Tag Archives: Amelia Grant

Six on Saturday – Solstice Joy

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.

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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.

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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.

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A true summer joy and a symbol of endurance. A nice array of hot colors from zinnias

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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.

In a Vase on Monday – Goddess Stone & Heliconias

Today is Memorial Day in the US, marking the official start of summer. It certainly feels like summer and the garden has started serving up tropical flowers in celebration. The humidity kicked into high gear last week and I am betting it won’t go back down until fall, though there is a nice breeze and it fortunately started raining. The garden is much happier now and I am enjoying the air conditioning indoors. Rob the dog is so peacefully asleep at my feet I want to take a nap, too.

Closer views:

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The goddess stone. These are coral stones worn down by the ocean over time. They break from offshore reefs then wash up on our beach and are imbued with mystical powers from the sea. The locals call them goddess stones. I have seen them called hag stones, but prefer the former.

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The Heliconias. The bigger flower is Lobsterclaw Heliconia (Heliconia rostrata). Smaller flowers are Parrotflowers (Heliconia psittacorum). There is some Asparagus Fern tangled through the vases that came with the flowers and a trimmed palm frond. The vases are bottles that did not quite make it to recycling.

Thanks to Cathy for hosting In a Vase on Monday. I enjoy creating a Vase every week while sorting through whatever is in my garden. To see more sorts of vases follow this link to Cathy’s blog.

Happy Summer!

Six on Saturday – Smells Like Summer

My garden tour started early this morning. Upon stepping outside I was greeted with South Florida’s summer signature – a wet blanket of humidity. The slimy blanket was countered by the combination of several lovely scents from new flowers inspired by the onset of the rainy season.

This is Aloysia virgata, Sweet Almond. It actually smells like almond extract. I cut this out of control shrub back to the ground during the winter and this is the second flush of growth.

What would summer be without Gardenias? This is a Tropical Gardenia (Tabernaemontana diviricata) it’s deciduous, probably 15 feet tall and blooms all summer. The scent is more prominent at night.

The Frangipani is also gearing up. This is a variety of Plumeria rubra. It is too tall to get a close up.

The straw flowers of the tropics, Aechmea rubens. Another Bromeliad I acquired somewhere.. The flowers last for months. These are easily three feet tall and will open further.

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It doesn’t get much more tropical than this. Lobsterclaw Heliconias (Heliconia rostrata). I gambled and put some Holly tone fertilizer around these. It has paid off handsomely, although no one recommends it. The ‘soil’ in my garden is sand with virtually no nutrients and nearly neutral pH.

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A much happier Alcantarea odorata Bromeliad. These are grown for their grey foliage and usually love full sun – except this variety. It’s recovering nicely with lower light. The tips of the leaves were burning before I moved it.

That’s the story from South Florida this Saturday. Visit Jim at GardenRuminations to tour gardens around the world.

Happy Gardening!

In a Vase on Monday – Belated Mother’s Day

I usually cut flowers on Sunday for IAVOM. This Sunday was Mother’s Day in the US. This particular Sunday in May always makes me reminisce about gardening with my mother, the Greatest Generation Southern Belle, who everyone called Miss Betty. My interest in gardening was sparked at her knee, planting field pansies (to use in vases for my elementary school teachers!) in the 1960s. Her father was a peach farmer in South Georgia, his mother a devoted gardener as well. The family joke is my brother and I got the farmer gene. Fortunately, the gene has been passed down and there are some more gardeners in the family. I am passing seeds along as they admit their interest and keeping my fingers crossed.

The vase has some unusual components. I am certain Miss Betty would love IAVOM if it had been in existence when she was. The picture is her graduation photo from nursing school in 1948. Here are the details:

The grey ‘flowers’ are Graptosedum. The smaller white flowers, Lotusleaf Begonias (Begonia nelumbifolia). Red bell shaped flowers, Firecracker Plant (Russelia equisetifolium). White flowers, Miss Alice Bougainvillea.Red and yellow and orange flowers, Parrotflowers (Heliconia psittacorum).

Background foliage is Asian Sword Ferns and trimmed Sabal Palm seedlings. The vase is a thrift store find.

Happy Mother’s Day to all, belated and otherwise. Thanks to Cathy for hosting, follow this link to her blog RamblingintheGarden for more vases.

In a Vase on Monday – Cheers to Spring

This breezy, blue sky morning I went in search of flowers celebrating spring. For some reason almost all the flowers were white. I wonder if it is for the pollinators as many butterflies have recently appeared and white is a favorite flower color of pollinators – or just pale serendipity. More garden happenings to ponder.

To contrast the whiteness, I selected some colorful foliage, then added a little more, then took some cuttings in hopes of getting a few more coleus and eventually spied some yellow daisies! Ah!

The vase is a oversized wineglass I painted at a fundraiser for a friend’s charity. To match my Portmerion Botanic Garden china. This glass has seen more action as a Vase than a wineglass. The glasses were supposed to be baked somehow before using and I never got around to it. So, it is really a Vase.

The close ups:

The flowers: In yellow, Beach Sunflowers (Helianthus debilis); white daisies, Bidens alba; white spikes, “White Flame” Salvia.

The foliage: In chartreuse, an unknown Coleus (hoping for roots); ferny, Bronze Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare); varigated and pink, Chicken Gizzard plant (Iresine herbstii); burgundy, Purple Prince Alternanthera.

