What's New - December 2010

This is my monthly report of all the small things taking place in the garden.  Click on the links to see a complete plant profile.  The citrus trees have all developed good color and the limbs are hanging heavy with fruit.

Minneola Tangelo

I have a stalk of Dwf. Cavendish bananas starting to ripen, and one late Pomegranate fruit that is starting to show color.  The Jaboticaba trees have been blooming and should be ready to pick by Christmas.  White Sapote is just starting to bloom and should continue throughout the winter.  Loquats are filling the air with the spicy fragrance of their flowers.
Sugarberry trees are nearly bare already and the Pecan is just starting to turn a little yellow.  The Ceiba trees have lost most of their leaves and the last of the flowers are blooming high up in the top of the tree.

Short-day flowering plants like Camellias and Kalanchoe are full of buds and should be blooming by the end of the month.  The Marble Poinsettia bracts are also starting to show some color and will become more beautiful with each passing day.

That's all for today!  Check back again next month to see What's New in my garden!

What's New - November 2010

This fall we've often had a few days of above normal temps followed by below normal. It has also been extremely dry and the drought index now stands where it normally is at the end of the dry season, rather than the beginning.
The Pyracantha has completed its transformation to fall colors.

The Chestnut tree has turned a shade of yellow and is already dropping many of its leaves. The native Sugarberry is shedding as well, and the Chickasaw Plum is nearly bare.  A few of the Pecan leaves have also loosened and started drifting down.
In the parts of the garden that never get any watering, the Shampoo Ginger is already going dormant, while those that get an occasional spritz with the hose are still lush and green.

Zingiber zerumbet taking a rest

The Ceiba tree is still blooming profusely, and flower buds are forming on the Loquat in preparation of next month's bloom.  There's always something to look forward to in the garden!
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What's New - October 2010

What's New is my monthly update on all the garden happenings that have slipped through the cracks.  It is also part of the Tuesday Garden Party hosted by An Oregon Cottage.
Cooler weather has finally arrived and this is the first week with daytime highs less than 90°F and nights less than 70°F.  It feels great!  The Night-Blooming Jasmine also happens to be in full bloom right now, and with the windows open it's like sleeping in a flower garden!

The shorter days and cooler nights have signaled to the goldfish that winter is on the way and they have developed huge appetites prior to the dormant season.  Whenever I pass by the fish pond, their gaping mouths appear to say "Feed me!  Feed me!".

Short days have also triggered formation of buds and a few blooms on the fall and winter blooming species of Hibiscus.  I have four species that will all be bursting into bloom in the next month.

The growing season is nearly over but I'm still finding plants just starting growth after last winter's freeze.  Last week the first leaf appeared on my Zamioculcas.

Just yesterday I found the first sprout on a Zamia maritima, ten months after the freeze!

The creatures that dig in the night have been having a field day (or night) with my garden.  They always root through the mulch and loose dirt looking for something to eat, but now they've suddenly gotten interested in my potted plants.  I go out in the mornings and there will be several overturned pots with plants scattered, roots exposed, and soil everywhere.  One would think that they would consume everything edible as they dump the pots but apparently not.  After scooping up the dirt and repositioning the plants, I often go out the next morning to find the exact same pots overturned again!

A likely suspect

What's New - September

September is here already(!) and the days are growing shorter.  My garden is always in best form this time of year.
The change of seasons is starting to show.  The Magnolia pods are opening to reveal their shiny red seeds, and fallen pods litter the ground.

The Beautyberry is showing its royal purple colors...

and Firespike is sending out its scarlet blooms.

Amazingly, several of my plants that I thought were frozen dead last winter have just started showing signs of life, eight months after our last freeze!  Dracaena massangeana, Ficus Alii, Erythrina herbacea, and a yellow Hibiscus have just pushed out their first growths in the past few weeks.  Just this morning I saw the first signs of life on an Aechmea chantinii that was planted in the ground.
I've planted tomatoes, beans, squash, and cucumbers for the fall garden.  The timing of the rains was perfect and they are up and growing in no time.

The late-summer to fall fruits are ready.  I'm picking lots of pineapples, starfruit, and limes right now.

As the main pineapple crop of the year matures, there is always another round of blooms that will produce fruit to ripen near the end of the year.

What's New is a monthly roundup of the miscellaneous tidbits going on in my garden.  It's also part of the Tuesday Garden Party hosted by An Oregon Cottage.

