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!

Monarch Resurrection in Fort Lauderdale

I want to share this amazing butterfly on a cool morning last week. Enjoy the photos. This monarch was resting outside my door. I brought over some flowers for nourishment and little by little she became active.
I lifted her up with a piece of paper and placed her on a collard green leaf and brought her into the sun. She then had enough energy to fly away.

Shamrocks and Irish Expressions - Miami Gardening | Examiner.com

Shamrocks and Irish Expressions - Miami Gardening | Examiner.com

Best Irish Blessings

The plant of the day is the shamrock (oxalis.) This one shown is a hanging basket that was originally planted with an impatiens plant. The shamrock was a volunteer that started growing in the pot on its own. I never got around to pulling it out. It eventually overpowered the impatiens and came in handy when I was doing my St. Patty’s Day class and nature crafts at the nursing homes. I am a horticulture therapist.


Here are some great Irish expressions
• As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point the wrong way.
• May you be in Heaven a full half hour before the devil knows you are dead!
• May the lord take a liking to you but not too soon.
• Do not resent growing old, many are denied the privilege.
• A blessing does not fill the belly.
• He who has water and peat on his farm has the world.
• Often a person’s mouth has broken his nose.
• A shut mouth catches no flies.
• It’s no use boiling your cabbage twice.
• May your kilt be short enough to dance theIrish jig but long enough to cover
your lucky charms.
Drink enough green beer and it comes out green as well.
• May you live to be one hundred years, with one extra to repent.
• May the lord keep you in his hand and never close his fist too tight on you.
• May the road rise to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face, the rains fall soft upon your fields, and until we meet again,
May G-d hold you in the palm of his hand.

Old Fashioned Roses Are New Again

There is a new phenomenon in the south Florida gardening world. What is old is new again. Heirloom roses are becoming available at local garden centers and nurseries. There are wonderful benefits to growing the old fashioned roses.


Old fashioned roses are easier to grow than the new hybrid roses. They require little to no spraying of insecticides or fungicides. Heirloom roses flower more profusely than the newer hybrids. They often have a wonderful aroma. They grow on fuller bushes so they look less straggly than traditional hybrid roses. They require less pruning than modern roses.


The drawback of heirloom roses is that they do not have long stems, so they are not used in large vases. The stems are also very thin and are best suited for a bud vase. The flowers usually have fewer petals and fall off the stem in a shorter time than new hybrids. The color selection is limited.

There are a bountiful amount of old roses, such as the Gallica, Damask, Centifolia, Portland, Bourbon, Ramblers and more. Some of these early hybrids originated from the old china roses. European in origin, they came here with early settlers to the United States. Southern plantation owners covered their entry fences with many of these roses. They became own as Dixie roses.

Best in show : Fort Lauderdale Orchid Society

Consider this: The Fort Lauderdale orchid show is the second largest show of its kind in the country. There is an expression, the number two guy tries harder. The volunteers bent over backwards to make this a great experience. Everyone was very friendly and accommodating. There were lots o warm smiles and helpful hints.
Orchid prices were fair. Remember, you will not be buying the mundane common big box orchids here.

These are orchids that are much harder to come by. Sold here are genus and species not available in mass merchandisers. Also, here you can purchase large mature specimens not available elsewhere. Orchid prices began at about fifteen dollars, heading up to three hundred for some rare huge price winners.


In these tough economic times, they made it easy to spend money on the orchids by making it less expensive elsewhere. Parking was free. If you purchased your ticket early online by a deadline, it was only five dollars to get in. Even a day before the show, there were two dollar discounts for the regularly priced ten dollar tickets.
It is so much fun seeing such wonderful beauty in one room. They even provide you with a wrist band so you can come back and visit another day of the show. Next year do not miss this great show !

