The Midsummer Garden

          ~ ~ ~ Notes from the July Garden ~ ~ ~

A quick midsummer grooming was in order to contain the fast growing tropicals and to neaten things up a bit. In the first half of the month we had plenty of rainfall but then a dry spell set in for a week, followed by a few days of showers and then July ended on a dry note.

With only two months of summer left to go we're getting closer to days with less humidity and hot weather. And, I find myself deep in thought...like the little fellow in the picture...with ideas and plans for the garden when October arrives. Hmm, I guess I'll have to be patient a little longer.

The Angel trumpet...an offspring from the my mother's plant when I was a kid...has made a remarkable recovery from winter. Last summer it took until August before the plant even decided to grow. I thought it wouldn't make it, but it hung in there. This year it bounced back quicker and surprised me with its unique and fragrant blooms.

The bees and butterflies are loving the Indian blanket flower and Blue Agastache cocktail in the island bed, and the Frangipani (plumeria) is also adding it's sweet and wonderful fragrance to the garden.

New in the garden this year are Drift roses and Pennisetum ‘Fireworks’ Var. Fountain Grass.

The Drift roses have performed beyond my expectation. Peachy yellow clusters are covering this bush located in full sun next to the driveway, and look at those shiny green leaves with no sign of blackspot. Wow, a definite winner! I couldn't resist the green and pink variegation on the Fireworks fountain grass. It glows fabulously in the summer sun.

Summer Favorites

The Natchez crape myrtle, Thryallis and Lorapetlum Ruby blend together for a non-stop colorful combination. As does the Black and Blue Sage paired up with the variegated schfflerra. I love yellow and blue together. My summer garden wouldn't be complete without a patch of sun-loving Blackeyed Susans.

Back in the "WILD" area of the garden the berries on the Simpson Stoppers have turned red. If I sit very still on the bench I can watch a clan of Cardinals dashing back in forth from the trees sneaking a berry treat. In late spring the white berries emerge following tiny frilly white blossoms.

Miss Muffet is taking it easy in the shade garden. She's definitely soothing and cool looking to the eye.

I must plant some Miss Muffet in and around these plants next spring as they coordinate nicely together.The Cherry Jubilee Allamanda...don't you just love that name. I'm sure it's part of the reason I bought her...bounces back quickly from winter and blooms all summer long. The fuschia-centered bromeliad stands out in the shade as do the pink blooms on the Flamingo plant.

Summer's Simple Pleasures

Sitting in the shade watching the Spanish Moss swaying to and fro in the breeze, while rays of sunlight dance on the garden below. Quite soothing!

Hope your midsummer garden is lush and beautiful, and that you're taking it easy in the shade!

My Favorites...this month!

We're well into the first of the hottest two months in Florida. The time when the toughest plants...those that keep on smiling in the face of our searing sunlight and heat...are revealed. The true soldiers of summer! Undaunted by temps in the mid-90's and sporadic rainfall, this mix of hot and cool colors are the shining stars of my garden in July.

If only I could look this fresh on a hot summer day!

Liorope muscari 'Big blue' sports a stem of soft purple flowers, Pentas lanceolata...the red variety is my favorite, Rudbeckia "Cherokee' better known as black-eyed Susan...you knew I'd have some of these in my garden :-)...an unusual coloration, but pretty nonetheless.  The heat-lover Torenia fournieri in varying shades of blue and purple. Thryallis...Galphimia glauca is another plant that thrives in the dog days of summer. The soft texture of Pennisetum setaceum "Purple Fountain' grass...although I've always heard it referred to as red fountain grass...sways in the breeze ever so delicately. And, lastly, a bit of torenia with the gorgeous blue color of Lisianthus Eustoma grandiflorum. A flower you don't see often, but obviously doesn't mind a Florida summer.

Look closely at the foliage on this pentas.

Yes, it's variegated. I've never seen variegated pentas in the garden center...a friend gave me this one, and you can bet I'm going to root more cuttings from it. It's called the Stars & Stripes, and has grown nice and tall. I'll use it as a filler for some bare spots in my island bed.

Taking the heat

Torenia fournieri often called Wishbone flower is one of my "new" favorite annual plants for the summer months. It's a member of the snapdragon family, although it reminds me more of  violas. The hotter it gets, the bigger this plant get and the more it blooms. It grows into a nice mounded shape and so far, seems to be unaffected by snails or any other pesky pests...including those gargantuan lubbers.

In the shade

The Peace Lilies Spathiphyllum and impatiens don't mind the heat so long as they're planted in the shade or dappled sunlight.

A mix of sun and shade

The Blackberry lilies Belamcanda Chinensis in this border only receive a half a day of sunlight, but they don't seem to mind. I love to watch their butterfly-looking flowers bobbing along in the breeze. They seem so carefree.

Simple Summer Pleasures

Fresh Cut Grass...I always inhale deeply when I detect the scent of fresh cut grass hanging in the air. It's that age-old familiar smell from childhood that denotes the hot lazy days of summer...adults mowing in the heat, and kids running barefoot through the cool damp grass completely oblivious to the heat.

