Garden pics
I've been working in my front yard lately and shot some pictures yesterday evening. Now that we're getting daily rains everything is starting to look lush.
We'll begin on the front porch. Those are varigated Dracaena Marginatas in the planters on either side of the door. Originally natives of the Canary Islands, they can be easily grown here. Nana has an enormous specimen beside her garage- it reaches about 9 ft tall- but I prefer them more controlled.
This is a Fireball, from the family Bromeliacaeae, or Bromiliad. You guys might remember the shots of a bloom from another variety taken over the span of a few weeks last year. The foliage from this particular plant can be shades of bronze changing to a deep red depending on the amount of light. This variety naturally cascades, so it's perfect for hanging baskets. Since they are all "air" plants, there is no actual soil in the basket, just the root ball of the plant and some sphagnum moss.
Next is a plant that I bet everyone recognizes and probably owns-the ubiquitous Coleus. Hearty and sun loving, they're colorful and easy to grow, inside or out. This particular pot sits alongside the garage side walkway leading to my front door. It's one of only a few potted plants with lots of color that can stand up to the heat generated from constant, all day sun combined with a concrete wall and rocks.
These pretty pink plants are growing in the butterfly garden on the yard side of the walkway. Pentas, or Rubiaceae, are easily grown, one of very few plants that will stand up to the Florida sun and still require very little water. I notice butterflies fluttering around them all day long. I read that hummingbirds enjoy them also. We don't have any here, so I'll take the Wiki's word for that.
Here's a pic of another creature that shares space in the garden-the Cuban Anole. These lizards started showing up in the 80's. Prolific and extremely aggressive, they've decimated the local population of the gentler, bright green Carolinas that were a mainstay of every yard as far back as I can remember. Luckily we have a large flock of Herons in the neighborhood that readily stalk and eat them. When cornered, they have been known to bite. Just ask Jedi to show you the scar on his thumb.
This is a very common plant that I'm sure everyone can recognize. Seriously, I love this rock. Crewman and I pulled it out of the Bay years ago and it's been a part of my garden ever since. The Cubans use the holes to hatch eggs, so I check it every once in awhile and then go on a water rampage.
The next couple are shots of hedges and large decorative grasses that might be interesting to anyone in a colder climate.
These are part of a Schefflera Arbicola, or Dwarf Umbrella, hedge. Easily grown in colder climates inside, here they're used as hedges or just individual specimen trees.
This is a member of the lily family known as Liriope. It's just beginning to flower thanks to the rain.
This variety of ornamental grass grows extremely large. In fact I'm rethinking their location. I may have planted them too close to the palm trees last year. Crewman will be horrified unhappy to discover he's going to have to dig them up and move them.
I'm ending the picspam with a shot of a flower I've cut from my Plumeria Rubra, also known as Frangipani. These tropical trees have extremely fragrant flowers-used in the manufacture of perfume- and an unusual history. In some island cultures they are thought to house demons and ghosts, while in Malay the scent is associated with vampires.
Happy gardening everyone.
We'll begin on the front porch. Those are varigated Dracaena Marginatas in the planters on either side of the door. Originally natives of the Canary Islands, they can be easily grown here. Nana has an enormous specimen beside her garage- it reaches about 9 ft tall- but I prefer them more controlled.
This is a Fireball, from the family Bromeliacaeae, or Bromiliad. You guys might remember the shots of a bloom from another variety taken over the span of a few weeks last year. The foliage from this particular plant can be shades of bronze changing to a deep red depending on the amount of light. This variety naturally cascades, so it's perfect for hanging baskets. Since they are all "air" plants, there is no actual soil in the basket, just the root ball of the plant and some sphagnum moss.
Next is a plant that I bet everyone recognizes and probably owns-the ubiquitous Coleus. Hearty and sun loving, they're colorful and easy to grow, inside or out. This particular pot sits alongside the garage side walkway leading to my front door. It's one of only a few potted plants with lots of color that can stand up to the heat generated from constant, all day sun combined with a concrete wall and rocks.
These pretty pink plants are growing in the butterfly garden on the yard side of the walkway. Pentas, or Rubiaceae, are easily grown, one of very few plants that will stand up to the Florida sun and still require very little water. I notice butterflies fluttering around them all day long. I read that hummingbirds enjoy them also. We don't have any here, so I'll take the Wiki's word for that.
Here's a pic of another creature that shares space in the garden-the Cuban Anole. These lizards started showing up in the 80's. Prolific and extremely aggressive, they've decimated the local population of the gentler, bright green Carolinas that were a mainstay of every yard as far back as I can remember. Luckily we have a large flock of Herons in the neighborhood that readily stalk and eat them. When cornered, they have been known to bite. Just ask Jedi to show you the scar on his thumb.
This is a very common plant that I'm sure everyone can recognize. Seriously, I love this rock. Crewman and I pulled it out of the Bay years ago and it's been a part of my garden ever since. The Cubans use the holes to hatch eggs, so I check it every once in awhile and then go on a water rampage.
The next couple are shots of hedges and large decorative grasses that might be interesting to anyone in a colder climate.
These are part of a Schefflera Arbicola, or Dwarf Umbrella, hedge. Easily grown in colder climates inside, here they're used as hedges or just individual specimen trees.
This is a member of the lily family known as Liriope. It's just beginning to flower thanks to the rain.
This variety of ornamental grass grows extremely large. In fact I'm rethinking their location. I may have planted them too close to the palm trees last year. Crewman will be horrified unhappy to discover he's going to have to dig them up and move them.
I'm ending the picspam with a shot of a flower I've cut from my Plumeria Rubra, also known as Frangipani. These tropical trees have extremely fragrant flowers-used in the manufacture of perfume- and an unusual history. In some island cultures they are thought to house demons and ghosts, while in Malay the scent is associated with vampires.
Happy gardening everyone.