Hello my Friend! Even though I am not in the cold creepy weather as most of our Forum friends, your photos did cheer me on a cool Florida night. I am having a really melancholy day. Your cheerful blooms boosted my spirits. I am again worring about my gardens after the doc visit today cause now they are ready for me to schedule my other hip surgery. I don't know what I would do without all the warm and cheerful people, flowers and friendships I have here. I decided to grab a beer and come see what everyone is up to and shake off the cobwebs of the day. Thanks for boosting my spirits sweetie!!!

ps. I must be doing fabulous if they are ready to operate again, eh? You reminded me to think positive and happy thoughts. This too shall pass.
Here's a colorful Brom I photo'd yesterday to add to the cheer. I think it is Viresea, Annie.
{{gwi:377426}}

Unbelievably gorgeous, Xuan! Every one of them! So colorful and cheerful and warm looking!

Cindee's right... they are a definite mood-booster after today! My doctor told me today that my back may never be the same again, and the pain may never get better... and the accident was over two years ago!

Cindee, you must be doing fabulous if they want to schedule surgery for your other hip so soon! This is good news! It may take you out of a bit of spring gardening, but it will be done and finished, and you won't have to go through it again... I'm so happy that you're doing so well! :-) I don't know much about replacement surgery, but I'd think that if you weren't doing that good, they wouldn't even be thinking of scheduling you yet... I think it's wonderful news!

Just think... a few months down the road, you'll be 100% and scooting around your garden so fast that Dennis will have trouble catching up with you! And you'll say, "Not now, Dear... I'm on a roll!" And you'll roll right off the edge of the yard and down the street, pruners in one hand, steering with the other! :-)

Haxuan, what lovely photos! Jodi, I'm stuck with you in the cold, but at least we've got our indoor jungles!
Cindeea, it's great to hear they want to schedule the other replacement. I now have Jodis image of you rolling down the street off into the sunset, trowel and pitchfork in hand yelling "Not now, Dear...I'm on a roll!"
Haxuan, I'll have to photograph our winter for you soon.
Have a wonderful day all,
Chaz

Yes, please, Chaz. I'd love to see winterscapes.

Xuan

I am laughing my butt off...."not now Dear, I am on a roll..." Oh man that is hysterical you made me laugh so hard Dennis came in from the living room to ask what was going on. I let him read the post and he had a good laugh too. Thanks for the chuckle!!

Haxuan, Cindeea,
I think you may both like this winter shot of my patio area looking into the middle yard. Jodi, I know you're sick of scenes like this already!

{{gwi:377427}}

Another winter scene. View from my kitchen window, to the patio and carriage house/garage.
{{gwi:377428}}

Wow... lovely! Thank you so so much for posting, Chaz!
You know I have never had this. I do hope to be able to touch the snow some of the days!

Xuan (from the sunny and humid Vietnam)

Normally, I'd say that I am most definitely sick of winter scenes... but those are wonderful photos, Chaz! The first one is just gorgeous! It's very Gothic, very Victorian! The black wrought iron and the snow look awesome together! I wouldn't mind looking at that every day in winter, and I can only imagine how lovely it is in summer, with everything growing and blooming! Thank you for sharing those!

OH WOW! Chaz I reiterate Jodi's thoughts, very Gothic! Almost ghostly in it's beauty. Your home must be lovely to have such incredible winter views from your windows. Can't wait to see it all full bloom this summer.
Xuan, you must touch and experience snow, and winter to completely appreciate it's surreal beauty. I grew up in Michigan in the country. I never really had known anything else but winterscapes before moving to Florida when I was 26 (31 years ago!!!)
So many people bemoaned the winter, but I would see it's utter beauty. When we would get a blizard, I would tell my Dad if he didn't see me in an hour, follow the tracks. I used to love to walk, rather plod, on a wintery moonlit night in snow storms into the fields and woods and just absorb mother natures fury and total beauty. I would take our two dogs and a small flask of brandy my dad would warm before my trek. The dogs loved it and if I got cold or off track, I would hold on to the scruff of our Goldens neck and say "HOME" and he would guide me back so I didn't have to look up into the blizzard. There is no way in Hell I could do that now after living in Florida so long. Thanks Chaz for stirring some warm and fuzzy winter memories! hmmm I could use a warm brandy after thinking about that! lol Tomorrow I promise some warm Florida photos for all you chilly kids.

Those are lovely pics Chaz, I LOVE the trees! After several overly warm and snowless winters where everything was brown and grotesque I have been worshipping my snow this year. I can stand snow, it's the subzero temps I don't care for!

Chaz, WOW! That is truly stunning and beautiful! I don't know how to add more to what everyone has said except to say again WOW! Thanks so much for sharing these pics!

I too can only wonder at how gorgeous your garden must be in the summer.