Chocolate does grow on trees: Great Valentine's Day Gifts

Modern chocolate still originates from the fruit of the cocoa tree. Cocoa trees thrive in tropical rainforests throughout the world. Ancient South American civilizations enjoyed the natural cocoa and benefited from its natural antioxidants. Spaniards introduced the cocoa to Europeans where they heat processed the beans, added sugar, milk, fillers and more, degrading the health benefits.
The flowers of the fruit are pollinated by an insect that lives in the rainforests. When modern growers removed the trees from the forest and planted them in opened fields, the results were terrible. In South Florida, it is not recommended to plant the trees due to the lack of rainforest, cooler weather and overall poor results of past attempts. The only way to get a fruit is to hand pollinate each flower.
Life is good, especially if you eat and share an amazing patented cold pressed dark Belgium free trade chocolate.Chocolate, backed by thousands of research papers is considered a super food. XOCAI has the added benefit of being cold pressed, caffeine free, low in sugar, and is infused with healthy flax seed known to be good for the heart, pro biotic which aids in digestion and is found in yogurt, acai and blue berries great antioxidants, and more. The product line even has a meal replacement chocolate protein shake that is producing amazing results.
Sell it or buy it, here is the link www.robertstropicalgardenhealthychocolate.com

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Worlds largest floating garden at night, Allure of the Seas

The Allure of the Seas Central Park garden takes on a different feel in the evening. Lights can be attached to the base of the tree, with the light facing up to illuminate the trunk. Lights can also be mounted on the tops of the trunk, facing down to illuminate the trunk. Spotlights can be nestled at the base of the tree among the groundcovers to illuminate the tree canopy.
Foundation lights illuminate the walkways, as well as show of the low growing plants. The Central Park garden on Allure of the Seas gets foot traffic day and night due to the safe environment. Most cruise passengers would not dare enter their city garden at night back home..
The skyway pedestrian bridge across the garden is illuminated in a spectacular illusion of clouds in the sky.Foundation lights illuminate the walkways, as well as show of the low growing plants. Pedestrian walkways can also be lit with street poles as well.
This garden was designed to be a cityscape garden. However the plants are marked with identification like a botanical garden. Plant lovers will appreciate that.
I loved the living wall gardens on either side of the atrium, the great design details in the hardscape, as well as the art in the garden. I would have liked to have seen more Florida natives utilized and less generic interiorscape plants.

Largest Floating Garden at Sea: Allure of the Seas

As you walk into the mature garden, it’s hard to believe it was just put in. It took seventy people seventy two hours to install the garden, according to Eva Matos of Ambius, the interiorscape firm that is contracted to work with the crew to keep the landscape maintained for the first month. According to Laszlo, the head manager of the garden, two nurseries supplied the plants for the entire garden, Michael’s Nursery and Southeast Growers, both well established south Florida wholesale nurseries.
There are twelve thousand plants in the garden, including fifty seven trees. There are seventy five species of plants. All of the plants were pre planted in two thousand modular planters at Michaels before being loaded onto the ship. Calibri (Body)Calibri (Body)

Edible Gardens made easy: 11th Street Annex Restaurant

Just a tad south of the hustle and bustle of downtown Fort Lauderdale off Andrews Avenue there is a gem of a restaurant with a fantastic edible garden. This hidden gem is called Church Side 11th Street Annex, located next to Trinity Church and Trinity Churchside Garden.
When Jonny Altobell and Penny Sanfilppo created their restaurant 11th street annex, one requirement of their front entryway garden was that they wanted something special. “Everything to be medicinal, edible or smell good.” According to Penny. Luckily, her boyfriend happens to be the noted BCC plant guru, and nursery owner David McLean.

There are many very interesting unusual trees in the garden. There is large tree called the strawberry tree, which hails from SE Asia. There is a cinnamon tree. The cinnamon comes from the bark. There is a mulberry tree, a line berry tree and a mango tree. A large bay rum tree and lime berry tree rise up within the garden.

Naturally there are plenty of fresh grown herbs. There are some unusual plants also, notably the Chinese Fisheye Jasmine. There is a tree called lolate, in the piper family. The leaves are similar to grape leaves and they can be stuffed and eaten.

Amazing Secret Gardens of south Florida # 7

Located off Fort Lauderdale beach, Richard’s secret garden has a unique tropical charm. The entryway offers visitors the opportunity to sit on a swing and watch the world go by. The front yard has just enough grass to keep the dogs happy, and it’s the only grassy area on the property.
The side yard has a lush tropical atmosphere with flowering hibiscus, gardenias, night blooming jasmine and more lining the edge of the property line. Hanging potted plants are decorating the slide walls of the house. This is a nice area for entertaining since the hot tub and BBQ grill are here as well. Turn the corner and here is an amazing surprise.The back garden’s main feature is a beautiful pool, with a water fall. A palm curves out and over the pool and the lush tropical garden wraps its way around the back yard giving privacy. There are palms, flowering bromeliads and a multitude of orchids hanging from the house.
There are unusual art works throughout the property as well as some garden whimsy here and there. An alligator rests at the edge of the pool. A set of lions frames the front of the property. A large wood sculptured table holds a bonsai collection.

