Tag: semitropical garden

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.

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White Spring Flowers in my Semi-Tropical Florida Garden

Carol 23 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.

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.

In the last month I’ve have shared lots of spring blooms. My large white amaryllis has bloomed for about a month. This last week was the final stalk with 4 or 5 blooms.

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Sky Watch Thursday With Flowers

Carol 13 Comments

One of my favorite linky parties is Sky Watch Thursday. The skies shared cover the range from sunrise to sundown and lots of beauty in between. Today my post is my view of the Florida blue skies over flowers. First is the view from the front yard over my frangipani tree. It was late afternoon and my front yard was in shade. (My house faces east and the sun crosses my house mid day.)

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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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