Showing posts with label Squash. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Squash. Show all posts

Monday, July 29, 2013

Monday's Meanderings In The Garden


I did have a pineapple, I was quite proud of it and checked on it every day for weeks....and then one morning....


It's a shame because it was ripe for picking (as you can see), but something noshed on it in the night.

Two weeks ago I emptied out my compost bin into the raised vegetable bed that once housed the onions and cabbages. Within a few days I was surprised to see what appears to be squash plants coming up. 

I haven't had any luck for years growing squash because of the bugs that lay their eggs inside the stems, in order words I won't hold my breath.


Elsewhere in the garden I am amazed to still have quite a few thriving tomato plants. Some are doing better than others. The one on the right doesn't have as many leaves on it as it should, but it is fruiting and has plenty of blossoms. Too many leaves would indicate more nitrogen than it needs though. It's worth mentioning that I had a horrible year for growing tomatoes. The weather didn't help and it was the first time I grew any in amended garden soil. Finally my husband said 'why don't you go back to growing them in big pots?' It was already quite late in the season, but I grew 6 plants from seed and planted 4 of them in the soil and 2 in pots. The featured tomato plant is in a huge pot. It might be a Big Beef or Lemon Boy. I gave it a teaspoon of Epsom Salts to help it along.

The butterfly garden is a little overgrown (what else is new) and the milkweed plant is just loving all the abundant rain we have been getting recently.


Torenia has grown wild in my garden for years, I have to let it thrive where it will. It defies all attempts to be relocated into a hanging pot.



I planted this Chrysler Imperial rose a year ago. FlowerLady Lorraine (see my blog roll list FlowerLady's Musings) gave me some growing pointers, and so far so good. This rose has an amazing scent and loves all the used coffee grains it can get. Considering how hot and humid it is in South Florida I am very impressed with its hardiness.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Shades of Hot, Hotter & Sizzling in Paradise

The temperatures are steadily climbing into the 90F and our backyard in paradise is also beginning to look "hot" with hues of red, yellow and orange!

We will kick off with an unknown plant. It has very attractive flowers, but no scent. It is also a nuisance in that it pops up all over the place, which alas is so often the case here with our tropical weather. The leaves are furry and heart shaped. If anyone can identify it, I would be pleased to know what it is.
 
Mystery plant
 Below left is Spicy Jatropha (Jatropha integerrima). Jatropha is a genus of approximately 175 succulent plants, trees and shrubs. Blooms continuously and very drought tolerant. Very attractive as a small accent tree.

Spicy Jatropha
Next is Cape Honeysuckle (Tacoma capensis), a scrambling shrub native to Africa. This shrub appears to have runners that can help it "travel" elsewhere in the garden. It's a messy, spindly plant, but the hummingbirds love it - so it stays.

Close Up Cape Honeysuckle
Cape Honeysuckle













Dianthus or Pinks, are grown as annuals here in Florida. They go dormant during the hottest part of summer and I have had them re-emerge like "perennials" in the spring.

Dianthus
Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana). A succulent; likes arid conditions and is a wonderful plant to put in front of pinwheel jasmines, or roses. Great groundcover and spreads rapidly.

Bell Pepper, absolutely delicious in a home-made salsa.

Bell Pepper
Native Firebush
Native Firebush (Hamelia patens). Attracts our state butterfly, the Zebra Longwing. Has orange/red flowers and hairy leaves. Tubular flowers give way to red/black, glossy berries that are popular with songbirds and in particular cardinals.

Native Firebush
Nasturtium






  
Squash Flowers

 
I have various types of Nasturiums cascading over hanging baskets.

The Squash plants are coming along nicely. I put toothpicks around them (sharp end up) to prevent cutworms and other critters nibbling on these edible flowers.

Zinnias are one of my favorites in the garden, they are self seeding and, with regular deadheading, low maintenance.
Zinnias

Not exactly in the garden, but in a large cage on the patio is our little love bird Peaches. She is playing Peek-a-boo with me while I took this picture.
Pretty Peaches
Not in my garden but on the dining room table. Roses for mothers day.  I know elsewhere in the world, it is earlier in the year.

Happy belated mothers day for all moms in the USA, and everywhere in the world!
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