Fireworks Florida Gardening Style

In honor of the 4th of July and America's birthday I'd like to showcase some of the explosive bursts of color in my Florida garden.

There aren't any missiles or projectiles to watch out for but possibly some bright flashes and flickers to stand back and gaze at from a safe distance.

Perhaps some sparks will fly with hues so hot they appear ignited.

Abundant fiery colors displaying showering explosions of energy with garden blooms resembling fireworks have been showing up in my garden.

Please enjoy the drama, the details, and most importantly, the view.


































Happy 4th of July to all my American friends and family.
Meems

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Sturdy Summer Perennial :: Pagoda Flower

Extolling the virtues of this tough perennial is a simple pleasure. I've done it many times in the past in my writings on this blog.

If God's creatures could talk they would surely help me express the ease with which this large tropical plant fits into my garden.

Swallowtails of all varieties, bees, and even hummers (occasionally) clamber around Clerodendrum paniculatum Pagoda flower from the time of those first warm rays of sunlight until, on most summer days, late into the evening.

It is one of those beloved pass-alongs from my dear, elderly neighbor Helen. In all my young, ignorant bliss it was started from a cutting stuck into the soil at the base of an oak tree with very little attention paid to it.

That was many years ago. From that time it has gradually spread by runners underground from its own root system. It should be noted that it is not considered invasive but it will take up lots of space in the garden.

Our feathered friends can be attributed with dropping a few that land in random places in the garden far from the mother. I'm sure they enjoy the fruit and seeds it forms towards the end of summer.

It is delightful to see the changes that take place in these amazing flowers. From tiered, cluster-stacking trumpet-shaped flowers appearing at the start of summer, to green and grape-colored berries as the season wears on, every transformation is one to admire. The uber-large heart-shaped leaves are even a favorite when there are no blooms.

Any winter that brings prolonged freezing temps will knock it to the ground. Considered a perennial in this zone, it comes back with quickness and with vigor, as soon as the ground warms even slightly.

In my garden it is sited in dappled shade. Although I've read that it can take full sun it would not be my suggestion to risk full sun this far south.

In north Florida, where I took this photo, the large shrub of Pagoda flower is sited in full sun. You might notice some slight differences between it and mine. The leaves are smaller and appear more curled under and possibly weather-worn but the flowers are decidedly taller. AND can you count the butterflies!
Still, I prefer a partial shade location for the added protection. The leaves will droop during dry periods but perk back up each night. It is drought-resistant requiring no special attention or fertilizer but will do best in a rich, moisture draining soil.

Pagoda flower is easily propogated by digging up the suckers and transplanting them. And generally this wonderful shrub will add lots of tropicalesque zing to any garden in zones 8-11.

Tropical Come Back: Pagoda Flower

Some plants were hit harder than others this winter. We endured through a couple of below freezing, frosty nights in January and several of the tropicals were taken down to the ground.

On the walk around to the veggie garden from the front we pass by one of my favorite tropical delights. It is a Pagoda flower; Clerodendrum paniculatum which towers high above all other plants and shrubs in this setting.

My sweet neighbor started me on this interesting plant a few years ago. She gave me a leafless stem she didn't know the name of and her plant wasn't blooming at the time. Needless to say, since I had no idea what it was... I had no idea where to site it or what to expect from it. Taking my chances, I (literally) stuck it in the ground next to this oak tree and kept it hydrated. It worked and it was a happy place for it. Whew!

Not one of those ginormous heart-shaped leaves was alive after this winter's freezes. In my heart I knew the plant would come back. But with my eyes, looking at it in February, it seemed impossible. It was completely lifeless and not a leaf in sight.

It stands about 8 feet tall in all its July summer splendor. Looking at the photos of it from last year, I think it is actually taller and fuller now. I know for certain the flowers are taller and more Pagoda shaped.

Looking back to the Pagoda Flower from the entry to the veggie garden.

The foliage in the beds at the feet of the Pagoda flower.

Actually, I can remember the Pagoda flower inspiring me to finally develop these beds. They had been fairly neglected prior to the lush growth of the Pagoda. Oh, I had stuck a few things here and there but never really concentrated on giving them some permanent appeal before the centerpiece of the pretty orange blooms and lush foliage was there.

Street view...

Driving by you don't see any of the foliage underplantings (pictured in the previous photos above) or the veggie garden just beyond. But you can see the Pagoda Flower. The oak trees and the palmettos do a pretty good job of concealing a very different looking back side of these planting beds that lead to the veggie garden.

Speaking of the veggie garden...

It seems a shamble these days. The sunflowers say it all.

It is time to dismantle all the stakes, the railings, the dead vegetation, and turn the soil once again. I'll be planting some tomato seeds within the next week in small pots. They'll be transferred to the ground around the first of September for a hopeful fall harvest of yummy goodness. I'm slated to get around to all that work when I finish the front lawn project.