Fabulous tropical palms

What makes south Florida unique in the United States is the amazing assortment of palms we are able to grow here due to our unique climate. At Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens in Miami, they have collected over 700 species from all over the tropics that grow here as well.

There are about 10 or so native palms from Florida. Our state palm tree is the Sable palmetto, or cabbage palm. In order for officials to pick a state tree, it had to be able to grow throughout the various temperature growing zones. North Florida is practical Georgia, so the climate is much cooler. Here in the south we can grow cold sensitive palms that would freeze there.

In certain cultures, palms are dominant as a food source, housing, fiber, oil and many other uses. Here we see the fronds utilized for the roofs of tiki huts. Street vendors sell ice cold coconuts on street corners with sipping straws for cool summer refreshment.

Collectable caladiums, superstar plants for your garden

Caladiums are grown for their colorful elephant shaped leaves. The plants are started from bulbs. Now is the time to add them to your garden. Caladiums thrive during sweltering South Florida heat and provide a great colorful tropical look to your patio or garden.

Wholesale growers plant the bulbs in the winter. The caladiums are ready for sale by early summer. Landscapers often switch out the heat sensitive impatiens, petunias and pansies for the heat tolerant caladiums. Visit your garden center for a bountiful selection.
Caladiums are easy to grow and can be placed in partial shade to full sun. They can be transplanted to the ground or into larger size pots. Do not keep them in the containers they came in. The roots will soon become pot bound. The pot will not hold water well and the plant will decline.
When repotting the caladiums make sure you untangle the root ball. Do not tear off the roots; just loosen them so they can grow out into the larger container or ground. If you leave the roots all cramped the plant will not grow as well.

Going bananas!

Going bananas
South Floridians love bananas and there are many to grow here. There are ice cream bananas, red banana, finger bananas finger banansas and more. In fact, there even is a nursery called Going Bananas located in Homestead, Florida. Homestead is in southwest Miami.
Katie Chafin is co owner of Going bananas. When asked which her favorite banana was, she replied “Whatever is ripe!” With over ninety two different varieties to choose from, it is understandable why one would never tire of them.
Here in South Florida, many people without gardens get their bananas mostly in the supermarket like everyone else does elsewhere in the country. We buy the same ones imported by the big name producers located in Central American and the Caribbean Islands.
Many back yard gardeners also grow their own bananas. They are best started by shoots from the mother plant, divided up by digging the new shoots. If you have a friend with a banana you can get suckers from them, or buy plants from a local nursery. Backyard growers like to try varieties not found in stores.
The top sellers according to Katie:
• Gold finger- is a disease resistant large variety. This hybrid was created in Honduras.
• Nam wa- originated in Southeast Asia and has a delicious pineapple banana flavor.
• Raja puri – has a superb flavor but warns Katie, “You need to feed it like a teenage boy, you can’t feed it enough.” This Indian variety requires heavy feeding for the plant to thrive.
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Fairchild gardens mango festival a great success

The record breaking heat would not keep hundreds of cars lined up before opening early Saturday morning. By mid day, thousands of people were piled into the normally serene Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. The quiet as a library environment instead was alive with sitars and tablas playing, babies and mothers giggling with delight tasting the mango ice cream.

India was the theme of this year’s mango festival and the air was filled with the aroma of mango curry. Bollywood dancers performed. Yoga classes were taught for children and adult. Vendors were aplenty, featuring mango this, mango that. Rare spices were featured as well as rare teas.

Free samples of Mango salsa, mango cake, and mango creampuffs were offered. Local bakers such as Joanna's Marketplace local chefs like Chef Allen were there signing books and handing out salsa. Local soap maker had mango soap, along with plenty of others. Macy’s handed out mango cannolis while promoting their catering service. A pie maker from Georgia offered samples of delicious mango pie.