Tropical Garden #62

We've come here from :

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1067658/

The same Cleome sp as in this photo from the last thread:

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=7446671

As the flower develops the petals curl back. It's reasonably large compared to a lot of our other Cleomes, stamen about 40 to 50 millimetres (about 1.5 to 2 inches). This one is in Stokes Range in the Victoria River District of the Northern Territory. But I've also seen them in the Bungle Bungles in the northwest of Western Australia.

Thank you so much... 41 here now.

Hap

43 in Naples

17 here in S.C. but dropping.

Our thermometer is currently reading 29ºF! Temp's like this are really unheard of here and records are being broken every day with these extremely low temperatures!

I've been looking through some old photo's on my computer and this one sure makes me think of Spring ... I sure hope it gets here soon!

This is some Tulips I grew in water a couple of years ago ...

A basket of Torenia from last summer ... I usually have the pink and purple in flower beds as well as hanging baskets each year.

Allamanda cathartica ..

Last one for me tonight.

When we have time to take our boat out on a week day during the summer, we pack a cooler, launch our boat and motor down the waterway to this Island, called "Disappearing Island" (called that because at high tide there is no island, LOL) We have lunch, walk around the island with me picking up shells (and trash), or if it happens to be high tide we just drop anchor and have lunch while enjoying the view. We always see Bottlenose Dolphins feeding in the waters, lots of sea birds like Pelicans and Egrets, and we sometimes see Manatees.

We only go during the week because on weekends, the island is crowded with many boats, people and kids (and all their gear like toys, grills, chairs, canopies etc), and dogs. There always seems to be loud music blaring from different boats too ... just too much noise and commotion, so we haven't gone there on weekends anymore. I prefer serenity.

G'nite everyone!

This is Ponce De Leon Inlet, Florida and the Ponce Lighthouse.

Oh ... and the name of our boat is "Serenity". ^_^

37.4 at 5.30 am at my house. Not out of the woods yet but I think we'll avoid a freeze tonight. It's the next night that has me worried.

Sending warm thoughts to all.

34 here at 6:45, 30 expected tomorrow morning. Brrrr

Good luck everyone!

It was 37.2 a half hour ago and is 37.6 now so I think we're over the worst for tonight. Phew. One more night....

In Canada, it is not unusual for the temperature to dip just around sunrise. It was 36F (2C) here at 7:00AM with 21 mph winds making it feel like 25F (-4C).

Take care, all.
Sylvain.

I've got the same Sylvain. No day for ducks!

27 here and I have thrown in the towel. We always get a few days here when the temp dips for an hour or so but this long siege is certainly a nasty new record. There will be many spots in the garden to be filled in with annuals come spring. Although, they will probably cost and arm and a leg as the growers are having to heat their GH's more than ever before.

I teach a propagation class and generally bring a carload of cuttings, divisions, etc to show and share. This year the pickin's will be slim for sure.

My variegated ginger is still standing which seems unusual; it will probably melt in a big mess any day now.

There's an old saying, "It's coldest before the dawn". It's pretty true, most of the time.

Epidendrum nocturnum. Hasn't been having a lot of blooms at the one time but has buds lined up for flowering for a long time yet. It has a sweet/vanilla fragrance at night.

I've always been warned never to plant a Vanilla orchid against a palm. But do I ever listen?

I really have to stop growing white flowers. They're so difficult to photograph. And, why do I always forget the name of this orchid?

Yikes, that's where mine is. Why not? That's the only 'tree' that I have.

Hap

PS Love your pix

The sun was out a bit today making photos of the garden possible.

Hap, I'll send it back to you when your weather warms up ;O)

A bed of Amorphophallus. Most of these are A. paeoniifolius, the one (darker stem) on the right is A. bulbifer. My largest is elsewhere, now 2.27 metres high (7.45 feet).

The area behind my dam (on the right through the trees) which hasn't yet had the full garden treatment.

Alocasia reginula growing up in their limestone rockery (under the watchful eye of a big African Mask).

I am sure fredrump won't mind me posting the picture of his vanilla orchid. He declared it was too tall to wrap up all the way, so who knows if it will survive this cold snap. Such a gorgeous specimen.
This picture was taken just a few weeks ago.

Early in the season it'd take two of these to cover your hand. But later on, after some good meals, they get big enough for one you cover your whole hand. trouble with them is they've worked out that the best insect flightpaths are along pathways, so they put their webs right in the middle of them. And the webs are tough, they really pull you up if you walk into them.

yikes..... my desire to visit Australia has been somewhat dimmed now ^_^

Dutchlady, I remember him posting it before, and some of its flowers.

I bought this as a "miniature monster", but I don't know what its correct name is. It does look exactly like a small monstera deliciosa, but grows a lot faster.

LOL, I like them, but they're not very cooperative. I keep suggesting they build their webs higher up so people can walk underneath, but do they take any notice? The advantage of their strong web is that if you walk into it all you need do is to walk backwards out of it. It's strong enough to come away without breaking. I have seen photos of birds caught in their webs and eaten.

I like this Philo going up into the coconut. But the Green Ants keep making nests out of its leaves.

These ferns are enjoying this rainy weather we're having. But they still do okay during the dry season in the hot sun. In fact, in full shade they either don't survive or become completely dwarfed.

My Xanthosoma robusta, still in a pot. Haven't worked out where its permanent home should be.

A line up along the waters edge, Mother-in-Law's Tongue, Pinanga kuhlii, Carpentaria acuminata, Cucurma australasica, Chamaedorea seifrizii, Arenga australasica, NOID Heliconia, and an Alocasia portei hidden in behind that.

My Amorphophallus titanum. It's not much under 2 metres tall.

A view across my dam.

Another bit of garden edging the dam.

The lowest temp I saw here last night was 27º ... another hard freeze and it's supposed to be a little colder tonight. It's still only 33º here right now at 10:15 a.m. By the end of the week it's supposed to be back up to the mid 70's daytime and 50's at night, thank goodness! I sure hope this is the last of the freezing weather for us for a very long time! The little Snowman we made is still frozen solid to the brick wall out front!

Tropic: Loving all of your photo's. Your place is really beautiful and the pic's are bringing a bit of warmth to those of us who aren't used to this cold weather!

I'm thinking your "Mini Monstera" may be a Rhaphidophora: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhaphidophora

I have this one that's probably dead after the extreme cold temperatures we've been having! http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/161435/

FYI,

Our leader Dave, yes, "The Davesgarden Dave" was interviewed on a Houston radio station this morning. It's amazing how this site has grown in just a few short years! In case anyone would like to listen to the interview, I posted the link here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1068242/

I am beginning to dread the return of our normal moderate weather. When that happens we will have to get out and clean up the mushy melted plants. Yuck

ardesia: I hear you! I dread the mush of leaves I'm going to have to clean up in a few weeks and the dreadful look of the landscape before it recovers or before we can plant anew ... but I can't wait for the warm up to begin!

A couple of hours ago our little snowman was frozen solid to the brick. Aaah, now the sun is shining brightly and he decided to get a suntan! ^_^ I don't feel sorry for the little guy at all!

G'Day All
Coming out of hibernation to say how enjoyable all the pictures are, and to thank Tropicbreeze for the new thread.
The coldest it got here was 12 degrees but it's been on a warming trend since then.

Xanthosoma Sagittifolum variegata

The Black Thai Bananas seem to be doing very well under plastic, while the Siam Ruby's are looking pitiful.