Winter is the prime gardening season in South Florida. It is time to start vegetables, herbs and flowers and move back outside. The temps have been in the high 70s (F, 25C), the humidity has dissipated for the most part and there is a nice, refreshing breeze coming off the Atlantic. I replaced all my porch cushions, easier said than done, and have been adding pots to complete the space.
The group from above.
This is a Billbergia Bromeliad. I am not sure which one. I bought it at our local farmer’s market, so it is likely from nearby. The container is antique Portmerion, one of my favorites.
A bowl of Bromeliads and Succulents. The Bromeliads are Fireball Neoregelias. The succulents in grey, Graptosedum; the others are types of Sedum, I think.
What I started with for the bowl. The cuttings are placed in the soil and resting on the edges of the bowl. I topped everything with orchid bark to hide the pots.
A gift from a neighbor, the Pink Star Calathea. These will grow in the garden here, but need more water that I can reasonably provide, so they stay on the porch.
Tomato, pepper and zinnia seedlings on the sunnier porch. My attempt at rooting Mystic Blue Salvia resulted in a 1 out 6 success, I think. I have Papaya, Parsley, Dill and Chinese Forget Me Nots nearby. A mysterious animal took my ID stickers and ate a few seeds.
That’s all from South Florida this December Saturday. To see more SOS posts, visit http://www.gardenruminations.co.uk
Happy Gardening!!
The Shrub Queen 
Lovely plants as ever, I am coveting Calathea and Billbergia but would have to grow them indoors.
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I think so.
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The multi colored buds on the billbergia are fascinating. It would have to be a house plant here in MN!
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Definitely, on both counts.
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Photo 4, why do you use polystyrene puffs around the pot? Amazing Billbergia ! I love it like all of us I think
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The puffs keep the clear plastic container in place.
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How exciting that you are growing seedlings and have lots of lovely plants to brighten your days.
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Ahh.
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I have a billergia with the same flowers, but different leaves.
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I do, too. Surprising how many of them there are.
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Only two species of Billbergia live in the garden here, Billbergia nutans and the species that looks like a larger and coarser version of Billbergia nutans whose name I can not remember. I might bring Billbergia nutans to my own garden, but do not like how overgrown it gets, so might confine it to a pot, just to facilitate grooming. I have grown it since removing it from a colleague’s garden in the early 1990s, so can not stop growing it now. I know this is irrelevant, but do you grow Dichorisandra thyrsiflora?
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I have three or four Billbergias in the garden and no nutans..in trying to find out what I have I found out there are hundreds of them. I have tried Dt but cannot get enough water in the sand to successfully grow it. It hung around for a while but never flowered. It just got smaller.
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Mine grows like a weed. Seriously, it grows like a weed, and soon gets big and shabby. I like the bloom, but not the vigorous growth. At home, I put it in tree stumps to accelerate the decay of the stumps. By the time the stumps are gone, there are more.
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That sounds like a great stump solution…
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Cymbidium orchids work well for that also.
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Love the Calathea and your porch pots. My salvia cuttings were even more of a failure than yours… the last one (dying) out of a dozen or so was put out in the cold in disgust today! Glad you are growing zinnias again. They do so well for you.
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Thank you. I am not sure what I did right with the cutting that made it, so far…
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Your succulents are wonderful, looking healthy and clean. Mine suffer from too much sun usually, and collect a lot of cobwebs!
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I think they can get too much sun, which seems strange.
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It’s all wonderful. I especially appreciate seeing how you put together your succulent bowl. Thanks for sharing!
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Thank you.
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“A mysterious animal took my ID stickers and ate a few seeds!” 🤣 Amazing!
Your lovely billbergia has reminded me about the one that is in our greenhouse. It might be a goner now :(. Great pots all round!
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Thank you, I think it must be mice or rats stealing seeds, rather delicately done. I hope your Billbergia is found.
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The great thing about commenting late, is that I get to see everyone else’s questions and your answers. I just love your Billbergia Bromeliad.
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Beautiful porch plants, I love the cutting bowl, great colors and textures! Enjoy your ‘spring.’ 🙂
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Thanks, Eliza, it is not summer here. That is the season…summer is the other season.
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