Tag Archives: Gardening

Weekly Photo Challenge: Color

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This week, WordPress asks us to share pictures in which color takes center stage. No problem!  My Neoregelias are coming into bloom, and more than happy to comply!

Neoregelia, 4/6/13

Neoregelias form a group of over 50 species and hybrid varieties within the larger family of bromeliads. Their rosette shaped, strappy leaves are usually green, maroon, or red with contrasting splotches/spots/stripes. When a plant comes into bloom, it assumes a flatter shape and the colors intensify, particularly inside the center “tank”

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Regardless of leaf color, neoregelia flowers are typically white or purplish-blue, opening a few at a time from a pad-like inflorescence within the center cup. Look closely at the next photo and you’ll see both structures:

Neoregelia in Bloom, 4/06/13

Two more flowers arrived this morning: :)    This is some serious color :!:

Neoregelia in Bloom, 4/09/13

I’ve written a few other posts about Broms/Neos. If you’d like to learn more about dividing/repotting, read Harvesting Bromeliads.  Curious about the science behind the bloom-time color flush of the hybrid Neos below? Click this one: When Succulents See Red.

Neoregelia, 4/07/13

until next time……

:) :) :)

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Crinum Lilies, Hibiscus, and Invasive Pest Awareness Month!

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Crinum lilies are tough, low maintenance plants that bloom prolifically on lengthy, succulent stalks. In Zones 9 and up, they typically flower from early spring through midsummer and sporadically during the rest of the year. I noticed the cluster below on Easter Sunday while we were Brunching (yet again :!: it’s the BEST!) at Disney Vero Beach Resort.  Even when their flowers have withered, Crinums create an architectural focal point in the landscape.

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While exploring the Disney Resort’s grounds, I ran across a group of signs I’d missed on previous occasions.  Clever advertising, yeah?

Disney Vero Beach Resort, 3/31/13

 Following the sign towards the beach, I passed this pretty hibiscus lined road:

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Here’s a close-up view of a fully opened flower:

Hibiscus, Disney Vero Beach Resort, 3/31/13

As you can see from the foliage and blooms, this is a very healthy specimen: not all hibiscus have been this lucky

In June, 1992, an invasive insect known as Pink Hibiscus Mealybug was discovered in Broward County, Florida and has continued spreading upwards throughout the state.

The Pink Hibiscus Mealybug (PHM) sucks juices from its host plant, injecting toxic saliva as it feeds. This process leads to the malformation of leaves and fruit, as well as stunted leaves and terminal (tip) growth, which is commonly called “bunchy top.”  PHM affects species beyond ornamentals.  The list is staggering:  citrus, avocado, fig, guava, mango, and sugarcane; vegetable crops including asparagus, beans, beets, cabbage, peanuts, pigeon pea, cucumber, lettuce, pepper, pumpkin, and tomato.  Even forest trees are at risk of harboring this hungry pest!

With this in mind, the USDA has declared April, Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month. Invasive pests and diseases are non-native species that cause – or are likely to cause – harm to the economy, the environment or human health. The USDA stresses that the more people know about hungry pests, the more they can do to stop them.

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  Go to www.HungryPests.com to learn more, and get involved on Facebook at www.facebook.com/hungrypests.

Until next time….

:) :) :)

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Wordless Wednesday: April 3, 2013

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The first flowers of Spring, 2013 arrived this week like friends returned from a spa vacation.  Amaryllis was so eager to show-off her good health and beauty, I felt obliged to take a picture: :)

Amaryllis, 4/2/13

Today she was joined by her pretentious Ranchero neighbor, a reseeded perennial who insists we call her  ”Centaurea.”  :roll:

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To me, she’ll always be Batchy B! ;)

Until next time……

smileygardening21

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Happy Easter! The Weekly View: Tillandsia Utriculata on 3/30/13

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Just a quick post to wish everyone a Happy Easter!

What a beautiful day to be alive in Vero Beach: blue skies, no humidity, sun, sun, sun….AND….it’s the first day I’ve woken up pain free in weeks! :) :)    Thank you for the prayers and well wishes you’ve sent my way.  I FIRMLY BELIEVE in the power of prayer and positive thinking, although I fell short in both departments when anxiety got the better of me.

Yowzaa!! Can you fathom this?

