Sunshine on my Garden

So what's the best thing about ample Florida sunshine in the garden? Flowers. Yes, enough light to grow a variety of flowers. I refuse to grow fussy flowers though. The plants (trees, perennials, shrubs) in my sunny garden that produce flowers absolutely must survive on mostly rainfall.

Daylilies adore sunshine

During the driest season (spring for us;some winters), once in a great while, I turn on my irrigation. Only when a dry spell twists my arm and forces me do it. Did you know your garden will adjust to less water than you think it needs. Over-watering teaches your plants to demand more.

Gardening with an abundance of sunshine is all new to me. My previous garden was mostly shady in front and back. This garden has an open area in the center; between the trees situated along the perimeter. That gaping hole allows morning sun, midday sun, and afternoon sun to stream down in hot, dry, glorious rays. Good for growing flowers and foliage I used to only dream about.

May 24, 2015

There's a story about these daylilies. You know I have a story about most of the plants in my garden! I'm sure you do also. Because every plant means something. And some plants mean more than others. And the backstory of design and thought and reason is just as important as the result. 
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So about those brightly colored burnt orange and yellow daylilies ... from my house next door I noticed them flowering each year. They especially caught my attention because I didn't have enough sunshine for daylilies to flower sufficiently. They were planted in a rather insignificant clumping fashion with no particular style, yet they were faithful to flower. It was clear to me they were an old, reliable variety whose scapes tower high above the evergreen strappy foliage.

When we bought THIS house (with the daylilies) I transplanted many of them to my sunniest spot (in the other house) and hoped for the best. THEN, when we decided to sell THAT house and live here permanently, I moved the daylilies BACK TO THIS HOUSE. Did you follow that? Whew! Bottom line is those daylilies are mine! :-)

An old photo from August 2014 soon after I transplanted the daylilies (that's them in the front). The sunny garden has four sides because it is in the center of the garden. This is the angle facing northerly.

Before and After photo.
This angle is from north to south across the width of the back yard. Due east is to the left of the plantings in this photo.

When I dug out more grass in the back last year I placed the daylilies in a more prominent position than they originally held. I divided them, spread them out, and multiplied them by planting the little plantlets they produce when they are finish blooming. They've adapted well and now they are blooming their big burnt orange heads off. They mean a lot to me because they belonged to my previous neighbor. That's the daylily story that makes me smile every time I see them. I'm pretty sure they are smiling back at me in all their bright glory.

In this sunniest section of the garden I've included a mix of tough Florida natives and suitable Florida-Friendly plants. Right plant- Right place is the key to sunny gardening. It's the key to ALL successful gardening. Most of the plants I chose flower during one season or another.  What fun it has been to have this new experience. A partial list of the suitable plants includes Bulbine frutescens 'Yellow Rocket', crown-of-thorns (Euphorbia milii), Louisiana irises 'Sinfonietta', African irises (Dietes vegeta), native grasses (Fakahatchee and Elliot's Love), Pentas, Agastache, Thryallis, plumbago, roses,  red bottlebrush tree (Callistemon), Indian Hawthorn 'Majestic Beauty' trees, powderpuff tree (pink), dwarf powderpuff, dwarf bottlebrush (Callistemon Citrinus 'Little John'), Allamanda, maple-leaf hibiscus 'Mahogany Splendor', Calamintha, Pineland Lantana (not invasive), swamp sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius),  perennial peanut and lion's tail.

Standard bottlebrush tree I moved from my other garden. It never bloomed there. For 4 years. Why? Not enough sun.

Okay, there's more. There really is. 'Wendy's Wish' Salvia, coonties, Rosinweed, cat whiskers, cross vine 'Tangerine Beauty' (Bignonia capreolata), African blue basil, Celosia 'spicata', Fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus), Coccinea salvia, blackberry lily, scorpion's tail, Carolina aster, St. Bernard's lily, spotted beebalm (Monarda punctata) and of course there are sun-loving Caladiums. That's not all, but I'm sure I've lost you by now.

I didn't even realize how many different plants I had planted until I started typing. Whew! I've been busier than I thought.

