Dombeyas fill the last vase of the decade. Ten years ago, I did not blog; I did not live in Florida and I did not know what a Dombeya was. What a difference a decade makes.
We have spent the past few weeks cooking and going to holiday parties. My husband and I enjoy cooking but we are taking a break and fortunately have leftovers. He is a great pie baker – this year making an apple, a pumpkin and a Rangpur Lime pie with fruit from my neighbor’s tree. I need to get back to the garden to work all the calories off.
Here is a closer view:
The pink flowers are the Dombeyas (Dombeya wallichii); the burgundy and silver striped leaves are Transcandentia zebrina, sometimes called Wandering Jew; the silvery succulent is the flower of a Flapjack Kalanchoe and the ferns are Boston Ferns (Nephrolepis exaltata).
Dombeyas are sometimes called Tropical Hydrangeas though they are not related to Hydrangeas but belong to the Mallow family. Hydrangeas have their own family (Hydrangeaceae). Here is the Dombeya flower in situ. The shrub is about 9 feet tall and wide and the leaves are at least a foot wide and fuzzy. The bees love the flowers and I brought one in with the flowers. I think of them as reverse Hydrangeas since the flowers hang under the foliage.
Happy New Year and Happy New Decade, hopefully the twenties will roar again. But, nicely and with many flowers.
A heartfelt Thank You to Cathy for hosting this wonderful weekly meme. More vases may be seen in the comments of her blog http://www.ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com.
The Shrub Queen 
You had me at ‘Flapjack Kalanchoe!!’ What a great name! I’ve not heard of (or seen) the Dombeya either – I love how the flowers hang down – like big pink ornaments on a Christmas shrub! Have you put tiny lights through it? Although the apple pie in it cast iron skillet looks rustic, delicious and enticing, there’s a special place for good shortbread, especially if they come with pecans! We should trade recipes! Happy New Year! (Almost forgot – what does the thorny stem belong to?)
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I laughed the first time I saw a Flapjack Kalanchoe, the leaves look like little pancakes. The Dombeya would look great with white Christmas lights, maybe next year.. I am a Southern girl, those are not shortbread cookies they are Cheese puffs, if you have heard of cheese straws it is a similar thing. And nearly addictive. I only make them during the holidays when enough people are around to eat them. What thorny stem?
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Dombeya is a revelation. Does look hydrangeas. Happy New Year.
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LOL, I miss Hydrangeas and love the Dombeya! Happy New Year to you.
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I would guess it is too cold here for Dombeya, but they look fabulous with the added bonus of blooming in the winter. I would have never thought of using Wandering Jew in that way. Happy New Year!
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Thanks, Dombeyas are usually Zone 10A plants, I see the smaller ones in Vero Beach which is more like 8B in some places, I don’t think they would appreciate your gumbo. That one grew to 9 feet in 2 years on sugar sand with minimal irrigation. Happy New Year to you!
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I love the mix of the pretty pink Dombeya with the deep green foliage. I considered planting Dombeya wallichii here but was put off by estimates of 20 feet at its mature height, which would almost certainly put me at odds with the local “view conservation” police. My husband cooks but, regrettably, not pies! Happy new year, Amelia!
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Thanks, Kris. There are smaller Dombeyas now – darker pinks and smaller flowers. Seminole and Tropical PInk I think. I was told when I bought this 6 foot height. Going to cut it back! Happy New Year, Kris.
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Another lovely piece, Amy. I’m amazed at how large the Dombeya’s leaves are. Big!
I wish I had a baking hubby, those look so delicious!
Isn’t it strange to look back at the decade? A lot of craziness, things changing or seemingly not at all. Let’s hope for the best for the next 10 years.
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Thank you, Eliza – hoping is the best course! A baking hubby is a double edged sword. Happy New Year.
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I hadn’t given any thought to it being the end of a decade until it started being mentioned in the news in the last week or so – I wasn’t blogging then either and was still working…my goodness, those years have gone quickly! The Dombeya is really pretty and of course something I have not come across before. Seeing your Boston fern today has reminded me of the houseplant fern I have and that I have never (yet!) considered using in a vase…. Thanks for sharing, as always
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I do enjoy reading your posts; you always have amazing flowers that are completely unknown to me and I love your wry humour. A very Happy New Year to you.
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Thank you, Christina. I miss your posts and hope all is well with you. I have 4 kinds of Basil this year, made me think of you! Felice anno nuovo to you. Amy
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Was the Rangpur lime pie like a lemon meringue pie? Rangpur limes are so excellent, but not many know what they are here. People think they are Mandarin oranges with problems.
Dombeya is rad, but looks nothing like a mallow.
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The pie was like Key Lime with a graham cracker crust.
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That is good too. Rangpur lime should be more popular than it is.
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