Flowers in the Rain

The past week we have been experiencing almost daily afternoon showers.  I just love the flowers with rain drops on, so fresh and lovely.

Chinese Rain Bell, or Strobilanthes flaccidifolius, really becomes "Rain Bell" after the rain!  Did you see the reflection in the rain drops?  Oh, that tiny spider also caught in the picture!

Strobilanthes flaccidifolius
Chinese Rain Bell

This is the first time louisiana iris bloomed in my garden.  Meems at Hoe and Shovel was so generous to send me two rhizomes last year.  Thank you, Meems!

Rain lily really lives up to its name.  I saw there are more flower scapes coming up this afternoon.

Rain Lily
Zephyranthes

Belinda's dream is doing great in my garden, recent rain seems have promoted lots of flower buds on her as well.

Belinda's Dream

Hibiscus 'Anderson Crepe'

I am loving the flowers in the rain! Aren't you?

Spring has come in full speed

Spring has come in full speed, and I found myself hardly catching up.  The garden really looks wonderful in any angle, well, at least in my eyes :)

Nun's orchid (Phaius tankervilliae) bloomed in March.

Three Irises also started blooming in March.

Neomarica Caerulea 'Regina'

Dietas bicolor

Neomarica Gracilis

Five Amaryllis bulbs I bought last year, now two "Apple Blossom"s are blooming.  The other three are still taking their time, and have not even shown the sign of buds.

'Apple Blossom'

Caladiums started popping up everywhere around the garden.

This is the second year of this Peruvian Lily  (Eucrosia Bicolor) called my garden home.  After it finished blooming last year, it gradually lost all the leaves, and completely disappeared from the ground.  I almost thought maybe they are rotten in the ground, and I lost them for good.  A couple of weeks ago, several flower spikes popping up from the ground without any leaves around.  That was real sweet surprise for me.  Beautiful, huh?  The leaves appeared after the flowers were opened.

Last year I started some Marigolds from store bought seeds.  After they finished blooming, I collected those seed heads, and casually spread them in several containers, and then almost forgot them.  Surprisingly, the seedlings grow so fast and strong, better than those that I put much care for.  Since I had so many seedlings, I started putting them everywhere in my garden, and distributed them to the friends.

The new flowerbed I opened two months ago is also gradually filling in.  I added some annuals for the season color.  Vinca is becoming my favorite annuals.  They just thrive in the Florida sun without much care, and they reseed themselves easily.  They are almost like perennials in this South Florida Garden since they could bloom all year long.  I have several different colors, pink, white, lavender, and crimson.

Flax Lily, Daisy Bush, Marigolds, and double Portulaca (Portulaca 'Fairytale Cinderella')

Love how the leave of Aechmea blanchetiana 'Orangeade' reflected the morning sunshine in following two  pictures.

Other areas of the garden...

Spiderwort has grown from one small division into a big clump. (Thank you, Meems!)

Spiderwort (Tradescantia)

Dipladenia pink got a heavy trim the end of last year, now it is coming back stronger and more beautiful.

Happy Spring!

Daylily Disappointment and Other Things in April Garden

Ever since I learned that we also can grow Day Lily (Hemerocallis ) in South Florida, Day Lily has been on the top of my wish list.

Unfortunately, I have not found any good sources for it locally.  Last June, I found one (Day Lily 'Stella') for sale at HomeDepot and immediately bought it.  It only lasted about three weeks, and disappeared completely after finishing blooming.  I think it might not be the right foliage type for South Florida.  There are three foliage types for Day Lily: Dormant, semi-evergreen, evergreen.  For south regions, Evergreen is the one that will thrive.

A couple of weeks ago, I saw two types of Day Lilies for sale at Lowes.  I asked the store staff and was told that they are "Evergreen".  Imagine how excited I was when I brought these two home!

Daylily (Hemerocallis ) 'Black Eyed Stella'

Daylily (Hemerocallis ) 'Fooled Me' 

They were labeled as Daylily 'Black Eyed Stella'  and Daylily 'Fooled Me'.  After I came home, I did more reading on these two daylilies, and only found they both are dormant foliage type!!!  I also looked back the Day Lily 'Stella'  picture I took last year, and found it is identical to 'Black Eyed Stella'.  How disappointing!  I bought them expecting they will bloom for me year after year, not just for short a couple of weeks!  I returned them immediately.  

My mission to search for right Daylilies shall continue...

On the bright side, my garden has been happily singing the spring song.  It is May already, and I found I have missed posting some beautiful April bloomings.  Here are some of them.

First Matchstick bromeliad bloomed...  Looks so beautiful in the early morning sun.

Aechmea gamosepala
MatchStick Bromeliad

Opening more...

Aechmea gamosepala
MatchStick Bromeliad

Other Neoregelia Bromeliads in the garden are also blooming.  Their flowers are hidden in the center of the leaves.  The blooming usually means it is the time for the mother plant to produce the babies, or pups.  Yay!

April is the month for Jasmine and Gardenia.  The fragrance made the garden walk even more pleasant.

Arabian Jasmine
(Jasminum Sambac 'Maid of Orleans')

I also like to bring them indoor to enjoy more...

Needle flowers or Augusta rivalis has set out so many buds, and looks like May will be their peak time.

Neomarica Caerulea 'Regina' has been flowering on and off since early March.

Neomarica Caerulea 'Regina'
 (Giant Apostle's Iris)

The warm weather also brought early blooming of frangipani (Plumeria).  I checked last year's record, and it did not flower until last September.

Last year's Caladium bulbs have been emerging from the ground one by one, adding different colors into the shady corner.  

What May will bring for the garden?

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!