I am joining the SOS gang yet again looking at Spring additions to my garden. To see more Spring (and maybe some Fall) fun from fellow SOSers – visit http://www.thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com.
Fruit on the Malaysian Orchid (Medenillia cummingii). These eventually turn purple and collapse leaving a sticky substance with seeds. I have smashed the goopy stuff on trees around my garden, hoping for trees filled with Malaysian Orchids.
New pot of succulents from a visit to Pinder’s Nursery in Palm City, Florida. No clue what any of them are.
New crop of Zinnias for cutting and bedding. Apricot Profusion, Pink Cactus and Envy Zinnias to be planted out soon.
Never seen it before in my garden, Chinese Forget Me Nots (Cynglossum amiable). Grown from seed and just about to flower.
Leonitis leonurus, Lion’s Tail. I have had L. nepetifolia, an annual for a few years. These plants are somewhat difficult to establish in beach sand, so I decided to try the perennial version and grew two very slowly from seed. Catalogs say these grow to about six feet and are very drought tolerant once established. We shall see. Looking forward to orange flowers.
Copper Canyon Daisy (Tagetes lemmonii) also grown very slowly from seed and I had to buy two batches of seeds and try a couple of different sowings to get the time of year right for germination. I managed to grow two plants! This is another reportedly very drought tolerant after establishment perennial, native to the mountains of Arizona. What it will do in South Florida is anyone’s guess. It does have a strange smell and it is not like lemons. A couple by the name of Lemmon discovered the plant.
That’s the Spring update. Hoping to see more flowers soon.
Happy Gardening!!!
The Shrub Queen 
Amazing berries of this Malaysian orchid! What color!… I also started to sow my zinnias but they are far behind yours. Years ago ( 2015) I managed to grow leonotis leonorus seeds. Very original plant loving dry and hot weather.
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Thanks, Fred. Did you get flowers from the leonitis?
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Yes but I lost it in 2017 by frost…
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Not expecting that…did you smoke any of it?
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No I didn’t! 😂 (I have never smoked)
Only interested in beautiful flowers but I know the leaves can be smoked
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I thought that was so weird, the smoking. Dagga is for sale all over the place online. I wouldn’t smoke any..ugh. The plants have taken a long time to get big enough to plant, at least 8 months. Very slowly establishing.
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I discovered the Klip Dagga and Wild Dagga names today. 😂
It was just 2 leonotis for me.
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I hope these things will flower for me. I thought the flowers were what was smoked?
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Both , dried leaves and flowers can be smoked.
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Right, I’ll meet you in Paris for a smoke someday…Ha!
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Ha! I will drink a tea or a coffee but it will be with pleasure to talk about leonotis!
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same here, maybe there is leonitis tea?
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The Malaysian orchid is incredible. I look forward to hearing whether any sprout from your tree trunks. Tagetes is a favorite of mine, but too tender to grow here.
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I am wondering if birds need to eat the orchids first! I have never seen the Tagetes – how big are they?
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Looks like you are ready for summer. I grew the Lion’s Tail and Chinese Forget Me Not one year and they did well.
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Hopefully! Did you grow the perennial Lion’s Tail? and it only lasted one summer?
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I really don’t know as it was quite a while since I grew them.
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hmmm, I think you are too far north for the perennial type.
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Maybe so. I just like trying new plants and I guess it did not make the cut for repeating.
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I think the annual ones are not really worthwhile and probably what you had. it takes forever to grow the perennials from seed. LIke a year ! and no flowers yet.
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I’m glad I’m not the only one who has plants that they can’t name. It never used to bother me. I do enjoy reading about the different soil types that all the SOSer’s have.
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It used to bother me, but I got over it…so many different kinds of succulents, I can’t keep them straight.
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It seems like your years of trial and error are paying off. These plants look nice and healthy. Hope they flower abundantly!
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Thanks, Eliza. I have never seen any of them around here. So my fingers are crossed they work out.
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I could guess two of the genera of the succulents, aeonium and echeveria, but not species, and certainly not cultivar.
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Same here. just selecting for color and texture, the taller green thing in the back had flowers.
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Yes, but I have no idea what that is anyway.
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Is the Tagetes edible? It looks remarkably similar to my lemon verbena which I use for tea. The Zinnia plants look nice and sturdy and healthy. I will be sowing a few soon. 😃
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No, most people are offended by the smell…eau de cat pee. I planted Zinnias out today…and summer basil I think because of your advice to keep planting a new crop…
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I start my basil in June, as it just gets leggy indoors and has less aroma. A long wait! But then sowing every couple of weeks after that does mean fresh and aromatic leaves for much longer. 😃
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I think fresh plants make a huge difference.
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