Hi Anna

My porch mini garden: Sweet tamarind is getting leaves again, brugmansia are doing well and flowering, plumerias are alive, and I have caladiums coming up!

And the lime zinger survived the winter.

Silvia

Almost all flowering trees and shrubs are more vigorous bloomers this year. It is due to the colder-than-normal winter. The bradford pears, azaleas, redbuds, hawthornes and dogwoods put on a real show in Jacksonville this year - more like the Carolinas than Florida!

Hi Anna
I too have been smitten with the jacaranda and spent a couple of hours driving around photographing them. What an amazing color. Here are a few but I'm going out again because I've been seeing them everywhere I go and the weather has been perfect for them (although a bit too hot for me lol)

{{gwi:864955}}

{{gwi:864956}}

Dearborn St. downtown Englewood
{{gwi:864957}}

Denise

They're stunning down here too! I wonder if they need a good cold snap to really look good. I'm seeing them where I never noticed a jacaranda before.

Hi Silvia!

Your porch garden is looking good. Wow, that's a lot of buds on that brug. I just got the replacement caladiums a couple of days ago. I moved all the white ones to another area and planted the ones that were supposed to be tall, pink, green and red. We will see if they are right this time! Sorry about the mixup. I don't know how the white ones will blend with the Miss Muffet. You will get to find out! The lime zinger is so tiny and cute. With your green thumb I know soon it will be a monster.

LTY, you're right, I did notice how beautiful the azaleas in my neighborhood were this spring. Many I had not even noticed much or remembered from past years. I love the others, but we can't grow those in my area.

Denise, I have a feeling the pictures don't do them justice. They are so hard to photograph- maybe there isn't a lot of contrast between the flowers and the clear blue sky? I just can't stop looking at them. Susannah, I also don't remember so many jacarandas around here, even though they are big. I'm sure it's because in the past they just hadn't bloomed as well.

See, maybe some good things came of the cold.

Hi
Not mine but a neighbors Magnolia is covered in flowers ,usually just a few every now and then.. Azaleas were fantastic in March
My evergreen caladiums are coming back HOORAY lol The gesneriads are looking gorgeous after being dormant for two months . Epidendrum orchids seem to have appreciated the cold while they always bloom for me this year at least 3 times as many.
Two that the jury is still out .Schizolobium parahyba.
Cassia roxbrughii. First completely defoliated while second turned an ugly brown, See a bit of green but no flowers yet again I'm afraid.. Going to have to cut the Schizy down as it's pushing 30 feet and the hurricanes are comuing . Was hoping to see one flower?? Lol
My "hedge" that i started with 5 species of Vanda orchids between two palm trees seems to have made it but aborted spikes on the strap leaf while the teretes are pushing a few buds . I added some epidendrums ,spathiglottis at the base at the base hopefully providing a few flowers . all the vandas are growing new roots so obviously hanging on.
Phals ,dropped some buds but will have a few (I think) lol.
water hyacinths and water lily are flowering like crazy
They died completely down this year for the first time .
Lost all the fish in main pond that I've had since 82 .
Guess this will give me chance to start over with either an albino or lutino strain.
have 3 aroids that still have not sprouted again but still seem firm ,so maybe??
Weeds are doing fantastic!!! I was worried about a couple of them lol gary

Oh yes, Gary, I did notice the magnolias are blooming particularly well this spring. My epidendrums are doing fine, but not as nice as usual. Could have to do with my pruning last year. Lol about the weeds.

Anna

wouldn't it be nice to have a street like this in your town

{{gwi:864959}}
photo by MelodyLu taken in Los Angeles

Holey smokes Denise! Well never see anything like that but there's no doubt the cold fall AND winter resulted in some stunning spring flowering here in Florida.

Tom