Winter Wonderful

You thought I didn't realize it was the first week of spring with my title. Truth is, I admit, I started writing this blog several weeks ago.

It WAS a wonderful winter and I also realize I have been absent from this blog. Not at all absent from gardening. Honestly, could Floridians have asked for a more beautiful winter season?  Winter is probably the time of year I love most. It's so refreshing when the temperatures drop into the 40's at night and the daytime temps rise to high 60's. Dream weather for me.

Although there isn't nearly the maintenance to keep up with in the garden during winter there are still plenty of gardening days to keep a Florida gardener busy. The weather is so inviting with all that beautiful sunshine and less humidity, it makes you want to find ways to be outside,

This year I sprinkled baking soda on some of the winter weeds growing within the lawn and discovered it killed them without killing the grass. It mostly worked on the one pictured and the Oxalis that invades during winter.
FYI: It didn't faze the more difficult weeds like dollar weed. I know. That would have been too good to be true. 

Weeds and more weeds right? Weeds you don't even see during the other seasons. They pop out because it's also their favorite weather. Cool nights, warm days. Rather than let weeds go all winter and collect them all at once when it warms up, I feel so far ahead of the seed heads that can spread the weeds when I'm diligent to pull them along and along. You will love your garden much more when it's time to trim back in spring if you aren't scurrying around also managing winter weed control. It's so much easier to pull weeds when it's cool anyway.

Florida has so many months of hot, sweltering heat that the cooler months inspire me to get in gear on new projects. I wait for a cold winter day to start new planting beds. This year that meant a mid-January weekend. I watched the weather and in anticipation of a day staying in the 50's F (no sweating on that day) I had potting soil and mulch delivered to be ready for my project.

The southwest end of the front garden. It needed a bit of a balancing refresh. The northwest end (next to the driveway) is all plants. I've been thinking since we moved in here that this end needed plants instead of grass.

For over a year I've been mulling over a solution for this corner of the front garden. The grass needed to go, but there are two pine trees that shed badly above this space. If you have pine trees you know how messy they are. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the needles for mulch. But those same needles get caught in every branch of every shrub and literally layer on top and through the branches of underplantings beneath the trees. It's a catch-22. Love the pine needles to collect for mulch; dislike them hanging in the Azalea shrubs and drowning out the smaller ground covers. In the end I've decided to keep the pine trees and make the best of it.

This photo is taken from the opposite view as the one above. The end of my property line is a couple of feet beyond the cardboard. A strip wide enough for one mower swipe.

First I put a layer of thick cardboard/newspaper over the grass, then a layer of approximately 10-12 inches of potting soil (not top soil which is too heavy), then a layer of 2-3 inches of mulch. This combination will smother/kill the grass in 8-10 weeks (quicker in summer with heat and rain.)

In this photo (taken from the street) it isn't finished, but a good start with perennials and low-lying shrubs.

You know I was chopping at the bit to plant it, but I wanted to make sure the grass and weeds were DEAD before I broke through the cardboard with my shovel. It saves me lots of heartache over the long haul when I wait long enough for the smothering to do its duty.

Making decisions about what to plant in this spot has been interesting. I knew for certain I wanted to add Agapanthus. My elderly neighbor supplies me with an extremely hardy and vigorous variety that we haven't been able to find in garden centers. There is a good number of these beautiful lilies planted at the northwest end opposite of this. It should look pretty great when they all bloom at once. That probably won't happen this year. For some reason Agapanthus like to hold out on me for a good year after being transplanted. I dug up about 20 of them from my neighbor's yard to transplant here and so far they all seem to be adjusting pretty well. I just cut off the leaves that yellow from the shock of dividing the bulbous roots.

This was the best BEFORE photo I could find taken in early January.
From the street you can see the entire corner is entirely lawn. It has a gentle slope toward the street/rocks.

From the street you can see the entire southwest corner of my front yard is entirely lawn. It has a gentle slope toward the street/rocks. You can also see the two 50' pine trees on either side of this space. Again, pine needles make beautiful mulch, messy plants.

Photo taken the first day of spring, 2016,  from the street. See, I really do know it's not still winter in spite of my title.

I'm not quite finished with it because, of course, there will be Caladiums.  So far, Agapanthus, 'Little John' bottlebrush shrubs, Coonties, Dystilium 'Blue Cascade' (a new shrub for Florida/me), Foxtail ferns, Giant Apostle's Iris and bromeliads. Every plant choice is low growing (below 4'), drought tolerant, cold hardy, Florida Friendly or Florida native and they all do well in high-shifting shade. Low maintenance was the primary goal!

Another view of the front garden this week with some of the Azaleas deciding to peak for spring's arrival. We like this patch of lawn that breaks the expanse and gives the eye a rest between gardening beds.

I've removed a lot of grass in this new garden already, but mostly in the back yard. I don't have plans to remove anymore in the front after this. Do you remember my front yard projects from my old garden? There wasn't a blade of grass left in that front yard by the time I took out one section at a time. 

