The Best Thing You Can Put In Your Garden

Somewhere along the way I once read "The best thing you can put in your garden is you." Any good gardener knows the biggest part of gardening is being in the garden. Picking weeds, looking for bugs, dead-heading, whatever. Fortunately, I've put a lot of me in the garden in the last few weeks. I've got a ton summer cuttings started in the front yard, the butterfly and shed gardens are picking up and I planted a little itty-bitty veggie garden in the corner garden where I finally gave up on some of my gingers growing this year. This concept applies with a blog, too. I haven't put too much of myself here lately. Who wants to be stuck behind computer when there is a garden to garden? I did take pictures in the last few weeks of some of the best blooms. Hope this will hold you over until I get some legitimate update posts done. Enjoy!

I think this daylily was called 'purple grape'. I call it yummy!

African Iris

African Iris

Daylily - 'Clara'

One of the reasons I LOVE coleus is its diversity. On the right is one from the Aurora series. There was no name in the nursery for the one on the left, so it is now know by me as 'Big-honkin' Coleus.

Crinum Scabrum

Crinum Scabrum

Red Canna

Yellow Walking Iris

Hidden Ginger

'Black and Blue' Salvia and 'Happy Returns' Daylily

Don't tell the Squirrels

Finally. A gorgeous weekend where I didn't have a ton to do. That meant I've had plenty of time to go out and get dirty in the garden. It was a very clear weather in the 70's that makes you wish it was like this all of the time. Okay, I'd be even okay with 48 weeks a year - giving 2 to hot weather and two weeks to cold. That would be just about perfect.

It was a huge relief to see that some of my favorite plants are starting to come back. With a week of hard freezes in January, I wasn't sure if even my most dependable tropicals were going to pull through. The Philodendron is unfurling some new branches.

The canna is going full force.

And, I'm so happy about this:

My gingers are back!!! (Just don't tell the squirrels.)

Wicked Plant Mover

At this time of year it, it feels as though my main purpose as a gardener is to move plants from one spot to the another, and sometimes back again. There isn't much else to do besides weed some. There seems to be multiple reasons to move plants. Below, this little canna is growing out of bounds and needs to be put back.
At the store I was eyeing some one gallon pots of crepe myrtle that were on sale for about $5. Yesterday, after pulling out the 18th trillion crepe myrtle seedlings, I finally got smart. So I transplanted a bunch of seedlings from my trees to the fences on the sides of my yard. It is an experiment and they are still in a bit of shock. Hopefully it will work and I'll have a bunch of crepe myrtle bushes.

I've also taken a bunch of cuttings this weekend. These plants are headed for parts currently unknown.

Recent Blooms

Canna

Shampoo Ginger blooming. The cone should be covered with these small yellow flowers in a week, then it will turn dark red. If you squeeze it, it is supposed to smell like shampoo. I believe it is also called pine cone ginger, for obvious reasons.

Kanapaha

Yesterday I went to Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, one of the nicest things ever to come out of Gainesville. (Sorry Gators, as a die-hard Nole, I have to poke fun.) It was lovely morning, even as the threat of a nasty thunderstorm loomed. I've been to Kanapaha several times before, but often later in the year, when much of the foliage has faded. It was nice to come in
June and see so much in its peak.

Orange Cannas and White Cleome. While all of the variety names are very clearly noted on all of these plants, I was not so diligent in recording them- Sorry! Cleome has just come into my radar this and I've been noticing them everywhere. I really like this combo, and think I'll be trying it in the garden next season.

We had a tour guide - her name is Willow. Willow followed us everywhere, showing each of the gardens, lagging behind, then catching up with us through a secret short cut only she knew. She was so charming, and really took a shine to my daughter.

This is the herb garden. Willow is patiently waiting for us to catch up. This garden in particular has looked a bit lack luster in previous years, but today was gorgeous. It is split into medical herbs and scented herbs. Everything is labeled very clearly and has detailed info on how each plant is used. It would be easy to spend hours in this garden.
I love this picture of an anchor in the middle of the jungle for no apparent reason. It totally screams 'Lost' to me.


Kanapaha is known for its bamboo garden.


Namaste, Buddha-Man.



More Cleome with Canna. I really do like this combo.


Kanapaha does however have a serious bug problem.




Now, regular readers must know how happy this little sign makes me. How did I miss this before? I guess I only really discovered crinum flowers last summer, and when I have visited the gardens in the fall, the show was not as spectacular as it is now.
This area is probably week from really going crazy.



This Crinum Augustum 'Queen Emma' is a real stunner.


Note: If you go to Kanapaha, bring bug spray. We forgot it, and although they typically keep a supply at the entrance desk, but they ran out yesterday.

Update of the Corner Garden

And this garden is potentially over updated . . . but it changes the most. I filled in the circle with some ginger and sweet potato vine to make it a bit less smiley face looking. I still can't wait for it to grow in.

Here is one of the vinca flowers that make up the "smile". I love how crisp and fresh vinca looks after a very brief rain shower this afternoon.

My orchid is a two-fer!

I'm getting spoiled. This canna has been blooming for weeks now and I haven't even stopped to take a picture. It doesn't even excite me anymore. I did find it interesting how much the color changed from the picture above to the pale yellow later in the afternoon:

I don't know it is the change in light or if the color actually faded, but it surprised me.

Blooming Gifts from my Garden

I came home to presents this evening:

Canna 'Tropicanna'

Stargazer Lily #1

Stargazer Lily #2

Update of the Pool Garden

The cannas are about to bloom. I should have some pretty pictures this week.

The pool garden is looking pretty good. Yes, the bananas are still there. I love when they look alive. I'm not sure when I'll pull them out.

I Just Need Some Pretty Flowers Today . . .

If you are having one of those days, here you are: Flowers from the garden over the last week:

Irises in the front garden.

The Peruvian Daffodil turned out to be a double.

Peruvian Sheild (Peru must have lots of cool plants . . .)

My Hidden Ginger was really hidden. I passed by it three times.

Canna 'Tropicanna'

Christmas in Florida

My family spent Christmas day with my Mother-in-Law in Dunnellon, Florida. They live in a house on a swampy river full of gators and cypress trees. My husband grew up there. Thought I'd share some of the pics:

A canna growing on the bank. In the spring the banks are covered with them.

Check out the tree philodendron. I have seen them form trees before, but never climb up one!

Sunset on the river.