Tag: central Florida garden

Leu Gardens, Orlando, Florida

Carol 61 Comments
Leu Gardens. 1920 N Forest Ave, Orlando, Florida
Leu Gardens
Open daily 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (closed Christmas)

This post was originally shared on July 5, 2018. I have updated it with current information. Photos were taken over several seasons.

The next time you visit Central Florida and the Orlando area, take a day to visit beautiful Leu Gardens.  The gardens are an amazing 50-acre botanical oasis minutes from Downtown Orlando. Each garden is designed specifically to further the mission: inspire visitors to appreciate and understand plants. The garden and historical home were donated to the City of Orlando in 1961 by Mr. Harry P. Leu and his wife, Mary Jane.  Admission is a reasonable $15 for adults, $10 for children 4 – 17, and free for children 3 and under. You can purchase admission tickets online. The following first Mondays will be Free Admission days at Leu Gardens:  July 4, 2022 – August 1, 2022 – September 5, 2022 – October 3, 2022.

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Last Day of April in The Garden

Carol 24 Comments

Plumeria is a genus of flowering plants in the dogbane family, Apocynaceae. Most species are deciduous shrubs or small trees. The tropical species are indigenous to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, and as far south as Brazil, but are grown as cosmopolitan ornamentals in warm regions. Common names for plants in the genus vary widely but Frangipani or variations on that theme are the most common.

Yesterday I went into the front yard checking my plants around 10 AM. The sky was blue with white clouds and the temperature was about 81 degrees F.

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Spring Crown of White

Carol 17 Comments

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.

Two weeks ago I shared my first white amaryllis blooming in my front yard here in central Florida. Over the next few days almost every white flower opened in a beautiful white crown in the garden. Today I’m sharing photos from a early morning visit.

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April’s White Amaryllis Blooms

Carol 26 Comments

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.

Last week I shared my first amaryllis blooms of 2022 with my variegated pink and white flowers. My photos showed large buds on the white amaryllis next to it. Today is time for large white amaryllis flowers!

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Blue Skies & Spring Blossoms

Carol 25 Comments

Last year in my neighborhood I discovered a beautiful small tree with spring white blossoms. I shared it in a post on March 7th.  I talked to the home owner, and he didn’t know the name of the tree.  It  was a gift from his uncle a few years ago.  I studied the size, shape, and blossoms of the tree and I believe it is a large azalea grown as a tree.

 

Spectacular flower masses and colors, plant form, and evergreen foliage are among the reasons for the popularity of azaleas. Florida azaleas bloom from late February to early April, depending on cultivar and seasonal variation. Many azalea cultivars grow well in north and central Florida.

University of Florida 

 

This last week I’ve gone to see the tree’s blossoms 3 times. The skies are blue and the white blossoms are beautiful against the sky.

 

 

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Spring Arrives in Central Florida

Carol 9 Comments

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. Amaryllis flower in the late winter through early spring in central Florida.

For several weeks central Florida kept getting cold spells as storms crossed the country.  Not cold like up north but below our average for winter.  I wasn’t out seeing the neighborhood or noticing neighbor’s gardens.  This last weekend it warmed up and I’ve been riding and going out in the car a lot this last week.

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A Neighbor’s Bougainvilea

Carol 22 Comments

Bougainvilea is a tropical vining shrub that comes in a wide array of bright and fanciful colors. The “flowers” are actually modified leaves, called bracts, that are long-lasting and bright. The colorful bracts outshine the plant’s true (but tiny) flower, much like a poinsettia. They appear periodically throughout most of the year, but are especially plentiful in the winter, when the splashes of color are a welcome sight. Bougainvillea blooms in fuschia, red, white, yellow, and orange. As a tropical plant, it grows beautifully in the garden in tropical growing zone 10. In my zone, 9B, it grows with protection during cold spells.  Further north, bougainvillea must stay in a pot and be brought in during the winter. Bougainvilleas require full sun.

University of Florida

 

 

I lived for many years in south Florida. First I lived in Dade county (greater Miami), and later I moved to the next county, Broward (greater Ft. Lauderdale).  When I lived in my home in Broward county, I had a beautiful bougainvilea in my yard.  When it came time to prune it during the hot, rainy summer, I often came away with scratches from the thorns.  When I bought my current home, I decided to not plant a bougainvillea due to the problem with the thorns. Several of my neighbors have beautiful bougainvilleas, and I enjoy their color everytime I drive in the neighborhood. Today’s photos were take several years ago on such a drive in October.  The color against the blue Florida sky grabbed my attention.

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