Hibiscus Bloom Photos From Ft Lauderdale, Florida

Here are a few hibiscus photos from down here in South Florida starting with Hibiscus "Dragon's Heart"

Hibiscus "High Voltage"

Hibiscus "Dragonfly"

Hibiscus "Silver Memories"

Hibiscus "Tahitian Taui"

Hibiscus "Silver Charm"

Hibiscus "Creme De La Creme"

And lastly is Hibiscus "Eye Of Kali"

Jon

Jon!!!

So nice to see you posting pics again, and they are all so beautiful! I see you got that Dragon's Heart you wanted :-)

Hey Jon

What is the pink flower by your first picture of Dragon Heart? That looks like a phlox.

I love Dragonfly, but then I bet you knew I would. Is this a new one????

Patty

Thanks Dee & Patty. I've had Hibiscus "Dragonfly" almost a year now. I planted it in the ground out front this past winter. Yes, that is a tall garden phlox named "Junior Dance". I bought it, on sale, from Garden Crossings about a month ago. It has filled in with new growth and just started blooming about a week ago.

Jon

They are all so gorgeous! Thank you for sharing.

Tina

Very beautifull. I absolutely love Silver Memories and Tahitian Taui. Very amazing colors!

Oh, Jon, you have given me a serious case of envy! They are all soooooo beautiful but I
think I like Dragon's Heart best. But, they are each & every one fantastic. And, Dragonfly wants to live at my house too, Patty. Seeing them planted in the ground is the part I envy. Thanks so much for sharing with us.

Judy

Like aways, outstanding ovation for you Jon, now I'm really glad your back posting again. your hibs are so gorgeous, there not one that I wouldn't love to have. You have an eye for getting the most beautiful hibs around, just don't stop posting, remember we're like little kids who get a taste of some candy and want more.

Wilfred

Judy do you keep your in pots so that you can overwinter them? I just placed about four or five in the ground. I think they are going to do so much better. Either that or its the cooler temps they are liking.

Thanks everyone. They really do perform better and require less attention when they're planted in the ground Judy. I realize that's not an option for everyone. The best advantage of having them in pots is their mobility. You can move the ones in bloom to that perfect spot for daily viewing.

Make sure you all make it a habit to add epsom salts to your plants every month. If the plant is in the ground, or in an 8" pot or larger you can use a tablespoon per plant. Use less if it is in a smaller pot. Since epsom salts don't dissolve easily, I just toss a tablespoon right on top of the soil before watering. I just make it a habit to do it at the beginning of each month as its much easier to remember this way. The magnesium sulfate (epsom salt) supplement to your fertilizer is what gives you the healthy, glossy, green foliage we are all looking for.

Jon

Now he tells me! LOL!
Thanks Jon, that is a nice tip you've given use, didn't know that and I'm about to plant quit a few in the ground this week.

Wilfred

LOL. There are lots of references to using magnesium sulfate for greener healthy looking foliage. Since epsom salts are basically the same thing its cheaper to use epsom salts at $3.00/bag compared to $10.00/bag for magnesium sulfate. You will not see the improved foliage immediately, but you will notice a difference within a couple of months.

Patty, I have to leave mine in pots. I'm in zone 8a & have no choice. Sure wish I could put them in the ground & leave them year round. I'm saying, "Eenie, Meenie, Mighty Moe into the GH you can go!" Wonder if tree ferns will survive outside?

Jon, a friend told me to spray the foliage with one teaspoon of Epsom Salts , one teaspoon of Salt Peter, 2 drops of a neutral soap (he uses Ivory) mixed in a gallon of water. Don't have any Salt Peter but have sprayed with the Epsom Salts & I can tell a difference. I'm just using a teaspoon in a gallon of water & spraying every bit of the plant from the dirt up. He said he did his 3 times a week in the summer. I have noticed much prettier leaves....greener & really shiny since I started spraying with this. Said it would improve the bloom size & brightness. Found some Salt Peter online & plan on getting some to try. Also said not to use this spray when your plants are in the sunshine. Not telling anyone to do this but Jon is right....Epsom Salts has improved my Hibs. A lot.

Is that the same as Iron chelate. I use that for greener leaves.

Beautiful pictures Jon, so nice to have you posting them again. I saw where you mentioned fall was a busy time in your garden, mine too. Fall is for planting shrubs & roses, perennials, oops peonies and bulbs...I love this time of year! Thanks for the inspiration.
deb

Judy I don't think they will. I have a friend who lives in Red Oak (near Dallas, zone 8) and she's tried to grow them without any luck.

