A Collection of Macros

My intentions are great...really, they are.  I see something amazing, capture it on film, and create a fantastically brilliant post in my mind that I will publish sometime later when I get a chance.  But, before that time occurs, something else grabs my attention that I must digitally record and blog about when I get a quick opportunity.  Thus the cycle continues and I end up with a conglomeration of ideas and photos that are just waiting for their opportunity to be rediscovered.  *sigh* 

Of course I have no time to publish those works of pure genius,

but at least I can display the photos of the objects that inspired me so.

This bromeliad bloom is nothing less than spectacular! 

The colors and complexity are intoxicating.

Another favorite is the Madagascar Palm,
or Pachypodium lamerii.  

I love it because it is so confused...it can't decide

whether it's a palm or a cactus! 

Of course, it's not actually a palm but in the Plumeria family instead. 

This pink version of the commonly purple Ruellia

decorates a patio deck at the side of my house.

I never truly appreciated Caladiums until I moved to Florida.

Now I love their ability to withstand Florida's climate

and sandy soil while producing a magnificent splash of color.

Caladiums are also full of interesting patterns and variations. 

The sweet surprise of rain lilies after a good soaking is always a treat! 

They ignore regular irrigation and respond only to mother nature.

No matter how much I love Rudbeckia,

it does not last long in my zone 10 landscape.

Still, I enjoy them as an annual in my garden.

One of my favorite wildflowers,

Clematis blooms along my fence row. 

I can never get enough of this sweet bell shaped bloom!

The Glades Morning Glory is
a Florida native that grows naturally around my pond.

The Heliconia are thriving with no effort on my part. 

They are spreading and generously filling in their section of fence row. 

It's beautiful when they synchronize their blooming schedule.

Spiderwort  Commelina diffusa
is one of those under-rated weeds.
(My friend, Flower Lady, corrected me...
please see her comment for more information.  Thank you, FL!)

They produce a beautiful little pop of blue that is worthy of closer observation.

The patterns on this fungi are very pleasing.

My Clamshell Orchid, or Prosthechea cochleata,

produced a bloom for the first time! 

Look closely at the right side of the plant.

A closer look shows interesting and unique details

of this South American / South Florida native

formerly known as Encyclia cochleata.

In most orchids, the labellum is below the column. 

This orchid is unique as the labellum forms a "hood" over the column

making the flower developmentally upside down. 

It reportedly produces a citrus/lemony fragrance
so I had to sniff for myself. 
Although not strong, a sweet citrusy aroma does exist,
which makes me even fonder of this pretty,
dancing little bloom.

Another native of South Florida and tropical regions

is this sea anemone we spotted on the sandbar. 

Of course we had to lightly poke it with a finger

to watch it close up only to reopen in hopes of real food. 

Starfish are a common find too. 

This one has lived through a scuffle and is growing two of its legs back.

Now that there's only a few more weeks before school starts for the season, I'll be enjoying the last days of freedom without schedules and homework, and collecting more photos for future posts!

Right Here Right Now

This song by Jesus Jones is my nomination for the theme of Garden Blogger's Bloom Day.  After all, that's what GBBD celebrates each month...what is growing in your garden, right now. 



So this is what's going on in my garden right now...

The yellows in my garden add a wonderful infusion of light, happiness and cheer.

From the top left to right, the pure yellow Hibiscus, Potinara Hoku Gem 'Freckles' orchid (now turned mostly yellow vs. the early stage of yellow-orange), Yellow Pond Lily, yellow mushrooms (no, I don't grow them on purpose, but they were interesting enough to inspect and photo), Partridge Pea (Florida wildflower), Yellow Walking Iris, Mandavilla, and PrimroseWillow or Ludwigia peruviana (another Florida wildflower).

The red and orange blooms add spice to the garden! Clockwise starting from the top left is the tropical milkweed (butterfly magnet and host to the Monarch butterfly larvae as seen in the photo), Firebush (favorite butterfly and hummingbird attraction), Daylily Baja (LOVE this bloom!), Wave Petunia, Crossondra Orange Marmalade, and Lady Margaret Passion Vine (host plant to the Gulf Fritillary butterfly larvae).

These blues and purples are very cool colors in the hot Florida sun.  Counter clockwise starting from the top left is one of my favorite bromelaids in bloom - Painted Fingernail or Neoregelia spectabilis, a closeup of the tiny Painted Fingernail blooms, breezy Plumbago, Purple Velvet Plant or Gynura aurantiaca, and Purple Showers or Ruellia.

I planted these Caladiums in a ring underneath a large Saw Palmetto stand.  Currently, they are just a ring, but I'm looking forward to future seasons as they multiply and make a sea of color encircling the Palmettos!  As for identifying these colorful leaves, I'm at a bit of a loss.  Perhaps my friend, Susan, at Simply Susan might be able to provide some assistance.  My favorite in this bunch is the one resembling a watermelon on the lower left.  Another of great interest is the small cluster of seemingly dwarf Caladiums hiding under the larger leaf in the lower right photo. 

