July Already!

Is it July already?  I guess I've been busy, like everyone else.  Most of my gardening at this point has been watering, weeding and composting the sand...I mean soil.  When the ground you're trying to grow in is pure sand, it takes a lot of work...more than I'd originally counted on.  Thankfully I enjoy it!  So, a brief show of what's been going on...

The Beauty Berry has been flowering

I hope to see bright purple berries this year,

before the birds and squirrels get them!

We watched a black and blue pipevine butterfly

lay eggs, although she was not happy to be photographed. 

However, her eggs successfully hatched!

The Dutchman's pipevine is the host plant to these caterpillars.

Here's a pipe getting ready to open...such an interesting bloom!

Meanwhile, my daughter, Sophia, exhibited her cheer talents for the first time.

I can't help being a proud mom!

Meanwhile, my Mini Me ginger bloomed for the very first time!!!

One of my Hoya pots was blooming non-stop!

I usually post macros of these bouquets

but it's nice to see several clusters in one shot.

The Pagoda Flower, Clarodendrum paniculatum,

is intoxicatingly beautiful in my opinion.

Here's the roadside view...

Purple Showers decorate the fencrow as well.

One of my favorites,

Clematis crispa (swamp leatherflower),

bloomed along the fencerow. 

I hope it successfully reseeded

so I can enjoy more of these beautiful little bells!

Although considered a weed,

I let the Duck Potato grow next to the pond. 

I think it's pretty.

My two young dendrobiums from the Phillipines

are showing great promise. 

I'm excited for them to mature and bloom!

I purchased both from Max's Orchids

at an orchid society meeting/sale. 

The stalks hang down from the trees

and produce magnificent cascading blooms.

I missed my cactus in bloom due to vacation.

But it was worth it! 

We enjoyed a trip to the midwest to visit family.

The Ohio River Valley is beautiful this time of year. 

Loved some hiking at Clifty Falls State Park,

although the falls were just a trickle during this dry season.

Of course I had to stop for some fungus...so cool!

Then back to hiking the limestone cliffs.

Not every day was filled with hiking, though. 

I found this sweet antique sink posing as a planter

outside a cafe in Nashville, IN.

Vacation doesn't last forever though.  Back in paradise...

The Hibiscus are in beautiful bloom.

The giant orange bromeliad blooms are almost ready to burst open!

And the Crinum lilies look like a battered flag after war...

the lubbers are chewing them to shreds!

So we had no choice but to just go fishing!

Bonita isn't as tasty as it is beautiful so we practiced catch and release.

More to come...the summer's just begun. 

Happy 4th of July!

Flaunting My Favorites This Month!

I'm cheating a bit...

killing two birds with one stone, if you will. 

However, birds are my favorite animal and

Lola would not appreciate this term,

so I'll stick with "cheating".

I am participating in Tootsie's Fertilizer Friday / Flaunt Your Flowers

as well as Susan's My Favorites THIS Month. 

So what's going on in the Garden in Paradise?!

First up is my beloved Dendrobium, my first orchid, given to me as a birthday gift several years ago.  As always, it is showering me with gorgeous blooms in time for my upcoming birthday!  I look forward to these blooms, usually twice a year.  She's sending out 4 spikes, so she's especially happy this year.  I think that's a sign of good luck for me!!

I'm also thrilled that my Lady Margaret Passion Vine not only recovered from the Gulf Fritillary caterpillar plunder, but is blooming again!!

And I have loads of Gulf Fritillary butterflies to boot!

The butterflies love the pretty white blooms of the Spinach Tree,

but I've already posted about this so I won't go on and on.

My new Dutchman's Pipe Vine bloomed

and has new little buds forming!

Additionally, my friend Cindy gave me some Gold Rim Swallowtail caterpillars to munch on my new vine.  I hope I have as good of luck as she did (my Butterflies and Pipes post).

The pretty Balloon Flower has many balloon buds and blooms on it.

I usually have loads of purple Angelonia, but this time I also have pink.  Sweet!

This little tubular bromelaid is especially interesting to me.  I love it's form.

The pretty purple berries of the American Beauty Berry is still a favorite this month.

As are the cheerful pom pons of the Gomphrena. 

Here's another brom in full red color.  Beautiful!

The Duck Potato bloomed again.

I love this bloom...it appears so delicate and crepe-like.

I was also surprised by this new volunteer pink-form Lantana. 

I didn't have this variety, so the birds must've decided I needed some.  How nice!  Thank you!!

I'm really enjoying my new Bird's Nest Fern, too!

Thanks so much for stopping by to see my current favorites! 

Happy Gardening!!! 

August Favorites

So much has happened in my little garden this month that's it's not easy picking my favorites.  But, Susan at Simply Susan says I have to choose in order to participate in her Monthly Favorites meme, so I did my best.  Most all of my blooms are among my faves...I suppose that's why they have a place in my landscape. But this time I listed them by color category.  I found there's a large number of reds and only one white...hmmmm.  White is obviously  not a favorite of mine in the garden, but perhaps I need to incorporate a little more.  At any rate, August has been hot so it's only natural that the color of the month is red!

Red Hot Hibiscus

El Capitolio - double blooom with white striping

Red bloom with yellow striping

Traditional Presidential

For the Bees and Butterflies

Tropical Milkweed is a favorite of the Monarch Butterfly,

and an important larvae host plant.

Red Porterweed (also comes in Blue)

Little fluffy Chenille plant is finally ready to leave the nursery!

Dwarf Powderpuff Bush

Bromelaids

This one is showing some beautiful color!

This one just recently turned red - only the tips were red previously.

See how green it was?

I especially love the variegation in these.

I don't know the various names. 

I'm hoping Steve from The Rainforest Gardener can give me a hand.

Tropical Reds

Caladium Cluster -

proudly stands alone while all my other Caladiums inter-mingle with other plants.

Heliconia Lady Di - first bloom!! Love it!!

Crown of Thorns

Red hot?  Let's cool off...

Purple berries of the American Beauty Berry are stunning!

Light Lavender shades of Liriope

Volunteer blooms of the Portulaca groundcover

The purple Pentas are a butterfly magnet! (as are the red ones!)

The pretty bluish purple bloom of the aquatic Pickerel Weed... another butterfly button!

Just a few Shy Pinks...

The Dwarf Pink Ruellia is pretty with it's fuschia "tongue".

Cheerful Tillandsia

Yellow is probably my favorite garden color!

Yellow Allamanda

Yellow Ixora looks like a bridal bouquet!

Happy little Zinnias grow throughout my garden!

I love this Yellow/Red Hibiscus so much, I have two bushes!

One Lonely White Bloom!

The Duck Potato looks more like a dancing angel, to me!

Another aquatic plant, the Duck Potato (surprise) is a popular

food source for DUCKS and other aquatic creatures.

I keep this plant and the Pickerel Weed in muck filled pots...they thrive!

There's FRUIT, too!

My MANGO tree produced its first harvest this month!

Thanks to my friend Deborah at The Consumate Gardener for helping

 me ID this yummy variety!

Non-fibrous and juicy!  YUMMY!!

The Brown Turkey Figs look like they'll be ripe soon too!

And for Good Measure...

I couldn't resist this little guy napping in the crown of a young ponytail palm!