South Florida has been featured in the news this week for its first tropical weather of the season. Miami and environs received 20 inches of rain in some areas and are still drying out. More rain is expected this weekend. I live in the far north of South Florida and realized I had left a bucket out in the front garden before the deluge started. After checking it out I found we had almost nine inches of rain this week. The first thing to pop are the weeds and mosquitoes!
The garden greedily gobbled up the water and the plants are a new shade of green this Saturday, some of the more tropical plants started flowering and setting buds. We have had a very dry spring so the rain was welcome. It is too bad there is no means to adjust the water flow from above.
Coontie Palms (Zamia integrifolia) recovering from butterfly hosting duties. The rare Atala butterfly lays eggs and grows caterpillars on this plant almost exclusively. These were eaten to the ground during the spring and have recovered nicely. Super Fireball Neoregelias in front of the photo are a bit scorched from the dry spring, they are usually red or green. I hope they recover. Fortunately, there are a zillion of these lurking in the back garden. The varigated shrubs in the background are Java White Copper leaf (Acalphya wilkesiana). Grassy plants are Rain Lilies.
Alcantarea odorata bromeliad gaining its glaucous foliage. This is a big, full sun bromeliad that eventually reaches 3 feet wide and tall, they are sage green and look like they have been dusted in confectioners sugar. A statement plant if you are into that lingo. I am trying to decide about underplanting it with purple verbena or orange groundcover orchids. A friend sent me an offset two or three years ago and it is finally taking off.
More bromeliads, this is a big mixed container. The purple foliage is Neoregelia ‘Luca’; the grey foliage with a bud coming on is Silver Urn (Aechmea fasciata)
Mexican Bush Honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera) is a reliable summer bloomer. This is the first flush.
Coral Plant (Jatropha multifida) starting its summer season.
Gopher tortoise visiting my front porch for a vegetarian snack. Any plant that hangs over the side is fair game. It took me a while to figure out what was eating the basil. This guy must not be Italian as he leaves the oregano alone.
That is all from South Florida this Saturday. For a worldwide SOS garden tour follow this link http://garden ruminations.co.uk to visit Jim’s blog.
Happy Gardening!!!
The Shrub Queen 
Is this guy eating your tomatoes? Maybe a future pizza maker!? 😂
In any case he looks healthy … Jatropha: wow…I still love it so much. .
LikeLiked by 1 person
The tortoise can’t reach the tomatoes. Fortunately. I will send you a picture of the Jatropha, it is so weird.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We had a lot of rain but as you said it was badly needed. It is amazing how the plants turned a deeper shade of green in these last couple of days. The mosquito plane was out yesterday. Love your white cooper leaf.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, I haven’t seen the mosquito people yet. It is truly amazing how quickly they pop up.
LikeLiked by 1 person
If only we could regulate the rain. That is a nice big turtle. It’s funny that he eats basil.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They do on Star Trek! The turtle also ate all the Globe Amaranth, flowers and all. I haven t planted that again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The tornado episode with Q? I don’t think my turtles are eating my plants, if so not many.
LikeLiked by 1 person
yes. the global weather net or something like that. I am making chicken broth and realized something has been eating the bay leaves too..
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have had pigeons eating my plants this week, while you have a tortoise, gardening is a challenge.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gardening is a challenge. Especially fruit and veg. I leave the weird tropical fruit for the animals and try to pick the others before they get fully ripe and the squirrels go crazy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nine inches is a lot, but surely better than 20″. Bet the garden is happy for it.
Love the tortoise! I’d probably be feeding it lettuce. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, better than 20 but I was out driving in the deluge and happy to be in an SUV. The tortoise also ate all the Globe Amaranth. I guess he is a gourmet.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nine inches of rain puts our one total washout day this week in perspective, never mind twenty. We had one inch in 24 hours, thought it was awful and complained a lot. The temperature was 14°C (57°F) though, which yours won’t have been.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, well. It was in the 80s 26C during all of that and I live on a sugar sand hill so it washes right through. The garden is very happy, I am hoping the mangoes don’t split.
LikeLike
A tortoise eating your plants – I want to say what fun but it probably isn’t.
LikeLike
the good news is he is not very tall
LikeLiked by 1 person
You have a beautiful garden. We have similar plants in Puerto Rico, except we have tropical weather year ’round.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Maria. Similar, but you are more tropical. I am north of West Palm. Just subscribed to your blog – it looks beautiful. Amelia
LikeLiked by 1 person
I found a place to buy Yellow Dancing Ladies. Almost Eden website has them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Woohoo thank you
LikeLiked by 1 person
I thought I had it bookmarked and couldn’t remember the name. I was looking up something and it popped up.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am going back to look at that website more thoroughly! It looks great.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Coontie and Zamia both sound silly. Zamia zamiifolia was a fad for a while. I am glad that it no longer is. Zamia integrifolia has more integrity, at least in coastal Southern California. I should look for Mexican bush honeysuckle when I return to Southern California. I can remember that some sort of unfamiliar Justicia was in nurseries, but I do not remember what species it was. Justicia carnea and Justicia aurea supposedly perform well here, but I do not think that they resemble Justicia spicigera. Technically, Justicia spicigera can perform well here also, but I have not seen it yet.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wonder what Coontie actually means, it may be an Indian word. Probably for deadly poison. There are a lot of Justicias, they do weird tree forms with them here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, it just occurred to me that Justicia brandegeeana is a species of Justicia! That is weird! I never liked it, but I remember it from years ago, and when we were in school. It does not get so big, at least here or in Southern California.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Red Shrimp 🦐
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a lot of rain to cope with at once, but your garden is looking very verdant! I love that Mexican honeysuckle and look forward to seeing it in your IAVOM arrangements. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
it is and things were shriveling up. Hope you got to meet your new grandbaby.
LikeLike
Your rain WAS in the news! I can just imagine the floods we’d have with that much all at once. We had two inches Thursday night which was a lot by our standards and also very welcome – the kitchen garden in particular appreciated it.
How fabulous that you have Coonty palms and recognized them as the host for Atalfa butterflies! I looked them up and found this great article (of which you already know I know… ) …so cool…
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2024-02-21/tiny-butterfly-florida-thought-extinct-gardeners-naturalists-brought-it-back
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Chris. I have not seen that article and know the people in it from the native plant continuum. The Atalas are fascinating and I seem to be developing a small colony. I see them in January and June. It is amazing how much Coontie butterflies can eat!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a lot of rain! Our damp spring has also encouraged the weeds here, but weeding has been pleasant in our sunny, cloudy, showery weather. I really like your Coral Plant, which looks more like honeysuckle to me than your Mexican Honeysuckle! Hope your visiting tortoise doesn’t take up residence with his mates… it could mean a serious shortage of pesto this summer! (I have only just sowed my basil! 😉)
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is and more rain is on the way. The weeds are jumping for joy. I just realized that turtle also eats culinary bay! Go figure.
LikeLike
Oh no! Maybe a bit chewy but he clearly likes strong flavours!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Super weird 🤣
LikeLiked by 1 person