It was a chilling 85 degrees Fahrenheit in my garden this morning, so I worked outside gearing up for the fall gardening season. Taking note of some of the fun stuff that survived summer in South Florida.
The Monarch butterflies finally found the Milkweed in my garden. Here are two caterpillars munching away. Aphids are eating the other plant.
Another vegetable and flower garden experiment is at hand. These are cheap grow bags that breathe. I am certain these would be a disaster in summer so I am trying them in winter – using heavy garden soil (not made from peat!) lightened with 30 % of my oak compost. Planted tomatoes and radishes this morning. Herbs and bush beans are on the agenda next followed by cooler season peas and broccoli in a couple of weeks. I was surprised to read Nigella can be grown here in winter as well as Zinnias. Those seeds are also being planted shortly.
Coral Plant (Jatropha multifida) flowering. This is considered a novelty plant in Florida, it is pretty funky.
Pot o’ Bromeliads in the front garden. Grey varigated foliage is Aechmea fasciata, these have pink flowers like Dahlias. The burgundy with chartreuse spots are Luca Neoregelia, red foliage is Fireball Neoregelia.
Another pot in the front garden with Miniature Pineapples, Flapjack Kalanchoe and a Graptosedum hanging over the side. The pineapple plants flower and bear tiny pineapples. I use them in flower arrangements, I have heard they can be juiced but a field would be necessary to get a full glass.
Another flower to anticipate this winter. The hard cane orchid I mounted in the Gumbo Limbo tree has produced a bud. This should be very interesting.
That is my six for this Saturday. To see more visit http://www.thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com.
Happy Gardening…
The Shrub Queen 
Happy Saturday. I like the Bromeliads–very nice. And the Coral Plant is interesting as well. Nice to see the Monarchs are busy.
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Thanks, Susie,, have a few new butterfly friends around. All not photogenic or phobic!
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Hi! I have already seen grow bags like this in blogs but unfortunately we don’t have any in France yet. Looks cheap and very practical… Are there holes for drainage or is it a microporous material? The Coral Plant is really very pretty
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Hi Fred, I bought the grow bags on Amazon, no holes and porous. Wash, dry, fold up and use again next year. Will be interested to see how they work as growing veg in the ground is not practical here.
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The coral plant has beautiful leaves as well as flowers and I love the bromeliad pot, there are so many different kinds. I hope your grow pots yield well. They might be just the answer to your sugar-sand problem!
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Thanks, Eliza. Hoping for winter bounty.
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Monarch caterpillars are creepy. They look like they should be related to tomato hornworm?
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I looked up ‘hard cane’ orchid as I’ve never heard that name before. Leaves last many years…sounds like it may be spectacular when in bloom!
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A neighbor does tree work and he thinned these out of a big oak and gave me a cane(?) not sure what they are called. I had never seen or heard of them either and had to ask some orchid growing friends what they were and where to put them. Oddly, they like a fair amount of sun. Native to Southeast Asia. I hope it flowers.
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It is really nice when it cools down to the 80’s. Today is our last “cool” day with low humidity, so I’m heading to the garden. I will be interested in seeing how your grow bags do. I planted my lettuces for my Autumn lunches.
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I am interested in the grow bags, too and got some free iceberg lettuce seed..not sure I want to bother with it! Happy cool gardening.
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