My garden tour this Saturday was quick. The humidity descended this morning after sunrise, the kind that fogs your glasses upon exiting the air conditioning. A few quick snaps with the phone followed a twirl around the block with Rob the Greyhound and I’m posting six items of garden interest once again.
To see more Six on Saturday posts or to join in, visit Jim at Garden Ruminations.
The pink flamingo was our college mascot, so I have to have one in the garden. This one lives in a mass of Soap Aloe.
Continuing the pink theme with the flower of Silver Urn Bromeliad (Aechmea fasciata)
My lawn replacement project from last year is finally looking lawnish. This is Turkeytangle Frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora) This plant is an evergreen wildflower that provides food and habitat for several butterflies. The butterflies do love it – but, they are shy about photography.
More butterfly habitat. These are Maui Red Ixora. The vines rambling through the shrubs are Corkystem Passionflower (Passiflora suberosa). The flowers of the Ixora provide nectar for the butterflies while the Passionflower vines provide food for the caterpillars. Given that the vines have been completely denuded I think we are having a good butterfly year. The vines host Zebra Longwing and Gulf Fritillary butterflies. The Gulf Fritillary butterflies are known for their aggressive mating behavior (foursomes!) It’s a wonderful aerial acrobatics show in the garden every sunny day.
Another pollinator plant is doing well. Green berries are formed on the Beautyberry (Calliocarpa americana) The butterflies love the flowers and later these berries will turn a deep purple color and birds.
‘Lady Di’ Heliconia (Heliconia psittacorum) in place in the garden. These skirt another lady ‘Miss Alice’ Bougainvillea.
That is all from my garden. I will be pursuing cooler pursuits this Saturday.
The Shrub Queen 
Flamingo looks sinister.
Turkey tangle frogfruit looks good. So does beautyberry. I should see how mine are doing. They still have their ripe berries from last year. They are new to me.
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The Frogfruit is one of those plants they say grows anywhere – not so much.
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The flamingo fits so well in your tropical garden. I can’t imagine that kind of humidity!
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Thanks, the desert usually freaks me out!
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Beautiful flowers from this heliconia. Here I have a young H. schiedeana that measures 1.70m but still no flowers (it’s young because it’s been in a pot for 3 years).
The red Ixora is lovely, and the flamingo fits in well with the soap aloes…. Take care, I heard temperatures income part of the US are going to rise above 100°F.
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I know that Heliconia. I hope you get some flowers. I think slightly acidic soil might be the trick and absurd humidity! It’s cooler here than most of the East coast, strange?!
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A good thing for you so ! 😅
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I just lost my comment so I will try to reproduce it, if you have two similar please feel free to delete the one you dislike most. I always enjoy your unfamiliar and exotic (to me) plants. Love your replacement lawn and of course the flamingo is a beauty.
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Thanks, Gill. WordPress has all those sneaky buttons and blocks now. I have a feeling the other comment is in spam.
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That bromeliad flower is stunning! Happy Saturday!
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Thank you.
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Love the pinks! And I’m a huge fan of Heliconias…it’s wonderful to see them during travels. That Beautyberry is lovely now, and will be bright and colorful when the berries ripen. Happy Six!
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Thanks, Beth.
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It looks like your alternative lawn is doing well. Your Beautyberry is really coming along.
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The lawn is marginally cooperative. I am going to have to move bedlines. I think the Beautyberry is going to be fantastic.
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Sounds pretty steamy down there between the weather and the gulf frittillaries. 😉
Your ‘lawn’ is looking great!
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Lol..men have told me they feel sorry for the girl butterflies!
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Totally… Sounds like our wood frogs and toads. The many suitors clinging to one female can literally drown her. 😩
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Sometimes you gotta wonder about Mother Nature?!
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IKR??
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Love all your tropical plants as usual. The ixora is particularly fabulous. And your ‘lawn’ is doing well.
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Good to see the lawn is settling in nicely Amelia. Love all your plants – and the flamingo too of course!
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Thanks, Cathy. He would go well with Basil.
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What an interesting lawn replacement, Amelia! It is certainly looking well. ‘Lady Di’ Heliconia seems to be very appropriately named as, in spite of its bright colours, it appears quite shy and demure in habit 😉
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I agree, the lawn replacement is becoming persnickety about sun. Just like lawn. The Heliconia is an aggressive runner!
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