Winter Wonderland usually brings images to mind of snow and fir trees kissed with white frost. The Wonderland of Winter has a whole different meaning in South Florida. It caused me to have the oddest thought yesterday, after looking at the 10 day weather forecast, I thought “I wish February would last forever” Suffice it to say we have clear blue skies and the temperatures are nearly perfect for spending time outdoors.
The Hong Kong Orchid (Bauhinia purpurea) tree is in full bloom in my front yard, so I liberated a few purple blossoms. The white flowers are from a Sweet Begonia (Begonia odorata), a few Asian Sword Ferns for foliage and the purple green leaves in back are from a Moses in the Cradle (Rhoeo discolor, I think somebody changed the botanical name- generally people call them Oyster Plants) also blooming and I can see the reason for the name.
Purple Oyster Plant
On Sunday I celebrated by going to a plant sale at a local botanical garden. My karma was so good (may need to save more Greyhounds!) the first plant I set my eyes on was exactly what I was searching for – a Pickering Mango, a dwarf mango tree that fruits reliably and after only a couple of years in the ground.
While this was a great find, the deal of the day could have been this Bromeliad. Another unnamed Neoregelia – for $5.
I am not sure the photo does it justice, the Bromeliad is probably two feet wide, chartruese and hot pink and budding.
Winter Wonderland, indeed.
The Shrub Queen 
Your version of a winter wonderland seems a bit more appealing right now. 🙂 Great scores at the plant sale. I can only dream of having my own mango tree. Do you have other fruit trees?
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I am enjoying winter this year. I have a lime tree, papaya, avocado, another mango and pineapples. Looking to add Persian Lime, a standard Meyer Lemon and Passionfruit (vine) blueberries if I can find some.
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Fruit salad – yum!
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Right now I have cilantro and peppers, it’s salsa!
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🙂
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Can I come and stay please?!! There is a bitingly cold wind today, so your kind of winter definitely sounds very appealing. I loved the blooms of the Hong Kong Orchid tree when I saw it on Kris’s blog; seeing your close-ups of the blooms I love it even more. How I would love to grow a mango or Avocado. I did grow a passion fruit from seed and it became enormous in the greenhouse but never any flowers so I pulled it out. Enjoy your winter.
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Yes, we can pull weeds! If only I can come to Villa Lante in the summer. And the Mannerist garden, name escaping me. The mangoes are delicious, jury is out on the avocados.We have a native, edible passionfruit, I think is coming up in the garden, not sure..
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I think you mean the Sacro Bosco at Bomarzo. Yes they are both very close to here. You would be very welcome.
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Exactly, my brother is coming to Italy this summer and wanted to see that garden but couldn’t get there somehow. I want to come back to Italy eventually, but my husband is on a low sodium diet and is afraid he couldn’t eat.
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They do use a lot of salt especially in this area.
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I love orchid trees. They must look so great there. They grow 35 miles south of here, but we are just across the zone line and they don’t like our “cold”. All your fruit sounds so good for a winter treat.
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Me, too. The trees really aren’t that attractive and have nasty bean pods. Pretty for two weeks.
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Just saw this comment. Kind of like my Confederate Rose. I put up with the ugly for the flowers.
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Lovely! I mistook the Hong Kong Orchid for azalea at first. Glad you are able to enjoy some ideal weather in February.
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It looks like an Indica, They can only be grown in places where there was a huge dairy farm.
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Your February sounds wonderful….here we wish it to fly by with its cold and snow so we can get closer to spring. Those orchids are stunning and I adore the color especially against the deep dark green foliage.
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Thank you, February will fly by regardless.
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Let’s see some mangos Queen.
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My existing mango (Nam Doc Mai) is flowering. Mangoes in June/July.
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I thought the orchid was an azaelea too! What a pretty vase you have today, and relatively cool compared to your more usual ‘hot’ ones! And what bargains you have bought, especially as one was what you had been looking out for. I’m sure you will show us when it is about to produce its first mango…
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Well, it is not really an orchid, though it looks like one. Love the bargains, I think Mangoes are a few years out.
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I’ve just been admiring the bauhinia on Kris’s blog. I wish I could grow it. Your arrangement is stunning. I like the sound of your sort of February. Oh for a bit of warmth.
How exciting about your new mango, I look forward to seeing your first fruit.
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Well, the tree is not so great and has huge, weird pods. A tropical thing that goes unmentioned. It is warm. The mangoes are flowering now, I will post the flower soon.
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I usually feel that way about March here but, with our weird weather, I don’t know what to expect this year. I featured Bauhinia in my vase today too! Rain is possible here this week, which can bring all the blooms fluttering to the ground, so I thought I might as well cut 3 good stems. Congrats on your new acquisitions. The mango is a handsome plant and that bromeliad is a steal!
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This is an old Bauhinia, really pretty flowers with awful foliage. I am not sure I would ever plant one but I do enjoy the flowers. The Bromeliad experiment continues, only the expensive ones die!
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So pretty – my favourite are those tiny white begonia flowers.
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Thank you,the Begonias are a favorite and nearly indestructible.
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Definitely a wonderland. That orchid tree must be such a glorious sight every morning! It is funny you wish February could last forever, while I am grateful it is so short and will soon be over! Hope your perfect weather will continue for you. 🙂
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The Orchid tree is sort of glorious, the foliage always burns around the edges, the flowers are beautiful. I cut the foliage off. I used to feel the same way about February. Though,it is capricious.
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The orchid trees used to be more popular, it seemed everyone had them in their yard. I don’t see many here in Vero Beach.
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A lot of municipalities don’t like them. Weak wood. Fruits are messy etc. The one here is 50 years old I wouldn’t plant one.
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