos and information. I plan to relocate from New York to South Florida in a few years, and I will definitely return to your site for inspiration and idea.

    Thanks,
    Kevin

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  17. You have such unique gems - your garden always looks so nice. I like that photo with the perfectly defined spiderweb in the background!

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  18. Ami, you have a lot going on in your garden in May. I find it a lot of fun to go back on my blog a year ago and note what was blooming at the same time last year. I think you have a lot more plants than last year don't you?

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