The Amazing World of Nature

What do you get when you cross this flower

with this flower?

Voila' ... a new Indian blanket flower!

Isn't nature amazing?

I've been thinking for awhile that my blanket flowers were cross-pollinating because subtle but different variations seem to show up next to each other. This weekend a new plant that seeded itself bloomed, and my suspicians were confirmed. Gaillardia blanket flower Torch ‘Red Ember’ (upper right corner) mixed with 'Goblin’ (lower right corner).

Have you've noticed cross-pollination at work in your garden?

My Favorites...this month!

It's August...what can I say about August. Well, let's see...hot, humid, sticky, sweaty...oh, I'll hush for now, that's enough complaining. On the brightside...fresh, thirst-quenching rainshowers!

Thankfully, there are a host of plants (and creatures...I'm just not one of them) that thrive in these conditions.

And the winners are (from left to right)...Java Glorybower Clerodendrum speciosissimum insists on showing off and blooming the entire long, hot summer...yeah for her! But buyer beware...this tropical beauty is a wanderer, and she'll take over an entire bed if you let her. You can't miss the flourescent orange bloom on the Torch bromeliad Billbergia pyramidalis which blooms in profusion this month. Hawaiian sunset hibiscus is one of my favorites with its warm color scheme.  And the bromeliad on the left looks great planted in a wire basket. I don't know the common or botanical name (perhaps Steve at Rainforest Garden can help identify it). I think it might be Indian feather...but not sure. And, lastly the cute green anole soaking up some sunshine. I always smile when I see these guys in my garden. I definitely prefer them over the brown dinosaur-looking brown anoles that inhabit the screened patio.

And, now for a few cool-colored varieties.

It looks like bromeliads are at the top of my list this month. The white portion of this bromeliad turns a pretty soft shade of pink if planted in sunlight. Sorry, but I don't know the name of this one either.  Steve...please help! Another irresistable soft pink is the Brazilian Plume Justicia carnea. It's a real standout in the shade garden. The remnants of a thunderstorm...these delicate looking rain drops look like fingernails on the tips of a Norfolk pine. Star flower more commonly called pentas Pentas lanceolata is a fabulous butterfly-attracting plant. And, lastly, the delicate blue flower of Golden Dewdrop Duranta erecta. Another wonderful plant for butterflies.

Torch bromeliad Billbergia pyramidalis

You're more apt to know this commonly found passalong bromeliad by its more common name..hurricane bromeliad...because it blooms during the peak months of hurricane season. It spreads into large clumps quickly and is even known to climb the trunks of trees. If you see these growing in someone's garden,  I can guarantee you they'll be glad to share some with you. The blooms are bright and eye-catching. Unfortunately, the color fades quickly, but on the good side they bloom prolifically and they survived our past winter undamaged. 

Summer's Simple Pleasures

 Mowing the grass in August is a good old-fashioned workout. Why pay dues at a health club when you can accomplish two tasks at once. When I'm finished I head to the pool to revive myself with a tall cold one and a few salty pistacios. A reward for my hard workout!

 Ahhh, I feel sooooo much better now.

Canna lily 'Tropicana' and a sprig of Devil's backbone.

Now, that the end of August is drawing near...what seems like an "endless summer" will soon be changing. Already, the maple and elm trees have quietly been shedding their leaves. The raintrees will soon be in bloom, and within a few weeks the humidity will begin to ease up...ever so slightly...and the morning air will contain the most subtle hint of pleasant coolness. It's subtle, mind you...so you'll need to pay close attention. I'll take advantage of the milder mornings to start getting caught up in the garden. It won't be long now until the best "gardening" days are here!

Thirsty? Not these Plants & their Friends

Up until recently, rainshowers have been few and far between this summer. It seems as though the rain has skirted around us, but we rarely find the clouds opening up and dropping buckets of water on our little plot.

And, you know what it means when there isn't any rain during these "dog days." While the plants and (surprisingly) the grass have held up pretty well, it's the container plants that insist on being hand-watered daily...lest they wither away. I think they actually wouldn't complain if I watered them twice a day during the dry periods.