T.Utriculata, 3/30/13

Our favorite Tillie flowerscape is now 20″ long?!   We’ve had precious little rain this month, but evidently airplants get enough from the local humidity to keep them going!.

This next pic says “Happy Easter” better than I could say with 1001 words!

Larkspur, 3/30/13

I hope you all have a fabulous day!

Until next time…..

:) :) :)

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The Weekly View: Tillandsia Utriculata, 3/16/13

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

I’ve REALLY missed blogging. :eek: Though my back is TONS improved, I’m still having trouble holding the camera steady: please overlook the less-than-crisp quality of today’s photos?

Let’s begin :!:

While I’ve been resting and recuperating, T.utriculata has been full of energy!  Check out this picture, taken yesterday at 535pm:

Tillandsia Utriculata 3/16/13

The flowerspike now measures exactly 9″!  By next week, it should break through the leaves and begin stretching toward the sun. :)

Last season, moles destroyed every dwarf larkspur growing in the rear cutting garden.  After safely removing the rodents In January , I sowed new larkspur seeds near a wire basket plant support… Here’s to hoping this plant stays around!

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In the Ranchero garden, a patch of Centaurea has reseeded from last year’s single plant. Most are still in the foliage stage, but one is waking up nicely amid the nasturtium:

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March heralds the beginning of Florida’s amaryllis season, with the first bloomspike arriving right on schedule! :)

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Nothing says Spring like a lily patch! This week, Hemorcallis Hyperion really kicked it into high gear!

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This canary-yellow, re-blooming hybrid has been around since 1925. Unlike many modern daylilies, these flowers emit a light, sweet fragrance at dawn and dusk.

Thank you SO much to everyone who sent thoughts and good wishes my way….This week, I’ll be back on track with replies/comments/posts!

 Enjoy the rest of St. Paddy’s!

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Where’s the Weekly View?

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I’m overdue for a “Weekly View” post but it may be on hold a bit longer.  While working at Hallstrom House last Tuesday, I big time wrenched my upper back, lifting wicked heavy (for me) debris-laden tarps.  :(   Since then I’ve been confined to the house, resting flat and doing little beyond squelching the rising panic over my less-than-speedy recovery :!:

However…it IS getting better and I just got out to the garden for the first time in week! Yaayyy!!!

Ranchero, 3/11/13

As you can see, the Luther Burbank Opuntias are still blooming alongside a crown-of-thorn shrub that was heavily pruned a few months ago.

The day before my injury, I planted 20 lily bulbs from an “Unspecified Assortment 15pk.”  Now if you’re scratching your head, saying  ”hmmm, chick can’t add?” be advised: the numerically challenged party in this equation is Wal-Mart, but I’ve got no complaints!  5 free lilies works for me. Several have broken the surface already, and here’s one, variety unknown.

Lily breaking the surface, 3/11/13

Another lily making an appearance this week was a red Canna, the first of early Spring:

Red Canna Lily, 3/11/13

The nasturtiums have been around awhile but are finally leafing out and blooming prodigiously. This colorful flower always makes me smile:

Nasturtium, 3/11/13

My biggest surprise was seeing how the purple phalaenopsis had changed:

Purple Phalaenopsis, 3/11/13

What a beauty!   The next image shows the entire plant (with two additional bloomspikes):

Phalaneopsis w/ 3 bloom spikes, 3/11/13

I tried shooting the Tillandsia next, but the upward angle and twisting involved exceeded my limited range of motion.  I CAN tell you it’s really tall though!  :)

Until next time…..

:) :) :)

Weekly Photo Challenge: Lost in the Details.

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This week’s challenge asks that we choose a photo in which something gets lost in the details. To me, this means “hidden in plain sight,” but first I’ll give you the context and overview of the story.

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Off-camera to the left (in the photo above) sits a water spigot and potting table where most of my days begin. I typically fill a bunch of receptacles, then set about the gardens pouring drinks. ;)

On Sunday morning, I reached beyond the watering cans toward the hose and nearly had a stroke :!:  A loooonnngggg  black snake rose out of a coil, stuck his forked tongue out and hissed at me!  I ran for the camera but just like the other 4x I’ve seen this reptile, it disappeared before I came back. This is one fast-moving snake!

However…..

It seems I wasn’t the only one jumping out of her skin from Sunday’s encounter.  Look what I saw on Monday!

