In a Vase on Monday – Peace, Love & Salvia

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It’s no secret I love Salvia. I was delighted to see a bevy of blossoms after a few intense rain showers last week. I cut a large handful of mostly red, with a little off red and white. The Tropical Red Salvia (Salvia coccinea) is not really true to seed and color ranges from neon orange to coral, pink and pure red. This off red is a new color, surprising me by flourishing in nearly full shade.

I think I created a Freudian flower arrangement. Does it look like it is shooting a peace sign or is it just me? I fear for my country and am hoping for peace.

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A close up of the Tropical Red Salvia (Salva coccinea). The background plants are Lemon Blanchetiana Bromeliad foliage and Asian Sword Ferns. A sprig of Bridal Bouquet Frangipani (Plumeria pudica) was added for fragrance.

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A twining stem of Coral Vine graces the edge of the vase. This vine (Antigonon leptopus) refuses to grow on the fence it was planted beside and prefers to climb the very thorny lime tree. I pick a piece out now and then and usually manage to get stabbed.

Peace be with you all.

Visit Cathy’s blog RamblingintheGarden and follow the links to see more vases.

Six on Saturday – Return to 6

I haven’t been sixing lately as August was a frying, hot and dry month and the garden was looking dismal. Things are looking up in September. For whatever reason, our late afternoon showers have returned, temperatures are moderating and the plants are much happier. I even went plant shopping!

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One of my purchases, a Chinese Perfume Tree (Aglaia odorata). These are the flowers. I love the scent. The nursery did an excellent job of marketing, having the shrubs here and there so you wondered ‘what is that lovely fragrance’? It’s lemony and reminds me of Southern Magnolias (Magnolia grandiflora)

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Here is the Chinese Perfume Tree. I planted it in a big terracotta pot as it seems they like some moisture. I am very hopeful this works and the shrub thrives. The soil in the garden is probably too well drained to sustain this plant.

New growth in the succulent containers. The Haworthias, now green, were brown through August. Grey plants are Graptosedums.

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Rejuvenated Tropical Red Salvia (Salvia coccinea) This reseeds freely in the garden to the point of needing to be thinned.

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‘Little Harv’ Aechmea Bromeliad in full bloom.

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A little fall color and masses of purple berries on the Beautyberry (Calliocarpa americana)

That’s all from my garden this week. Visit Jim’s blog GardenRuminations to see more SOS posts.

Happy Fall Y’all!!

In a Vase on Monday – Autumn Cheer

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September is finally here. It rained, the weather cooled (ever so slightly) and the flowers opened their buds and cheered. I collected a few of the celebrants, then added some fruits and foliage and am now enjoying the fall colors.

While many lament the end of summer, we celebrate in South Florida. Cooler weather is on the way!

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I have had zinnias through the summer. Interestingly, they produced half sized flowers through the August heat. I have a big container still going and hope the flowers get bigger with fall’s arrival. The white daisies are Bidens alba, an indestructible native wildflower. The burgundy foliage is from Aechmea ‘Burgundy’ Bromeliads.

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The purple beautyberries (Calliocarpa americana) have been spectacular this year. Even my husband noticed, which is a bit shocking. I collected another cup of berries to freeze and bake treats later. Red flowers are Tropical Red Salvia (Salvia coccinea). Green foliage is Asian Sword Ferns (Nephrolepis brownii) and Macwilliamsii Neoregelia Bromeliad.

I am looking forward to spending more time outside. We are working on a new seating area in my front garden for butterfly reconnaissance. Plotting plantings! Bought chairs and flamingo fabric for pillows. My husband wants to build a platform deck. Autumn Cheers!

Visit Cathy at RamblingintheGarden to see vases from around the world.

In a Vase on Monday – Torched!

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At long last our dry spell was broken last week. Locals swear that those of us who live on the limestone ridge (the highest point on the East Coast of Florida) are in the doughnut hole – a place where rain goes around us. Sometimes I believe this. This summer it has been true, the rain just wasn’t quite getting here. The garden gratefully soaked up all the moisture from the sky and promptly asked for more. This afternoon is looking quite promising for a rain shower. Things are looking a bit torched around here, so it seems a perfect time to introduce the Flaming Torch Bromeliad.

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Meet the Flaming Torch (Billbergia pyramidalis). These are very aptly named, when the sun hits them just right, they look exactly like that. Another common name is Hurricane or Foolproof plant. The peak of hurricane season is September 6th, so I can get that. As far as being foolproof, I have killed a number of these following directions that they grow in full sun. This is not true. Those planted in full sun were torched!

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The rest of the arrangement has Zinnias, in pink and orange. Firebush (Hamelia patens) is orange tubular flowers. Dark foliage and pale yellow flowers are from Bronze or Copper Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare). The vase is a non heirloom florist vessel from somewhere..

That is all from my garden this morning. To see more vases, visit Cathy at RamblingintheGarden

Really looking forward to FALL!!

In a Vase on Monday – Summer Berries

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It is still dry and scorching in my garden. Even the enormous Hurricane Erin seems to be keeping the precipitation to herself. She is forecast to pass about 550 miles away from me, the further the better. Fall berries have been forming in the garden. I have been baking, watching the birds enjoy it and cut a few sprigs for my Monday vase.

Last week I had Beautyberries in my vase. Native Floridians tend to be the only people who really enjoy the fruit, using it in desserts and for jam and jelly. I have been told many times the berries don’t taste like much, so I finally nibbled a few. It’s true, an astringent, peppery flavor emerged when I tried it. Then I cooked some down to juice, added sugar and a very nice berry flavor emerged. Voila! Lemon Beautyberry cupcakes:

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The berries in my vase this week are from the Gumbo Limbo tree (Bursera simaruba). These berries are best left for the birds, who love them. The numerous seedlings around my garden will attest to that.