Well guys, I spent over 2 hours out in the garden today just puttering around! It is beautiful, sunny and warm 70s without being blistering. Silly me, though, I didn't take my camera to get you some Florida photos. Instead, I came in and baked up some cookies! lol

Tomorrow I will remember my camera.

Chaz, You have one of the most beautiful winter gardens I have ever seen! How I would love to visit it someday at any time of the year...I am sure it is fabulous! I look forward to other pics of it at other seasons of the year!

I love the Celtic knot on the carriage house, too!

It is hard to have a winter garden here in the fog and wetness of winter, where we seldom have frost, or snow but just depressing old rain, wind and dampness. But the early shrubs are starting to have fat buds on them, and the pussywillows are blooming, and it seldom gets too hot or too humid, so I guess I will have to keep putting up with the dark depressing winters.

Cindee, please, photos of your plants and nearby greeneries! I'd love love to see them.
Thanks.

Xuan

Liza,
You'd be welcome anytime!
I do have to point something out though...the celtic knot is a decal on the kitchen window!!! LOL, but now I have to consider making one for the carriage house! It would look great!
I posted a photo on another thread a while back of the garden in summer, I'll have to post one this spring. It is my bit of eden here in Massachusetts!

At first glance, I thought the Celtic knot was on the carriage house, too... but then a closer study told me that it was a window decal... I do think that some sort of black wrought iron architectural element would look fabulous on the wall of the carriage house, though... something in keeping with the Gothic or Victorian wrought iron garden theme you have going on, Chaz... although, the Celtic knot does lend a certain modernistic/ancient air to the scene... I don't know how else to describe it!

Xuan, you are warm! lol and you want to see Florida photos. OK girlfriend. Tomorrow I will give you a few.

Chaz, even in winter, the 'Eden' warms through!

As Promised....Enjoy The Slide Show!

Here is a link that might be useful: My Florida

cindeea,
Do I see flower buds forming on that vanilla orchid! How I wish I had the room for one of those! I always forget that in certain parts of FL things like sugar maples will grow! Wonderful photos, thanks.

Liza, doing one leg at a time will actually give you a little more control over simple things like bathing yourself in the first few weeks. You'll also lessen the risk of DVT as the body will only have to heal one leg at a time. Dr's take quite a bit into account when they assess a patients ability to heal, then they leave it to nurses to manage the process with you. I look forward to being able to discuss gardening with patients, as you said, it helps heal!

Fabulous slide show, Cindee! I can't wait to see that Magic Green open up! All that wonderful sunshine and all the green plants and flowers... I was almost warm for a minute!

We're buried under a ton of snow, and it's fairly cold outside... I spent the afternoon slowly shoveling the sidewalk... I say slowly because I didn't want to pull any muscles or overdo myself! I came inside with red cheeks and cold hands... but I got the job done!

CHAZ...YES! those are buds on my Vanilla Orchid. First time. I have 3 of them! I am so excited! The Maple was the first tree we planted after building our house. I always loved them growing up in Michigan, and when I found Maples that were suitable here, I had to get one. Wish they would develop a Japanese Maple to withstand Florida heat. Our tree still loses it's leaves in fall and they do turn a bit of red. I love the buds in the spring too. Reminds me that even in Florida season's change.

Jodi, you crazy fool!! You shouldn't be out in that cold shoveling. I need to slap you up side the head, girl! Still, I admire your ambition. There you were shoveling while I was planting cherry tomato seeds........

Thank you so much, Cindee, for the slideshow. Felt like I was visiting your garden and saw those plants in person. They were very 'personal' plants, Cindee! Thanks again.

Xuan

I know, Cindee... but somebody has to do it! I can't dig in the garden in winter, so shoveling snow is my extra exercise! I spent last summer and fall losing weight, and since Christmas, I've packed 6 pounds back on! I know it's not much, but when you're 5' 2" and shrinking... well, you get the picture! LOL!

I was rather surprised to learn that Maple trees lose leaves in your neck of the woods! It's almost like a northern autumn... without the wool sweaters to keep you warm!

The diversity in your yard and garden is really nice... and I was shocked by the size of your Plumeria! Holy Thickness, Batman! That thing has some very large branches! I didn't realize they got so big! Of course, my cutting probably won't ever get that large unless I grow it in a greenhouse or conservatory environment... I can only imagine what it looks like in full bloom!

Jody, that is not a very big plumeria, I have others much larger. I do trim them back and make new cutting every year to keep them manageable. If you check out the Plumeria Forum, you will see people all over the world grow them successfully. Because they are shallow rooted, they are easy to container grow and move inside in colder climates.

Diversity in my garden? Naw, it's just ecclectic, LIKE MY LIFE! I love growing so many different things. Like even the rose cuttings Soultan sent me. I am so excited. I never started roses from cuttings. Both pieces are putting on new leaf buds! Today I gave them a little bone meal for a snack. Soultan, show me the pics of these roses again!