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This molted skin was so well camouflaged, my brain barely processed what my eyes took in!  Definitely lost in the details!  Only after turning away did I think, “wait…was that…..?”  Yup!  A fresh molt from a Southern Black Racer, one of Florida’s most common, non-venomous snakes.  Here’s a different orientation of the shed skin, which measured 40″ long.  Typical adult length is 3-5′

Fresh skin shed from Black Racer Snake, 3/3/13

When cornered (as it was on Sunday) Black Racers will strike and bite….fast!  True to their name, they do everything from slithering to swimming to climbing at incredibly quick speeds. For further information I recommend reading the Black Snake area of the Nighbreeze website.

To see other bloggers’ interpretations of this week’s challenge, take a peek at the Zemanta provided links below!

Until next time…..

smileygardening21

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The Weekly View and some Orchid Pics!

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It’s been exactly one week since my Tillandsia Utriculata began spiking. Take a look at it today: :)

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3.5″ growth in 7 days!  I knew it happened fast, but this is wayyyyy speedier than anticipated!

Another change worth noting is the appearance of reddish ridges along the spike. As this central structure elongates, little side branches will shoot up and out, reaching toward the sun in arc-like fashion!  .

Late winter is orchid time in Florida, and I’m pretty amped by the  growth of this phalaneopsis:

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Look closely (or click on the pic to enlarge it) and you’ll notice 2 sidespikes growing off the back of the main one!   Huge difference from the last time it bloomed in Feb. of 2012!  I think it likes its home under the tree. :)

Equally impressive is my lone Dendrobium orchid, which has been blooming NONSTOP since October 1, 2012.

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This current group of flowers grew from the tallest stem’s second bloomspike!  (You can see a snipped off portion of the original flowerspike at the stem’s terminal end)  Cast your eyes to the bottom right corner of the photo and you’ll see yet another emerging spike, this one from the plant’s SHORTEST stem.  As long as this orchid stays healthy, I suspect we’ll see flower activity for another 4 months or so.  Wow!!

Until next time……

:) :) :)

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Forward

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When I first saw the topic for this week’s photo challenge I was stymied: how do you illustrate the word forward?!?  I shouldn’t have worried though. Nature showed me an answer this morning…

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……Plains Coreopsis, beaten forward by a brief torrential rain.

The Coreopsis genus was designated Florida’s official wildflower in 1991. This drought resistant, full-sun perennial is found in a variety of colors, from golden-yellow to pink.  Most have a clumping habit but height varies according to cultivar, ranging from 9″ dwarf varieties to the tallest 3′  Coreopsis Tinctoria seen in the picture.

I just realized I have other suitable photos, taken yesterday at Hallstrom House:

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….a red Hibiscus holds the forward position in this still life….

and in the full view image below:

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See other bloggers’ interpretations  by clicking on the Zemanta provided links below:

Until next time…..

Always put your best foot forward

:) ;) :)

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The Weekly View: Tillandsia Utriculata 2/23/13

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Last November,  Claire of Promenade Plantings published the first in a series of “Weekly View” posts about her allotment.  She encouraged others to join her, and I (finally!) have a suitable subject in this Tillandsia Utriculata.

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Tillandsias are airplants (epiphytes) that produce whitish scales (trichomes ) on their leaves, giving them a chalky/silvery appearance.  These trichomes function as roots do in other plants, controlling the tilly’s uptake of water and nutrients.

Right now this tillandsia is wedged between branches of my orange tree but that’s not where her life begin.  I kidnapped her from some hedges along a public canal easement across the street from a house that inspired a different post!  (What a productive night that was, eh?!).  :eek:

Anyway….:Moving the camera a bit, you’ll notice an emerging flower spike:

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Tilly infloresceneces (flower spikes) can grow 2-4″ each week, reaching 10-15′ tall at maturity.  As the inflorescence elongates, multiple side branchlets appear, growing 4-8″ in numerous directions; eventually small greenish yellow flowers bloom along the stems as seen in this photo of last year’s plant.

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Sadly, the emergence of a bloom spike signals the beginning of the end for T. utriculata, who declines and dies after seeds are discharged from the flowers..

To see where this “Weekly” series is headed, here is Tilly 2012′s final photo, taken on December 22, the day I removed her from the tree.

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I must confess I didn’t follow this plant’s growth too closely last year and look forward to noting what happens (and when) on this year’s go ’round!  I hope you all find it  interesting, too!

Until next time…..

:) :) :)

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