The weather this week in West Central Florida? A surprisingly cool front came through making the beginning of spring feel a bit more like Florida's winter wonderful! I'm loving every minute of it. Happy spring.

Happy gardening,
Meems


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Aggies Light Up Spring/Summer Garden

That's my affectionate name for Agapanthus Orientalis. My love affair with these plants is a long running one. I've sung their praises and extolled their easy-growing characteristics numerous ways on this blog over the years. 

I put some of them in the back garden also!

As with so many of the plants in my garden, my sweet elderly neighbor gave me my first one. That one plant multiplied on its own rhizome and I divided it and transplanted it. But that was in my old garden. In my new garden there is another similar story to tell. 

The same elderly neighbor who gave me my first Aggie also gave the previous owner/gardener that lived in this house before me her first one. Only the previous owner NEVER divided hers. When I moved in here there was a ginormous clump of them in the front garden. 

Prior to our decision to stay in this home/garden permanently I dug up that gargantuan clump and divided it into about 40 individual plants. In an effort to help beautify the curb appeal here (because we were planning to sell this house). I filled in an empty spot by the street with some of those divisions. They looked downright awful for about 6 months. It was hard to look at those pitiful plants every time I pulled into the driveway.  Gradually they started putting out new leaves and looking like they weren't mad at me anymore for taking them out of their cozy corner. 

Phone photo

Even before the individual flowers open up, those tight buds are adorable. They will keep you in a state of anticipation for weeks prior to their full-blown flowering. From tight buds to open flowers the display lasts a solid 8 weeks. I even let mine go to seed to enjoy the dried heads in late summer/fall.

Phone photo: One Aggie stem mixed with devil's backbone, purple queen, cast iron leaves, bird of paradise leaves and coleus in a tall cut glass vase.

Cut stems make a nice statement in mixed fresh arrangements. I never want to cut too many though. I like them best out in the garden. *smile*.

I just HAD to get out my ruler to see exactly how wide those big flowers are.

The giant umbels of glorious color atop slender stalks rise 4-5 feet above the foliage. Wherever they are growing they create a dramatic flare. 

My excitement over Agapanthus plants intensifies at this thought. In Florida we just don't have many options for this type of showy perennial. 

Full with buds of promise in mid-May.

This cultivar that my neighbor shared with me is unlike any others I've seen elsewhere. The strappy, leathery leaves are thick, shiny, and wide. In the winter the foliage sails through our harshest weather. Gotta love that.

The green stems with purply-blue trumpets at each end are a magical duo.

A tiny pollen-covered bee the same size as the stamen .

Pollinators, butterflies, and hummingbirds are frequent visitors.

I grow mine in partial sun and partial shade. Partial sun means they get morning sun, filtered sun, then full on sun for a brief part of the day. Partial shade means they are never in full on sun, but lots of high filtered sunlight most of the day. I haven't tried fertilizing them although I've read reliable information that suggests they don't mind some extra nutrients. After they bloom their foliage won't look quite as robust as it does while blooming. That isn't really very noticeable except to the most observant onlooker. Overall this plant is a must-have for a Florida garden. It's one of my favorites EVER in case you hadn't already figured that out. 

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If you've just arrived to this page as a new gardening friend or perhaps missed the back story about how we moved from our home and garden of 30 years to the house next door you can catch up here... http://www.hoeandshovel.com/2014/07/a-new-journey-bitter-and-sweet.html

All material © 2007-2015 by Meems for Hoe and Shovel Gardening Blog. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

Agapanthus Admirer Alert

Every year it's the same. When the stalks of Agapanthus (Agapanthus orientalis, lily-of-the-Nile, African lily, African blue lily) begin to shoot up into the air from the midst of their strappy, clumping, evergreen foliage my heart does a little leap inside my chest. And that's even before the first sign of blue-hued petals have begun to display their pom-pom-shaped clusters of individual trumpets.

This season they started blooming early like most of the flowering perennials/shrubs have done so far. Everything in Central Florida was given a head start with warm weather descending on us ahead of schedule.

In case you don’t know it yet, Agapanthus holds a highly-favored status in my list of must-have plants. It bears a mention and is not an overstatement that it ranks at the top of the six plants I can’t live without.

In an effort to include them in almost every planting area in my garden, I have multiplied Agapanthus by dividing rhizomes and transplanting them as well as purchasing additional ones each spring. I refer to them affectionately as aggies, although I hesitate to abbreviate the fun-to-say word, Agapanthus. Go ahead and say it. I don't mind sharing my fun with you. Ag-uh-PANTH-us. There now. Wasn't that fun!

In my garden they grow in mostly high-shifting light and shady areas. Last week there was quite a discussion about the various conditions in which they grow best over on my Hoe and Shovel FACEBOOK Page (click over and LIKE the page to leave your own comment).  After that discourse I was paying very close attention to the many places I saw them blooming around town. There were several instances where they were clumped together in a situation providing them with a great deal of sun, much to my surprise. My own observation is that the foliage never looks quite as healthy or vibrant in those circumstances. But the plants were blooming just fine.

