Florida Gardening Pictures of the Day - 27

Vitex

Gloriosas

Nice photos Molly. A wide diversified collection of flowering plants.

Thank you Jon. It's taken over 5 years to figure out what will grow here. Since I have amended a lot, now I am growing things that all died in the beginning.

Molly

I'm crazy for the Smith Bros. Molly! Lachroma I'm not familiar with but want to be for sure. Looks like it's fragrant --- is it? And looks like hummers might like it too. Vitex is also something I will have to learn about.

Ann

Ann, I thought it was Lachroma too. Could never find it on the computer because it's spelled with an "I".

And I still can't spell it right iochroma http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/search.php?q=iochroma&Search=Search+PlantFiles
These will freeze in winter here, but come back from roots and are full large bushes by this time. I have 2 yellows/orange, 1 pink and 1 pale lavender.

I bought the vitex with a nic Texas Lilac. This is deciduous and grows from old branches.

Neither one of these plants is fragrant. It would seem that with the bloom structure, the hummingbirds would like them. The butterfly's definitely do.

To Molly...yes it has been record hot here the past week and sitting over the fire was a bit too hot. However we will be having a fire tonight, going to be a bit cooler the next couple nights....and yes a hot dog over the fire is quite tasty... :)

LOL @ the scented crepe myrtles, Molly! It's okay, I believe you...but I still don't think that's what you were smelling that time!

All your stuff is looking awesome. Maybe I can make it over for a visit again one day and see it all in person.

Molly, here are the giant daylilies in bloom. This first one must have been chewed by bugs, or gone through some other traumatic event.

The other one.

Both plants accompanied by the mutant zinnias.

This is one of my hydrangas. Sparce cause everyone that comes by wants some to dry for house bouquet. Thats creeping fig all over the house wall behind it.

From last month....

My Blood Lillies beginning to bloom!!!

Dale, I'm sure you told us what the orange vine/plant is, but I want one and can't find its name - could you edit your post and add the botanical and common name? Thanks!

Dale I too would like to know what the orange flowered plant is...kind of looks like the Lion's tail plant I have...very interesting.
Here is my flowering soap aloe plant...which hummingbirds just love to hang around.

Don't know the bot. name for the vine in Dales pic , but it is what we always called Flame vine very common in Fl. Grows wild in some places.

Ohhh, Rene - can you get us a rooted start of it?

Oh now I know what Flame vine is...I remember it could take over power lines and cover trees here in Central FL until we started getting the freezing cold winters, don't see it much anymore.

My Artichoke has begun blooming

Easter Lilies from the beginning of the month

Gingers are beginning their show

Kay, there is none here. I live in a Mobile home park! Sorry.

A picture, this evening, of my 3rd of three Hollyhocks beginning its second year of blooms. The other two are definitely Vietnamese Hollyhocks, but this one I have no idea. They had three of them at Lowes spring 2010 so I bought one of them.

A couple of blooms early this morning on Reblooming Bearded Iris "Harvest Of Memories"

These are tall Lisianthus "ABC Lime" this evening out front. These were planted and bloomed last spring. Even though they're annuals I just left the plants alone. They stayed alive without any significant new growth all summer, fall and winter. In April they began producing flower stalks/buds and are now blooming. Also some "ABC Blue Rim" (white petals with purple tips) have come back and should bloom soon.

Just the regular "Purple Coneflower" plants beginning to bloom again this spring out back.

Daylilies "Forgotten Dreams" (front) and "Berry Cheesecake" (back) this evening in the back yard.

Jon

two pretty weeds to ID?
This first one is a sensitive mimosa with long thin seed pods.

the second weed/wild flower also has small yellow pea flowers and long thin curved pods. Both were easy to grow from seed, successfully transplanted, and started blooming early like a bedding plant.

This beautiful fella came out of his cocoon on my Florida room windchimes last night - a giant Swallowtail:

Here's another shot of my giant Swallowtail:

Here is a picture of the caterpillar of the Giant Swallowtail:

John, Your second wildflower/weed with the yellow pea flowers is a Cassia (senna family). Which one I don't know but most definitely a Cassia. Put it on the ID forum with a little more info. such as height, size of leaves etc... they'll fix you up in a heartbeat.
Ann

John, it's just possible that your first "weed" is not a mimosa but again a member of the Senna.... check it out:

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/56171/

I have one of these & your photo looks like a baby one. It is sensitive in the respect that at night the leaves close up or when it needs to conserve water because of extreme drought or heat conditions.

I'm so thrilled to have found this thread.

Here after almost 3 weeks of being in Bradenton and not seeing much in the way of flowers you all have given my heart a lift. I now know with just a few minor modifications I can have my wonderful flowers from the north here. Those that love the heat which were my favorites.

I'm so drooling over everyones plants, so beautiful and a clem growing in Ft Lauderdale..... now I have hopes for the few clems I brought with me.

I've found a local source for free aged horse manure (my favorite garden item) and hope to go pick up a load next weekend so I can get my clems planted.

we are renting our house and the owner is ok with what ever I do to the yard so I'm thrilled. When we have to move (owners will be moving down in a few years) I will just take cuttings of everything I plant.

Thank you all again for sharing your wonderful plants and giving my heart a lift.

Jan

It's a bit tricky growing Northern flowers down here in Florida. Not everything works, especially if its something that needs a long winter dormancy period that we do not have. Also very important to grow at the right time of the year especially with annual flowers. Also can be important to give some things a less sunny location than you normally would up North. It takes a few years of trail and error to get a better feel for what works. If you're not sure about a particular flowers success its best to "start small" and see how it goes. If it does well you can always add many more in the following years. An example would be Clematis. They're not recommended for South Florida. I think I tried 4 or 5 of them and only one has survived our climate and produces each year. You may/should have better results in Zone 8b compared to Zone 10a down here.

Thanks

I do plan on taking is slow as we plan to live here for the rest of our lives, so I will be giving lots of things a try to see what will live for me.

Jan

Lady Margaret starting

Dutchmans pipe been going to town