Tag: gardenia flowers

June Garden Floral Surprises

Carol 19 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 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.

Read More

First Gardenia Flowers

Carol 27 Comments

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Several years ago, I bought a little gardenia bush.  According to experts, if protected during cold snaps for the first few years, mature gardenias can survive an occasional frost.

Read More