Truth be told, I think the days are a little too long. I am happy the sun is heading back down in the sky. Living as far south as we do there can be a dramatic shift in light, especially on the due north side of the house. Full sun in summer followed by full shade in winter. A plant selection dilemma. I’m still finding a lot of joy in the garden . Here are my six tidbits of joy from this morning.
Buds are shooting up on the Soap Aloe (Aloe saponaria). I love these buds, so architectural. They are taking over the garden and have thorny foliage, so I leave them be for the most part.
The Bridal Bouquet Frangipani (Plumeria pudica) is ready for June brides. I may cut a bouquet for myself as I think this one is a bit too tall.
I am not sure a bridal bouquet from this plant would be a great idea. The drip toxic sap after cutting. But it would smell great.
The Firebush (Hamelia patens) is underplanted with lush Alligator Lilies (Hymenocallis latifolia). The Firebush is a major pollinator nectar source, so I have masses of butterflies. This is the best Alligator Lily foliage I have had – these are shy about flowering and seem to enjoy being crowded. Fingers crossed for fragrant, white lilies that open at dusk later this summer.
A true summer joy and a symbol of endurance. A nice array of hot colors from zinnias
More garden joy. This is as late in the year as I have ever had tomatoes. Many South Florida gardeners grow tomatoes October through May. I planted a second crop and will plant another crop in August. Hoping for year round cherry tomatoes. These are yellow pear, sweet 100, and Brad’s Atomic. Brad’s is off the list for the next crop, just a bit weird tasting and not very prolific.
I’m still harvesting Nam Doc Mai mangoes and have pounds of mango in the freezer. Also doing rain dances. Things are looking more promising for next week.
Thanks to Jim at Garden Ruminations for hosting. Follow the link for more garden tours.
The Shrub Queen 
Plumeria pudica looks good and well branched. The only specimen that I ever met grew more than six feet tall before developing one branch, and then grew almost six more feet before branching again. I pruned it to compel it to branch more, but it just replaced its two single stems with more single stems. I do not know if it is actually Plumeria pudica, but I can guess that it is.
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That sounds about right, these are oddly columnar.
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The plumeria is really very pretty and I’m sure it has a wonderful fragrance. I’m still waiting for mine to bloom. I wonder when the flower buds will appear in the middle… I was thinking this year, but I’m afraid it will be next year…
Have you tried making soap with this Aloe?? I don’t really know if it’s possible
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Do you grow yours in the greenhouse Fred? I have tried growing those little sticks you can buy in Martinique but apart from the odd leaf they never do anything.
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Plumeria ? Yes, from sowing years ago. It’s now 2 m tall and has large and shiny leaves. It sometimes gets attacked by spidermites( Neem oil)
In winter, I bring it into my attic to overwinter at about 14°C
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It has to be warm for the Plumeria to flower. The Soap Aloe is used for shampoo in South Africa where it is native. I have not tried it as if you read about it seemingly most people are allergic to it.
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I’ll bet plumeria smells wonderful. I never grew them as it froze too often. The Firebush is a great plant for all pollinators.
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It does. I love the Firebush.
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Eh, toxic sap! The flower looks nice though.
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Didn’t know about plumeria’s toxic sap… but don’t they string the blossoms to make leis?? Or am I thinking of some other flower?
I just realized that Hamelia is your name with an ‘H’ in front of it, lol! 😀
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They do use the flowers in leis. The sap comes out of the trunks. LOL, I never noticed the Hamelia! Ha Amelia.
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🙂
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I’ve admired your beautiful white Frangipani before. What a treat to be able to grow this beauty. And for once I prefer the common name. Frangipani sounds delicious, even if it is toxic. Luscious looking tomatoes.
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I like Frangipani, too! I wanted to tell you about the Heliconia seed. They are pollinated by hummingbirds. I thought I might have seed but it was large stamens! I see 2 or so hummingbirds a year in winter, they go down the other coast of Florida. So not happening here with birds. The seeds also take a year to germinate. I would forget about them.
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Beautiful, beautiful plants, as always! I’m a huge fan of Zinnias, for so many reasons. Mine are starting to bloom here in S. Wis., too, because I started them in pots indoors and then transplanted them as seedlings outdoors. I’m a huge fan of the long days, mainly because our winter days are so short and cold up here in the north. We transition from about nine hours to about 15.5 hours of daylight from the winter solstice to the summer solstice. I prefer the latter. 😉
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The aloe buds really are pretty. Shame about the thorns. And your zinnias are great colours! I have planted a mix this year and can’t wait to see what appears. Enjoy the tomatoes and other bounty Amelia. Wishing you and me both some rain! Happy summer!
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