I am joining The Propagator’s gang this Saturday after Christmas to share some surprises the garden has granted me. Not all six are from my garden. These are Christmas Palms (Adonidia merrilli) doing their thing by the side of a nearby road.
Next, we have some Spanish Moss, a native Tillandsia Bromeliad. Although common in Florida, I rarely see it in my garden. I pruned it out of a Firebush by accident.
Another stringy surprise, a native Ageratum, Blue Mist Flower (Conoclinum coelestinum). It seems most native wildflowers in Florida like “moist meadows” – I have a desert like sandy soil, so this was a real surprise. Growing by the air conditioning condensor..
Yet another stringy surprise, the once solid leaves on the Traveler’s Palm, shredded by the wind.
I am delighted by this surprise, despite cold weather, we are freezing with temperatures in the 40s – the Tropical Hydrangea (Dombeya wallachii) has started its show.
Another nice surprise from my neighbor, I found a basket of Rangpur Limes on my front porch Christmas morning.
That is my Six this Saturday, to see more posts from gardens around the world visit http://www.thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com.
The Shrub Queen 
I read yesterday you were getting unusually low temperatures, hope it doesn’t last long or do damage. I’d love to be able to grow Dombeya, it’s a beauty.
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Yes, we are frozen! Its 4o degrees F. I think it is not cold enough to do any damage, fingers crossed! Dombeyas make good container plants, there is a smaller one called Seminole.
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This Dombeya is amazing ! And I’m in love with palm trees in general but these are great. I have been growing them from seeds ( only 50cm tall today…) and I will never see them so tall in France. You are lucky to live there, by some points. Have a merry Christmas !
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Thanks, Fred I have been breathlessly waiting for the Dombeya to flower….the Christmas Palm is one of my favorites. Merry Christmas to you..
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I like those Christmas Palms. It is terrible to complain about 40 degrees being cold, but it is the same here. I have to say, being from the North, it took me years before I thought it was ever cold here. One day when the temps were to be in the high 50’s, I got in trouble for sending my kiddo to preschool without a coat. Up North, we would be sunbathing at that temperature.
I keep forgetting to tell you that my neighbor’s papaya tree went down on our first freeze of 30 degrees. I think many gardeners experiment and take a chance to extend our zone.
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I have a couple of the Christmas Palms, though they are never that pretty with the fruit. Same here with the temperature, though true Floridians break out the flannel at 70 degrees. I am not surprised about the Papaya – the one here is getting burned foliage from the 15 mph wind out of the north..
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Rangpur limes! That is rad! When I grew citrus, I thought that Rangpur lime was one of the prettiest while fruited. It is slightly popular here only because of the Indian Community. Otherwise, others do not know what to do with the fruit. I prefer it to ‘Meyer’ lemon.
Dombeya . . . tee hee. Doesn’t it look like a double flowered pink bougainvillea truss?
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LOL, I should have some Rangpur seeds soon! They are true to seed, I have one in the garden, no limes yet it is only four years old..
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Not many people know that they are true to seed. I discovered that by accident when I grew citrus years ago. Also, the seedlings seemed to mature immediately, with barely any juvenile growth.
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Yes, do you want seed?
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Thank you, but I can get cuttings, and might graft onto dwarfing understock.
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Key lime pie..hmmm..my thinking was more along the lines of boozy tropical beverages!
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Wimpy white wine drinker here..
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