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"Possibility and promise greet me each day as I walk out into my garden. My vigor is renewed when I breathe in the earthiness and feel the dirt between my fingers. My garden is a peaceful spot to refresh my soul." Meems






Welcome to my Central Florida Garden Blog where we garden combining Florida natives, Florida-Friendly plants, and tropicals.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Spring-like and Bulging Buds


An abundance of warm sunshine has rested over our beloved state these past few weeks. If I didn't have a calendar to tell me differently I'd think spring had arrived.

Nothing says transition from late winter into spring like the azaleas beginning to bloom. All my azalea shrubs are bulging with buds that puff up just a tiny bit more each day. Many of my neighbor's plants are already in full bloom. Any day now for mine.

With all the great weather there are some cheery views around the garden.

It is simply glorious to be out in the garden breathing it all in. Sweet alyssum is tucked into so many container plants and directly in the ground in the edible garden. Did I mention cheery!

A passalong bromeliad, Matchsticks, has been a constant bloomer right through the winter months.

Leptospermum scoparium New Zealand Tea rose shrubs have remained full with flowers and buds.

It's an especially interesting characteristic the way they start out pale pink and each single bloom turns deeper with each passing day.

One of the sturdiest, easiest, and year-round bloomers in all of Hoe and Shovel is the red pentas. Most of them were knocked back with winter freezes. All are pruned and returning. A few in containers survived. Just for fun more have been planted for an even bigger display and more nectar supply for butterflies.
It was so disappointing when Eranthemum nervosus Blue Sage was loaded with blooms in December and then ... you guessed it... the freezes took them out almost to the ground. The bottom of the shrub has pushed out several blooms of blue anyway in a show of persistence.
This is one of those plants you don't find in the garden centers. It was passalong to me from Susan at Simply Susan. It is heartwarming to have such good gardening friends.

And, most naturally, all this exuberant sunshine and goodness of late winter brings out the brave butterflies.

Red Admirals show up each day to keep me company and seemingly to check out what's new in the garden.

Resting pose.

Mourning doves cooing in spring-like fashion.

Yellow is noticeably present in the garden these past few weeks. The mystery of the yellow gaillardia is that I have no idea where it came from. I've only ever planted the native orange pulchella seeds. hmmmm????

Surviving every winter freeze are the bright yellow Gamolepis chrysanthemoidesAfrican bush daisies in the partially shady berm. Cheery and perky are their sunny blooms for much of the year.

Street side in the front gardens Bulbine frutescens ‘Yellow Rocket’ illuminates the edges. It really comes alive in late winter.

Again. From the other side view.

It's a stupendous time of year. Dare I say it? It really does look as if this mild weather is here to stay. Fingers crossed and prayers said.
Happy gardening all... and here's to spring coming soon for you, too. Meems

10 comments:

  1. Oh, how lovely. I especially enjoy the yellows and blues together. Here's to spring coming early!

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  2. ♥ the weather we have been having.

    Last year I started with gold cosmos...I kept reseeding and ended up with some really unusual colors. Saved some of the seed and will be putting it out soon.

    Love your pics!! Looks like your bulbine has really spread. My first one came as a pass-a-long from a friend. Ended up buying more because I really like it. It survived the winter and is looking good now.

    I am still looking for a red admiral. What plants attract them?

    Happy Gardening!!

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  3. I AM going to dare and say it - it's SPRING! It has to be. Great Red Admiral pics. My butterflies are flying too fast through my garden for me to capture them.

    Your bulbine looks so full and flowery. Mine have only sparse blooms. Must be the soil. Mine is still pretty awful but slowly getting more amendments in there. Glad to see your red pentas. My favorite reds and cranberries are the ones that were killed to the ground. I don't see any green YET. All the other colors were not affected as much and are even blooming now.

    May you enjoy these great gardening days!

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  4. How exciting to have all those blooms, bugs and birds in your garden already. You captured the irredesence on the mourning doves in your shot. I think they are the prettiest birds during spring. You have to take time to look at them but when they get their color they really shine.

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  5. Looks like Spring to me in your area! It's more about what the warmth does to plants, insects, birds, etc than a calendar date, anyway. Great site, enjoying all the close-up photos...so different than here, but with a few similarities, too.

    Waiting for the mourning doves to start cooing way out here. Then I will know spring is here!

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  6. What a beautiful, cheering post. You have such wonderful bloomers.

    Blue sage is one of my favorite plants. I got it many, many years ago at a local flea market.

    Enjoy and happy gardening ~ FlowerLady

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  7. Well, a February spring is not unheard of in Central Florida, so I think it's safe to call this one. Love all your sweeps of yellow, especially that Bulbine. Hopefully, some day, I'll "run into" one of those at a nursery. The red admirals are keeping me company these days as well, but I've not seen a mature Milkweed Assassin Bug yet this year. How lucky your garden is!

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  8. Things are busting out all over here, too, so despite the calendar, it seems to be spring.

    I wonder if the NZ tea rose would grow here? Did you know that honey from the plant, known as Manuka honey, is more prized than Tupelow because of its medicinal properties? Maybe you should get some bees, too??

    -- Penny

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  9. Gorgeous colour! We are on the verge of Spring here and although I love the pretty pastels, I'm longing for the vibrant colours of Summer!

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Have a blessed day,
Meems


September 2010

Back Garden: October 2010

Louise Philippe: Antique Rose

Tropical Pathway