Flowers 2010

Sometimes when I think about it, one neat thing about living in Florida is that it allows one to have two separate flowering seasons; the cool winter flowers and the hot and humid summer flowers. It doubles the flower budget, but does lead to diversity in the yard. And there's nothing like being able to assemble your very own bouquet of fresh hand-picked flowers. We do have plants to last year round, but constant growing and flowering eventually wears them out and they beg for replacement.

At left, is the Shishi-Gashira (C. Hiemalis), a dwarf camellia. It lives in a large pot and spends the summer in shade and the winter in front of the patio where I can enjoy its copious blooms. On the right, is a plant of tiny flowers even though they look large in this picture. Often taken for a mum, it is called Argyranthemum (argyranthemum-frutesce). The plant prefers zones 7-11, and attracts butterflies. These little guys require little care. They like full sun and well-drained soil. Pinch out the growing tips to encourage a compact habit. Prune in early to mid-spring. My plant bloomed gorgeously when I first bought it and as long as I kept it watered faithfully, it was pretty. But, with our very hot and humid summer weather, it has gradually faded away. I'll be curious to see if it reblooms later, as my true mums do on a regular basis. Today (Aug. 11) I noticed that half of it has died out, but the other half is still green. I've got my fingers crossed.

A new to me flower is this lovely and delicate tangerine bulbine (bulbine frutescens). I found it at Luka's Nursery in Oviedo and bought two for a pot. They are a butterfly and hummingbird attractor and do best in zones 9a - 11. They grew quickly this spring and early summer and I took them out of the pot and put them into the ground. It's late July now and they have doubled in size. Prolific bloomers.

This is one of my ajuga plants under the oak tree that I've been nursing along for about 6 years now. They expand in early spring, produce eye-catching clusters of blue flowers, and then disappear to some degree during the hot summer months. This year, I've tried to give them more assistance with plentiful watering and fertilizing and I do believe it's doing the job. They haven't withered away as in the past. I would like them to expand into the entire shade area of the oak as that would make a splendid display come spring.

The flower on the right is spiderwort, aka a Florida wildflower. I know some people who refer to this plant as "invasive weed." However, I found some in an empty lot, and moved one to my yard. They really do produce pretty flowers and I do pull the seedlings. I found online that this plant is also called "cow slobber" because if you tear one of the blossoms, what's inside looks like, you guessed it, cow slobber. The flowers only last one day, but each plant will produce numerous flowers on each stem.

Alstromeria, or the Peruvian Lily, makes a pretty and resiliant plant in the flower garden. A couple times I've thought my plant was gone, but then when the weather is right, it comes back again. At right, one of several rosey azaleas that complete a border flowerspace between neighbors. Gorgeous blooms this year due to our very cold winter.

Two of many gazanias (Asteraceae) I grow in the spring through early summer months. I lined the driveway with alternating yellow and orange gazanias as soon as they appeared in my local nurseries. Considered a drought-tolerant ground cover, with our sizzling summer heat this year, they have slowly, but surely, given up. Some have disappeared totally, others are hanging on but not producing any flowers.

Two more of the gazanias planted this year. I don't always find the rosey colored ones at the nursery, but they had quite a variety this year.

Two of the prettier orange flowers, one in my garden and the other in my neighbors. I have the orange zinnia that's still opening up in this picture. The brilliant orange canna belongs in my neighbor's yard. It's about 6 ft. tall and the blooms are massive.

At left, my pink carnations have been with me for several years now. They bloom, disappear and then come back again in March or April. I don't usually plant moss roses, but this pretty pink caught my eye. I also planted a variegated pink variety. Normally I prefer the hardier purslane to fill space. One that I planted as a small single plant now covers about a 3 ft. space. Prolific bloomers, they handle our heat and humidity with aplomb.