May 24, 2015

Do you know what might be even crazier? Most of these plants came from my other garden by way of small rooted cuttings or divisions or transplants. Several of them were pass-along plants from gardening friends and neighbors. I've only purchased a very few in this part of the garden. Now that's been super exciting and those gifts from others has added to my sunny gardening fun.

Orange barred sulphur on salvia (not sure the variety~ salvia cutting from my neighbor.)

When we first moved here I was actually thinking I would add trees right away. A little time to mull over the space, observe it for a while, start getting the feel for the lay of the land and I changed my mind. Those factors along with the challenge of figuring out how to make it work was all I needed to determine I'd leave that wide open spot for the sun to beam down from the sky.

White Peacock butterfly on Agastache 'Blue Fortune'

Butterflies thrive in the sunny garden. There are hosts plants and nectar plants throughout my garden.

I've had a blast learning to plant and tend my new sunny garden. I try to make sure I work there early in the morning or late in the evening. It's excessively hot once the sun comes out. Timing is everything for gardeners. If I work it at the right time the work there is just as enjoyable as tending the shadier parts of the garden.

What's blooming in your sunniest garden this late spring?

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Gardens Within The Garden

Three Swallowtail plants (Christia Obcordata) positioned in containers at the curve to the tropical pathway were the cause of many Florida gardeners swooning in late summer. Oh, there is no question they were worth the few extra dollars spent. Swaying lightly in the breeze and reaching taller than the bordering flax lilies. Their movement mimicking butterly flight was a lovely view for these last few months.

Alas, as the autumn weather waned-on they became less and less swoon-worthy. Faded leaves and lanky stems called for their removal.

Out with the Swallowtail and in with Philodendron 'Rojo Congo' and Macho Fern, Nephrolepsis.

Gentle digging around hibernating caladium bulbs and trailing Golden Globe Lysimachia was in order to replace the central focus of those three containers.

There are so many advantages to container gardens. Smaller plots of soil, much better regulated often times. Each one with the capability to grow its own unique garden within the garden.

I have long been a fan of gathering a few plants together and snuggling them side-by-side in their very own habitat. Can you tell how many of these plants are in containers? It is the best way to grow Rosemary in my garden.

Truth be told, creating containers is a gardening habit I've attempted to curb. It is no use.

The down-side to these mini-gardens (if there is one) is the extra attention of watering needs they often require.

Potted up plants can perk-up a patio or walkway. They lift colorful focal points in height among foundational plants when placed within the landscape design.

And they warm-up a cozy seating area just the same as a proper accessory does in an indoor design.

Who is that pretty flower in the pink and white dress? Why that's my friend, Helen, from Barbados and author of My Rustic Bajan Garden. This was her second visit to Hoe and Shovel. We had a delightful afternoon together once again. Helen, thanks especially for the laughs!

In an effort to work around that eensie-weensie problem of containers requiring more hand-watering than time usually allows, my recent goal has been to stick with drought resistant and hardy(er) combinations. Especially in the pots furtherest away from the water source.

The idea for containers located in the screen-enclosed lanai has been to eliminate flowering specimens which shed petals attributing to an unnessecary extra mess. Foliage varieties and colorful glazed pottery make excellent substitutes for short-lived annuals and shedding blooms.

Succulents do especially well in their own specific containers where the soil can be left to dry out in between waterings. Placed in the sunniest positions their locations are rotated as the lighting often changes as the seasons shift .

Autumn is the perfect time to review conditions of container plants. Often summer takes its toll on these small gardens that live in limited soil with competing nourishment.

The inspiration for the Philodendron 'Rojo Congo' replacing the Swallowtails? The Philodendron 'Autumn' that have been great performers in a large center pot since summer began.

They've been consistently brightening the circle garden seating area with simple foliage, miss muffet caladiums, and green airy Macho Fern, Nephrolepsis.

Bromeliads: They're Tougher Than You Might Think

There was never a noted time when I set out to collect bromeliads. Even as I write I can't say I intentionally collect them even now although there are hundreds of them throughout my gardens.
As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure I take them completely for granted.

