Saturday morning found me taking pictures in the garden yet again. I am joining in the SOS crowd flocking to Jim’s blog to share six items of interest from their gardens. Today I am featuring summer flowering bromeliads from my tropical oasis in South Florida.
This is a Aechmea Rubens flower with a White Peacock butterfly sipping the nectar. It has been a good year for this butterfly. I have swarms of White Peacocks for some reason. I want to share what I just read on Google. Groups of butterflies can be called swarms, kaleidoscopes, or rabbles.
Buds on a Aechmea ‘Little Harv’ bromeliad.
Another view of ‘Little Harv’. These get much taller and open, the stem is hot pink.
This is Aechmea bracteata in full bloom. These last a long time and eventually dry to a straw color.
Aechmea blanchetiana ‘Lemon’ shooting up flower spikes. These are three or four feet tall and will open up a bit. They remind me of crustaceans.
Aechmea miniata bromeliad flowers. These are my favorites. Easy to grow and nice, low foliage that is not sharp.
That’s all from sweltering South Florida. We are just out of the heat dome in the Eastern US thankfully. It is much warmer further north.
After a few weeks of summer tropical vases, I decided to put together some flowers from the flip side of my garden. Not that there really is a flip side, the lines between the tropicals and the more typical garden flowers blurred long ago. Most classic cut flowers, like Zinnias and Dahlias need to be grown in containers as the sugar sand in the garden is unforgiving and perpetually dry. Sometimes I put the containers in the garden and enjoy the flowers, most times I end up with stems devoid of flowers and leave the beheaded containers with the vegetables.
Most of these flowers were cut from the garden. The zinnias are the only thing from containers. I get stunted zinnias if I try growing them in the ground – unless, the rabbits get to them first. We have an unusually high rabbit population this year. Marsh rabbits. Even more unusual and they ate the zinnia seedlings out of the pots they could reach. Here is one enjoying cantaloupe rind at the compost heap. Our local gopher tortoise has built a burrow under the compost heap and seemingly is inviting friends over for dinner. The zinnias are served as an appetizer course.
Contents from The Flip Side:
In orange, front and center are the zinnias; yellow flowers are from the shrub, Thyrallis (Galpinia gracilis); white daisies are Bidens alba; red spikes are Tropical Red Salvia (Salvia coccinea); hot pink flowers are Coral Vine (Antigonon leptopus); purple backed leaves are Vitex trifolia; A few Asian Sword Ferns are added for a touch of green.
That is all from Marsh Rabbit Central. I think the Gopher Tortoise has extended an invitation to the Eastern Cottontail Rabbits for brunch. It’s a good thing lettuce is out of season here.
To see more vases (and fewer rabbits) visit Cathy’s blog RamblingintheGarden
It seems I always find a few things I want to add to the garden – in July. Not a great time for shipping plants to South Florida. I managed to control myself (a little) and bought a few new plants shipped from nearby. July can be a good time to plant things due to copious rainfall.
My garden tour this morning revealed a few other new things in the garden – one has already been eaten! Please join other SOS bloggers and their six items of interest at Jim’s Blog (Garden Ruminations) for more summer fun.
The Yellow Dragonfruit is once again teasing me with a flower. These are pollinated by night flying bats and moths. At this point I am not sure I have any of those in the garden. Usually I get some flowers for a short (hours long) period and they fall off. I thought I would try the paint brush around the inside of the flower and then looked inside.
The flower was loaded with insects doing more than I could ever hope for with a paintbrush. I’ll know in a week or so if there will be fruit.
The homegrown pineapple (on the left) was harvested and devoured. These pineapples are usually much smaller than the grocery store varieties (on the right) I am not sure why because they are grown from the tops of grocery store pineapples? The fruit is sweeter and juicier than pineapples from the store. Delicious.
These are new to the garden. I bought the cuttings of Reed Orchid (Epiprenum radicans). These can be grown in the ground here and are used as a groundcover. This one has orange flowers that look like dendrobium clusters, but they come in many colors. I put it in a terracotta pot to keep the rabbits away. It should take and creep over the sides of the pot and fill in the bed.
Meet ‘Absolute Zero’ Crypanthus bromeliad. These are shade lovers and should have pink flowers. The common name is Earth Star. I intend to put these in the ground near the Epiprenums. After receiving the plant I realized the sun needs to go down in the sky a bit before I plant them. A little too much afternoon sun currently.
A locally grown coconut. I bought this to bake a pie, without thinking through the fact that power tools are probably needed to open it and it is the wrong kind for baking coconut. Green coconuts have coconut water and jelly. Brown coconuts have the grateable meat for pies. Sigh. Both involve screwdrivers and hammer prior to use. They can be sprouted and planted in the garden – but I am not sure which kind.
That’s all from South Florida. There is a heat advisory in effect for the next couple of days so all gardening has to be done before 9 am. I am done!
It’s high Summer, damp and humid, the tropical flowers are basking in the moisture producing bountiful flowers. For some reason a lot of these flowers are red. My theory is they are red to attract hummingbirds, seemingly a major pollinator in tropical rainforests where a lot of these plants are from. I could be wrong. I was quite surprised this morning by an aggressive Gulf Fritillary butterfly trying to get a taste of my herbal scalp conditioner!
