My End of April Flowers

I live in Central Florida, growing zone 9B which is semi-tropical. Amaryllis is a subtropical bulb that belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family and is native to South Africa. It is grown as a potted plant in most parts of the United States but can also be grown outdoors year round in warm areas like Florida. The red amaryllis you buy at Christmas are FORCED bulbs.

Since I am not supposed to drive (think lack of range of motion with a neck brace!) I don’t exactly see lots of things to photograph. Most of the time I do not have the energy. Walking in an uneven place like my yard isn’t really too smart either with my current limitations and equipment. However, within last 10 days I did take several photos of my still blooming amaryllis. (for more information about my surgery, see ACDF & My Cup Overflows)

One by one my red amaryllis had buds, blooms, and visions of red beauty.

Winter/Spring is the dry season here in central Florida. It’s not uncommon to have drought-like conditions in the spring with lots of dry material that can result in brush fires. Luckily we haven’t had those yet this year. I have had a dried up yard with brown grass. While other locations in the country had freakish weather in the last month like snow storms in southern California and heavy rains and flooding in several places, I had rain off and on for 3 to 4 days. I was very happy. The result was a growth of flowering weeds (Florida is NOT a great place to grow grass – it ain’t natural!) in the yard. My friend Vickie was driving me to my follow-up doctor’s appointment and I made her wait while I photographed an unknown plant that had popped up after rain. I really like the flowers. Vickie didn’t know the name but she had seen it at Home Depot before. Anyone know this plant? It flowered for 2 days and then seemed to disappear. I had never seen it before. When I’m better, I’ll go to a garden shop to browse. Some day I hope to find it and learn more about it. UPDATE: Someone suggested lantana as the plant. I found photographs of lantana in the color I saw on Home Depot’s website. I really want to buy a pot!

You’ll note the brown grass around the plant. The flowers were like a small gift from nature and I loved the pretty colors. I enjoyed seeing that even for a brief visit.

Then my mixed red/white amaryllis which looks pink to me bloomed by the rosemary bush. It was in bloom for a short while and then the flowers were gone. I planted the bulb when I planted the white amaryllis. The white flowered plant has multiplied several times while the red/white hasn’t. Each plant is very individual in its growth pattern. I think the rosemary stunted the pink one’s growth. It wasn’t that close when I planted both of them, but the rosemary has practically covered it.

Like last year, my white amaryllis had a second run of blooming flowers. The first run of flowers dies back. It looks like that’s it for the season. Then several weeks later more buds appear. This 2nd run included many more flowers than last year.

I’ll try to share more photos in a few weeks. Thank you for your patience; I hope you are enjoying the photos of my family and friends in many of my posts. Talk to you later in this new week. Happy Sunday!

Thanks for the visit. Get exclusive free printables & all the news straight to your mailbox!

Subscribe

* indicates required

Please see my Link Parties page for the parties where this post was shared.

Carol

I was raised in Tennessee but have lived in Florida for many years. Love my small home in the Tampa Bay area and its developing garden. My decorating style is eclectic - some vintage, some cottage, all with a modern flair. Pursuing a healthier lifestyle. Spent many years in social services but am happily retired.

27 thoughts to “My End of April Flowers”

  1. Your garden is looking beautiful. The amaryllis are just gorgeous!
    That new flower really is something different. I hope you find out what it is.

  2. How very lovely! I really love the amaryllis. It’s such a beautiful flower! thank you!

  3. What lovely photos I thoroughly enjoyed them nice vivid colour too you did well & thanks for sharing 🙂

    Have an Amaryllistastic week 👍

    1. Someone suggested lantana and I found a photo of it online. It is an annual and I want to buy it.

  4. Beautiful flowers! Make sure you are taking it easy though; blog photos and posts won’t be worth a fall. 🙂 So sweet that your friends are around to take you to the doctors and things. Are you feeling a bit better the further from your surgery that you get?

  5. Thank you for sharinf your garden with #aclwcc. However, do not rush your recovery. You do not want to have a setback. We aren’t going anywhere. You heal and dow what you can. Hugs. Pinned.

  6. Your amaryllis are so beautiful! WE have had a very cool spring and not much is blooming in my garden as yet.

I love to make new friends and get to know you.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.