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July 8, 2015

Three 'must haves' in my Central Florida , full sun garden.


Success of  any garden depends on water, nutrition and light.  Take any one of those components away and you will have weak, struggling plants.  But, this post isn't about that big three.  The essential three I am discussing today, are the three plants that are indispensable in my full sun front garden.  Oh, of course, I could garden without them, but I hope I never have to.

Daylilies are the heart of my sunny garden, blooming since late April.  They are winding down, but some are just sending up repeat blooms.   When not blooming, the foliage acts as fillers in the landscape. 




The yellows are always the first arrivals.  Older variety, 'Lemon' daylily.  Next, the oranges, 'Kwanso' and "Tawny', then my reds.





Lovely faces...








My next 'must have' plants, are my Agapanthus.  These guys also have a long bloom span, and go with everything.  They stand tall, well over our front fence.










Their heighth assures that they will not go unnoticed in the garden, even when all else is in bloom.


The third summer staple in my hot, sunny garden, is the White Gaura.  She is low maintenance, as are the Daylilies and the Agapanthus.  The movement that she adds to the garden is sheer loveliness.   She is much like the 'grasses', in that sense, only more beautiful.






 That's my three can't live without  plants for the sun.  All three of these plants are easy care.  As an added bonus, all three need dividing every few years, so I've always got more plants to spread around.  I'm sure everyone has different favorites, sometimes dictated by the zone that they're gardening in.  I'm in a hot, humid zone 9, with hardly any shade in my front gardens.  My three faves' for the shade, is a story for a different day.
Thanks for visiting!





















10 comments:

  1. Gorgeous! I've never seen the last one, but it reminds me of a spray of tiny white birds. So pretty! Can't wait to see your three favs for shade!

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  2. One of the common names for the gaura I have is Whirling Butterflies, so cool that you saw it as a spray of tiny birds! I love it for the movement in the garden.

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  3. Oh my goodness, I have a small case of garden 'envy'. I just love your gardens and the blooms that fill them.

    FlowerLady

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    1. Thank you, but you have a beautiful garden too. I'm on my way to creating a little more chaos in my gardens, the way they once were.

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  4. Agapanthus has got to be one of my favorites - and not just because I love to say it, lol! Your gardens are so picture perfect! And I love how you mention movement in the garden - it's so true! I'm having a bit of a rest from gardening lately - the heat is really getting to me this year...but I've got to get back out there soon! Have a lovely weekend!

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    1. Thanks Lynn. The heat has been brutal this year, not even cooling off at night. I know you have your beautiful art projects to keep you busy while you're inside...such a talent. Take care.
      .

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  5. Your blog is a feast for the eyes. I love your daylilies. My parents collected them, so I have such fond memories of them. Unfortunately, I don't have a whole lot of sun in my yard. Your yard is just gorgeous!

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  6. I'm loving the addition of your blog to the Florida gardening world, Janice. You have such a pretty front yard. I love the structure and the design. I'm in love with my Aggies and daylilies (although I don't have the variety of them you do.) I've always been a fan of guara, but I grow the pink variety. You are convincing me I have chosen the wrong ones since I have to replace them every year. I read somewhere else on your blog that your white ones just keep coming back. I'm gonna try them because of your endorsement. Maybe you've said, but I can't recall where you are located?

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  7. Thank you, Meems. I'm enjoying doing the blog, what a great way to keep a record of what's going on in my gardens. I live in Belleview, which is about 12 miles south of Ocala. We usually get a couple hard freezes each winter, occasionally dropping as low as the mid twenties. I love the pink gaura, but I didn't enjoy buying it every year. I can't recall which Florida blogger, but one said that the white reseeded somewhat aggressively on her property. I thought to myself, lucky her! Anyway, mine has not reseeded, but it's been faithful to come back for the last 5 or 6 years.

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  8. I'm in agreement with you that those 3 plants are workhorses in a summer garden and all very pretty, too. You've got a wonderful collection of day lilies.

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