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Firebush (Hamelia patens) in orange tubular flowers and red and yellow “Lady Di” Heliconias (Heliconia psittacorum) round out the plant palette.

Visit Cathy’s blog RamblingintheGarden to see more late summer vases.

In a Vase on Monday – Beauty and Some Beasts

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I was in the mood for a cottagey vase this week and set out to find some less tropically mad flowers. Spell check seems to think cottagey is not a word. While roses are out of the question (I choose not to torment myself) I like cottage garden flowers and always have some zinnias going. The heat dome frying my garden finally dissipated and it actually rained!! Hopes were high for some new flowers. I found some beauties and some beasts.

The beauties in the vase are the Zinnias and Beautyberry. I selected seeds last year hoping to get orange and pink Zinnias and here they are! The Beautyberry (Calliocarpa americana) intrigues me. I had this shrub in my garden 600 miles north of here and it refused to grow in the sun and did not produce berries until November. In Florida, I have berries in August, it thrives in full sun and happily lives in sugar sand. It is a head scratcher. Oh, Copper Fennel is also a beauty. This one lives through July (a major accomplishment) and is flowering in August!

The beasts are the ferns and the daisies. The ferns are the invasive Asian Sword Ferns (Nephrolepis brownii) I’ll admit to liking these, pulling them out by the bag and enjoying a few swords in vases from time to time. They aren’t too beastly in the sugar sand, but I can imagine with unlimited water things could get ugly. The other beast is Bidens alba, ironically a valued native pollinator flower – it produces so many seeds it is difficult to keep in one place. The butterflies do love it.

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The Zinnias with a bit of purple Beautyberry and chartruese Fennel flowers.

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The beastly Asian Sword Ferns and white Bidens alba.

I am dreaming of cooler weather and some more rain.

Visit Cathy at Ramblinginthegarden by following the link where more vases full of weekly garden treasures can be found.

In a Vase on Monday – Tropical Fantasy

I recently acquired some fabric called Tropical Fantasy. It features animals lurking in palm trees and giant teapots. I believe this vase fits quite well into that theme. Many bromeliad flowers are the embodiment of a tropical fantasy. I get a head shaking moment every now and then in the garden and ask myself “is that a flower or what?”

Our rainy season is taking a long holiday from precipitation. Scorched is the new normal as temperatures have been over 90 (32C) for the past few weeks. The good news is the humidity dropped. The bad news is this is making the orchids very unhappy. I can’t get enough water on them and have had to pull some up to get them out of the sun. I can’t recall ever having crispy brown orchids.

The components:

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This is the appropriately named “Fantasia” Aechmea Bromeliad. The foliage is a sawtooth edged silvery grey with pink undertones, pretty fantastic.

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These flowers are from two different Aechmea blanchetiana bromeliads. Red stemmed flowers are from the raspberry cultivar and the yellow one is from lemon. The foliage is red or yellow tinged in these two varieties. The Blanchetiana comes in a number of colors, one called iced tea due to the foliage color. These are stunning in the sun. Foliage in the vase is prunings from Dracaena reflexa. These used to be called Pleomele, I think. The one in my garden is (or was!) about 15 feet tall. It was growing over the bottom of the roof so I trimmed it back.

That’s all from the slow simmer setting in South Florida. Thanks to Cathy for hosting our weekly vase adventure into other gardens and climates. To see more vases follow this link RamblingintheGarden.

In a Vase on Monday – Sirius Survivors

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We are deeply entrenched in the dog days of summer in my garden. Some Saharan dust meandered in and shut down our cooling clouds and showers. Every time I look at the weather it says “feels like 108 F” Surprisingly, it is much warmer further north. I feel fortunate to live close enough to the Atlantic Ocean to catch a breeze. The breezes make it less hot, not cooler!

The dog star, Sirius, rises during the hottest part of the summer. Modern definitions of the dog days of summer have them occurring from July 11-August 3. The scope must be greatly expanded for South Florida! In ancient times the dog days lasted longer. I agree with the ancient philosophers. It is hot in my garden well past the first of September.

The flowers in this vase are Sirius or even serious survivors. Thriving in sun and heat and going with or without hand watering by the fickle gardener they still shine.

The fittest:

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Some tried and true summer favorites, Gardenias and Zinnias. Gardenias are the Tropical variety that is deciduous here, Tabernaemontana diviricata. Zinnias are grown from seed I saved last year hoping for pink and orange flowers.

The tropical part:

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Orange flowers are Parrotflowers (Heliconia psittacorum Choconiana) Red flowers are Red Shrimp Plant (Justicia brandegeana). Dark ferny foliage is Copper Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) Maybe that is not so tropical.

I inherited the vase from my mother and have enjoyed using it for years.

Visit Cathy at the link RamblingintheGarden to visit more gardens via vase.

For those wondering about Gopher Tortoises mentioned in last week’s vase post, here is one ambling up the walk to my front porch. Once he or she arrives near the potted herbs any basil hanging over the edge of the pot will be trimmed to turtle height. This turtle also enjoys charteuse Coleus and melons. A bit of an odd salad!

Six on Saturday – Summer Bromance

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.

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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.

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Buds on a Aechmea ‘Little Harv’ bromeliad.

Another view of ‘Little Harv’. These get much taller and open, the stem is hot pink.

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This is Aechmea bracteata in full bloom. These last a long time and eventually dry to a straw color.

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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.

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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.

Thanks to Jim for hosting.

In a Vase on Monday – The Flip Side

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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:

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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