Starting Fresh!

Starting all over again in a deeper zone means learning all over again, too.  In 2005, my family and I relocated from our Midwestern home in USDA hardiness zone 5a to southeast coastal zone 9b.  We were in tropical heaven!  But I soon learned the major gardening differences between the two drastically different zones.  In fact, most everything I planted within my first 6-8 months experienced something similar to spontaneous combustion!  Thankfully I'm a quick study and learned about the heat zones as well as irrigation and soil differences.  When I finally felt I had a handle on the situation, we decided to relocate. 

The new house!

That's, OK, though...we just moved a little south to beautiful, tropical zone 10a. 

Unusual architecture, but what did you expect from me?!?!

No big deal, right?  WRONG!!!!

I've noticed two major differences so far...

I'm closer to the coast now so my "soil" is sand...seriously. 

And because of that, any type of irrigation seems fruitless. 

The water just flows straight through to the water table 

only a foot or two below. 

This has made gardening quite the challenge,

but all the more important to follow

"Florida Friendly" rules of engagement.

My new plantings take so much water with the sandy soil...

I've had to put the breaks on new additions.

On the bright side...

I was worried that after dividing, transplanting, and freezing temperatures,

some of the plants I brought from my previous home

would not make it.

However, I've seen signs of HOPE!!!

Back in December, the frost hit the newly divided and transplanted

bananas really hard.  They all shriveld to brown stalks.
I thought the shock was too much for them.

3 months later, they're popping their tropical heads up again!

 The Epidendrom orchids I received from my friend,
Adina at Manure Depot,
is sending up new shoots and seems to be thriving!

The Costus Ginger I planted here was really sad...but...

They're popping up from the ground...

As well as from the stalk!

My Slipper Plant, or Devil's Backbone, Jacob's Ladder,

Red Bird Cactus or officially Pedilanthus tithymaloides,

has lost all its leaves exposing it's crooked spine.

However, the leaves are starting to return and

BEHOLD.....

It's blooming for the very first time!!! 

The flowers resemble small slippers or bird beaks.

However, approximately 30 feet away,

a couple of crinum lilies struggle in their new home.

While another crinum planted within 10 feet

is showing remarkable resilience!

You can see the struggling crinums to the left in this photo.

My Mother of Thousands,

or Kalanchoe crenato-daigremontiana,

is in BEAUTIFUL bloom!

They actually adore the sandy soil!!

The show is definitely from below...

Another surprise is the Heliconia.

I sincerely thought it was lost.

Both the larger form as well as the

 dwarf version, Mini Me, have survived!

Finally, the bloom that currently puts a smile on my face every day

is my amazingly beautiful Christieara orchid!

I purchased this prize at an orchid sale last year.

It's official name is Chtra. Sharifa Alsagoff.

Chtra. is the accepted abbreviation for the genus Christieara,

a cross of three genera: Aeridies x Ascocentrum x Vanda.

There's no way to stifle a smile when greeted by such velvety cheer!

I'm excited to see how the new Garden in Paradise will evolve!

Blooming Flowers (and the Full Moon)

After leaving my culturally rich Chicago homebase, I've occassionally felt a sense of cultural atrophy which is not good for the soul or spirit!  Although South Florida does have cultural offerings, they don't seem to be as prominent as they were in Chicago.  Or perhaps we're too busy living the outdoor Florida lifestyle to take time out for the other cultural aspects of life.  Therefore, I work hard at including culture in my daily life. 

Where am I going with this, you ask?  Well, I felt it necessary to provide some music for this GBBD post and I came up with something fantastic, culturally fulfilling and unusual for anyone interested.  Click to listen to Blooming Flowers and the Full Moon by Zhou Xuan, a popular Chinese folk song from the 1920s and '30s.  "Blooming flowers and a full moon represent beauty, peace, and love in traditional Chinese culture. In other words, it's a perfect scene, in a perfect moment, through Chinese eyes." (quoted by Coco Zhou, a current Chinese artist).

Zhou Xuan, Chinese singer and actress, 1918-1957

courtesy of wikipedia

So, now that you've injested your culture for the day, let's get on to my July blooms as I have much to show for this month's Garden Blogger's Bloom Day, hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

The pink Mandavilla vine is in full swing after the rains!

The Mandavilla and Vinca dress up my light post.

The Charmed Wine is so vibrant after the rains. It is always pleasing!

Although I didn't plan this interesting combination,

the philodendron, charmed wine and caladium mix 

create an unexpected and unique display. 

The Caladium popped up in the midst of the charmed wine this spring.

These caladium were purposly planted under the Presidential Hibiscus.

I like how the caladium peak out from under the large hibiscus,

brightening up the darker underside of the bush.

The Purple Showers enjoyed the rain too,

providing the butterflies with plenty of blooms!

Speaking of butterflies, the monarch caterpillars are happily

munching on the milkweed. 

No blooms left to show you...they were eaten!!

Nothing is munching on my pretty little dwarf Powderpuff, though.

I love this bloom, and think it's funny how the

little "berry" looking bud (left in the photo)

becomes this poofy bloom!

The Ponderosa Lemon is blooming again.  It blooms year-round.

One if it's gigantic lemons is almost ready to harvest.

The few fruit on the young mango tree will be ripe soon too!!

Around the corner, the purple cone flowers welcome visitors at the front entry.

The cones fascinate me!

Dwarf Ruellia reside near the cone flowers.

This one is interesting with both purple and pink blooms on the same plant.

This yellow Ixora is also a mystery,

displaying two colors on the same bloom cluster. 

I don't have red ixora in my garden,

and there's none in the nearby neighborhood either.  ?!?!  

The Allamanda is always so cheerful, especially after a rain!

One of my Tillandsia is in full bloom.  It resides in one of my Pygmy Date Palms.

Somehow, it ended up on the ground overnight. 

There's been a lot of mysterious happenings in my landscape lately,

and this is one of them. Tillandsia don't fall out of trees easily.

This yellow hibiscus bloom is half open...pretty, isn't it?

Both of my colorful cacti are budding.  This one is more yellow than the other.

This one is decidedly pink.

Although not blooming, my new Costus ginger is really thriving in it's northside location.

One of the crinum lilies is in bloom

It has a second bud ready to burst!

The little trumpet blooms of the lantana are covered in rain droplets.

As is a lovely Frangipani (plumeria) bloom!

This beautiful Gulf Fritillary, or Passion Butterfly, poses as she dries her wings.

I found here right next to her host plant, the passion vine!

This is what she used to look like!

The Orange Jasmine bush is FULL of beautiful white blooms

creating an intoxicating fragrance!

This is what they look like close up...dainty little bridal bouquets!

The Balloon Flowers are excellent nector plants for the butterflies.

Pretty purple stars!!

I happened upon another resident relaxing on a Ti leaf.

His markings are beautiful, aren't they?

What a sweet face!

I'm not sure if he's posing for me or telling me to skeedaddle!

The cheerful zinnia stays dry on the front porch, and welcomes everyone who stops by!

She'll be waiting for you the next time you come by. 

Until then, Happy Garden Blogger's Bloom Day! 

Be sure to stop by Carol's to see what else is going on.