Garden Bloggers Bloom Day~July 2015~Central Florida

July, another beautiful month in Florida, although the heat and the humidity have been brutal.  I  keep telling myself, remember this winter...when the dreary brown of the landscape made you hunger for spring.  Think back, to having to drink your morning coffee inside, instead of on the porch, observing all the birds and blooms.  So, I get another glass of iced tea, sit on my deck in the shade, and remember to be grateful for summer.  I appreciate the lovely green that surrounds me, and know that all my senses will yearn for summer when it comes to an end.

 This is what a 'bowlful of summer' looks like.

One of my first Rose of Sharon blooms.

The hydrangeas still have new and old blooms, multi color.

Just 'says' summer.

Penstemon and Fanflower.

Fanflower

Toad Lily, rambling around in a coleus.

This one loves the summer heat, but if you'll recall, I still need a plant ID.

Whatever she is, she's happy.

The clematis are on their second bloom.

Most of my daylilies are finished for the season, but not the reds.

The 'Lemon' daylily is the only other one still blooming.

Aloe is sending up blooms, and receiving daily visits from the hummers.

One of my small Bleeding Heart Vines, thought she would be red and white like my others, but she's just fine, like she is.

Heliconia

There are just a few roses that don't look completely fatigued in this weather, 'Valentines Day' is one of them.

'Intigue'

She looks better than most.

I hope 'summer' is treating you, and your gardens, especially well!  

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!

A beautiful morning, in my Central Florida garden.

Oh, what a beautiful morning!  The gardens were still damp from the rain, which we so gratefully received yesterday evening.  Until about ten this morning, it was somewhat cooler than usual, a lovely time to take a few photos.

    

A young clematis at the corner of the porch...this plant likes sun, while the roots want to be kept cool.  I always mulch them heavily, but I also gave her a rock , for the roots to run under.

The crape myrtles were still bowed down from the rain.

 Patterned leaves on a 'hidden' ginger.  

Another pretty pattern, 'Silver Diamonds' Ginger.  I've been enjoying her in a pot, until I decide where she's going.

A 'fancy' elephant ear, in the foreground.  'Colocasia esculenta', variety, 'Mojito'.  Now, I've got that out of my system.

  

We'll just call this one, an elephant ear, with pretty red stems.

Wandering Jew Plant...pieces broke off of a hanging basket plant, now it is wandering.

Disney ginger, just showing color.

Ghost Plant, in an old bird bath.  I think everyone's had one of these, at one time or another,  ( Graptopetalum Paraguayense).

A bit of one, roaming with ferns.

This is a plant that I haven't been able to ID.  I've grown this plant for over twenty-five years, bought it from a Seminole Feed Store.  They had no label on it, but the clerk said it was a wild hibiscus.  The plant has fuzzy leaves and will grow up to two feet, reseeds everywhere.  It's easy to pull up, so it's not a problem.   I love it because it blooms from now until first frost, and there's not much, except roses (and they look crappy during summer), blooming then.

Several shades of red, all beautiful.  At one time, a neighbor lady had some light pink ones...she gave me seeds, but the pinks only showed up for a few years, and hers disappeared also.  If you know what I'm growing, let me know, please.

Shade gardens with caladiums, hostas, coleus...

hostas

              ~ Hope you have a great day. ~