My Favorites THIS Month!

Joining Susan with my favorites THIS month

is a bit challenging as my new landscape

is still "under construction". 

So much clearing still to be done...

mending the soil - uh, I mean sand...

providing air flow and light in moist, shady,

overgrown spaces...

so many challenges in this new garden paradise. 

Regardless, I have uncovered some lovely specimans to share!

As highlighted in my sidebar,

one of my phalaenopsis orchids

are in beautiful bloom right now

(and a vanda and another phal

are sending up bloom buds for next month's report!!).

I'm completely in love with this beautiful iris.

The wildlife is definitely among my favorites

at any given time. 

Having a pond on our property 

is a real treat as water birds are a constant.

One false move from this Anhinga 

will provide the proof

that my pure breed mutt, Sandy,

has some sort of bird dog in her mix.

Cassia - such cheerful yellow blooms! 

Love the handlbar mustache!!

Hibiscus Jane Cowel double peach...

I have a soft spot for peachy colors!! 

This photo was taken at night...love the contrast!

My daughter used to scold me for not having blues in my garden. 

Now she's happy...

Cool colored Plumbago always reminds me of Old Florida!

Native blue Salvia

I've also been showered with a few house warming gifts...citrus! 

I was so sad to leave my young

lemon and orange trees when I moved,

but now I can watch these youngsters grow.

Navel Orange

Ponderosa Lemon

As spring rounds the corner and temperatures rise on a consistant basis,

I'm hoping more blooms will emerge and surprise me

from beneath the overgrowth and brambles. 

I also hope I won't pull out some wonderful plant that is currently dormant. 

Until then, be sure to check out Simply Susan's

current garden favorites posted at the end of every month!

Tropical Ranch Botanical Gardens

This weekend, we visited nearby Tropical Ranch Botanical Gardens owned by Diane Rexroad and Jim Haines.  The Gardens are actually Diane and Jim's 3 acre private residence located in Stuart, FL. They've transformed their space over 35 years into an amazingly tropical botanical gardens, Certified Florida Garden, and Wildlife Habitat.

This is the front entry of Jim and Diane's private residence.  Paradise!

We were greeted by Diane, Jim, and numerous volunteers and provided a map of the various gardens.

We were also greeted by the 20+ chickens and roosters who call Tropical Ranch home. 

They were proud to show us around.

The first exotic bloom decorating the entry to the gardens is the Dutchman's Pipe Vine, host to the lovely Plydamus and Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly.

After passing through the International Garden, a pleasant south-of-the-border Mexican Patio Garden awaits with numerous patio rooms for spectacular outdoor entertaining.

After taking a ciesta at the Mexican Patio Garden, we move on to the
Asian Pavilion / Serenity Garden and Bamboo Garden.
I'm not happy with my photos as I didn't control the light or my hand very well on this particular mosquito-ridden morning, but I hope you can see the beauty the gardens have to offer. 

 

It's difficult to see through the light, but there are many varieties and colors of bamboo, including the rare black bamboo (to the left in the photo).

As you exit the shady tropical Bamboo Garden, the Waterfall and Pond Garden welcomes visitors into an open sunny space.

Directly next to the Waterfall Garden is the Wedding Gazebo and white Moonlight Garden.  But I forgot to stop by the Wine and Cheese Gazebo and Garden, which, understandably, is more interesting to me than the Wedding Gazebo.

This garden is really interesting and creative! 

There's more garden spaces including the Palm Tree Garden, Herb and Spice Garden and of course the Butterfly Garden.  But I got distracted by a few of the sites.

This Pencil Cactus caught me eye.  I never knew it could grow this large! It's a small TREE!

I like this succulent on the bench.  The effect is pretty, but the plant itself is interesting...a "fern" like succulent. I have no idea what it's called, but I like it!

This striped bamboo is ultra cool! 

It doesn't look real, does it?

The highlight, aside from the actual gardens, was a garden tour followed by a butterfly garden discussion. 

+

And if you see something you really like, you can probably purchase it. 

Some of the plants I was taken with were...

A beautiful Yellow Strip Alamanda!

And this cool Peach Alamanda.

This is the pretty Pandora Vine.

The beautiful Passion Vine is host to the Gulf Fratillary and Zebra Longwing butterflies.

Pagoda Clerodendrum blooms provide nector for the butterflies.

The frilly Pagoda leaf.

This one LOOKS like a butterfly!

The exotic Orange Bird of Paradise never disappoints!

I can't remember the name of this completely amazing plant...something like Moosiana. Check out the unique qualities of this plant! The foliage is such a pretty green. Then the leaves surrounding the bloom are white!! And the bloom on this one is a bright orange. What butterfly could reject its luring power?!

Here's a closeup of the bloom!

This is the yellow version. It appears embossed! SOOOO cool!

This interesting little bloom is called Rabbit Ears. 

And finally, the show stopping Walking Yellow Iris. Gotta love it!

Aside from the man-eating mosquitoes, I sincerely enjoyed my visit and look forward to stopping by again.  For now, our guide shows us the way out...

Thank you for joining me!