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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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.

A New Journey :: The Bitter and The Sweet

Hoe and Shovel Garden June 2014

The more we live/mature the more we realize life is most often sweet but once in a while it deals out a bit of bitter. When Mr. Meems and I were making the hard decision recently about whether to undergo a major house-remodeling project or to move away from our home of 30 years, we knew for certain that leaving my garden wasn't an option. At first the idea was unthinkable. It wasn't in the realm of possibilities. No, not even a consideration. I could not sell my house which would mean I would leave my garden behind. We would bite the bullet and invest in an overdue renovation of our home. It was a decision we had contemplated for a long time and put off for even longer.

Favorite bird bath

To be fair and to complete this story let's rewind to last year. We bought the house next door April 2013. Yes, you read that right. The house next door. The one right next door to mine. Our longtime (recently widowed) neighbor bought a smaller, more convenient home (for him) and he sold us his house. Our overall plan was to update/rejuvenate the house next door with new floors, paint, and a few other essentials. We were to move into it temporarily (while ours was being remodeled) and then sell it. We moved into the house next door November of 2013 when the renovation on it was complete. That was the plan. It was going to be a sweet blessing not to be living in our house during the remodel.

Water feature in the Circle Garden

A side note is needed here: since April 2013 I've been gardening on both lots. Each of them is a little over half an acre. In the new garden I was mainly keeping up with weeds and trimming. But last fall (when we moved into the house next door) I just could't help myself.  I started planting some rooted cuttings from my garden into the garden next door. The barren planting beds were begging for my attention. I'll talk more about that fun in another blog. For now it will be less confusing if I keep this about the timeline progression of the two houses.

A view of my back garden June 2014

I think you know where this is going.

It's a really long story. For the sake of this blog, the short of it is that what I thought was the unthinkable became the reality. Have you ever noticed how time and circumstance have a way of easing into our hearts and minds and ever-so sneakily whittling away at some of the *things* we think we already have figured out in life.

A month ago we signed a contract to sell our home of 30 years. That means the garden too. I know. This is the bitter part. Bitter sadness at every thought of leaving my garden was overwhelming in the beginning. Okay, y'all know I don't like emotional drama. This was dramatic! At times I have thought I might melt into a pool of sorrow never to be recollected. It catches me off guard. It's kinda like parts of my heart are being ripped out of me while my soul watches from a distance. I had said yes to the sale with my mind and mouth, but my heart was really clinging at first.

Penelope the flamingo

Selling our home (and garden) was an unexpected turn of events. The renovation project was finally underway. We had just completed some major foundation work on our home (due to some ground settling issues) and the last nail in the new roof was hammered.  Just before the contractor was scheduled to start the remodel we thought the time was right to do some additional investigating for future planning. We spoke with a Realtor in reference to selling the house next door. (The house we bought to live in temporarily just in case you're lost in all this).

Birdhouse Garden June 2014

The Realtor gave us numbers and figures to think about for both houses in the course of our appointment with her. Within the week she called us to ask if she could bring some people by to look at our house. The one we weren't going to sell. The one we have lived in for 30 years, raised our children in and the one with the dream garden I built with my own sweat and energy one plant and one border at a time.

A shady sweep of 'Postman Joyner' Caladiums in the back garden

Fast forward to a week later. The savvy young couple who looked at it ~ even though it wasn't for sale and there was no pressure on us to sell ~ wanted to buy it ~ just like it is ~ without the completed renovation. We agreed to sell it. Our closing is scheduled for next week. Just like that.

It's a perfect house for their little family. They are super excited about the house and the garden. We are excited to have them as our new neighbors.

The fire pit seating area I built February 2014

It was agreeable to everyone that we could move most of my garden accessories (pots, birdhouses, bird feeders, fire pit.) And then there were some plants that were pass-alongs or gifts from special people. I've rooted a load of cuttings from favorite plants also. Needless to say it has been an exhausting month making all that happen so quickly. More about that in another blog.

New (current) house has an open deck we rebuilt that overlooks my new back garden

It isn't as difficult to think about leaving the house as it is about leaving my garden. The memories made in that house will be forever with me and my family. It is much more of a challenge to leave the garden. I always pictured myself still toiling in it when I was 90.

My emotions about leaving the garden have gone from devastated in the beginning days to hopeful as time passes. This is a new journey in our lives. I'm beginning to see the bright side to starting over. My new garden has some great bones (mature oaks, palmettos, and established shrubs), but after that it is a fairly plain pallet. There isn't nearly the amount of shade that I had before so I'm making big adjustments concerning sun conditions and right-plant, right place locations. I see it all as a new opportunity.

A small glimpse at my new garden. 'Celebration' Caladium in the foreground. Bulbs planted May 5. Photo: July 3, 2014

I'm going to take my time to really think out exactly how much and what I want to do in this garden. This house is a little smaller and the lot is a little bigger. We have a large open deck now instead of a screened lanai with a pool. I'm looking forward to this new adventure. Often in life you just might not know why things happen like they do. So we put on our big-girl pants and make the choice to turn the bitter into sweet. One thing I do know. I will create a garden wherever I am and it will be a reflection of me ... warts and all. Stay tuned for a sweet future ahead!

This quote really touched my heart when I read it recently.

Happy gardening,
Meems

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All material © 2007-2014 by Meems for Hoe and Shovel Gardening Blog. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.