Flowers and Gardens – Page 5

SPRING RE-RUNS, 2015

Royal Poinciana trees are in bloom this month in Southwest Florida. The blossoms looked gorgeous on a blue-sky morning early this week.

They are such beautiful trees — I know I've blogged about them every year since we've lived here, but really these trees are lovely enough to deserve a repeat.

The Night-Blooming Cactus is another late Spring flower around these parts. And once more, the flower and the picture are this year's, but I have posted other pictures of this beauty in previous years.

Here are a few more shots of the Poinciana. Its beauty makes up for a lot of the more usual Spring flowers that we miss by being in Florida this season. Even the seed pods of this tree are incredible — they're about a foot long. There are a couple still hanging on in the picture on the lower left.

I've often said that Southwest Florida flowers are almost all the showy type. No shrinking violets (or daffodils or tulips) here. And in fact, another name for the Royal Poinciana is "Flamboyant Tree." A fitting name for this show-off.

Linking to: TODAY'S FLOWERS (thank you Denise); I HEART MACRO (thanks to Laura); and MONDAY MACRO (thank you Gemma).

May 22, 2015

GAZING AT SIGNS AND FLOWERS

We don't even have a garden, but I want this gazing globe anyway.

(Although in our yard it wouldn't have much to reflect — which would kind of spoil the overall effect.)

It reminded me of a Kaleidoscope — which I have always loved. I didn't keep much 'stuff' back when we we sold our home to go full-time RVing, but a small collection of kaleidoscopes stayed with us.

The Globe and the pictures in the collage below are all from the same Garden Center in this earlier post.

If we ever were to start gardening again, the signs would undoubtedly pertain to me. I think I'll just keep taking pictures of flowers instead. The blue shrub is called a "Flowering Plumbago" which I think sounds like a disease. And of course the red is a double hibiscis.

Linking to the blogging communities at SIGNS SIGNS (thank you to Lesley); TODAY'S FLOWERS (thank you to Denise); I HEART MACRO (thank you to Laura); MONDAY MACRO (thank you Gemma); and MOSAIC MONDAY (thank you Judith).

May 6, 2015

EXCITED FOR SPRING

This sign caught our eyes as we drove past recently.

Couldn't stop that day but …

… fortunately it was still there a couple of days later when I had more time. The sign was good for a laugh and the Garden Center was, of course, also perfect for a quick 'flower-fix' stroll.

There weren't really any typical Spring flowers to get excited about. (This is SW Florida after all and Spring is different here.)

But the pretty hibiscus are exciting in their own way. And I found another great sign.

All photos taken last week at Bayshore Garden Center, North Fort Myers Florida.

THIS POST IS LINKED to the Blogging Communities at SIGNS SIGNS (thanks to Lesley); GOOD FENCES (thanks Theresa); TODAY'S FLOWERS (thanks to Denise); I HEART MACRO (thank you Laura); and MONDAY MACRO (thanks Gemma).

April 22, 2015

SPRING BOUQUET

'Tis the season for a floral bouquet — fresh-picked from the archives.

(All from another time, another place, but I enjoyed rearranging them.)

HAPPY EASTER to all who celebrate!

Taking a Spring blog-break from posting next week, but hoping to link to the following memes and planning to catch up with blog visits.

FLOWERS FOR TODAY (thank you to Denise); MONDAY MACRO (thanks to Gemma); to OUR WORLD on Tuesday (thank you to Lady Fi, Arija, Gattina, Sandy, Sylvia, and Jenn); and to MOSAIC MONDAY (thank you to Judith).

April 3, 2015

WINTER FLOWERS

A late Winter Florida bouquet especially for those who could use a little color in their lives right now. Remember, it won't be long until it is my turn to be envious of your Spring flowers.

(For Denise's TODAY'S FLOWERS and for Judith's MOSAIC MONDAY.)

Because we don't have much winter here in Southwest Florida, we also don't have typical early Spring. So we don't get typical early Spring flowers. I look forward to seeing your daffodils, tulips, lilacs …. (Probably not as much as those of you who still have snow look forward to it though.)

