Spring in South Florida brings changes to the garden. It took me a while to figure out what was going on and I am still observing the action.This Saturday morning I noted my fruit trees growing and changing and the ever fascinating (to me) Bromeliads. To see more spring (and maybe fall!) garden pictures, visit Jim at GardenRuminations
O’ Rourke bromeliad flower. These start out very pale pink and are now gaining a deeper color. The flower stalks came up at the end of January. I am not sure how long they last.
Pickering Mangoes starting to color up. These flowered prolifically and set a lot of fruit. I am left wondering what happened to it. There are maybe 10 or 12 left on the tree. Did the evil Agama Lizards eat it?? A garden mystery.
Gallardia pulchella, once considered native but its status was rescinded. For some reason, these only grow in the shell walkway.
The life cycle of the Jill Neoregelia bromeliad. These are stoloniferous. The top picture is the mother plant at the end of the cycle, turning deep red and flowering. This plant will soon die and I will twist its dried up remains off the stolons. The bottom photo is what Jill looks like most of its life.
Blushing Bromeliads (Neoregelia carolinae) doing the same dance. New pups are visible on the right side of the picture replacing the mother plant and spreading. These are considered ground cover bromeliads.
The first ‘Miss Alice’ Bougainvillea flower of the year. Miss Alice was knocked off her trellis by one of the hurricanes last year and remained naked until just now. I was beginning to wonder if she would come back, but here she is! It is hard to keep a Bougainvillea down.
That is all from my garden this beautiful Saturday morning.. Happy Spring!
The Shrub Queen 
I’m loving the white bracted bougie (lazy spelling there). Envious (in a positive way) of your bromeliads and mangoes. Happy Easter to you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Gill, they call them Bougs here. Happy Easter to you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Bougainvillea is lovely. Oh I too wonder who age all the mangoes?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Rosie. It was someone who likes green mango dishes – a Thai squirrel?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gee, Miss Alice survived a hurricane, but my second pair of white bougainvillea (of two different cultivars) succumbed to mild frost. Frost is too mild here to be much of a problem! This is embarrassing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Miss Alice has survived several hurricanes. Were the Bougs in the ground? I think that is the key.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, but I put them there early. I wanted them in the ground before winter rain. The frost damage was likely minimal, but too much to recover from while the weather was cool and damp. I suspect that they would still be alive if I had put them in the ground at the end of winter. They could have grown through summer to be more resilient before their ‘first’ winter.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are probably right and should give it another try.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I intend to.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What wonderful news this rescue of white bougainvillea! Miss Alice looks so pretty!
Here, the purple bougainvillea is starting to bloom in my greenhouse. I might show it in the next few weeks. Happy Easter to you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am very happy for Miss Alice and hope to see your purple soon.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The mangoes look good. I blame everything on squirrels. Love that white Bougainvillea. Mine is coming back from the freeze.
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOL! I blame it on the nasty lizard though squirrels are known to eat mangoes – usually when ripe and these were not. I do mango patrol every morning during the season and get them inside before the squirrels get to them. How great your Boug is coming back!
LikeLiked by 1 person
When I grew cotton, the squirrels took my cotton bolls before they opened. I guess they looked like big nuts.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s funny and weird.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lovely six! My parents used to have a place in Florida, and I’d usually visit them in early spring (to get away from Wisconsin). I didn’t really compare the months because I was usually there in February or March. I know Mom enjoyed having green, growing things from November through April, when they came back north. Your “six” are lovely and lush. That Bougainvillea is gorgeous, and the Mangoes look delicious!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, the Snowbird exodus has begun and I expect it to intensify next week. I am relieved about the Bougainvillea, it is a difficult variety to find – thornless. This means smaller thorns that are less sharp.
LikeLike
Time marches on! Glad ‘Miss Alice’ returned.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Phew..It would be hard to find another Miss Alice.
LikeLike
Darn it on losing the mangoes to a critter. Are you tempted to put up a wildlife cam to see what’s happening – or better not to know?! Gorgeous bromeliads.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am tempted by a wildlife camera..there are bobcats and coyotes around here and something the dog is spooked by.
LikeLike
I love the Blushing Bromeliad (Neoregelia carolinae). It’s really unusual and well named
LikeLike
I am pleased to see Miss Alice appears to have survived. Hope she continues to thrive. 😃
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me, too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I really miss seeing mangoes dripping from the trees. Lovely!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am ready to eat them!
LikeLiked by 1 person