The other day I drove to my favorite Publix Supermarket here in central Florida. I noticed how nice the parking lot looked with great tropical foliage. Public landscaped areas are a great way to find easy to grow plants for your area. Owners of strip malls want to provide a pleasant environment for the customers, but they don’t want to spend big money on maintaining plants. Each row of parking spaces has a nice flower bed at the end with variegated leaf bushes, colorful crotons, and a plant with small blue flowers. The two types of bushes are tropical and easy to grow in our climate. Add a tree and a large light post and it’s perfect for the public location. (Government buildings and community buildings are also good places to note landscape plants. In more northern environments there is often a few evergreen bushes that provide a frame year round.)
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Neighbor’s Garden 2021
In June 2018, I visited a garden in my neighborhood several blocks from my home. It had a pretty front yard with lots of flowers.
Rain Brings Flowers
Late fall through late spring is the dry season here in central Florida. Some years we still have a decent amount of rain, but most years it is not often enough. My yard has some tropical plants, like tropical hibiscus, that with rain will burst into blooms year round. One such hibiscus is my peach double hibiscus. Most hibiscus are single hibiscus with 5 leaves. Thanks to modern cultivation techniques, some varieties can produce flowers with more than five petals – called “double hibiscus” – in a dazzling array of colors, sizes, and shapes. They grow in semi-tropical and tropical growing zones here in the U. S. (zones 9 to 11)
My Favorite Flower & Nature Photos of 2020
Last week we looked at the top posts of 2020 in terms of visitors and link party features. At the end of the first year of my little blog, I did a post of my favorite flowers from the year before. Traditionally I have only included flowers in the garden or in a bouquet. If you’ve visited me before you probably know flowers are one of my great loves. Last year I also included a few nature shots, another great love. Today’s post is some of my favorites photos of flowers and nature from 2020. I hope I included some of yours too.
Beutiful Begonia
With 1,831 species, Begonia is one of the largest genera of flowering plants. The species are terrestrial (sometimes epiphytic) herbs or undershrubs, and occur in subtropical and tropical moist climates, in South and Central America, Africa, and southern Asia. Begonia x hiemalis is a tuberous type, sometimes called Rieger or winter-flowering begonia. As a houseplant, they prefer a bright area, which is necessary for continued flowering. Keep them near a sunny window, but avoid direct sunlight. Hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 to 11, Rieger begonias are usually grown as houseplants. Many people buy them in the fall to have flowers in the home all winter.
Last week I put on a mask and went to Publix Supermarket for the first time in 3 months. The first place in the store I visited was the garden section. I looked at all the fresh bouquets and potted plants. I decided I wanted something new that would give me flowers for a while and selected a bright pink begonia in a pot.
Summer Blooms of Royal Poinciana
Native to Madagascar, tropical royal poinciana trees are known for their showy flowers. The botanical name is derived from the Greek words delos (meaning conspicuous) and onyx (meaning claw), referring to their appearance. With four spoon-shaped petals about 3 inches long, and one slightly larger petal (called the standard), they resemble orchids, and range in color from deep red to bright orange. These lovely flowers first appear in clusters between May and July, and can stay on the tree for a month or more. This tree prefers frost-free areas, generally USDA hardiness zones 9b–11.
June is a great month in Florida for striking landscapes with vibrant orange flowering trees, the Royal Poinciana. Read More
Deep Pink Tropical Hibiscus
In warmer climates, tropical hibiscus is grown as a perennial garden plant and is used as a woody shrub for hedges and screens. It can be grown as a potted plant up north and has to be brought inside during cold weather.
In May I started visiting a new chiropractor in New Port Richey. She’s a very nice young woman and has an office building to herself. We both wear masks and I am not near a single person except for the doctor. Honestly, getting an adjustment each week helps me stay healthier, and I hadn’t had one for 2 months.
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In The May Yard
Early each morning I walk in the front yard. Due to very little rain, many of my flowers have been delayed. The red amaryllis didn’t bloom until late April and beginning of May. Read More