This bunch of photos is exciting to me as they show new growth.  A couple of these were assumed lost cases but they did not give up!  These photos are proof in the pudding!!  Clockwise starting from the top left is an example of one plant assumed lost to the frosty temps only a few months ago.  This Night Blooming Cereus succulent shows the signs of frost bite and appears all but shriveled up...but the new little growth shows fantastic resilience!! Top center is a shot of a sabal palm housing the Night Blooming Cereus, Dragon Fruit succulent and a large tillandsia (left in photo - I found this on a large pruned branch left for the garbage pickup!).  The next photo shows another Night Blooming Cereus producing a new shoot, followed by fresh growth of the Kent Mango starter tree, tiny leaves atop a Leucodendron succulent, a close-up shot of new Dragon Fruit aerial roots hugging the palm, and (big finish) a long-awaited pup on my cherished Bilbergia Hallelujah bromelaid!!  

This collection screams tropical to me!  Again, clockwise starting at the top left...a basket full of Phalaenopsis orchids in bloom, close up of a fern leaf (these ferns grow wild from the cozy boots on the palm trunks), Hoya bloom, the seeds of the earleaf acacia tree (a non-native invasive, I have removed all but one very large specimen on my property), the beautiful native Saw Palmetto in bloom, close-up of the sweetly fragrant Palmetto blooms, and finally a close-u of my newest Phalaenopsis orchid bloom.

And just for fun, these shots show what's going on around the garden!  We built a dock on the pond while the water levels are very low.  We also crafted our first compost container made from pallets we obtained from our local feed store (we followed the guidance of my friend, Adina, at Manure Depot).  Our chickens, aka The Gurlz (Cameron, Gina and Penny), are now 3-1/2 months old and enjoy scratching about the yard for bugs.  We have not been surprised with our first egg yet, but we eagerly check their roosting boxes every day!  I really like the shot of the orange Pink-Striped Oakworm Moth resting on a fence post.  And, of course, Lola is always hanging about.  In this cameo appearance, she is enjoying a fresh cherry tomato from the veggie garden.

So, that's what's going on Right Here, Right Now at my Garden in Paradise.  Remember to stop by May Dreams Gardens, say "Hi" to Carol, the gracious hostess, and check out what else is blooming for this month's Garden Blogger's Bloom Day.

Happy GBBD!!!

ER and Therapy

My life is not always action packed.  Sometimes it's downright boring...well, not really, but there's quiet times and there's times of much action in my household.  Lately, we've had plenty of action...injuries, extended family situations, big fish,

preteen drama, work-related hurdles, personal goals and challenges,

and early morning emergency room visits.

This photo shows my husband being transferred from the local ER branch to the hospital where he was admitted for an allergic reaction to prescribed medication.  He woke up to his throat swelling closed and choking.  It was a dramatic start to our weekend.

After all this hubbub, I needed a quiet walk through my garden to regroup.  I was not disappointed.  Cheerful, colorful faces greeted me from every direction.

Pretty, happy Vinca Punch pops with color and excitement.

Vinca Titan Pure White adds an elegant brilliance that is soothing and calming.

This Fuschia and White Vinca blends the energetic vibrance of fuschia with the soothing, classic color of white.

I'm not sure if this is the pretty Purple Halo Vinca, but it definitely wraps me in comfort as it reminds me of the country and my parent's farm.

The purple vincas surround the pink Mandavilla vine.  These buds remind me of something I'd get at Dairy Queen!   Hmmmmm.....comfort food!!

As I continue my garden walk, I'm encouraged by the survivers in my garden.  This croton all but completely gave up this last winter.  Crotons are not cold hardy and we experienced several hard frosts.  But, just like Old Glory, she now stands tall in full color!

I kept my fingers crossed for my young Firebush when it's branches turned dark brown and brittle.  But it bounced back and displays a lovely show this summer.

 

These Heliconia were new additions just before the frosts plagued tropical South Florida.  I thought they were lost for sure.  But this one sent up a bud this afternoon!

The various Caladiums popped up throughout the garden.

Lovely colors!

And so many different kinds!

Heartwarming!

The Butterfly garden is a tough rival.  The Lantana is a favorite of mine as well as countless varieties of butterflies and bees.

The vibrant Tropical Milkweed...

is a Monarch Butterfly magnet!

No butterfly can resist the Gaillardia Fanfare!

Or the Gaillardia Mesa Yellow!  I love Yellow in the Garden!!

Yellow Bulbine is a tiny bloom, but I love them!  What a happy little lass!

The happy pom pons of the Gomphrena, my newest addition, also attract butterflies.

The Heliconia Aemygdiana, another new addition, is thriving in a brightly lit space in my garden.  The twirling red stem is a bright contrast to the variegated green and white leaves.

These purple berries are hanging on the American Beautyberry bush I am rooting.  Who can resist a smile when faced with bright purple berries?!

What Dairy Queen delicacy is complete without a cherry on top? 

This Tillandsia bloom was just that in my garden today!

So I checked out some of my other air plants...

Seems like it's contageous!!

So is the joy that lives in my garden...just the therapy I needed!!!