I'm also linking to Laura's I HEART MACRO and Gemma's MONDAY MACRO.

Thank you to all the hosts and to everyone who contributes to these lovely memes.

March 5, 2015

GROWING SEASON

Harvest season has already begun here in Southwest Florida.

Is it any wonder that those of us who hail from cooler climates sometimes forget what month it is?

(For those of you who are still dreaming of spring — remember that when you are harvesting your vegetables late next summer, all the garden crops here in Florida will be over and done with because of the summer heat.)

Here's some of what came back to the Canal Cottage with me after last week's visit to the neighborhood Farmer's Market. (Those fields in the first mosaic are from the market farm.)

It was Rainbow Chard Crustless Quiche and sliced tomatoes for supper.

And it's pretty much strawberries morning, noon, and night around here these days!

Linking to Judith's MOSAIC MONDAY and to OUR WORLD TUESDAY (Arija, Gattina, Sandy, Sylvia, Jennifer and Lady Fi). Thanks to all of you!

February 15, 2015

ORCHIDS IN TREES and TREES OF ORCHIDS

The day after we saw the Orchid trees in Cape Coral (this post from last week), we noticed these orchids blooming in a neighbor's yard. These are genuine hothouse orchids (the kind you had in your senior prom corsage — if you were lucky).

So this isn't an orchid tree, but an orchid in a tree… a Florida (and small home) version of a houseplant. Our neighbors grow them in a basket wired to the tree (no greenhouse needed in this climate).

Along with couple of comments on last week's post, seeing both kinds of 'orchid trees' awakened my lazy mind enough to do a little tiny bit of research. The Orchid Tree (from last week) is actually called the Hong-Kong Orchid Tree. It is described as having orchid-like blossoms.

(The scientific name of that tree is Bauhina Blakeana.)

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Orchids like these today (and the many many other colors and varieties) belong to a family group called "orhidaceae" — so no relation to the Orchid Tree.

So now I know the difference. But also suspect I'll soon forget all these scientific facts and revert to simply knowing that both kinds make me smile.

Sharing with Denise's TODAY'S FLOWERS; Judith's MOSAIC MONDAY; Laura's I HEART MACRO; Gemma's MONDAY MACRO; Michelle's NATURE NOTES; and OUR WORLD Tuesday (brought to us by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sandy, and Sylvia). Thank you to all.

February 1, 2015

ORCHID TREE

Orchid Trees are in their full glory this month.

This row of trees is part of the landscaping at Cape Harbor Marina in Cape Coral. It's just down the road from where we live (or in this case, down the River — we were there for a Boat Club lunch earlier this month).

The guys talk boats and fuel up boats.

The ladies walk about and shop and take pictures.

We all eat!

Life is good.

Linking to: TODAY'S FLOWERS (thank you Denise); I HEART MACRO (thanks to Laura); MACRO MONDAY (thanks to Gemma) and MOSAIC MONDAY (thank you Judith).

January 23, 2015

FLORIDA IN JANUARY

Sights we didn't see in January when we lived on the other side of the country:

Butterflies on bright red blossoms.

Mangrove swamps and ibis and live oaks with dripping Spanish moss .

Manatees swimming under blue skies…

… and, well, blue skies period!

Sharing with: SKYWATCH FRIDAY (thanks to Yogi, Sandy, and Sylvia), SCENIC WEEKENDS (thank you Gemma), and TODAY'S FLOWERS (thanks to Denise).

January 14, 2015

PERFECT IN PINK

Beautiful amaryllis were among the exotic plants blooming profusely on the day after Christmas. We were visiting Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales Florida.

Camellias in many shades and poinsiettas in pink and red graced the grounds.

This peppermint candy camellia was perfect for the season — and for the honeybee, who is lucky to live where the weather is spring-like in late December. (We think we are lucky too.)

SHARING these Florida seasonal flowers with FLOWERS FOR TODAY and with I HEART MACRO and with MACRO MONDAY. Thank you to Denise, Laura, and Gemma for their generosity in bringing us these lovely opportunities to share.

January 2, 2015

Category: Flowers and Gardens