Colors for Celebration!

Today is the Independence Day in United States, and is also my first July 4th as a United States citizen. 

Here are the Red, White and Blue, the colors of American Flag,  in my garden for the celebration!

What do the colors on the American flag represent?  Here are the answers from http://wiki.answers.com/:

Red: Hardiness, Valor, Strength, and Bravery

Center: Penta
From top left clockwise: Celosia, Dragon wing begonia, Bromeliad, caladium, Jatropha,
Angel Wing Begonia, Hibiscus, CopperLeaf (Acalypha wlkesiana), amd Double Impatiens

White: Peace and Honesty

Center: Hybrid Tea Rose 'Peace'
From top left clockwise: Caladium, Crape Jasmine, Gardenia,  Begonia Odorata Var. Alba, Arabian Jasmine, Orchid, Angel's Trumpet, Needle Flower (Augusta rivalis), African Iris, Diamond Frost, and Cats' Wiskers

Blue: Vigilance, Perseverance, Justice, Truth, and Loyalty

From top left corner clock wise: Tropical Lilac, Blue Porterweed, Mealycup Sage, Persian Shield flower, blue Fox Tail Orchid, Plumbago,Verbena, Blue daze, Agapanthus africanus

Happy Independence Day!

Cool Blue

I love blue in the garden. Especially in the hot summer days, blue keeps me cool...

I have some blue flowers blooming right now in the garden. 

Blue daze, Porterweed and Mealycup sage are the ones that almost flower the all year long, maybe only stopped for a couple of coldest months.  I can count on them to add the blue into my garden. 

Blue Daze (Evolvulus)

Porterweed (Stachytarpheta jamaicensis)

Mealycup sage (Salvia farinacea)

Every time I pass by this new Tropical Lilac, I just can not help touching its velvet leaves, and smell its wonderful scent. 

Troipical Lilac (Cornutia grandifolia)

This year I moved some African Lilies from a deep shade area to a partial sun area.  The plants in the new spot are growing fine, but have not set the buds yet.  The following is the one that was left in the original spot, but got more morning sun than the ones I moved.  I hope next year I can get more of these beautiful flowers in my garden.

African Lily (Agapanthus africanus)

This plumbago has the true sky blue color, which is quite rare in the plant world.  Don't you love this beauty?  It is new to my garden. 

Plumbago auriculata

I planted blue and purple verbena intermingled in the front yard.  When they all bloom, it just looks so lovely.

Verbena

Hope you are all having a good summer sunday, and keeping cool...

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?

Purple, Blue, or Lavender?

I always thought I am quite good when coming to tell the colors (well, at least compare to my husband :))  However, I started doubting this recently because I constantly wondering some flowers' color in my garden, are they purple, blue, or lavender?  Sometimes it is just hard to tell.  What it made even harder is that they change with the light!

So, I decide to put them all here, let me know if you agree with my color judgement?  These are the flowers currently blooming in my garden.

I think this one is blue, but really sometimes I thought I can see the purple out of it.

Salvia farinacea (Mealycup sage)

Same with this one...

Porterweed (Stachytarpheta jamaicensis)

This is an obvious blue.  Duh, is this why they call it Blue Daze?!

Blue Daze (Evolvulus)

An easy purple:

Petunia

Mostly purple, some blue??

Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia leucantha)

This is easy, Purple! Just like the name suggested!

Purple Queen (Tradescantia pallida)

Nobody will mistaken this one either...

Persian Shield (Strobilanthes dyerianus)

Look what I found hidden under the purple leaves of Persian shield?  Blue flowers!  Did not know persian shield can have flower...  Nice surprise!

Persian Shield bloom

Hmmm... this garlic society flower is more lavendar or liac, not the true purple.  In the winter, who would think those green narrow grasslike leaves would produce a nice large cluster of flowers like this?

Society Garlic (Tulbaghia violacea)

Mona lavendar is about to put the show on now....  And yes, it is lavender color :))

'Mona Lavender’ Plectranthus

Have you ever had the same question about your garden flower color as I have? 

Happy Easter and Have a nice weekend!

For other colors all over the world, please check out Katrarina's site at http://rosorochris.blogspot.com/  (This is the last Blooming friday she hosts).