Sometime during the month of October there is a collective sigh of relief from the inhabitants of South Florida. It finally happened last Friday, temperatures and humidity dropped. I spent the day in my garden, then later in the afternoon enjoyed a glass of wine amongst my burgeoning collection of Bromeliads.
After my glass of wine, I quickly put all the cushions back in the house as Tropical Storm Phillipe was forecast to pass through on Saturday. Philippe dumped a few inches of rain on the garden and then headed to New England to wreak havoc further north.
Sunday turned into a beautiful, somewhat windy day and I spent time searching for vase components with the Dragonflies (swarming to eat post storm mosquitoes) and Longwing Butterflies searching for a sip of nectar. In the background, I heard Sand Hill Cranes, home for the winter calling out to friends and lovers.
The contents of my vase include in red, front and center, Turks Cap Hibiscus (Hibiscus malvaviscus), the red spikes and seedy spikes are Tropical Red Salvia (Salvia coccinea). The yellow and orange spikes are from the Blanchetiana Bromeliad (Aechmea blanchetiana). The creamy white spikes are a mystery plant that appeared in the garden several years ago, I have not been able to identify it, but it is a great fall vase component and seems well mannered enough to live in the garden. The fluffy pink background grass is Muhly Grass (Muhlbergia capillaris) I am loving my Muhly Grass this fall.
Ahh, Autumn is finally here. It is seventy degrees, cool not experienced since last spring.
Happy Halloween!
The Shrub Queen 
I know that ‘sigh’ moment well; we’re now moving on to the ‘oh! It’s a bit fresh today’! Love the vase.
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And we are too temperate for those aah and ooh moments!! Glad it has come for you anyway so thanks for sharing it along with your tropical vase and butterfly and happy pumpkin!
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We just had a sigh up here too followed by that tropical storm battering us with 60 mile an hour winds and 3-5 inches of rain after 2 days of rain…..but your fall garden has so much more beauty and blooms left….beautifully displayed in your vase.
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Thank you, hopefully we are all finished with tropical storms.
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Happy Halloween. You’ve certainly had a busy storm season. Hope things settle down and you can enjoy the outdoors for a long while. The vase items are beautiful. Muhly grass is irresistible.
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Thank you, I am ready for settled. There is another system lurking in the Atlantic, ugh.
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Those grasses are fantastic. Brilliant in your vase and how wonderful to see those butterflies.
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Thank you, the butterflies love the grasses,too.
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It sounds like a perfect day in the garden to me. I love that muhly grass and must find a spot to plant some. I didn’t know that dragonflies eat mosquitoes – we need more dragonflies here! We’ve finally had that same blessed relief from the heat too – after 100 degree temperatures last week, we’re back into the low 70s. Although we can’t be certain we’ve seen the last of the heat, there’s reason to hope it and even some rain in the forecast for later this week.
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You need some Muhly, just no heavy soil – it thrives in unirrigated sugar sand! Dragonflies are still here, the mosquitoes were actually worse in Atlanta, there were also fewer Dragonflies. I saw the LA heat wave, worse than here!
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Glad your weather is improving. Phillippe gave us 5″ of rain and thankfully, no damage nor loss of power.
I like the pop of hibiscus and salvia with the bromeliad accents. I wish I could grow muhly grass, but our climate isn’t quite right for it, alas.
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Me, too. 90 is too much in October. Phillipe gave us a little more than an inch of rain,so, wow. I think many people can’t grow the Muhly despite its huge native range. So, far in my blogging, I think the most common plant to all our gardens is Oxalis.
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You are enjoying your coolth and here we are beginning to feel a bit chilly. I love your arrangement and the Muhly grass is fabulous. And what a beautiful buttterfly.
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Thank you, the true Floridians are wearing a sweater, jacket and furlined hats. 68 degrees F. I was clad in a short sleeved shirt. You must get some Muhly Grass.
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Gosh – lovely vase, with the richness of the hibiscus as a centre. If you ever find out the name of the ‘unknown’, do share! The Muhly grass is just splendid. I have a Deschampsia caespitosa which kind of does the same thing, but without the pinky tones. Have been thinking of you over the last little while, what with the weather and all … glad you are still standing strong and creating garden loveliness! (and cheeky pumpkins)
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Thank you for the kind words, we are still here and not too much worse for wear. The gigantic debris pile caused by Hurricane Irma was hauled off yesterday!
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I love that Muhly grass! And the red hibiscus is really pretty too. Happy autumn – enjoy those delightful temperatures! (It’s been a tad frosty here!)
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Fall is like a miracle here. Stay warm.
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Great headline! And the vase! And the sitting area in your garden! I imagine myself sitting beside you, enjoying a glass of wine, chatting about flowers and rose apple cake and life.
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Thank you, Cynthia. We can chat about flowers and life. The Rose Apple tree suffered from the encounter with Hurricane Irma and has been severely cut back. I hope she bounces back.
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Me too, Amy. Sorry to hear that bit of news.
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