Autumn Colors -- My Favorites October 2010

One thing I have missed living in Florida is seeing the autumn colors on the trees and in the gardens.   My hometown in China has distinct season changes, and when I was kid, I loved to see autumn breeze blew those orange, brown, red and yellow leaves off  the trees, and then I would chase those leaves along the road. 

Yes, I do love living in Florida, especially I can garden here all year long.  But every year this time, I still find myself missing those autumn colors, and always try to find something around me that can remind me those time I spent in China when I was a kid.

Here are the autumn colors I found in my garden. 

Crotons' colorful leaves look like this all year long, but I found they seem more noticeable in Fall.

This bush has green leaves with yellow spots.  It seems quite popular in South Florida landscape. Both my previous and current houses had this in the garden before we moved in.  They seem to be just there all year long, and I even have not bothered to find its name until today!  My camera did find it is quite a good Autumn color for my collection, don't you think?   I know I will have the answer soon from my garden friends out there...

The leaves of Acalypha Wlkesiana (Copperleaf or Beafsteak) are the ones that closest to the autumn colors in my mind.  They do change the color from green to red/orange between the new leaves and more matured ones.

Bromeliads are showing their colorful foliages even mother plants are fading away.

Orange color is the most cheerful Autumn color in the garden. 

Bulbine Frutescens

Hibiscus

Aechmea blanchetiana 'Orangeade'

Indian Blanket Flowers (Gaillardia pulchella)

The following two plants are newly additions to the garden.  I found they also have nice Autumn colors.  I bought the first one without any label on it.  Is it Hawaiian Ti?

This one was simply marked as "Cordyline".  Anybody knows its variety name?

Firespike (Odontonema strictum) just pasted its peak time.   This is the first time I have ever planted Firespike.  Is this its seed pod?  It does look like Autumn "Fruit" to me...

This begonia has silver/purple color when the leaves mature, another beautiful Autumn color.

Various coleus in the garden has been making my garden so colorful for months, but today I found they actually make a good fall collection too!

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After publishing the post initially, I realized that it is that time of the month again!  Every 25th day of each month, Susan at Simply Susan! invites us to join her to publish our favorites of the month.  I think this post is perfect for that, Autumn colors are definitely my favorites of my October Garden!

You may also have noticed that it has been about one month since my last post, which was for September Favorites.   I have been quite busy for months now both at work and home.  Recently my parents also came to visit us from China. They will stay with us for six months, and kids can have more time to know their grandparents.  Parents are both in their 70s.  They have visited us three times since I came to US almost sixteen years ago, and this time I really feel how age can impact a person.  I treasure this opportunity that I can stay with them for a period of time, and finally can take care of them like they have nurtured me when I was young.  Even I still go back to China to visit them, I know the time I am having with them now is so precious.  So, I guess between trying to be a good wife, mother, and daughter, and holding a full time job, I won't have much time to blog.  I know I will still enjoy visiting my favorite blogs, and might comment when I can.  Hopefully,  I also can occasionally show some new flowers from my garden in my blog.

Happy Gardening, My Friends!

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?

My Favorites -- June 2010

The 25th day of the every month, Susan at Simply Susan invites us to join her to publish our favorites of the month.  I thought this is the best way to document the garden favorites according to the season. 

However, I was feeling down last month about my garden, and missed it.  This month end is my garden one year anniversary.  When I look back one year progress of my garden, I feel quite happy how much I have accomplished in one short year.  And my garden also simply put its best show to celebrate this milestone month!

So here comes my favorites of June!!!

Favorite foliage:

From top left corner clockwise:  Lemon Lime Warneckii , Various Caladiums, Canny lily 'Pretoria' (Bengal Tiger) leaves, Copperleaf or Beafsteak (Acalypha wlkesiana ), Oyster plants

Favorite warm colors:  Warm colors are best for use to brighten any flower bed, or garden corners.  Here are some of mine.

From top left corner clockwise: Red Pentas,  Rudbeckia 'Tiger Eye Gold' , Hibiscus, Marigolds, Day Lily

Favorite cool colors:  Cool colors are my favorite of the favorite in the garden.  I keep find myself bring home more and more white, blue and purple flowers.

From top left corner clockwise: Angel's Trumpet, Blue Fox Tail Orchid, Tropical Lilac, Needle Flower, Crepe Jasmine, plumbago, Agapanthus, rain lily, Pentas.

Favorite plants combination:  I planted the pink vinca in front of the variegated devil's backbone early this year.  Now they all grew fully, and created a very nice combination in the flower bed.  Love a beautiful garden combo created by pure luck!

Variegated Devil's Backbone (Euphorbia tithymaloides 'Variegatus') with pink Vinca (periwinkle)

Favorite garden critter:  Dragonflies are the most frequent garden visitors of the month, also one of my favorite critters!

Hope you enjoyed my garden favorites.  What are your favorites of the month? 

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?