Late afternoon….

The weather is cooler….

….a pleasure to be in the garden….

…Take the camera…

…wander around….

…play with the late afternoon light….

Purple Fountain Grass,in black and white

Kalanchoe,blooming

Yellowtop

Knock-out Rose

Miss Emma’s Garden

…..reminds me of “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”…..

Hosta

Buddhas….

…and in sepia…..

Bunny…..

Flamingo….

I love the late afternoon,Autumn light….

You?

Things I just don’t understand….

When I (with my first husband)  first moved to Florida,back in the early 70’s,my Dad warned us that gardening in Florida was not like gardening up North.

 

“It’s not the same.You’ll learn.”

 

We were young.

 

It was the 70’s.

 

We didn’t listen.

 

Who did?

 

He was of that generation,after all.

 

I grew Baby’s Breath,Carnations,Shasta Daisies.He grew 8 foot tomato plants.

What did Dad know?

He really was of that generation…

 

Ahhhh….but how quickly we I learned….

 

Move to a semi rural area.

 

Get a divorce.

 

Try gardening again.

 

Whoa…..

It’s a whole new world!

 

That northern schitt really doesn’t work down here!

 

The plants aren’t behaving like they should.

I know…

….I’ll try Florida natives….

 

They’ll behave…

…..not really…

.

Dad always told me gardening in Florida was just one big experiment.

“Give anything a try.”

”What do you have to lose?”

 

So,with that in mind,this year I have been gardening by the seat of my pants.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A year ago,at this time,TheTree went down.

Leaving the semi-shaded garden in total sun.

Then the old,cracked pool was taken out and rebuilt.

A screened lanai was added,for the most tender of tropicals and orchids.

 

But the garden itself was still left in total sun.

 

What will happen to the shade loving plants?

 

They adapted….

 

….that’s what….

 

A banana,that was bought for it’s foliage…

Was never,ever supposed to produce anything,but beautiful foliage….

is now doing this….

Camellias (both are natives) now have buds….

YellowTop,Flaveria linearis,another Florida native,became a bully in the garden.

So,contrary to popular opinion,in July,I whacked it back.

It was overgrowing everything.

It was even over taking,and choking out,the Jasmine…

 

Now,look at it….

The azaleas are blooming again….

What’s up with that?

 

But,already,there are signs of Autumn in the garden….

Bat Faced Cuphea is blooming.

 

I’ve had this one for over two years.I love it!

 

A little early,but in time for Halloween…

and Stoke’s Aster…

Hostas are still blooming…

Gerberas….

go Gators!!!!

 

 

I just figure,for once,I’ll listen to my Dad…

 

“The garden is going to go where it wants to go.

Just listen to it.

You don’t own it.

It owns you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

and besides the garden,Miss Emma just turned two!

“I’m a big girl,now,Gramma!”

 

I know,Emma.I know……

Please stop growing up so fast…

It rained,yesterday……..

Late afternoon/early evening, TheGreatWall was blessed with a nice,soaking shower.

No thunder or lightening.

Just a decent shower.

For maybe 30 minutes,or so.

Almost like a summer time shower.

This morning,I went out,

camera in hand.

To capture the garden….

Walking through the gate to the back,on the left,the Guara have decided they are going to be the bullies of the garden…Most of them have self-seeded,and those seedlings have been transplanted to other areas of the garden.

My favorite is the deep pink variety.

As you move down the pathway,to the right….Giant Liriope,the last of the Blue-Eyed Grass,Rosemary,variegated Flax Lily,and Cuphea.And  a yellow plumeria is stuck in there,too.

Further down,on the left…This is the Yellowtop I bought a year ago,here.It will be beautiful,this fall.It,also,roots incredibly easy,so if anyone wants a starter plant,let me know.I have one rooted to go behind the Guara.It should be able to hold its own against the Guara.

If you follow the pathway to the right,you see this…St.Bernard’s Lily,red Knockout Drift Rose,Gerbera Daisy,Love Grass,Blackberry Lily.In the background is a Powder Puff,which the hummers have been showing mad love to,this spring.Oh my!I think I see another Plumeria on the upper right.Go figure…

If you keep going,you will find Miss Emma’s -(Mine!)- statue,

overlooking the Queen Emma Crinums…

The variegated Creeping Fig is filling in,nicely---considering I had to yank it,quickly,out of the ground and slam it into pots when the pool was being removed---I am leaning towards to adding some Angel’s Tears to intermingle with the Creeping Fig.In the background,on the left,is Tea Olive,and a  Dwarf Euphorbia is on the right.

Across from Miss Emma,is one of the many Buddha's…

It almost seems like Buddha is smelling the Lantana…

If one keeps walking,just beyond Miss Emma's statue,on the right…

More variegated Flax Lily,an Agapanthus,ready to bloom,Farfugium,Hollyhocks,Angel’s Tears, and in the very back,Cat’s Whiskers.Intermingled with Cinnamon Fern.

Just beyond this section,the Tropical Sage,I bought,in March,here,is getting along quite nicely,with the Penstemon…

Across the pathway,is my favorite Buddha….

surrounded by Colocasia  esculenta 'Black Magic',giant Spathiphyllum and Bird’s Nest Fern.

Behind Buddha is the path-to-nowhere…

the shadiest part of the yard…

total shade,here,all day….

…all green and white…

Underneath Norfolk Island Pines are Peace Lilies,variegated Flax Lilies,Holly Ferns, and green and white Caladiums…

Continuing,and and making a turn to the right,further down,is the newest garden…

This garden is on the north side of the house,and is one of the shadiest parts of the garden---after the path-to-nowhere---,so a lot of plants have been moved here…

…and across from that garden are the Canna’s.

The black pot,in the lower left,will eventually have another Buddha.Sitting atop of it.And surrounded by some type of arbor.With something growing on it…suggestions?

…a work in progress….

S—l—o—w—l--y,

TheGreatWall is returning to form.

Just a newer and different form….

I still need sod….