Suffice to say Agapanthus are highly adaptable in a number of conditions; they are showy when blooming, cold hardy in winter and drought tolerant in summer. (If you'd like to read what the experts say about them click on this link for the UF edis document.)

My fan meter is off the charts for them. They add so much structure and texture in my planting beds year round. Tell me your Agapanthus story. Have you found them to be happy in sun, shade, or both?

Happy June gardening,
Meems

African Lily

Every year I find ways to add more and more Agapanthus orientalis to my garden. Either by dividing the plants already growing or by purchasing additional ones.

Did you know they are part of the Amaryllis family? The most common name for them is African Lily or Lily of the Nile. Some folks say they are blue. But to me they appear more lavender or periwinkle. Especially when compared to a true blue flower like plumbago.

These herbaceous perennials are extremely Florida-Friendly in this zone (9). That means they perform well in our heat and humidity as well as sustaining frost and freezing temperatures in winter. Once they are established they can even tolerate drought conditions.

Because I've planted them in numerous locations throughout the garden mine start blooming in May and some of my plants are still throwing up new buds now at the end of June.

I find they are healthiest when planted in partial sun. They can take a good amount of sun but the foliage seems to stress a little bit in Florida's full sun. That's just my observation as I've tried to notice them growing around town in various conditions.

Undoubtedly, African lily is one of my favorites in the spring/summer garden for their remarkably lovely flowers on 3-4 foot scapes. And, being a foliage fan, I have to say I'm equally fond of their strappy, evergreen leaves that sail through winter unfazed.

The contrast of the bright green stems against the purple trumpeted flowers is another feature I admire. Agapanthus add bright and cheery beauty to the garden in every stage of growth.

Colors of May

It is the month of May that urges the return of Agapathus blooms. And so many others.

Lily of the Nile (A. africanus) as it is often referred to is an anticipated bloomer each year.

It is loved for its sturdy foliage in every other season.

Springtime, though, is when it sends up its large pom-pom of individual trumpet-shaped flowers on tall scapes for amazing appeal in the May garden.
And while I'm out with the camera let's have a look around the garden.
Cane begonias

Native oakleaf hydrangea

Variegated Shell Ginger (Alpinia zerumbet)

Closer...

Closer still. (The evidence of why it is called "shell" ginger)

Spathiphyllum or Peace Lily

Black and Blue Salvia

Salvia my neighbor gave me... anyone know the ID?

Crimson Pentas

An Easter lily ~~ ONE. A plant stuck in a pot from two Easter's ago and never expected it to bloom. It's a complete fluke. But enjoying it all the same.

Day lily 'Olive Bailey'

A volunteer sunflower.

Caladium 'Red Flash'

Meanwhile... What's a Little Heat in Florida!

Taking a little trip to Western New York is a nice break from Florida in July.
Coming home to the garden it only takes moments for reality to set in.

It's July and we are at the height of our hot and humid season.

Still, the garden calls. We mustn't be wimpy about our weather. There is much to do in the summer garden.

Warm colors of the Belamcanda Chinensis dot the midsummer landscape. These sweet additions are a first for me this year. Love the unique twist of the buds after they bloom.

Three separate gardening friends recently passed along this widely popular species. Sited before they flowered in dappled light they are now all cheerily blooming at the same time.

Sometimes called Blackberry Lily...

or Leopard Lily...

or Candy Lily... they can sport fancy dark freckles or ... none at all as in the previous photos. I'm a fan of their upright grass-like foliage just as much as these delicate, small blooms. Each one only lasting only for a day.

Even the bees get thirsty in summertime. Add a rock or pile several of the smaller flat ones to your birdbath. You might be surprised at the tiny critters that visit for a drink.

Mr. Meems deserves extra hugs and thanks for keeping the container plants irrigated while I was away.

Not one drop of rain came down to offer him a rest from dragging hoses to numerous pots throughout the garden. All plantlife was chipper and happy even in my absence.

Only a few Agapanthus orientalis, African lily or Lily of the Nile remain in bloom at this juncture of summer. But they've been offering outstanding ornamental features since May.

We are happy to have any blooming this late and I'm pretty sure the butterflies join us in our thankfulness.

The brightly hued red Pentas lanceolata are another year round Florida-Friendly favorite.

The butterflies just can't resist them. Somehow I seem to like red as much as the pretty fluttering swallowtails. For those reasons we've sited them in several places throughout the garden.

Side note for Florida gardeners: Pentas is one of those plants that easily roots from cuttings. Just keep cuttings moist in some good soil until roots are formed. This is a good time to take cuttings. Keep them in a partially shady spot while they get established.

Caladiums are becoming the stars of summer once again. The shady areas are packed with the variety White Queen. The center red vein is a stand out against the white leaf and shows up nicely against all the foundational green foliage.
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There's much more to see of Buffalo. I'll get back to sharing those photos as soon as regular life permits. It's summertime and the grandkiddos get first priority while they are out of school and we have some extra hours with them.

Happy summer gardening! Meems