South Florida is experiencing another cold spell. I have been covering summer (ha!) vegetables and flowers at night due to temperatures hovering in the high 30s (F). One more night of cold seems to be on tap, followed by a warm up. The more tropical plants are sulking and browning, leafy plants like Heliconias look particularly unhappy.
Some of the native plants are looking, well, fresh as a daisy. I don’t recall the Beach Daisies (in yellow) ever looking so good in January. They usually flower madly during the summer, get moldy, and are asked to leave the garden (by the wheelbarrow load) due to their scraggly appearance. The new year seems to be presenting new gardening challenges. I will cover my plants one more night and hope for some zinnias in the coming weeks. There are buds!
The cast of characters:
Daisies first! In yellow, Beach Daisies (Helianthus debilis); in white, Bidens alba, sometimes called Spanish Needles; blue spikes, Mystic Spires Salvia; white and coral spikes, another happy native, Tropical Red Salvia (Salvia coccinea); finer textured white spikes, Sweet Almond Bush (Aloysia virgata).
Fluffy flowers and needle like foliage are from Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris). The vase was left to me by my mother, made by the Ute Indians in the Southwestern US.
The happy Beach Daisies and Tropical Red Salvia in the garden:
I am hoping for warmer days here, but am grateful for the happy flowers in the garden. Thanks to Cathy for hosting this week and every week! To see more vases, visit http://www.ramblinginthgarden.wordpress.com.
It is always interesting to see what gardeners in different countries grow, and in the middle of winter, the cheeriness of your vase is a tonic. Thanks for sharing.
I know you have complained about the Beach Daisies, but they really look great and so cheerful. My beds are brown, but I did some cleaning up and some plants are coming back already.
It’s astonishing that the beach daisies and salvia can still be looking perky at temperatures not much above freezing! The daisies make such a wonderful basis for your vase, the contrast with the blue salvia is always attractive and you always seem to be able to add just the right number of ‘extras’. Thanks for sharing 👍d Temperatures here are just dipping below freezing overnight for the next few days, but we are more used to it than you!
Both of these plants are native further north so they will take frost, but burn. I love the little extras in the vases…I was surprised over the weekend at people in Europe telling me it was warmer in their gardens..
Yes, I suppose if they are native they will take a lot more. It reached minus five here last night, which is 23 degrees F, and certainly not milder in the UK at the moment!
Cold temperatures in Florida and a deluge of rain in California – what’s the world (or more pointedly, the climate) coming to! I love your beach daisies in any season. It sounds as though they’re much like my Centranthus, colorful weeds that you’ve learned to work with.
A glorious sight Amelia! And your salvias also seem unperturbed by the cold spell. Hope it is warming up for you now. Can’t wait to see the first zinnias! 😃
Oh your vase has warmed me up Amelia! We have snow on the ground but I feel as if you’ve transported me to summer especially with your mention of the word ‘Beach’ 😂I hope that your overnight lows soon rise. I love that electric blue salvia.
The Shrub Queen 
It is always interesting to see what gardeners in different countries grow, and in the middle of winter, the cheeriness of your vase is a tonic. Thanks for sharing.
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I agree and enjoy the things that are unusual to me – like teasel!
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Wow, such challenging temperatures Amy! Your fresh lovelies are so sunny! Mystic Spires is a standout.
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Thanks, Susie. Mystic Spires has been blooming almost non-stop since March 2021. I am so impressed.
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I know you have complained about the Beach Daisies, but they really look great and so cheerful. My beds are brown, but I did some cleaning up and some plants are coming back already.
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They look great now – but have not gotten out of hand – yet!
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It’s astonishing that the beach daisies and salvia can still be looking perky at temperatures not much above freezing! The daisies make such a wonderful basis for your vase, the contrast with the blue salvia is always attractive and you always seem to be able to add just the right number of ‘extras’. Thanks for sharing 👍d Temperatures here are just dipping below freezing overnight for the next few days, but we are more used to it than you!
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Both of these plants are native further north so they will take frost, but burn. I love the little extras in the vases…I was surprised over the weekend at people in Europe telling me it was warmer in their gardens..
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Yes, I suppose if they are native they will take a lot more. It reached minus five here last night, which is 23 degrees F, and certainly not milder in the UK at the moment!
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Brr, no longer milder in the UK!
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Should begin to improve again from today (Monday) – thankfully!
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Hope you get a warm-up soon. Those helianthus, at least, are a reminder of warmer days, quite cheerful!
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Thanks, Eliza. They are a cheerful note here.
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Cold temperatures in Florida and a deluge of rain in California – what’s the world (or more pointedly, the climate) coming to! I love your beach daisies in any season. It sounds as though they’re much like my Centranthus, colorful weeds that you’ve learned to work with.
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We are in climatic uncharted territory here…I agree with the weeds I have learned to work with – or were too lazy to get rid of. Enjoying them now.
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The color is so . . . Ukrainian.
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If only I had some sunflowers…
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in winter?
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Actually I have some seedlings coming along.
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Well, that makes sense, but they will not bloom for a while.
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February is my guess
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?! That is too early, even by our standards here!
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If I start seed in September, I have zinnias in December.
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The time to bloom does not seem unusual, but the season does. Zinnias are note exactly pleased about cool weather.
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A glorious sight Amelia! And your salvias also seem unperturbed by the cold spell. Hope it is warming up for you now. Can’t wait to see the first zinnias! 😃
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Thanks, Cathy. It is warming and the buds survived on the zinnias..not sure when they will feel like opening.
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Oh your vase has warmed me up Amelia! We have snow on the ground but I feel as if you’ve transported me to summer especially with your mention of the word ‘Beach’ 😂I hope that your overnight lows soon rise. I love that electric blue salvia.
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Thanks, Anna. It is much warmer today and I am back to wearing shorts. The blue salvia is one of my favorites.
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