July Garden

With a two-week vacation, and very hot humid weather we have been experiencing in South Florida, my gardening time has been cut to the minimum in July. 

Fortunately, there are lots of plants in my garden love this weather much better than the gardener.

This south east garden corner of my backyard is in a full sun area.  Various agaves, bulbine plants, yellow allamanda, black and blue salvia, red ornamantal pineapple thrive by their own without much help from me.

This narrow stripe of flower bed is located at the south side of the backyard, and also in the full sun.  Three rose bushes were situated in this bed, including ‘Belinda’s Dream’ and other two hybrid tea roses.  Other plants include zinnias, pentas, bulbine plants, bromeliads around the Christmas palm tree base, purple fountain grass, flax lilies, marigolds, dusty miller, mealy cup sage and Artillery Fern.

Remember my post “Singing The Zinnia Song” ?   They are now growing everywhere in my full sun flowerbeds, and they almost reach to four to five feet tall!  Look at all these colorful big flowers! I almost think they look like roses in distant, only without the fragrance.

All my three ‘Orange Marmalade Crossandras’ are now blooming, and pups are growing from their bases too. 

More American Elegans Zinnias are growing in this west side flowerbed.

‘Miss Muffet’ caladiums and bromeliads in a shady corner of this same flower bed.

Ground orchids this year are a little late than last year.  Although the leaves are growing healthy and full, but the flowers are not as prolific as last year.   Hopefully I can see their outstanding performance in the next a couple of months.


I have three different colors of Siam Tulips, white, light pink and deep pink.  This is the second year I have them in my garden.  One of the clumps might not be in its optimum location.  I need to relocate it to a shady area after they finish blooming.


I was very surprised to find out several of my roses were actually doing great, and even blooming when I came back from the vacation in the middle of July.


Below is ‘Josephine Land’ which was brought home unplanned.  I went to that nursery to expect they had “Belinda’s Dream” for sale early this year, only found out it was sold out.  The owner then recommended me ‘Josephine Land’ for its fragrance.  It does have nice fragrance, but very light.  However, look at her, blooming in the middle of Florida Summer, no black spots to spray, I think this one might have longer life in my garden compared to other roses I had.


For some reason, I have not had much good luck to grow Agapathus (African Lily) in my garden.  Believe it or not, this is the only flower scrape I got out of six Agapathus I have, and it did not bloom until July.   They seem to be such easy plants for all other Florida gardeners.    hmmm…. 


This plumbago started taking off this summer since I bought it in one gallon size last year.  Love love to look at its sky-blue color, soothing in this hot summer.


August is expected to be another hot month for us Florida Gardeners.  I will continue spend more time indoor.   I am glad that at least my previous efforts paid off, so that now I can enjoy my garden from my air-conditioned house . 

Stay cool, my friends!