Hope Grows Day: March 2011

Thanks to Hanni at http://sweetbeangardening.blogspot.com/

for another fresh, new idea: The First Hope Grows Day meme.

In order to rise to Hanni's challenge, I prowled around my garden, Iphone quivering with anticpation of a good shot, looking for something to put into my blog. However, I was distracted on the way by another Horde of Lubburions which have

had taken up residence on my bush beans. I don't think so......But I digress......

I finally decided on two Hopeful Grow Candidates:

This fleshy, stick-like tree is actually a dormant Frangipani (Plumeria).

Frangipani

For more info on this flowering plant: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plumeria

As you can see from my rather poorly executed photograph (I had to hold the stem and take photograph at the same time), I am "expecting" some new leaf shoots to develop. After that occurs, probably about the same time as April 5th, we can look forward to some very fragrant flowers. My Frangipani is almost 8 feet tall now. I grew it from a cutting which I had bought at a arts fair 3 years ago. Since it is very unattractive without its leaves and flowers, I have a Gardenia in the front to somewhat distract from the Frangipani's  gangling appearance.

New Leaves Budding

My second hopeful contender is this rather bulbous looking sprout. It is a Weeping Bottlebrush (Callistemon Spp.): more info found at: http://floridasnature.com/landscape/bottlebrush_tree.htm

Weeping Bottlebrush

The Bottlebrush only does really well after a good rain. We have two of these directly outside our patio. Since the Giant Eastern Swallowtail Butterfly and Hummingbirds, luv, luv, luv, this shrub it remains a firm fave in my garden. This is what it will look like after a good couple of rainfalls between now and April (hopefully).

Bottlebrush "brush"