Eclectic, diverse... whatever you want to call it, it all looks very pretty and very interesting! I'm the same way, though... my life is very eclectic and unique, and my gardening reflects that... I like to mix and match out in the perennial beds, planting things together that you wouldn't think would work.

Well, the Plumeria cutting you gifted me with now has 4 nice leaves, and is still growing strong! I'll transplant it into a nice pot when spring finally gets here. And I'm happy to say that the Epidendrum Radicans is now planted in a different pot and is standing straight up! It even has its own little green growth with a root growing from a leaf node! I'm so thrilled with this orchid! I can't wait until it's big and old enough to bloom for me!

On a sadder note, the rose cuttings Soultan sent to me didn't root, and didn't make it. But I have found the same varieties listed, and am ordering one of each for spring planting! I've never had good luck with rose cuttings, and no matter what I try, it doesn't seem to work. Every single one of the leaf cuttings I took from my AV, when I lowered its neck, rotted and died... I'm still not sure why I have so much trouble with rooting cutting of certain plants... something I need to work on...

I'm glad your cuttings are doing good! If you are able to grow mini roses in your climate, you'll love them... the one red mini I have out in the garden is doing so well that I'm ordering a bunch of different mini roses this spring to add to that part of the garden! Non-stop blooms, and so pretty! I just need to dig up a little more area and amend the soil... it'll be a nice start to a mini rose garden!

Here are the roses, Cindee:

{{gwi:377430}}
Red Sunblaze

{{gwi:377431}}
Purple Tiger (Jacpurr)

Jodi, I will send you new cuttings in the Australian package. I will try not to forget it.

OH YUM! Soultan, I cannot believe how well these little cuttings are doing! Thanks for re-posting the pics. i will find a special place for them for sure. Purple Tiger is making my toes curl-Beautiful and Red Sunblaze is so perfect. I can almost smell their fragrances.......ahhhhh

That would be awesome, Soultan! I think I should have better luck rooting them in summer! They need the sun... artificial lighting just isn't enough for them... I found a similar rose to Purple Tiger in one of my catalogs, and it's on the order list... it's called "Pinstripe", and it's almost identical! I never used to care for the bi-color minis, but Purple Tiger is really pretty! It has made me look closer at the different bi-colors offered, and I have more than one on the order list!

We're getting Pinstripe, Pandemonium, and Lipstick 'n Lace... all three are bi-colored mini roses! Of course, we're also ordering several others that aren't bi-colored! The mini roses do very well here, being grown on their own rootstock... and the fit nicely into the perennial border!

Pinstrie reminds me of my Double Delight. My hybrid Teas are suffering since they are in the former bulb bed that is hard to get to for me. Here's some of my cut roses when I could care for them.

{{gwi:377432}}

Cindee, they're lovely! I'm a big fan of roses, mostly miniatures... they're grown on their own rootstock and most will thrive in zone 5 without too much trouble! Actually, more and more roses of all types are being bred for hardiness, and the choices are a lot wider now than ever before! I'm hoping to try a couple of tea roses this year, along with the minis and climbers we're ordering. I'm having a hard time choosing, though... there are so many beauties! Fragrant Cloud, English Sachet and Oklahoma stand out... but there are so many others... Double Delight is a winner, too!

Jodi, not sure what I have left but I had 4 hybrid Teas-Double Delight, Tiffany, another I can't remember and my Dad's fav, Tropicanna. Rich orange color that smelled of roses and citrus. I have to try to get my Scoot over to that raised bed soon. It's hard cause the lawn slopes. That poor bed has been so neglected. I had bulbs there and all my amaryllis for the longest time. There are lilys that need cleaning up and Jasmine and my Cape Honeysuckle, I don't know how it hangs on! This bed is right outside our bedroom windows, too. It should be beautiful and fragrant. Everytime I look at it I sigh....it needs HELP!

i like tropicanna, it's the truest orange rose i've ever seen. i'm going to have to get that one someday. i currently don't have any roses yet, but i'm planning on getting some this year.

Hardiness is my number one consideration when choosing plants, especially roses! Fragrance and bloom time are also considerations, along with type, color and flower shape.

I've chosen 4 climbers... New Dawn, Don Juan, Joseph's Coat and Portlandia. Choosing those 4 wasn't easy! The listing of winter hardy climbers is quite large, and much like amaryllis, I have trouble finding an ugly one!

Picking from the listing of miniatures is even harder! There are so many! Incognito, Pinstripe, Cafe Ole and Golden Beauty are the first 4 on my list.

The tea roses I want are Double Delight, Eiffel Tower, Fragrant Cloud and Deep Secret... all are hardy to zone 5 and all are very fragrant, not to mention continual bloomers!

That should be more enough roses to begin with... even though there are lots more that I'd love to have. If I'm able to get all of these, and they prove to do well through our winters, I will add more the following year. I'd love to get some ground cover and landscape roses, shrubs, ramblers, polyanthas, floribundas... the Buck roses from Iowa would be good additions... there are way too many nice roses out there!