It is feast or famine, when it rains it really comes down in buckets either that or we are in a drought.
Another noid camellia.
Tropical Garden #115
Beautiful camelias! like spring today again.. gee..
That looks like a stictocardia to me, Debi, I love it, wish mine could bloom outside, mine is all budded up inside tho..
About the cold coming your way.. so sorry I am not coming with it this time, wish I was..
I have a loverly tall leafy confederate rose compliments of a good friend here on dg,,,, thank so much so excited!
Plumeria has gone dormant, boo hoo, will I ever see it bloom?
Hibs are all still blooming like crazy down here.
I am pretty excited, sisters PET scan shows no cancer left.. Joes heart thingy showed no blockage.. a good reason for us all to celebrate ..
Feels like spring fevor I want to start planting, go figure..
Love the begonia and tball, too.
I wish I could grow tangerines here.. I get a box of cuties for about 4 bucks here tho..
What good news for the new year Debra, your whole family must be smiling and happy this week.
Beautiful bird, is he in your magical basement too? A good citrus tree, named and certified disease free, is expensive up front but from then on they are good for a long, long time. Nothing but a little bit of fertilizer each year, they do not even like mulch.
Debra, I am SO HAPPY for Sherry and Joe - wonderful news!
Happy New Year to all from one of your most frequent "lurkers".
edited to include a word
This message was edited Dec 31, 2011 10:08 AM
Hey, Christi - a BLESSED 2012 to you!
Great news, Deb. And Happy New Years to everyone here!
Alice, I do love your camellias, they have such beautiful flowers. Used to grow wonderfully in my mother's garden up in Vancouver, Canada. Our first house had a big camellia bush, too. Only disappointment was the flowers seemed to last such a very short time. In Vancouver they were often ruined by a rain. Is it possible the newer cultivars have longer bloom time or repeat blooms?
My funny little walking iris think it's spring, too. They have another think coming!
This message was edited Dec 31, 2011 12:52 PM
Elaine, MAYBE it won't get as cold as they say - I am on the ocean, so hopefully it will stay above freezing! Last year was the coldest winter (3 weeks) for us, of below freezing temps, since 1985.
The individual flowers only last a few days but most of the plants have so many buds they will bloom for many months. They are just starting here so the flowers are sparce but when they are in full swing, the bushes will be full of flowers.
This is a C. Sasanqua, they start in September and are still holding a few flowers now.
This is another C. Japonica photo is from a previous year.
There is an excellent camellia nursery near Apopka, FL called Erinon Camellias. I cannot find a website for them.
Temps are not what the calendar calls for. Today is lower 70's. I have been out 2 days in a row cutting out the things that have frozen. This time last year we had snow. Big deal here. Tomorrow it is supposed to be mid 50's and continue to drop all week. At this moment I had to come in and sit in front of the room fan with a glass of ice water. I worked up a sweat.
Almost no butterflies all summer long due to the prolonged heat wave. Yesterday and today, I can't count them all. Strange.
El Nino!
Butterflies also need surface water to drink so if you weren't able to sprinkle your plantings all summer, your butterflies were all hanging out at the nearest lake that had water in it. Also hardly any flowers with nectar due to the drought, I'd bet.
Now that you're getting rain they are happy to be back.
Yeah, Kay while we're cheering on the El Nino for this beautiful warm winter, pore ol' Texans are hoping it goes away so they'll get some rain next summer! Brug 'Charles Grimaldi' sure likes this weather. These two just opened last night.
Bit more yellow as they age - couple of days old are these.
Never got this orange in the hot weather! These have been open nearly a week!
Here's a really low-maintenance living wall - Firecracker plant's tiny thin leaves poke through the screen of the pool cage, then they bloom inside.
Anybody else finding this 'Diamond Frost' euphorbia to be kind of invasive? There's a big geranium plant and a spiral ginger in there - it's a 3ft. tall giant urn that's been swallowed. Getting out the scissors to give it a haircut.
Oops, sorry for the blurry photo. Elaine
This message was edited Dec 31, 2011 5:59 PM
OK, Elaine - I am traveling SOUTH! Deb is coming to visit me, with her sis, Sherry, this spring and I think we will have a ROAD TRIP!
Mine died - came back for 2 years and during our freeze, it died.
I'd love to see all of you! I hope I'll have the jungle beaten into submission by the time you visit. Although, Debra would feel right at home in my garden, it's about as crowded as her basement!
My big Calla Aethiopica will usually bloom through March, or even into April if it's not too hot. One plant has a bud about to open already.
Elaine, Elaine - we aren't planning on showing up when you're HOME! We want to hit, er, I mean - visit -Martha's and Debi's garden, too!!!!
Ummm, there is one requirement for errrrrrr, "hitting" my garden, is that you have to "Weed "your way in !! LOL...
LOL! OK - we can do that!
LoL, you guys would have to make it a drive-by looting at night, 'cause DH and I both work at home. Ok, so we do travel quite a bit . . .
I can get all of us in to Selby Gardens for free on my membership! Now that place is worth a raid! But you have to let me come with you to Martha's and Debi's. I have a pickup truck . . .
Sounds like a deal, Elaine - I'll keep you posted via dmail so Martha doesn't get wind of it!
Caution....Killer Beagle guards the gate.........Oh....and a killer Turkey.
OK - guess we'll contact you when we are headed your way, IF Deb actually makes it down here.
Happy New Year! Oh, I WILL mkae it down there..
Love that diamond frost euphorbia, lost mine this summer..
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Deb, I can't wait!
Good Morning and Happy New Year!
Here are some of my babies blooming..
All my orchids are putting out spikes...so the next month should be beatiful!!
Some I know their name others I don't, so I'll just post them
another
and another
and vanda
Forgot what this is called, but love it. Has tiny flowers
Urn plant blooming....this is in a 6 or 8 in pot. I think I should divide and repot.
and a white mandevilla
Very pretty!
Your GH looks so toasty, with these 70+ degree days we have had it was probably not needed but with what is coming this week you will be so glad you have it up and running.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! May you all be blessed with many tropical plants (along with good health and happiness.)
So great to see some pictures from you again, Paula. This must mean you're finally settling into the new house with some leisure time.
Your orchids are lovely, and yeah, I'd definitely divide that bromeliad pertty soon - it will make more pups for you . . if you do. I have three orchids that have been threatening to open flowers for a month or so. I think the cool nights are slowing them down. Think I'll bring them indoors for the next cool front, and see if that moves them along.
Anyone wants starts of the 'Diamond Frost' I sure have lots! It starts very readily from cuttings. I gave that big plant in the urn a haircut so at least you can see the other plants!
