I am joining the SOS garden tour again this Saturday. In South Florida, July has settled around us with a wet blanket of humidity, regular temperatures over 90 F (32C) and nearly daily downpours. The garden is turning into a jungle, overrun by happy plants, weeds and everything green. To see less jungly gardens, visit Jim at http://gardenruminations.co.uk and take a virtual tour via posts from gardeners from less sodden climes.
This is about as tropical as it gets. A Lobsterclaw Heliconia (Heliconia rostrata) in full bloom. They turn black if cut and don’t stretch the smaller yellow petals(?) out.
The fruit of Seagrapes (Coccolobo uvifera). These grow on shorelines and are a very hardy native tree. Native Floridians will eat the fruit as have some of my greyhounds. The flavor is somewhere between a fig and a grape but mostly seed that requires gnawing to get a taste. I am told it makes a good jam. I find it makes a big mess.
The fruit from my garden I do like. This is the end of the mangoes. These are Nam Doc Mai. There were too many for us to eat so I have been freezing them. They actually freeze quite well. I found fresh local swordfish at the market this morning – we are looking forward to grilled fish with mango salsa for dinner. The little pineapple was grown from the top of a grocery store fruit. I think I got to it just in time, before the critters caught the fragrance.
Welcome to the jungle. The Transcandentia zebrina is draping over a lot of things with all the rain. I am not regretting this yet as I planted it so I wouldn’t have to mulch. Now I have to pull out the T. zebrina. The red flower pops up like clockwork in July. It is Aechmea miniata bromeliad, a great garden flower.
An interesting Gallardia pulchella from plants crossing in the back garden. I like the seedling varieties better than the named cultivars.
Firebush (Hamelia patens var patens) in full flower. Another favorite, this shrub sneaks up on you by growing a few feet a year if conditions suit. The conditions are evidently perfect and they need a trim.
That is all from the heat zone.
Happy Gardening
The Shrub Queen 
Wonderful fruits, your dinner tonight will be very tasty! I do like the lobster claw plant too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Rosie. I am marinating the fish now!
LikeLike
Fabulous six, Amy. I am impressed that you grew the lovely pineapple from a supermarket one. And all your lovely mangoes, what a treat. The T. Zebrina is amazing. I love the gaillardia seedling, is it very different from the parent? And I wish conditions in my garden suited the Firebush. All gorgeous.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Liz. The city I live in was the pineapple capital of the world in the late 1800s. No longer, but they are easy to grow here. The gallardia parents have single petals like a daisy.
LikeLike
Sodden or not, your garden is still incredibly beautiful. Such vibrant colors. That fish and mango salsa dinner sounds superb. Enjoy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, the swordfish was great.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aechmea flowers are so beautiful! I saw them in a botanical garden not so long ago, (in tropical greenhouses).
Another plant that I have grown (or tried to grow) is firebush. Unfortunately the seeds I had did not germinate but the plant is lovely.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Fred. The Aechmeas are a delight. I wonder if the Firebush need to be digested by a bird to germinate. They make a lot of seed but I see very few seedlings except under where the birds hang out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah! That’s maybe a good idea !…
LikeLike
Oh wow, your Gaillardia is so pretty! Quite different to the G. grandiflora hybrids I grow. I don’t know how you cope with your weather. I suppose air conditioning is a must! I remember the humidity being fairly bad when I lived in Japan. One day I found mould growing on the legs of my kitchen table…. 🤣
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Cathy. The Gallardia is always coming up with something a little different. I think Japan is actually worse. And air conditioning is a must. On the flip side, we are so used to the heat we have become cold intolerant.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My garden is definitely less jungly than yours! Although it did rain All Night yesterday/overnight, starting around 6 – quite a change and, like yours, my garden is very happy this morning! I’ve been seeing the news reports about your heat (and across the south, it seems) – not my idea of a good time… But I also am intrigued by the Gaillardia – and the pineapple – very nice!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you got some rain! It is a bit warmer here than usual. But worse in other places. I am holding on for October.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The combination of Tradescantia zebrina and Aechmea miniata looks like a red Dichorisandra thyrsiflora. Is Dichorisandra thyrsiflora popular there?
LikeLiked by 1 person
It does! I tried one and it did not like the sand soil. I have never seen one here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just grew a few from cuttings from Brent’s garden. Most succumbed to the unusually cool frost last winter. I do not know what to do with the survivors yet. They need shelter.
LikeLiked by 1 person
house plants!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Perhaps, but I doubt it would perform well as a houseplant. It could come in for winter.
LikeLike
Your garden is looking like a tropical jungle. Love that Lobsterclaw. I know my weeding stops when the heat goes up.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is and I keep adding and moving bromeliads around. Same here with the weeding. There is a new non toxic weed spray I want to try.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Let me know how it does.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I will, something called torch weedkiller, made with clove oil and other odd things.
LikeLiked by 1 person