[Side note~~ update on the front lawn project: I am 9/10ths of the way finished with that project...almost have all the plants in the ground. It has been a very fun adventure. I will update when it is completed.]

About the only thing still growing is the green peppers. They have been amazingly prolific this year. I've been leaving them on the bush and they are turning red. Exciting stuff. There is still okra in the back garden. It's not getting enough sun but what it's producing is wonderful. I'll rectify that next year and plant them in the main veggie garden.

There is no lack of critter activity in July. I'm so grateful the zinnias are oblivious to the fact that the rest of the veggie garden is spent.

And the butterflies are just so beautiful to observe on a walk-by to the back garden. It might be my imagination but it seems to me the Gulf Fritillaries are more abundant in numbers this year. But, then again, it could be my imagination.

Mr. Black Racer is getting some sun on the old chair in the veggie garden. My resident 'garden snake' startled me a bit while checking on the Swallowtail cats. I came almost nose to nose with him before I saw him. I'm pretty sure this is the same one I've been seeing all summer in this area. He's a nice sized one. I've seen some babies too.

So maybe it's Mrs.Racer after all. I sure don't mind if it's keeping down the slug and mice population, although they are known to eat birds and worms, too. It's all part of the natural ecosystem so I figure they are important. And I don't try to dictate how it works. There was a time when I couldn't live peaceably with any reptile. But now I know better. I still keep my distance but I've learned to appreciate a good snake.

Drippy Wet Garden

Most of the weekend brought us typical Tropical Storm type weather. Weather that missed hitting us dead on thankfully but affected us even while skirting around us to the south, east, and north.

The Remains of Fay
Fay was traipsing back across the northern part of the state from the eastern coast the last couple of days. From her slow movement we got some squally winds and bands of rain sporadically with intermittent relief and even a little sunshine in between. During this kind of pattern it's quite unpredictable when the rains will start and stop.

Saturday morning I was able to get out in the garden for a couple of hours to do some weeding and trimming. It was not so bad that I couldn't keep working through some of the light rains. But just when we thought we might be clearing up for good, out of nowhere, the heavy downpours started again. Taking a walk around my garden with the camera, in between the rains, I took a few photos of my drippy wet garden.

Before the heavier rains started, my almost 80 year old neighbor, Helen, who lives across the street, called over to me from her front garden. Not an unusual thing. We often see each other out and about and then find ourselves chit-chatting in one or the other of our gardens. She can be found gardening almost daily in her nearly-acre lot. Helen has generously given me many cuttings or transplants from her garden over the years.

A view of her front gardens (above) taken from my front driveway reveals her natural, no lawn, style of landscaping. She's not real happy with some of the plants in this front section right now but a closer look would bring to light a wide variety of tropical goodies she brought up with her from south Florida when she moved here 15 years ago.

She kindly let me dash home for my camera and so I could take some photos of a few pretty things in her garden. From her pagoda flower (above) she cut a couple of branches a few years ago and passed them along to me. I literally stuck mine in the ground at the base of an oak tree, kept them watered until they rooted and now it is one of my favorite tropicals in the garden. I have several now as they are quick to drop seeds and reproduce without any urging.

Meandering through the pathways of Helen's garden, I just like to hear her talk about her plants. Interestingly, she rarely knows the names of them. She just knows how to take care of them. The butterflies often fly from her garden across to mine and then to my next door neighbor's. They have plenty to keep them busy between all of us.

If I were to try to count how many different plants Helen has given me over time, I couldn't. There are so many and so much variety. Some of them are plants that one doesn't find in the plant nurseries around here.

It isn't proudly that I admit how reluctant I used to be to take clippings from her. I was hardly excited about them years ago when I didn't have as much time to garden nor the patience for nurturing transplants. Well, needless to say, I have grown to LOVE even the idea of getting pass-along plants as there is so much to cherish when a garden is shared. Not only that but I have come to value even the thought of cultivating a cutting into a treasured plant in my garden.

The yellow flower (above) is growing as tall as her house under her oak tree canopy. A few years back she gave me a transplant from a red one just like this one... I still haven't found the name of it anywhere.

Pink Brazilian Plume Flower

Tibouchina urvilleana; Princess Flower

Just like so many other times in Helen's garden I came home with more cuttings. I'm not sure the Tibouchina urvilleana will root but it is in the dirt along with some other tropical beauty neither one of us can name.

It felt good to get outside and garden some this weekend even if it required dodging the rain off and on. Being stuck indoors for a few days is unusual around here. We've finally seen the last of Tropical Storm Fay. So getting back to sunshine means gardening in the early morning hours with regularly scheduled afternoon thunderstorms.

Happy summer gardening!

Meems