The Atlantic hurricane season started June 1. The rainy remnants of the first named hurricane of the Pacific season, Agatha, started to fall in my garden yesterday late afternoon and continue this morning. Agatha hit the west coast of Mexico, crossed that country, emerged in the Caribbean and is predicted to form a tropical storm after it passes over South Florida later today – it will be called Alex. The wind speed and rain is still literally up in the air.
All the tropical moisture has been a boon to the garden. I walked Fiona the Greyhound this morning, she meandered around then came in the garden with me and proceeded to dig a hole and do a greyhound speed run. Yes, she is covered in sand. And soggy like the rest of the garden.
One of my favorite natives, a Thatch Palm (Thrinax radiata). This is a pretty palm, one of only 12 native to Florida, but very slow growing. I have had this one for at least 7 years, it might be 18 inches tall.
Summer rain brings out the tropicals, this is a Lobsterclaw Heliconia (Heliconia rostrata). These take a lot of water, I finally placed them under the edge of the gutterless roof and they are thriving at long last.
The unnamed Bromeliads are in full bloom.
The chandelier plant (Medinillia cummingii) started its second round of flowers this year. I am wondering if this plant will provide year round color. The flowers and fruit last a long time.
I have three mango trees. This one, a Glenn variety, has grown a foot this week. Amazing. Despite having three trees, I only had one mango and the squirrels got to it before I did. There is still hope, the Thai mango, Nam Doc Mai, has the potential to flower in the summer. The others, hopefully next year.
My neighbor’s mango, doing much better than mine. He cut this tree back hard last year and I suppose that is why it has fruit? The foliage looks a bit chlorotic to me. I bought a new bag of fertilizer in hopes of getting a little more color in the foliage on mine and more fruit in the future.
There! Six from South Florida. Not sunny. To see more SOS posts, visit Jon at http://www.thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com
Happy Gardening!!
The Shrub Queen 
Nice to get some welcome rain…I had to laugh about the sandy Fiona. 🙂 Bet she was happy though.
I love that Lobsterclaw Heliconia – it is gorgeous!
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Yes, things are growing madly now and Fiona is happy and dirty.
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I didn’t know that the storms began in June, glad you got some rain though.
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The season run June through November, usually the storms hit in late summer.
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I heard that the first hurricanes were coming but I didn’t know they were already there… Good luck.
Anyway on all these photos of flowers, the plants covered with raindrops seem to like that! Fingers crossed you won’t have damage
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It wasn’t a hurricane, did not make it to tropical storm yet, so no problem. Drying out.
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Florida thatch palm is one only a few unfamiliar palms that I ever tried to grow, but the seed did nothing. Perhaps it is just as well. If they are that slow there, they would not do much here.
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Everything looks lovely and shiny and fresh (maybe Fiona wasn’t too shiny, eh, but at least she has short hair!!).
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Fortunately, Fiona has a bath on her schedule..I think she’ll be a lighter color afterwards.
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Your garden looks fresh and sparkly with the raindrops, although I can imagine it doesn’t feel fresh with your humidity. Hope the hurricanes stay at bay this year.
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Not terribly fresh unless there is a breeze off the ocean and a few clouds, right now it is just like that and nearly pleasant. Same on the hurricanes .from me.
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I was watching that hurricane rain heading your way. We could have used it. I like that little palm and I wonder if it would grow in my area.
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I am at the very far northern end of the range for that palm, it is recommended for Zone 10B. I am 10A. We got three or four inches of rain. That was a strange storm with virtually no wind.
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The palm will not work for me. Hopefully, the rain was not a problem. We can easily handle that much. My family up north will say, we a getting an inch of rain and I have to ask if that’s a lot.
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We live on a hill so it was not a problem. There are numerous sea level houses around where it could be. Is an inch a lot? I love it. it used to be in Atlanta!
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