What's New - August

July was extremely hot and dry in my part of Florida.  Many days set record highs in the upper 90's and most days the heat index was between 100° and 110°.  Rainfall for July was the lowest since 1955.  Tropical Storm Bonnie fizzled out and didn't bring us the rain we were hoping for.  In spite of the weather, the summer fruits are at their peak (although smaller in size than usual)!  The above photo is a sampling of what I'm picking now:  Cattley Guava, Persian Lime, Banana flower bud, White Sapote, Jaboticaba, and Macadamia nuts.
Gingers of all types are putting on a nice display.

Curcuma alismatifolia

Butterflies don't seem to mind the heat as long as there is nectar to drink!

A potted Dracaena massangeana that froze last winter and was given up for dead has now started sending out new shoots from ground level.  Patience pays!

And it won't be long until the pineapples are ready to pick!

What's New is featured here on the first Wednesday of every month.  This month it's also part of the Tuesday Garden Party at An Oregon Cottage.

What's New - July

Here's what's new this month:
The Papaya that froze back last winter is starting to bloom again.

Also, the first banana to bloom since the freeze is popping out a bud.

The Starfruit are sending out lots of blooms.  The fruit should be ready by September.
Sabal palms are also ready to burst into bloom with their nectar-laden flowers.
Bamboo is sending up new shoots.

The squirrels have discovered the Macadamias and they're consuming lots of the green nuts, leaving only the empty hulls for me!

What's New is my monthly roundup of miscellaneous small things happening in the garden.  What's New is published right here on the first Wednesday of every month.

For miscellaneous happenings in gardens everywhere, visit An Oregon Cottage for the Tuesday Garden Party!

What's New

What's New is my monthly roundup of all the miscellaneous happenings taking place in my garden.

The rainy season has begun and the plants are rejoicing!
This month the peach harvest is just starting. 

I'm continuing to pick Jaboticaba, Chickasaw Plum, Surinam Cherry, and Cherry of the Rio Grande.

There are still a few citrus to be had:  Ruby Red Grapefruit, Valencia oranges, Sweet Lemon, and Kumquats.
The Macadamia nuts, white sapote, and the pomegranates are starting to swell on the trees.

The deciduous gingers are mostly all up and growing.  Amorphophallus has shot out of the ground in the past couple of weeks. 

In the garden I've pulled up the peas and stripped off any remaining pods to shell out and use in soup at a later date.  The lettuce is also done for the season but the turnip greens are still going strong.

Quite a few pineapples are blooming and starting to develop fruit.

Since the hard freeze we had in January, the bananas are putting out pups like crazy! 

The large stalks that didn't freeze back have leafed out and should be blooming within the next couple of months.

My Chestnut tree is blooming for the first time!  I think the cold winter we had must have been good for it.

The butterfly garden is coming into full bloom.  Gulf Fritillary butterflies are everywhere! 

But where are all the Zebra Longwings?  Usually my place is swarming with them.

What's New

This is my monthly roundup of all the miscellaneous goings on in the garden.  It's May, and summer weather is here!  Highs in the 90s and lows in the 70s.  Humidity as high as it can get.  Where are the afternoon rain showers?  I hope they're coming soon!
The fragrant spring blossoms are filling the air with their blended scents.  Southern Magnolia, Sambac Jasmine, Star Jasmine, and Cattley Guava all combine to produce a heady aroma.  The heat and humidity seem to intensify the fragrance.

The spring and summer fruits are developing nicely.  Peaches, Chickasaw Plum, and White Sapote are all swelling with the promise of delicious flavors to come.  

                                                            

Surinam cherries are ready now and make a delicious snack right off the tree while working in the garden.

The caterpillar population has exploded, which means lots of butterflies will soon be flitting about.

I spotted a box turtle under the lemon tree the other day.  Looking for a mate?  Love is in the air!

What's New

Lots of things are happening at a rapid pace in the garden now that spring is officially here.  Most of it doesn't warrant a post all by itself but it's still interesting just the same.

Figs are breaking dormancy and tiny little figs are already starting to form.

Persimmons are sending out new growth and flower buds at the same time.

The deciduous gingers are awakening as the soil warms up.

Even the bananas that froze all the way to the ground are experiencing a rebirth.

Many varieties of citrus are coming into bloom and filling the air with their sweet fragrance.

Tabebuias and azaleas are in full bloom with their vibrant colors.

Even the goldfish have emerged from hibernation and are busy breeding among the roots of floating aquatic plants.
Everyone knows it's spring!