Much to my relief, though, are the containers filled with succulents (and a few of their close friends) that are making my job a whole lot easier. They seem to shoot me a wink that says..."Not thirsty yet! We're doing fine."

I'm sorry to say that I don't know the names of most of these delightful succulents, but this container is one of my favorites. I love the soft green shades combined with splashes of cream and pink.

The foliage comes in so many different shapes...round and elongated or tiny and delicate...all waxy feeling and plump with water.

They don't even seem to mind being out in the full sun.

There are many varieties of aloes as I have recently discovered. The two pictured here are from my aunt's garden. The bottom plant is the steppable plant from my sister-in-law that I posted about in Summer up North.

Because these plants don't like wet feet, I plant them in terracotta pots, in the event we get a rainy spell...such as the one we've had the last few days. The pots absorb a lot of the water, and I don't have to worry about them getting waterlogged.





Here's a close-up look at the two aloes pictured above. One has more slender, solid-colored leaves, while the other has thicker spotted leaves. Both have a pretty good set of spines along the leaves.

This monster Aloe Vera is growing out of its pot, and it's also produced a number of outstanding blooms. The flower stalk is about 2 1/2 feet tall and is bending slightly from the weight of the soft peach and green-colored flowers. I grow these plants both in containers and in the ground.

Another sharp-sided succulent from my aunt...this one grows low to the ground and multiplies nicely. And, it produces a beautiful spike of yellow flowers in spring. My aunt lived in New Mexico before moving to Florida, and she's always had a small cactus and succulent garden.

This Wide Zebra Haworthia attenuata succulent is quite small.  The inside of the leaves are solid green, while the outside is covered with white stripes.

And, while this plant is not a succulent...it is worthy of mentioning because it, too, is not a thirsty plant. It can go for what seems like forever before showing any signs of stress. It's called Snake plant Sansevieria trifasciata...or more commonly...Mother-in-law's tongue (not the nicest name).

In Style, Out of Style, It Doesn't Really Matter!

Have you noticed that plants, like clothing styles, seem to be "in style" or "out of style?" One thing for sure is that roses never seem to go out of style. Although, antique roses seem to have been enjoying a return to popularity in the past decade thanks to the "rose rustlers" who began to identify and grow cuttings from plants found in cemeteries. And, fortunately so, since they are not only beautiful but very durable, as well.  Roses, in general, also received a burst in popularity due to the carefree nature of the knock-out varieties, like this Pink Double Knock Out ‘Radtkopink.’

Coleus varieties are also basking in the sun again these days due to a renewed interest, and many new colorful varieties. My sister and her husband inherited a very large powderpuff bush when they bought their first home. Every year this G-normous bush would freeze, making it a job to cut it back. Fortunately, the beautiful powderpuff is back in vogue, but in a smaller, more manageable size for the normal garden.

Blackberry Lilies Belamcanda chinensis are a hummingbird-attracting plant that's showing up on lots of garden blogs these days. If you want one, you'll need to find a friend who'll share some seeds or find a company online to purchase them from, since they can't be found in local garden centers. I started my plants from seeds I found hanging on a sad and bedraggled looking plant at my daughter's preschool some years back. So now this plant holds sweet memories for me, especially since the preschool no longer exists at the old location.

My sister's mother-in-law grew stokesia in her yard back in the 80's. Now and then I've stumbled upon this plant, like the one pictured below known as Stokes’ Aster Stokesia laevis ‘Omega Skyrocket’  in a local family nursery that's been in town forever. The blue color is absolutely fantastic, and as you can see the bees simply adore this beauty.

We had Candlestick plant...as we referred to it...Senna alata X Cassia alata in our yard when I was a kid. The plants I grow, in my garden today, come from the seeds of plants that sprouted in my mother's garden. For us it is an heirloom plant with memories attached to it. Now, some 40 years later, this plant is coming back into style which is fabulous for Cloudless sulphur butterflies who use it as a host plant.  I get very excited when I see the bush covered in caterpillars. It freezes back every year, but readily comes back from the roots...and grows very quickly and quite large. It also reseeds itself generously around the garden, but is not a nusance.

