The first week in May saw the end of the red amaryllis blooms and 10 days of white lilies.
Remember my little live Christmas tree from December? (I bought it as a tiny Christmas tree 3 Christmases ago) I repotted him in a larger pot and placed him by my porch. He’s happy there in the sun. Can’t wait to see what he looks like by next December.
Since mid January when my tropical garden was devastated by 2 nights with temperatures down to 28, I have been cutting back and removing dead plants. This month I have seen a few plants make small new starts and started to add new plants.
My large red tropical hibiscus in the front yard was one of my favorite plants in the garden. It gave me red blooms 12 months out of the year. In January it was producing cold-damaged blooms until the 2 night freeze. Then the whole large bush turned black and died. I had been told that it might come back, and I waited and cut back almost to the ground when I started seeing green leaves. After 4 months of waiting and only having 2 branches out of 14 with a few green leaves, I removed the bush. My lovely red hibiscus was a double hibiscus with ruffled petals but it also produced some single hibiscus blooms.
Good bye my dear friend.
I thought of buying a rhododendron but after visits to Home Depot and Lowe’s I gave up the idea. I couldn’t find one. I bought another red hibiscus with double blooms. It’s small but I’m hoping in the next few years it grows tall and healthy.
My beautiful frangipani (plumeria) was also killed by the frost. I have 2 plants from cuttings that are alive but it will be several years before I have blooms. Makes me sad. No one sells plumeria around here. You really have to get cuttings from others. After seeing my friend Jenna’s gardenias in bloom, I replaced the frangipani with a gardenia bush. According to experts, if protected during cold snaps for the first few years, mature gardenias can survive an occasional frost. I know Jenna’s did. (Gardenias are subtropical plants that thrive in warm, humid weather. Most gardenias are hardy in zones 8-11, though a few varieties hardy to zone 7 have been developed and a few are only hardy in zones 10 and 11. Gardenias can be grown in pots and brought inside in cold climates. See How To Care For Gardenias for more information.)
The gardenia in the pot had a lovely white bloom. Ah, the fragrance! It has several buds on it and I have my fingers crossed. I’m really hoping it grows well this summer and is covered with blooms next spring.
In the back yard, my large pink hibiscus lost more than half of the plant to frost. It has one small branch making a little new bush and just recently had a flower.
My peach hibiscus lost half of the plant from the frost and is now a small green bush and has made several flowers in the last month.
I’ve bought ground cover plants and will be working on the walkway in the front yard in June. I’ll have more photos as work progresses. Thanks for visiting!
Get exclusive free printables & all the news straight to your mailbox!
[email-subscribers-advanced-form id=”1″]
Please see my Link Parties page for the parties where this post was shared.
We have to bring hibiscus in during the winter and I don’t have room or the light but I love them. It’s beautiful, Carol.
Thanks Jeanie.
Wow, you have some awesome beautiful blooms. You surely put a large quantity of time into taking care of them all. I live in Michigan so I don’t have the climate for may of your plants, but they are gorgeous. Thank you for sharing your pretty photos and letting us get a chance to enjoy them as well.
My sister lives in MIchigan and her roses are gorgeous. You can grow things I can’t like peonies, hydrangea right? Nope not down here. There is something beautiful to grow in all locations. Thanks for the compliment – you made my day!
I love your beautiful garden!Adorable flowers!That Christmas tree reminded me my childhood,we had a big one in the garden…My parents always love gardening and our garden was stunning…Good memories!Hugs!
Thanks – I’m so happy it brought you sweet memories, one of the greatest joys in life.
Lovely blooms, Carol. You must have very green fingers.
Amalia
xo
Thank you Amalia!
What gourgeous flowers you have in your garden!
The Amaryllis is my favourite…but all are fine.
thanks – happy Sunday!
That’s a shame about your flowers and pretty surprising. I know the last months have been a challenge here. I look forward to your planting photos.
thanks Jeanna
I’m also surprised your fur tree is doing so well in the heat and sun.
Thi is the 4th year I’ve had it. I got it as a tiny little Christmas tree at Walgreens and after each Cjristmas I repottoed it. I don’t know how it’s growing but it is fine.
Plumeria! I love its fragrance. We have a 6 or 7 year old gardenia in a pot. Its buds don’t want to bloom. I’ve been thinking that maybe it would have a better chance in the ground. Just need to find a sweet spot for it.
My new one is in the ground and has buds. Fingers crossed they bloom soon. Thanks for coming by.
It is so hard to lose plants that we have nourished, and that have given us such joy over the years. It sounds like you are making the best of a bad situation with new plants, and that some of your old stand-bys are making a valiant comeback!!!
Yes it was hard letting go of my big old hibiscus but I like its new little cousin.
Wow, you could write a journal/book about your journey wit plants! Interesting story and beautiful images Carol! Many thanks for sharing it with All Seasons! Enjoy Spring this week!
Thanks Jesh and I did get both comments. Happy Memorial Day!
Wow, you have some amazing and beautiful plants X #mmbc
Ah, thanks!
Nice post full of lovely blooms and colours 🙂
Have a bloomingtastic week 🙂
thanks Steve
Beautiful floral photos!
Thanks for joining us this week at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2018/05/check-our-catbirds.html
Your garden is so colorful and bright! I always find it interesting how we are forced to change things, sometimes.But it all ends well. All I can do right now is plan for next spring.
thanks Betty
You have so many beautiful plants! I wish I had at least half of those. I didn’t know about double bloom hibiscuses.
Thanks Ruth
Your Christmas tree looks great!
I also have that first pic with the pink flower in my garden. I have no idea what it is called but it does well and keep flowering.
Looks like you have been busy in your garden!
Yes it’s a busy time but I like the result.
Sorry some of your beautiful plants didn’t bounce back after the cold. Makes the recovery of others even more wonderful. Your garden must be beautiful and full of scent. #keepingitreal
Thanks for the visit Cheryl
Hi Carol, how sad that so much of your pretty flowering bushes were damaged by the severe frost you had. It must have been heart breaking digging up the red hibiscus, but fingers crossed you won’t have to wait too long before the enwly planted one matches the one you dug up… I’ve spotted a potted Chritsmas tree in the nursery and it has crossed my mind to give it a home ready for Christmas. It does look sad and lonely and I’ve not had a real tree for years.
Thank you for stopping by an linking up with #keepingitreal.
xx
Isn’t it sad when they go! I do love amaryllis they are husbands favourite. The red is such a beautiful shade too. #keepingitreal
Some plants in the garden are my old friends who keep me company all year.