Cheers to Cathy this Monday! Thanks for hosting IAVOM. To view more vases, visit Cathy’s blog by following this link, RamblingintheGarden.

In a Vase on Monday – Signs of Summer

Tropical Gardenias and Frangipani flowers mark the beginning of the inevitable slide into summer in South Florida. Spring is fading away, though the pollen isn’t and the weather is fantastic. Of course, being a persnickety gardener, we can’t be happy with what we have and could use a little rain.

The fragrance from this combination would be worthy of a candle. The Tropical Gardenia (Tabernaemontana diviricata) has a much lighter scent than G. jasminoides. Combine that with the sweet yellow and pink Frangipani (Plumeria spp) and add a touch of the herbal tang of White Flame Salvia. I am really enjoying walking into my house and expect the scent to magnify this evening.

The fern in the vase is a Climbing Asparagus Fern (Asparagus africanus). These are invasive in Florida and I pull them when I find them and inevitably find another sooner or later. I enjoy using these in vases and recycling them that way. The plants have thorns so they usually find me.

That’s all from South Florida. I’ll be in the garden not watching the news and getting things straightened out for summer. To see more vases, follow this link to visit Cathy RamblingintheGarden.

In a Vase on Monday – Seeing Red

Suffice it to say there are many in the US seeing red this week. I’m leaning towards seeing a monochromatic color scheme that has a tropical Christmas spirit. Making America Garden Again?

Seizing on the garden update. This is an heirloom Amaryllis (Hippeastrum). I think it is a Red Lion. My father in law grew these every holiday and went through an incredible in the closet/out of the closet ritual to force the flowers. Once the bulbs stopped putting up with his behavior, he planted them outside and gave me a few. This one usually flowers on his birthday, which I consider a wink from the great beyond. This year it was about 10 days late. Maybe things are slow in the great beyond.

The Red Lion roars again. The bell shaped red flowers are Firecracker Plant (Russelia equisetiformis). Palm foliage is from Dwarf Pygmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebellini). I found the vase by the side of the road while walking the dog.

The frothy white accents flowers are Sweet Begonia (Begonia odorata ‘Alba’) These are a fairly indestructible perennial for South Florida gardens. I am not sure how long this one has been around. Ten years at least and it has provided a few generations of offspring along the way.

I am hoping to see more red flowers! That’s all from my South Florida garden this Monday. Follow this link RamblingintheGarden to visit Cathy and see vases from other gardeners around the world.

In a Vase on Monday – Boom!

For some reason there are a lot of fiery colors in the garden. I decided to do a hot colors arrangement. I cut oranges and reds and arranged, then added a Palmetto frond, stood back and thought “that looks a bit explosive” Blowing winter back north. Ironically, the next polar vortex is not predicted to get this far south. Boom! I am perfectly happy not to experience the vortex.

What’s in the vase? A lot of things!

The orange daisies burning in the front of the vase are Mexican Flame Vine (Psuedogynoxys chenopodioides) – who thinks of these names? White star shaped flowers are Graptosedum. White Begonias are Sweet Begonias (Begonia odorata)

Red bell shaped flowers are – you guessed it, Firecracker Plant (Russelia equisetifolium). Chartreuse foliage is an unnamed Coleus or Plectranthus. Red foliage is Piecrust Croton (Codieum variegatum). Palmetto frond is from a volunteer, there are two that grow here and I am not sure if this is a Saw Palmetto or Dwarf Palmetto.

Well, I had a blast putting this one together. To see more vases, visit Cathy at RamblingintheGarden

In a Vase on Monday – Diversity

In light of recent events in the US, it occurred to me plants, like people, have diverse qualities and talents. I think it is safe to say nothing in this vase is considered a good cut flower. Yet, here they are. Thriving and beautiful to boot. DEI in a vase. So much for labels.

Oddly and unintentionally, this vase turned out red, white and blue. The blue vase, a long ago Christmas gift from my brother. Big Pink and Big White Begonias provide focal points and color. Graptosedum succulents add structure and color. Green accents are from invasive Asparagus fern I can’t quite bring myself to get rid of. Diversity, what a concept!

An overhead view:

That’s all from South Florida this Monday. I’ll be in the garden for the next four years trying to regain my sanity.

To see more vases, visit Cathy at RamblingintheGarden.

In a Vase on Monday – Jammin

Most Mondays I read Cathy’s blog RamblingintheGarden. As our hostess for IAVOM, she advises: Pop some flowers in a jam jar and join us. A jam jar has been loitering by my kitchen sink this weekend, so I did just that. I have a jam making snowbird neighbor who always returns with raspberry jam.

Follow the link to see more vases – perhaps another jam jar.

South Florida has been suffering a cold spell for the past week or so. It finally broke on Sunday and I went in the garden searching for color. And found some! Enough to jam pack my jar. The zinnias were a surprise. They were about half the usual size. I suppose the cold weather caused this.

What’s in the jam jar? Nothing edible. The purple spotted flowers are petunias, which make a surprisingly good cut flower. White flowers are Sweet Begonia (Begonia odorata ‘alba’). Pink and orange Cactus Zinnias. The seedheads are from the Firebush (Hamelia patens). Purple spike flowers are Mona Lavendar Plectranthus.

The remaining jammers are Autumn Fern (Dryopteris erythrosora) and in red, Firecracker Plant (Russelia equisetaformis).

That’s all from South Florida this Monday. I hope to get back in the garden this week.