When I lived in Pinellas county, 9 years ago, I learned that fields of gladiolus' (also known as sword lilies) were grown back in the 50's in Clearwater for the cut flower industry. It seemed strange to me at the time since I had never seen them growing in people's yards, especially since bulbs can be purchased in big box stores and garden centers. Why you rarely see them is a mystery to me because they are a great filler plant that reappears each spring and produces a tall, slender spray of gorgeous flowers that look fabulous in the garden or in a flower arrangement.  

A plant that I inherited in my very first garden back in the late 80's was Rose of Sharon Hibiscus syriacus or Althea. This plant is a member of the hibiscus family, but it doesn't freeze. It does, however produce beautiful soft-colored flowers throughout the summer. The only place I've seen this plant for sale is at Lowe's in early spring.

This pretty purple variety is growing in my sister's garden. Isn't it beautiful? Both of us grow them under Live oak trees where they only receive partial sun each day.

She told me she's had the plant for about 8 years and as you can see, it has reached a nice size and has a  soft-flowing and airy look to it.

One additional plant that I haven't seen in garden centers is Turk's Cap Malvaviseus arboreus. Another hummingbird favorite. This plant is also a member of the hibiscus family and it will freeze back to the ground in a cold winter. If it doesn't freeze, it will most likely be in need of trimming back as it can grow quite tall. I found this plant for sale in a very small backyard nursery.

This is a close up view of the flower. Unlike, it's sister...the hibiscus plant..this flower does not open. That's probably one of the reasons why the hummers like it so much.

 

In style or out of style...it doesn't really matter. I'm just happy that I can still find some of these old-time plants that hold sweet memories for me, and include them in my garden. And, anytime I can passalong seeds or cuttings from these plants...I'm happy to do it. A great plant deserves to be admired and shared.

I'll have Candlestick plant and Blackberry lily seeds, this fall, available to share with anyone who wants some. Just send me an email and I'll be happy to mail some to you. :-)

Garden Dreams

Do you ever dream about gardens... your own or some unknown garden? I know Steve at The Rainforest Garden wrote in a recent post that he sees his garden fully grown in his dreams. I don't generally dream about gardens or gardening, but I had the strangest dream a couple of weeks ago that is still baffling me. And, since I don't often remember most of my dreams...especially not several weeks later, I'm wondering why this dream is still fresh in my memory.

I'm in need of a little Jungian dream interpretation help, so I'm going to share my dream with you to see how you interpret it. Here goes:

I was riding in a boat on a freshwater lake when I came upon a small round island of land with a very simple but beautiful garden on it. I was surprised to find a garden in the center of a lake. I got out of the boat to walk through the garden which was broken into 3 separate parts (see photo below). Toward the back and in the center of the island were 3 red Knock-out roses, these roses were surrounded by a partial ring of grass, and the outer ring was a border of a variety of colorful flowering plants.

A person or voice (unknown to and unseen by me) on the island said, "I could take care of the garden." I was so happy that I quickly returned home...gathered my garden tools and some plants...and returned to the island. As I walked onto the island with my tools and plants, the person or voice said, "You can't plant any plants, you can only take care of the garden." End of dream.

I woke up because I was so stunned that I wasn't allowed to plant any plants. And, for some reason the phrase, "You can't plant any plants, you can only take care of the garden" has stuck in my mind, and I keep asking myself what does it mean, especially the part about not being able to plant any plants...you know for a gardener, that's a nightmare! ;-)

Go ahead...give it your best shot. What deeper meaning do you draw from my dream?

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.

A Tasty Experiment

I'm a little late on posting about this "tasty experiment" in the veggie garden, but they were so delicious I didn't want to miss out on the chance to pass-it-along.

It all started back in late January when my hairdresser...who plants a LARGE veggie garden...told me that a client of hers (I promise this isn't gossip) plants potatoes every year on February 14th. It's a family tradition of theirs. The client told her they're easy to grow...with very few pests...and oh, so delicious.

Well, that got the idea percolating in my head...hmmm, potatoes...that could be fun. It wasn't two weeks later when I read Tom MacCubbin's...over at Tom's Diggs...post on planting potatoes. He suggested buying a package of the fingerling potatoes in the grocery store and growing your own gourmet potatoes.  That's all it took because I LOVE the little fingerlings cut in small pieces...drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with salt...and roasted. I don't buy them often because they're expensive for the amount you get, but they really are delicious.

