Central Florida Spring Garden

A beautiful, much needed, rainy day in Central Florida!  Finally!  I've run out of things to do inside so I'll take a few minutes and share what's been going on in my gardens this week.  

I have a variety of ginger plants, but Variegated Shell Ginger is always one of the first to bloom.  The foliage is wonderful year round, so I consider the blooms "the cherry on the top".  These are rather large plants and do a great job of  screening my chicken coop. 

The garden by the front porch has erupted with color.  The Amistad Salvia is doing it's part to draw in hummingbirds - love this plant!

Just beginning to bloom, Tithonia is going to mix well in this bed.

'Belindas Dream' rose is doing well here also...one of the easiest care roses for Florida.

A large flowered Clematis by the porch...

A smaller flowered one on the arbor...

This one is so dark, almost black on overcast days.

On the brighter side, daylilies are also blooming.  These are wonderful plants for all gardeners, with or without green thumbs, nearly carefree.

A seldom seen 'for sale' plant that I just love.  I've spread it all over my shade gardens and the hummingbirds are always visiting them.  Hardy red gloxinia...

'Climbing Iceberg'

The vegetable garden is producing mouth-watering, sweet onions and summer squash.  Tomatoes, possibly by Memorial Day.

Still lovely, behind the vegetable garden, Mexican flame vine and yellow bells.

Close by the vegetable garden, this birdhouse is home to a pair of Eastern Bluebirds _ Mama...

Daddy, watching from the shop roof...

Hope you're all having a delightful spring.  Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms!

May Blooms

The skies opened and blessed us with rain today, nearly all day long.  It was a great day for just sitting on the porch, watching the much needed showers, and relaxing in the cool fresh air.  Between drizzles, I strolled around the garden and found the plants looking as refreshed as I felt.  This desert rose enjoys water as much as any plant, but it will defoliate, if over watered.  

Hydrangeas are beginning to bloom...a beautiful blue.  I don't think it's possible to give them too much water, they're heavy drinkers.

May is the month for Confederate Jasmine, and I look forward to it's arrival every year.  Not so much for the flower, although it is lovely, but for that fragrance that makes you want to linger in the garden.

I have over a hundred feet of Jasmine vine, used as a living privacy fence, alongside my driveway.  These plants run the gamut of full sun to complete shade and thrive nonetheless.

Gardenias also bloom in May, and perfume the garden with their wonderful scent.

  

'Valentine's Day' Rose is blooming by the front gate.

Amaryllis

Glorius May, she also brings Agapanthus blooms!  Every where these are planted, they are just full of buds...it's going to be great year for blue in the garden.

The blues will go perfect with this yellow 'Lemon' daylily...

Back in the shade gardens, my Devil's Backbone is blooming.

Blooms are an added bonus, I always liked this plant before I even knew it could bloom.

Inside and outside the gazebo, Jackmanii clematis is blooming.

I hope your gardens are filled with blooms during this wonderful month of May.  Happy gardening.

April Garden

The garden is most lovely this time of year!  Lots of blooms, and what's not blooming is full of buds, assuring us of more beauty to come.  My Amaryllis are blooming a little late this year, but I prefer this, rather than them blooming early, all alone...

On the other hand, my Agapanthus will bloom early.  This one is already showing color...  

Agapanthus are one of my favorite summer blooms, and they're so easy to grow here in Central Florida.  I have them everywhere in my full sun gardens.

Another great plant for zone 9 gardens is Gaura lindheimeri.  It's just begun to bloom, and it's another plant that I use extensively in my full sun gardens.  It's available in pink or white, but I prefer the white because it returns more faithfully than the pink...for me, anyway.  

Zinnias do well in full sun also, and these have only just begun to bloom.  They're the kind of flower that makes me smile, when I see their cheerful faces.

I bought this Red Yucca off the clearance rack last year, but it didn't bloom at all.  Finally...

Two more photos out in my full sun garden...

Around back by the gazebo, the clematis and gardenia are both blooming.

My shade gardens are also a tad slow this year, but it may be because I buried everything under many inches of good oak leaves.  Everything will soon push it's way out.  There's plenty of pretty for right now...

Sinningia sellorii, Hardy Red Gloxinia

It's bloom...

English Dogwood

I planted this Mexican Flame Vine behind my fenced vegetable garden. so it could cover up a stack of old wood.  So far, so good.

We've been working all week on the chicken coop, off and on.  It's almost done and I'll be posting photos soon.  The chicks are growing  fast, and yes, I will be happy to move them out of my house and into theirs.  

Happy Gardening!