Around here they are such reliable plants in every season and I get so used to seeing them everywhere that I hardly notice them.

Until the last couple of months.

When this neo's foliage has morphed into the most brilliant red I catch myself staring at it uncontrollably.

Which got me to thinking about the numerous other bromeliads that live here.

Knowing this is a 'neo' of some sort is about the extent of my ability to name any of them. So forgive me for that (please) at the outset.

The cobalt blue glazed pottery is a perfect complement to these remarkably vibrant colors in autumn.
To minimize dragging watering hoses, to the gazillion (hyperbole) container plants located in and around the gardens, efforts are on-going to replace flowers with foliage in a great majority of them. It's taking me a good while to accomplish this idea. But approaching it as a gradual project makes it feasible.
Don't get me wrong. There will always be container plants with flowers. But minimizing their numbers and keeping those that do have flowers closer to the water source makes life a bit simpler.

In the course of this re-design project, I'm discovering bromeliads make a great substitution for flowers in outdoor container arrangements. Mixed with other low maintenance, drought-resistant, less-thirsty plants some creative combinations can fool the eye into thinking just as much color is present as flowering plants provide.

As a terrestrial plant they seem to work beautifully for ground cover at Hoe and Shovel. A concentration of them are tucked in groupings along the tropical pathway and mixed in with other partial-shade-loving tropicals. Sending out pups they multiply themselves.
Many years ago, when I had no idea what I was doing, it dawned on me to stop throwing them away when there were too many coming over the sides of the front walkway. That's when I started placing them at the base of the oak trees in the back gardens.
There wasn't much else back there at the time. They've multiplied like mad. Which makes me happy.

Many bromeliads are epiphytic or capable of absorbing nutrients and moisturr through their leaves. Others are terrestrial and some are both.

They are as diverse as any other species in the plant world. The array of colors, sizes, bracts, and flowering they produce is vast.

The detail found in their foliage of dots, stripes, striations, bright tips, bracts, and flowering characteristics is innumerable. As a matter of fact, often the actual flowers are quite small and insignificant.

In no way do I consider myself knowledgeable about them. If you read the information available referencing what they need it all seems more specific/particular and somewhat more cumbersome than what I've experienced.

Almost confusing.

In general, the success I've had with them has been purely from ignorance and willingness to make mistakes. It's kind-of refreshing not to complicate matters concerning them given the number of plants that don't allow that same simplicity.
There is no fussing or research done to figure out which-ones-do-better-where when it comes to initially siting them. Although in most years I was told that the neos and aechmeas like lots of sunshine and have tried to heed that advice.

Through some trial and error I've taken note of other types that do well in dappled light but take on a more beautiful glow given greater doses of sunshine.

I suppose they probably do require and might even appreciate more specific conditions according to cultivar ~~ more than I know.

My best guess is the tree cover here sustains the atmosphere most of them need to at least perform satisfactorily.
Truthfully, they are one of those plants that I depend on to fill in bare spots without hardly a thought to their care. Remarkably, very few of them were lost even during our harshest freezing winter weather.
Almost all the bromeliads growing here have been passed along to me by friends and neighbors. I truly love receiving them knowing they will take care of themselves.

I mean, seriously, they don't even require "watering until established".
Bromeliads should be much lauded for any garden that supports their basic needs with ample humidity and good circulation. They truly have so many wonderful attributes.
Realizing this now that I've stopped to deeply appreciate their dependable functionality once again.

One additional observation worth noting is the way their leaves collect water like a holding tank. At the beginning of each autumn when our rainy season often comes to a screeching halt I've noticed dozens of bees flying in and out of the largest colonies of bromeliads in the shadiest parts of the garden.

At first I question whether they could be building a nest deep in the shadows. But I've come to the conclusion they are drinking water from these reservoirs during times of lack of rain. Anyone out there know for certain?

See the tiny flowers emerging in the center above. The hot pink bracts are surely the star and the flowers the supporting role.

I'd love to hear your experiences with bromeliads. They really are easier to maintain than you might think.