And, speaking of HOT...there's not much to do...well, there really is, but who wants to do it...but relax in the shade with a glass of sweet iced tea in a Mason jar, of course...better known down here as the "table wine of the South"...and a piece of  tart key lime pie (I like mine frozen...it's more refreshing that way).

There will be plenty of time come September to get my hands back in the dirt. For now, I'll just sit a while longer and enjoy my special treat in the shade of the Live oak...thank God for trees...LARGE ones at that!

What are your favorites this month? If you'd like to join me in posting your favorites for the month, please do...they don't have to be in collage form...but do leave a comment, so I can drop by and see your favorites.

4th of July

 In honor of our nation's 234th birthday this coming weekend, I'm posting a photo of the 4th of July rose. This 1999 All-America Selection climbing rose sports stripes of varying shades of red...however, there are no blue stars.

Hope your 4th includes a fun family picnic...no thunderstorms, please (at least for one day)...and lots of dazzling fireworks.

Please keep our brave soldiers in your thoughts & prayers.

Have a GREAT 4th!

A Bird's Eye View

One nice thing about living in a two-story house is that you can look down on your garden for a whole different perspective. From this bird's eye view I can see how my color combinations are working, and where I need to place another plant. You know, I'm always looking for where another plant might fit! :-)

This area is my most favorite spot in the yard. There's usually a nice breeze coming off the lake as I sit on this deck shaded by several live oaks. That old chartreuse colored adirondak chair is just for looks these days. It is slowly rotting away but I just love the color it adds to the garden, so I'm sure to warn any visitors not to sit in it. A friend just recently suggested covering it with bromeliads which I thought was a great idea.
That large plant was here when we arrived. I have no idea what it is but I love it. It weathered temps down into the upper 2o's this past winter as did the bromeliads. This area seems to have a special micro-climate that protects my tropical beauties.

The top portion of this section belongs to my neighbor. We share a joint flowerbed. He knows how to landscape with ti plants. Usually people have one here and one there but this large bed of them is stunning. And, those lady palms just love the shade!
So now, I know what the birds see from their perch high up in the old oak tree.

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day - The Heat is On!

It's mid-summer, and only the toughest plants can keep from withering in the heat and humidity of a Florida summer. So, before I set about snapping photos for Garden Blogger's Bloom Day, I thought I probably wouldn't find too many. Boy, was I wrong! There was so much to choose from that I couldn't even post all of the photos. Some of the other plants in bloom (not shown here) are: hibiscus (I'll do a separate post on those tropical beauties), lantana, pentas, begonia and ixora (definitely summer stalwarts), bromeliads (they love their place in the shade) and thryallis (which was just getting started).

I'll start off with the cool colors of summer - two orchids basking in the impermeable humidity.


Can't live in the south without having crepe myrtles. They may not have a scent but they bloom in abundance - twice, if you dead-head the first blossom.


This Rose of Sharon or Althea has a soft, delicate appearance. You don't see a lot of these around, and I don't know why. They are beautiful!


The Peace Lily does better outdoors for me than in. The dark green foliage and bright white blossom lights up shady nooks in the garden.

Impatiens add a lot of color to shady spots. These volunteers decided to nestle up against a bamboo palm in the side yard. So long, as they are in the shady they're not water-greedy.

Another favorite of mine is the Mandevilla vine. It's not an aggressive vine that is hard to control, and it blooms, blooms, blooms.


I find that Portulaca or Moss Rose does well in patio containers. It's not a messy plant. The flowers dead-head themselves by rolling into tiny little balls and don't stain the patio deck.

Also, this Crossandra is not too messy and it rewards us with lots of blooms.


I love this combination of bright cherry red Knock-out roses and deep purplish-blue perennial salvia. I scooped these 4 salvia plants up off the "bargain shelf" at Wal-mart for next to nothing and they have rewarded me with a profusion of blooms all summer.


Even this variety of Liriope is blooming with abandon. I can't recall the name, but it's not one I've used in the past. I only hope it's not one of those that keeps on spreading and I have to dig it up and separate it (yuk!) I like plants that mind their manners and the boundaries of other plants.

And Now a Word for Colorful Foliage

When it comes to color in the garden, flowers are my first choice. But I must confess that lately I find myself appreciating plants with colorful foliage. Flowers come and go, depending on the season, but colorful foliage is year 'round. And, in my opinion that makes the garden far more interesting. Plus it's easier to ensure that the yard always has color in it.

A lot of colorful foliage is tropical in nature - crotons, cannas, and bromeliads - and perform well in my zone 9 garden, with the exception of an occassional freeze.

This canna lilies have gorgeous foliage plus an added benefit of bright orange flowers.


This croton performs well in the shady part of my garden.


I love this wild and wacky croton. It's just a kaleidoscope of color.


This speckled bromeliad is new to my garden and hasn't produced any pups yet.


In the sunlight, the pinkish red color is much brighter on this bromeliad.


The bright red center of this bromeliad grabs my eye everytime I pass by it.


Caladiums are a summertime favorite. What a great splash of color in a shade garden. These guys are real GIANTS.


The soft purple/green hues of wandering jew are very cooling.


When placed in a sunny spot, this snowbush looks like its covered in blooms. But there are no flowers, only splashes of soft pink leaves.

With so many choices of colorful foliage, flowers are quickly becoming secondary in my garden.