So, on my next visit to Publix I purchased the little delicasies and set a few of each variety aside to develop eyes. Next, we cut them into small pieces...each with at least one eye, created a nice mound of dirt and buried them about mid-way into the mound before the end of February.

Near the end of May, my impatience was getting to me and I started to dig around to see if there were truly any potatoes growing down deep in the compost-enhanced soil. And, guess what? Much to my jublilation there was! :-)

Had I waited until the green tops of the plants died...the sign that your potatoes are ready for harvest...I most likely would have reaped a little larger bounty, and some of the smaller potatoes would have grown larger. That's why "they" always say, "patience is a virtue." But, nonetheless, I was very pleased with our harvest and we enjoyed two meals of roasted gourmet potatoes for a cheap price.

With one success under the belt, I'm going to grow them again this fall, but this time...I promise...I'll be more patient and wait until they're ready for harvest. So, if you, too, love these potatoes...give them a try. They were super easy...no pests...I only fertilized them once and watered regularly. One note of interest though...it takes awhile for the potato sprouts to emerge from the ground. For a while I thought the experiment was going to be a bust, but then the sprouts emerged and grew quickly after that.

The Dog Days of Summer Book List

During the "dog days of summer" (July  3 to August 11, according to the Farmer's Almanac), I spend less time in my garden. Early morning and evenings are about the only times I venture out (unless there's a poor drooping plant desperately in need of a drink of water)... to mow the lawn...do the necessary chores...take a dip in the pool or a stroll around the garden to see what's in bloom.

Less time in the garden means more time to catch up on reading...another favorite hobby. Since I never know what I'll be in the mood to read, I always have 3 or 4 books going at one time. 

Here's my favorites this summer:

Talking Dirt by Annie Spiegelman is one I mentioned in my previous post. The Dirt Diva writes with humor on, what else but...DIRT! And, that's not an easy subject to be funny about but she does a great job of keeping the reader engaged. Her helpful suggestions have encouraged me...and given me plenty of ideas...to continue improving my sandy soil.

I always try to read a book I missed as a child or teen, and The Hobbit by J.R. Tolkien is my choice this summer. I can truly appreciate those blessed with the remarkable ability to create and delve into an imaginary world...and this book delivers with plenty of mystical characters...goblins, trolls, elves and the sort. And, speaking of imaginary worlds, as you can see by this photo...the fairies left their tell-tell sign...a fairy ring...that they danced with glee in the moonlight on my neighbor's yard this past week (I knew I could work something about gardening into a post on books). :-)

The Gift of an Ordinary Day by Katrina Kenison and Traveling with Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor are both memoirs...one of my favorite genres. And, no, not the memoirs of "movie stars" but those of everyday people like myself.

The Gift of an Ordinary Day is a mother's memoir as she reflects on the changes in her life as her children grow and become more independent. She longs for a simple life and around mid-life they make a move to a small town where she learns to savor and treasure the most ordinary moments of everyday life. There's a heartfelt story about her extraordinary neighbor Debbie who manages to profoundly impact everyone...including the animals on their quiet country lane...in simple but sincere ways. A real eye-opener that you can (in the words of Clarissa Pinkola Estes) "Mend the part of the world that is within your reach." A simple but powerful message -- don't you think?

Sue Monk Kidd wrote The Secret Life of Bees and if you haven't read that book you missed a GREAT one! It's not often that you find one as good as the Bees.

 In her current book, Traveling with Pomegranates she cowrites with her daughter as they chronicle several trips they've taken to Greece while dealing with changes in their lives. I've read and enjoyed every book she's ever written...especially her spiritual memoirs. She's a kindred spirit...a seeker of truth...who writes with unbridled honesty

And, of course, I must dream about and make plans for my return to the garden come October...when the weather is more agreeable to gardening. Garden books, and I have plenty of them...another obsession, I dare admit...are my muse and inspiration. I can look through the same book a hundred times, and still find something new and inspiring. One of my favorites is Southern Gardens by Sunset. So many photos of gorgeous gardens ...they never fail to spark ideas in my head.