I decided to use a primary colors theme as opposed to a patriotic one. I am finding myself embarrassed and unsupportive of what is going on in my country right now. White flowers were purposely left out. All of the plants are from elsewhere.
Red spikes are Aechmea miniata, from Brazil, surrounded by Blue Plumbago (Plumbago auriculata) from South Africa.
“Lady Di’ Heliconia (Heliconia psittacorum) flowers and foliage are in the background with a few spears of Miniature – “Lava” I think, Pineapple. Heliconias are from Central and South America. Pineapples hail from Brazil and Paraguay. The area I live in used to be home to huge pineapple plantations. I rarely run across pineapples in their natural state – extremely sharp foliage, probably four feet tall and mad colored, tiny fruit.
I think I have digressed enough! Follow this link RamblingintheGarden to visit Cathy’s blog and see what other gardeners have in their vases this Monday.
The rainy season in South Florida is living up to its name. Yes, it’s rainy and the Rain Lilies are loving it. I have never had so many in bloom. I decided to cut some to enjoy in the house, knowing they don’t last very long in a Vase. I cut a few other things, all oozers of sap, then held everything upside down and made it back inside before the rain started. I managed not to get slimed by the drippy stems, shoved the entire handful into the nearest vase, separated the colors and voila!
A flower arrangement that is really temporary.
The vase roster:
The pink flowers are Rain Lilies (Zephyranthes rubra); berries on red stems are Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia). I had to stop for a minute to think about the difference between Poison Ivy and Virginia Creeper – 3 leaves versus 5. Phew.
There was one white Tropical Gardenia (Tabernaemontana diviricata) within reach with the Arabian Lilac (Vitex trifolia) nearby. I trimmed a few branches of the Lilac, it has purple flowers. The sawtooth foliage is from the Virginia Creeper.
Happy Monday from the Land of Humidity!
Tune in to Cathy’s blog RamblingintheGarden by following this link to see more vases.
There it is. The final perfectly tree ripened Thai dessert mango of the summer. I am not sure who or what ate it, but it wasn’t me. I will count my blessings. We had a wonderful crop of three varieties of mangoes from May to July and I have learned to make a new dessert, Mango Coconut Cream pie. I will confess I have been shopping for a Keitt mango to extend the season through September…the pie.
Now for some pretty garden images:
This is a Vriesea bromeliad. The botanical name has been changed to Goudaea ospinae, it used to be V. ospinae cv. gruberi. Maybe it is not a Vriesea anymore. These are planted primarily for foliage, the color really lights up the shade garden. It is reported to have a yellow flower, but I have never seen one.
This is a Buttercup Bush (Turnera ulmifolia) – I think. These grow wild here and it popped up to replace an Angel Trumpet that didn’t grow here at all.
This is a Golden Dewdrop (Durant erecta). This rarely flowers in my garden and the butterflies are really enjoying it. I am wondering what inspired the flowers. The Dewdrop is a bit of a mystery to me. It is supposed to be a large shrub to a small tree sized plant. I would guess it has been in the garden for 8 or 10 years and might be two feet tall. More puzzles to ponder.
A Royal Ponciana (Delonix regia); also called Flamboyant tree. My neighbor has one and a seedling popped up in the garden, so I potted it, coddled it and waited for the rainy season to plant it. In a few years it will be covered in flowers like this. Flamboyant is a good name! Hopefully.
That is all from South Florida. The rainy season continues….
I am definitely getting in touch with my inner tropical garden lover this Monday. My rainforest garden is putting out funkier flowers by the day. Of course, the bromeliads are uncooperative about growing where I want them and need rearranging. A winter time chore in full armor is in my future.
The flowers are Aechmea Rubens. I have never heard a common name for this plant. Apparently a botanical garden in Canada picked it up in Brazil and didn’t quite document it, so no one knows exactly where it came from. I am not sure where the one in my garden came from??! The rebound came when I couldn’t remember the name and put the picture in Google Lens and was referred to my own blog!
A closer view. The flowers are very much like straw flowers. I have had them last until Thanksgiving in the garden. I am not sure about vase life, but I expect it will be a while. The background foliage is a Sabal Palm frond trimmed to fit. The vase and flowers are easily three feet tall. The plant in the garden is at least that tall.
Happy Monday from the tropics.
Thanks to Cathy for hosting. To visit other gardens via vase follow this link to RamblingintheGarden
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 scent of Frangipani at night is a blessing in the tropics. It compensates for the humidity. June brings Bridal Bouquet Frangipani flowers and fragrance into the garden. This is not the typical Frangipani. The growth habit is columnar rather than a rounded tree form and the foliage can be semi evergreen. The foliage is also an unusual shape, called violin.
I use these as upright hedges to screen my neighbors wood fence. Some winters I see more fences than others as semi evergreen is a very good description. Come summer you can’t get much more tropical than this.
A closer view:
The white flowers are the Bridal Bouquet Frangipani (Plumeria pudica). Yellow and Red flowers are “Lady Di” Heliconias (Heliconia psittacorum). Orange flowers are from the Firebush (Hamelia patens). There is a little charteuse Coleus in the back of the vase. The vase is a large crystal wedding gift from Tiffany’s.
That’s all from my South Florida garden. I’ll be savoring the scents of summer and ignoring the weeds.
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 