Red Hibiscus in A Dish

Tropical Hibiscus, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

Tropical hibiscus grows permanently in the landscape in warmer U.S. Dept of Agriculture  zones 9 through 11, unless they are taken indoors in winter. Outdoors, one freeze – below 25 degrees Fahrenheit – will kill them

 

 

I love growing tropical hibiscus in my yard for big bold flowers. Even in winter they try to bloom continuously here in central Florida. Up north you can grow a hardy hibiscus which doesn’t do well in the summer Florida sun. The warmer the weather with enough water, the more flowers a tropical hibiscus will give.  Some days I bring in one beautiful red single hibiscus bloom to put in a dish for the table. Hibiscus blooms only last 24 hours whether on the bush or in the house.  Here are photos from several days. Read More

Winter Cyclamen Blooms

As I discussed in How to Have Healthy Winter Houseplants, a popular winter flowering plant is the Cyclamen which offers 8 weeks of color. It comes in a variety of pinks, whites, reds, and maroon flowers with heart-shaped leaves. With this plant, more leaves means more buds and flowers.  Cyclamen are actually a type of bulb or corm (a short, thickened vertical stem). Their native habitat is the Mediterranean and Southern Europe. In your home, Cyclamen like to be a little on the cooler side with temperatures around 61˚F and in direct light or bright indirect light. My dining table faces my sliding glass doors  and the plant gets plenty of light.

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