Flowers In the Florida Garden

I once had a tour of seniors visit my garden from a senior residence. They all loved the garden but some of them commented they thought there would be more flowers. Since then I have added garden hooks for flowering hanging baskets throughout the backyard jungle. I added more flowering perennials, flowering shrubs to the front garden, and more roses.

Sometimes it’s nice to have constructive criticism, both inside and outside the garden. It helps us grow.

Lately there was a battle of chinch bugs in the front yard, and they won. This provided the opportunity for more area to plant. Over the weekend after touring a friend’s garden, I came home with a bag full of cuttings. I will nurture the in small pots in the shade until they root. Now that the humidity is up and the days are warmer, cuttings root easier.





I will be posting soon about some garden teas Annie sent me in the mail, quite an interesting story to tell…

Spring in South Florida

Growing up as a little boy in New Jersey, our spring arrived with the brilliant yellow forsythia bushes. Before the leaves started to bud, these showy bushes would burst with yellow flowers up and down the slim branches.

My pining for the northern springs is fulfilled in South Florida with the blooming Yellow Trumpet trees. Tabebula argentea or Tavebuia caraiba . This ubiquitous tree can be seen throughout South Florida as a specimen in front of private homes and hugging the sides of commercial buildings. Notice them while sitting in traffic planted in street medians plantings.

I especially like the rough texture of the bark and the crooked way the branches grow as the tree matures. We found out during the last set of hurricanes how soft the wood of the tree really is. The trees came tumbling down like dominoes.
The previous owner of my house got five of the trees for free from the city for planting in the swales of the house. They grew into the power lines and have been butchered by the FPL crews. The garbage trucks come barreling through the neighborhood, crashing into the branches, causing them to cascade into the street.
Welcome sweet springtime!