Fall Florida Garden Update

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.

Josephine's Land

Queen Elizabeth

Peace

Belinda's Dream

Belinda's Dream

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.

Pagoda Flower (Clerodendrum paniculatum)

Bridal Bouquet (Plumeria pudica)

The following are more recent pictures from this month's garden. 

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.

Neoregelia Zoe

Matchstick bromeliad multiplies itself quite fast.  This is one of a few flowers.

Aechmea gamsepala
'Matchstick Bromeliad'

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:

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Brunfelsia pauciflora

Mealycup sage

Dwarf Mussaenda, White Wing 

Blue Butterfly
Clerodendrum ugandense

Sorry for a long post, but feel much needed after a long blogging break :)

Here Comes the Rain!

I think the raining season finally comes to South Florida!  The past week, almost everyday we got some rain, enough kept my garden watered.  Everything looks more lush and green, including grass.

Rain lilies (Zephyranthes) opened after a good rain.  I only had one rain lily last year, and this year I bought one small pot from my favorite nursery, and came home found there were more than two dozen of bulbs packed in!  I planted them on the border of my flower bed.  They were still quite young.  Expecting next year they can really make the show when they multiply more and open flowers all together.

Meems at Hoe and Shovel got me hooked on caladiums with her beautiful caladium pictures in her garden.   I do not have much shade or partial area in my garden, but I still managed to squeeze about 75 bulbs into different flower beds and containers. 

I think this is ‘Florida Cardinal’.  

Meems also sent me some of her favorite ‘Miss Muffet’ caladium.  They blend in the Bromeliad corner so nicely .  Just love the texture and the color! Thanks, Meems! 

I need to buy more of these.  This year it was sold out on the online store when I was ready to put the order.

The same bromeliad corner from another angle.  The white caladium in the distant is ‘White Christmas’.

Don’t know what is the name of this caladium.

This is what happened when you bought those “mixed” packages, and had no idea what would come up when you planted.  Maybe I should sort them out before they disappear to the ground this fall, so that I can have more planned color arrangement next year.

Although I don’t mind this combination in the container…

Firespike (Odontonema strictum) is setting lots of flower scapes.  Hope I can see hummers visiting this one soon.

Self seeded white Zinnias and pink Vincas are becoming a nice combination in this flower bed.

I tucked different types of house plants into this container and now it mixes with all different textures and colors together quite nicely.    Sometimes simply throwing something together might not be a bad thing.

Yay!  Finally I got several shots of a Monarch butterfly on my Zinnias!  Not very clear shots, but I was so happy that I finally found some butterfly other than ‘White Peacock’ visiting my garden, and I was able to capture it in my picture.

More Siam tulip flowers…

Now we have more rain, Ground orchids are picking up the speed to shoot more flower scapes.

It is nice to see this Griffinia liboniana is reblooming! 

My family is going away for a two week vacation starting this weekend.  We are going to visit YellowStone, Grand Canyon and other national parks in the West.  Kids are excited, and me too!

This raining season came just in time, so that I don’t need to worry too much about my garden.

If I don’t post again before I go, Happy 4th of July, and Happy Gardening, my friends!

End of March Garden

Can not believe it is the last day of March already!  I have not got much time to post recently, but everyday I can find something new blooming in my garden. 

Let me give you a quick tour in my March garden without much words...

This Catteleya bloomed almost the same time as last year.

Catteleya Orchid
Sophrolaeliocattleya Jewel Box 'Scheherazade' AM/AOS

When I bought this moth orchid, it was in a bad state, so I got it at a bargain price.  Now after some tender loving care, it rewarded me its beautiful flowers.  Love the unique pattern of the flower.

This white moth orchid also blooms the second time for me.

Some of my favorite container combinations...

Mona Lavendar

This Seemannia sylvatica 'Bolivian Sunset' has been non-stopping blooming since last November.  It will be interesting to see if it can tolerate Florida heat and humidity as well.

Seemannia sylvatica 'Bolivian Sunset'

I recently bought two blue containers, and this is one of them.  The plants I have chosen to put in are:  One Cordyline baurei 'Red Star' , verbena (white and pink stripe) and another unknown plant (orange flowers).

A close look...  I lost the tag of this small orange flower.  Anybody who recognizes the plant please share the name with me.

We got lots of much needed rain on past Tuesday and Wednesday.  Bromeliads always look extra fresh and beautiful after the rain.

I cut back this Cat Whiskers to almost half before the winter, now it is growing like wild again.  The red leave coleus is one of my favorite coleus plants.  I planted it last summer, and it still remians its beautiful color even it has grown much bigger.  I also have rooted several cuttings successfully. 



Just love the hot pink of this Hawaii Ti leaves!

First several caladiums emerged from the ground.  I move them into this new side garden border, next to the air conditioner unit.   This spot used to be an eye sore, now it  has some much needed colors added.

Three of my ground orchids have started blooming again.  Ground orchids have long blooming period in South Florida, and they have become one of my favorite collections.

More Dietes bicolor flowers have opened since they opened the first flower about three weeks ago.

This Dipladenia pink certainly knows the spring is coming.  It has been climbing up against the fence, and peeking over neighbour's gackyard. 

I am also submitting this post to participate Noel's "Hot, Loud and Proud" meme, and Katarina's Blooming Friday -- 'On the ground' meme.  For more beautiful flowers around the world, please also follow the link to visit their sites.

Have a nice weekend!