Have not been posting anything for a while... Being busy and maybe also a little bit lazy explains this long blog break very well. Now the hot summer is behind us, we Floridian are in the best weather of the year. I love this cool weather, and I got more energy out of it. I found myself enjoying working in the garden again, although the gardening time is even more limited after daylight savings time ended.
I have been doing lots of gardening chores, most of them were related to cleaning, trimming, removing the dead plants. After a long summer, lots of plants are either growing huge, or looking sad. However, there are lots of plants seem enjoying this cool weather as much as this gardener.
Here are some pictures from last month that I would like to post here for my own record keeping.
Roses perform much better in this cool weather than they were in the hot humid Florida summer.
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| Josephine's Land |
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| Queen Elizabeth |
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| Peace |
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| Belinda's Dream |
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| Belinda's Dream |
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| Firespike (Odontonema strictum) |
My friend gave me one small cutting of pagoda flower early this year. Since I have not found the proper spot, I kept it in a one gallon pot. As young as it was, it surprised me with its first flower cluster last month.
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| Pagoda Flower (Clerodendrum paniculatum) |
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| Bridal Bouquet (Plumeria pudica) |
The following are more recent pictures from this month's garden.
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| Bromeliad Corner is now more filled in. |
Does anybody know the name of the bromeliad below? This one performs very well in the full sun.
On the other side, Neoregelia Zoe could not take much sun. Too much sun will burn its leaves and fade the color. This clump is located in a partial shade area, and kept its showy color.
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| Neoregelia Zoe |
Matchstick bromeliad multiplies itself quite fast. This is one of a few flowers.
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Aechmea gamsepala
'Matchstick
Bromeliad'
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Various ground orchids are putting up shows in this fall garden. Over the past two years, I have bought, divided the ground orchids and they are now all quite happy in the different flower beds.
These are other orchids that are blooming now...
Here are more recent looks of the east side garden I opened during the summer. Comparing them to the picture in
August post , the bed looks much more established although I still have not finished planting at the further end. Except some bushes as foundation plants, I used lots of free plants from other parts of my garden. Those colorful coleus, impatiens,
and Vincas are all volunteer seedlings from last year's plants. White and purple
Angelonia angustifolia are from the cuttings. Don't you love the free plants?
Some other plants in this flower bed:
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Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Brunfelsia pauciflora
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| Mealycup sage |
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| Dwarf Mussaenda, White Wing |
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Blue Butterfly
Clerodendrum ugandense |
Sorry for a long post, but feel much needed after a long blogging break :)
