Day 10:: Twelve Days of Christmas in a Florida Garden

["Just for fun and also because we just keep right on gardening through December here in Florida, I'm going to challenge myself and post something from my garden everyday for twelve days. Think of it as 'excerpts from Hoe & Shovel.' It may just be a flower (or two) or it may be an informative post or it may involve a give-away. It may include lots of thoughts or none at all. Would love it if you followed along for one or all of the days.]

Day 10: My How You've Grown:: A Front Lawn Renovation Update

A look over from the driveway to the outer edge of the lawn area reveals the development of the front lawn renovation.

Click to enlarge any photo**
Standing in the street facing toward the south neighbors gives the widest view I can get through my lens.

My neighbor's driveway is just on the other side of the yellow line I've drawn ~~ Just for a better idea of how this renovation project wraps around the outer edge of what used to be all lawn grass and flows down (it's a slight slope) into the corner of my front lawn.

A little bit of a tighter shot. And you can see the Muhlenbergai capillaris Muhly grass is still fuzzing up the farthest corner.

An even tighter shot indicates how nicely the chosen plants we started with have filled in and grown together just as we envisioned when initially designing this area. You can go here to read the back story and see it from beginning to end.

From the grassy area looking toward the street the pentas, grown from cuttings, have really done their duty drawing in the butterflies that seem to love their tall stature and deep red flowers.

Just a reminder of how we looked when first planted out only a short few months ago on July 31.

The cast of characters has expanded in numbers and size:

Salvia madrensis, Forsythia Sage

Just one small plant added in September to see if it would grow well here. It has not disappointed as it grew very quickly and bloomed right away.

Strobilanthes dyerianus Persian Shield is located in two places. These plants shown on the slope and some younger plants from cuttings (not shown) are sited on the far side of the Giant Crinum Lily.

Hibiscus sabdariffa Maple-leaf Hibiscus also grown from cuttings add some of their deep magenta foliage color next to the Cassia Alata.

Bulbine frutescens 'Hallmark'
The mostly sunny location of this front corner afforded me the chance to plant some sun loving plants that the rest of my shady garden just won't accommodate. The bulbine has really performed well in the drier, well draining conditions by the street. It has bloomed continually and is filling out next to the Evolvulus glomeratus blue daze plants.

Aechmea blanchetiana 'Orangeade'

Absolutely love these bromeliads.

Evolvulus glomeratus blue daze

And... a bird bath to finish off the new area added in late October.

I hope you are enjoying this Christmas season and getting to be in your garden as the weather and time permits. My veggie garden draws me out each day and then there are always more things that call for my attention. We had another nice rain today so no hand watering necessary. AND... we are cooling off again... Yay!

Gifts of time and love are surely the

basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.

Peg Bracken

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Don't forget to leave a comment on Day 6 for a chance to win Judy White's newly released book, Bloom-Again Orchids.