June Garden Floral Surprises

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 sold in December are FORCED plants.)

Here in central Florida we’re really into hot summer weather by May and June continues it with more rain. Our dry season is winter. The rainy season runs from May 15 to October 15 for Southwest Florida and from May 25 to October 10 for the rest of West Central Florida. My area around the Tampa area is more west central Florida. We had little to no rain late winter into spring. Finally in May we started to have a significant rainfall. June has meant the last week of rain storms late afternoon and early evening as moisture came in from the Gulf of Mexico. The rain has encouraged more flowers to bloom.

First is a little spring plant that produces pretty little white flowers. I don’t know the name of the plant. Twenty years ago my neighbor, Vickie, received some from a neighbor (who also didn’t know the name). Several years ago she planted two in my front flower bed under the bedroom window. They haven’t really grown well this year due to the long time without rain. Then one morning I found several little blooms.

It is located next to the little gardenia bush.

Several newer red amaryllis plants that had never bloomed produced beautiful red flowers. Then my variegated red and white amaryllis that I shared on May 15th developed new buds. I’ve never had this happen before but I love it.

In June first one flower opened and then several days later a second flower opened.

I would be happy if it bloomed all summer, but it’s not supposed to bloom in summer at all. It’s a spring plant. (The red amaryllis sold in December are FORCED plants.) What if your tulips decided to bloom a second time a month after the first blooms? It would be weird but wonderful.

The third surprise is a flower I found on Sunday. I thought my little gardenia bush would have bloomed last month also, but it is a wonderful June surprise to find a lovely flower.

I hope you enjoyed my floral surprises. Wishing you blue skies and flowers wherever you are.

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


Discover more from Comfort Spring

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Carol

I was raised in Tennessee but have lived in Florida for many years. Love my home in the Tampa Bay area. 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.

19 thoughts to “June Garden Floral Surprises”

  1. Oh, gosh! Gardenias were my mom’s favorite (her wedding flowers in Texas) It was always a scramble to find gardenias in December for their anniversary in Wisconsin…sigh. The scent is divine and worthy of nursing that lovely plant. Sweet post, brought back so many memories for me, Sandi

    1. Thank you for the wonderful comment. I remember the first time I was given a gardenia corsage in high school. I fell in love with it.

    1. Trillium looks similar but has less petals and does not grow in zone 9. No one else has made a suggestion but I don’t care. I enjoy the little white flowers whatever they’re called.

  2. We had weeks without rain but over the last week it’s been quite damp which has really helped my garden.
    What pretty flowers. I always plant a packet of wild flowers so when my bloom they are always a surprise to me.

  3. The white flower looks like some kind of orchid to me. I’ll see if my horticultural boss can identify it. I’ve never grown Amaryllis. Is it easy?

    1. If you live in a warm environment, they are extremely easy to grow outside in the garden. Plant and every spring have beautiful flowers as long as they get water and you let the green leaves lie on the ground the rest of the year. For colder climates, keep as a container plant and bring inside in fall and winter. I’ve never grown them up north but if you protect them from cold it should work. They grow outside in zones 8 to 10. Tropical, semi-tropical and slightly colder.

  4. The first white flower looks so much like trillium but the leaves don’t. Here in New York State, they grow wild (there are also cultivated varieties). Aren’t surprises in the garden wonderful? Alana ramblinwitham

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.