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?

Rose Update

I love roses, but with no growing experience at all.  

Last year I dedicated one  corner of my flower bed to be "Rose Corner", and planted six roses there.  Four of them are those bare root roses sold at Costco every spring.  One is 'Double Delight' on Fortuniana rootstalk, and another one is "First Prize".  Along with another two roses in other area of my garden, I had total eight hybrid tea roses in my garden one year ago.  For those experienced Florida gardeners, you may  already see the problem when you read to this point.  

Yes, tea roses usually do not agree with hot humid weather of Florida, especially Central and South Florida.  In this environment, they develop black spots so easily, and are subject to nematodes in the soil.  Only hybrid rose could survive in this weather are those that grafted on Fortuniana rootstalk.  So, out of eight roses, I really only had one that meet this criteria.

Before the weather got really hot, all my roses grew beautifully, and bloomed one by one.  Here was a collage I made with all those rose excitement last year.

From top left clockwise: First Prize, Paradise, Double Delight, Queen Elizabeth,
'Burgundy Surprise', Perfume Delight and Peace (Click to enlarge to see detail)

Now one year later, I lost three out of four bare-root roses.   Their leaves lost and eventually died.  I am still not very sure what exactly caused their death. The one bare-root rose left is "Peace", but only has one branch green, and I have the feeling that it won't last long either.

The  remaining four are: 'Double Delight', "First Prize","Queen Elizabeth", and "Perfume Delight".  They continue producing the flowers sporadically through out the year, but never have more than three flowers opening at the same time. 

I have learned from other Florida Gardeners that some Old Garden Roses or Antique Roses can thrive in Florida very well.  

Here is one Antique Rose called "Josephine Land" sold by one Nelsons' Florida Roses retailer locally. It was recommended by the owner for its fragrance. For me,  the fragrance is nice, but since the bush is still low and the flowers are not prolific yet, I need to be close to enjoy the scent.

I love how delicate looking of the flowers.  They start simple and small...

gradually reveal their beauties...

After fully opened, they only last two to three days before their pedals fall off themselves.

Since I could not find much information about Josephine's Land over the Internet, I don't know how well it will react to Florida's summer yet.  We shall see. Anybody grows this same rose, please share your experience with me.

Here is the other rose that lots of Florida gardeners are raving about:  Belinda's Dream.  I have been searching for this rose for quite a while, above Josephine's land was discovered by accident when I went for Belinda's Dream.  Finally, recently I found it from Bah's Nursery, my favorite nursery.  I guess "Dream" does come true!

The flower has the look of Tea roses, and quite fragrant and big.

I heard it is a prolific bloomer.  Looking forward to it...

Just lovely!

I have not put it into the ground yet.  One candidate spot I am considering for it got the full sun, almost from sunrise to sundown, which means 12+ hours in Summer.  Will it be too much for it?  I know Roses love full sun, just don't know if it also loves South Florida summer's blazing full sun.

While I am enjoying my new roses, here are some old roses recently flowered.  They look so pretty with rain drops.

Hybrid tea rose 'Perfume Delight'

'Double Delight'

'Double Delight'

I love roses, and wish can gain some experience to be successful growing roses in South Florida.  Next on my wish list is: Louis Phillipe, or Florida's Cracker Rose.  Can not wait the day I find it!