I am joining The Propagator for his meme featuring six items of interest from my garden. To see more posts from other gardeners visit his blog at http://www.thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com
November brings some interesting characters into my garden. Birds become more numerous during the winter in South Florida. I was interested to learn that Hawks migrate, they have recently appeared in flocks, soaring over the Indian River in search of food.
These are White Ibis, they are here year round but more numerous in the winter. The brown ones are juvenile and become pure white as they mature. They are eating grubs in the lawn.
Another bird appeared this week, the Sandhill Crane, these are about 3 feet tall and look like Pterodactyls flying by. They summer in Nebraska.
Winter provides interesting colors in plants as well. The aptly named Christmas Palm (Adonidia merrilli) is producing fruit – looking a lot like Christmas ornaments.
Bromeliads have a tendency to do their own thing. Eventually I will figure out how to have year round flowers. These Guzmanias, left to their own devices, filled this wok planter and bloom every winter for a few months.
Another reliable winter flower is the Nodding Hibiscus (Malvaviscus pendulifloris). These appear randomly in my garden and are very difficult to get rid of – I have embraced them and trained them to my neighbor’s fence.
The Zinnias I started from seed in August have started flowering, as usual, they don’t look like the seed packet. These are Zinderella and supposed to be double..and peach colored, the other one is single and gold..
That is my six for this Saturday… hopefully it stops raining soon.
Happy Gardening and thanks to Jon the Propagator for hosting.
The Shrub Queen 
For all the Ibis I’ve seen in my life, I guess I’ve never seen any but adults because I’ve not spotted any brown and white one…interesting.
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I live near the Savannas and the Indian River, it may be closer to nesting sites.
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We live less than a half mile from the Indian River lagoon with conservation land in between so you would think I’d see them. Something to look forward to seeing one day. š
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Hmm, I see so many Ibis (white ones) eating insects on the shrubbery in strip retail… can’t explain it – though that is as many brown ones as I have ever seen, it may be the rain?
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Love the ibis and cranes! I know you’ll be staying as safe as possible in your lovely garden! Me too.
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Thanks, the birds are such fun..yes, hanging out in the garden.
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When I visited the Suwannee River area two years ago, I was pleased to see many of our summer birds wintering there. Florida is a great winter birding spot apparently.
Lots of your winter plants match the traditional red and green for Christmas decorating… you’re all set!
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yes, December and January are fascinating times to watch the bird life here..the Christmas arrangements are coming!
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Those are very exotic birds to have in your yard. We have flocks of vultures hanging out around here.
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We have vultures too..thank goodness..I have learned the difference between turkey vultures and the other guys… it’s all good..
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The Christmas palm is interesting. Can you eat the fruits or are they simply decorative? We have white Ibis in Australia too. They’re rather a nuisance in the city parks, and also a terror for digging into the children’s lunches during PE time if the lunches were left on the playground seats!
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I like the Christmas Palm, most people cut the flowers off as eventually you get a bunch of seedlings from the fruit. I like to use the flower stalks in arrangements..I am not aware of anyone eating the fruit. Love the ibis story.
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The Ibis and Cranes are lovely visitors. We don’t get many visitors in winter here… too cold!
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Your birds are probably here!
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What wonderful visitors you have, such a priviledged. I so enjoy seeing what is in gardens in a different part of the world. Thanks for sharing.
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The birds are so amazing and December and January are the top bird months. I enjoy the world garden tours as well.
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Lovely post – and yes, as Eliza says above, made me go a bit ‘Christmassy’! How I love reading about your completely different, beautiful garden. And the birds … We have white ibis arriving here a little now – they never used to come, so we were very excited when we saw only two (driven away from the river by grey herons) a few years ago. Then, last Friday, we saw a little flock of at least six grazing by the main road into town!
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Hi Cathy..it’s the subliminal suggestion from the Christmas Palm..thank you, oh interesting, the Ibis seem to come and go here.
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Christmas palm is one that I want to grow, even though I must send it down south as it matures. It supposedly dislikes even the mild frost here. Furthermore, it supposedly dislikes aridity . . . anywhere, so may not be happy in Southern California either. I suspect that if it did well there, that it would be there already.
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