I'm always looking for a GREAT book to read...you know, the kind you never want to end because you'll miss the characters you've grown to love.  If you've read one of these rare but wonderful books, please share the title with me, so I can indulge my need to buy more books :-) and spend the "dog days of summer" with my nose stuck in a book...savoring every delicious word. Definitely...one of life's simple pleasures!

Summer up North

On a trip to Pennsylvania to visit in-laws, I thoroughly enjoyed looking at all the colorful summer gardens and  flowers...some like ours...some not.

Now here's a hydrangea! There were many of these in bloom all over. Most were in the blue tone...rarely did I see a pink...and some were even a purplish-blue. Red geraniums were planted in the birdbath, while a tiny clematis flower clung to the fence.

This clematis vine is completely covered in flowers. Isn't it gorgeous? I wish we could grow clematis, especially since they come in many colors and flower shapes. It's probably a good thing that we can't. :-)

A waiting area outside a restaurant just seems to beckon someone to come over and sit for a spell. I wouldn't mind waiting for a table on this bench.

Here's a close-up of the container planting. All of the plants look familiar and wonderful together.

Across from a bakery and farmstand was their garden of blueberries and other vegetables available for purchase.

Inside were lots of gourmet goods, fresh veggies, plants, canned items and baked goods.

Now here's a familiar vine...trumpet creeper. By the looks of the size of this vine it's either a fast grower or it's cold-hardy.

Did I mention there were baked goods?
Pennsylvania-Dutch treats.

A visit to Pearl S. Buck's house and gardens was a real treat.

I captured this little fellow (see him to the left) taking a sip of nectar from the verbena. He looks like some sort of moth. At first, I thought it was a hummingbird, but a closer look confirmed it wasn't.

Pennsylvania gardeners plant lots of hostas, annuals, daylilies, daisies, coneflowers and even caladiums are planted in this partly sunny bed.

Here is another large perennial bed full of plants that I mostly do not recognize. Dayliles and coneflowers are the only ones I'm sure of.

I'm thoroughly jealous of the Japanese maple that hangs over this water feature. Oh, how I wish we could grow them in Florida. They would definitely be another obsession for me!

We took a drive into the beautiful Amish countryside which is a  mix of the past and the present. This Amish horse and buggy gave us a chance to slow down and enjoy the journey.

There's a lot to be said about the simple and sustainable lifestyle they live.

Take a long, deep breath and you'll know exactly what the Amish farmer uses to fertilize his crops. You'll know you're definitely in the country and not the city anymore. Rolling hills of lush green fields planted with corn and wheat, white farms and silos dot the countryside. And, the food is delicious, too...lunch included homegrown pork, homemade sauerkraut, chow-chow, mashed potatoes, whipped butter, bread and shoefly pie for dessert. Yum!

And, of course, you know I couldn't come home empty handed. My sister-in-law was gracious enough to share some of her plants with me. While I'm not sure if this plant...one of the stepables...will grow down here in the heat and humidity, it was worth a shot. This is one of those plants that you place between stones on a footpath. It quickly fills in and they're okay if you step on them...hence the  name - stepables.

But the plant I'm most excited about is this Hens & Chicks. They are succulents that grow in her yard...so they're obviously cold-hardy. I've seen them in magazines but never in nurseries. The mother hen puts out lots of little chicks. There's one cute little chick in the lower left, and another is just slightly peeking out in the lower right. I wrapped up several pieces in newspapers...tucked them inside a plastic strawberry container with holes and a cardboard pie box...and stuck them in the center of my check-on baggage. I was delighted when I opened the suitcase and saw that they made it home safely.

It just so happens that the book I took along with me...Talking Dirt by Annie Spiegelman...was very appropriate for this trip. After inhaling the earthy smell of soil fertilized with animal manure and reading the Dirt Diva's book, I was anxious to return home and put some of her tips for enriching my sandy soil to use. Oh, what I wouldn't give to have that nutrient-rich brown soil in my garden. Guess I'll have to settle for cleaning out my compost bin and a load of mushroom compost from a local farm.