Here's my favorite tree fern; it belongs to Houston DG'er rjuddharrison. I have coveted his tree fern for over three years now. I actually bought one while I was visiting him, but it is no where near as pretty as his. His is situated right by his pond.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=7137704

I've been using ES on my hibbies and also the ones I take care of at my church thanks to Jon. The ones at the church have been there several years and I don't think they were getting any nutrients beside water. I started taking care of them in March. A couple of them were really yellow and now they are greening up since I started using ES a few months ago. How long has it been Jon since we talked about those sick hibbies? I was amazed at the change. It did take about three months I think, but they are definately starting to green up.

Patty, my tree ferns are in pots too & they will go in the GH. But a lot of my other ferns in pots & hanging baskets are going in the ground. They will survive covered with thick layers of leaves. Just slower to get pretty in the spring. In fact, they really get pretty this time of the year with the cooler weather & rain. Don't know why I like something that is so hard to keep through our hot summers??? They are just so graceful & complement any other plants. Hang in there & your tree fern will look like the one in the picture & that is a beauty. They always get noticed by people who don't know what they are as the fiddle heads do look sinister when they are unfurling. How is school going this year?

Judy

School is going well . . .

I messed up with my tree fern this summer. I moved it from it's shady spot where it was growing really well cause I was afraid it was going to eventually grow and hit the eave of the house. I moved it to a spot and it got too much sun. I had to dig it up and put it in a big pot on my patio. It looked sick all summer. It is just now starting to green up some, but I had to cut alot of the burned up fronds off. Here's a picture of it before I moved it; so green and purty . . .not any more. Grrrrr!!!!!

(Sorry we hijacked your thread Jon) LOL You don't really mind a little tree fern talk do ya Jon????

I didn't know anything about the epsom salt "thing" until this spring. At one of our American Hibiscus Society meetings the subject came up and it was discussed. I then started putting epsom salts into my watering containers, but it was making a mess. Much of it wasn't disolving quickly and was clogging up the container also. I was told its so much easier just to walk around the yard, once a month, and toss a tablespoon of epsom salts around the base of each plant. They say its very difficult to "overdose" your plant with epsom salts as the plant will absorb the epsom salts, as needed.

Yeah, its been about 3 months since we talked about those sick hibiscus Patty. I think there are 4 factors as to why your hibs are looking so much better now. They would be: using fertilizer on a regular basis, pruning the plants back to stimulate growth enzyme, the use of epsom salts for greener/glossier foliage, and the transition from intense hot relentless summer sun to a kinder/gentler autumn sun that is lower in the horizon.

I think people put so much emphasis on temperatures and don't think about the suns intensity enough. Here in South Florida we start planting "winter annuals" in October. Our temperatures right now are still around 90 degrees, just like they are in June & July. The only differences are that the days are shorter and the sun is much lower in the sky in October. I think this is the reason that Florida winter annuals, like petunias, will survive the heat in October, but cannot survive the same temperatures the following May & June when the sun is much higher in the sky. You can use the same factors when it comes to how long you can expose your skin to sun before becoming sunburned. You can't stay out in the sun very long in June & July unprotected without getting sunburned. You can stay out a LOT longer in the fall, because the sun isn't nearly as intense.

LOL. No problem Patty. I think my last post may explain, somewhat, as to why your tree tern is doing better now and putting on new growth. It can now handle the fall sun compared to the summer sun.

I also think the rain we finally got has helped the hibbies too.

I'm going to copy that paragraph above and send it to Kell since we were just dmailing about petunias being winter annuals in our zones.

Your tree fern is beautiful Patty.

Judy

It WAS Judy. Now it is no where near as big and green as it was in that picture. (*sob!!!!*)

It will bounce back over the winter Patty. You probably just stressed it a bit moving it in the summer. Summer can be a brutal time to move things.

I was afraid the sun was killing it and it wasn't even in full sun more like part sun. I can already tell that it is looking better on the patio but it is about a fifth of the size that it was.

Mine are kept under a big shade tree & love it, Patty. The GH is in the sun & they lost fronds last winter but quickly recovered & were pretty in no time. Yours will be too.

Judy

I agree with Judy. The kinder/gentler weather is really going to help it recover nicely.

Beautiful blooms amourecuore!!! Very very nice.