Wow, Ill...your yard looks GREAT! I will have to take my camera outside and see if I have anything CLOSE to this! Thanks for sharing. (Your mystery plant is gloriosa lily, btw.)

I just LOVE seeing everyone's plants!! Thanks again!

Marcia

I'm SO envious of your foxgloves!! And your Abraham Darby! Nicki & I saw one at Lukas and for some stoopid reason, I didn't get it. Now I want one right away. I've made a place for it, and I'm going to see if I can still find one somewhere.

When you plant your foxgloves for next season, give us a head's up, would ya? I want to try some at exactly the same time and see if I can get them to last for awhile. I'll need a whole primer on how you do it, you Miracle Worker, you!

Marcia

Wow, I just love your place. How neat that you have foxgloves. I didn't think they would grow in FL, I am in zone 10, so maybe that makes a difference.

Love all of your roses too. To think that brug seedling grew that much and is blooming for you in just three months. That's great!

Thanks for sharing. FlowerLady

Michael...that is a gloriosa lily who's name escaps you. Wonderful flowers they have. Your banana and rose combo is stunning and I love the yellow aptenia. Did the pink I sent you take ok? If not I have more cuttings. Better yet, come to my swap Sept. 2nd a pick some up!

ill-mannered,
I love all the pictures. Everything looks great.
I went to your link and noticed a plant called paloquelite.
I have never heard of it. Do you like it? I love cilantro, but I am not good at growing it.
Can you tell me more about it?
Are you going to a swap and have any to share?

Ariel

ill
Love your garden! You have quite an array of blooms there. I'll have to be on the lookout for that zinnia. Are the seeds for those sold locally or mail order?

Ginny

Wow! Ill your photos are fabulous. I just love the first one. I hope you don't mind I'm using it as wallpaper. I've only one rose i'ts in a pot (Thanks Nancy!) and doing well. I think I need Mr. Lincoln. Is he fussy?
I can believe you are having such good luck with foxglove...note to self need foxglove. LOL Thanks for sharing your garden on such a dreary day.
Marion

You know, I haven't stepped in the backyard since I got home from Texas a week ago. *SHOCK* I'm too afraid. LOL

Looks like spring at your place! I can almost smell Abraham Darby from here... ahhhhh... it's the best.

Looks great! Do you have trouble with the squirrels and the purple night alternathera? They are just denuding mine. I finally put the pots behind some screening until we move but I really would like it in the ground some day.

marcia -- i'll let you know when to look for foxglove. you might have to special order them through a nursery. try to get them as early as possible, ideally the first week of november. fair amount of sun in the winter, fair amount of shade in the spring. hard to find those kinds of places but i have a couple...

ariel -- the plant is papaloquelita. i wrote a couple things about it on my blog, with recipes. i like it, but it's probably not for everyone. i started it from seeds that castorp gave me -- i doubt it'll start from cuttings. i'm going to order seeds for next summer... see the link below.

cindeea -- your little ice plant is doing well, but it hasn't grown much. i'm thinking of moving it back into a pot...

msmarion...mr lincoln is not at all picky, but it's a HUGE plant. last year it got to about 8'. i've been nipping here and there this year, and it's been better behaved. it's on fortuniana. it didn't bloom much the first year in my garden, but now it's nonstop.

gardencpa -- squirrel's haven't yet discovered my alternanthera. that stuff is amazing... totally drought resistant. i'm going to put it in the trouble spots of my yard...

Here is a link that might be useful: papaloquelite

Since no one else is sharing photos of their gardens, I think I will! Here ya go, Ill...what's growing in mine today:

My dwarf water lily is blooming in my washtub water garden. The flower is only about 3" across, and so sweet!

Another view so you can get a feel for the size. That's Tommy Boy and Sunrise coleus in front of the tub.

Echinacea (purple coneflower) growing in my OGR bed, with some agapanthus (Peter Pan?) and coleus showing behind it. (Pay no attention to that very weedy pathway. I've been working my way around it all week!)

Close up of the coneflowers:

I planted this shell vine about 6 weeks ago...it was only 2' tall, and had only about 4 stems on it! Wow, does it ever grow!

And the flowers are lovely, though I can't smell any fragrance from them, as I've read I should be able to.

A little orchid I bought at Home Depot last year is blooming again. That's a single indigo butterfly pea vine on the Bali hut upright.

That's probably enough for one thread. I have some others I'll post later in a new one.

Marcia

I am a newbie here to the FGF and have loved seeing your amazing lush gardens!

marcia- I have wanted a shell vine forever! Now I know I have to get one.

I am a novice, but love to learn. When we bought our home, there was not a single plant except for the palms. Time and money . . .need more!! Here are some recent shots.

My favorite caladium

our first desert rose

my valentine's day rose . .she's bloomed about 4 times now!

Jamie

Hi, Jamie! Your photos are lovely! That caladium is gorgeous, and so is the desert rose and the Valentine's one. You are off to a good start. It's such fun having a blank canvas to work with, isn't it? Our house was that way, too. I've only gotten about 1/3 of the backyard planted, and almost nothing out front yet.

Yes, get a shell vine! This is my first one, and I have no idea what to expect over the winter, but even if it dies and never comes back, it was worth it this summer. It's so pretty!!

Marcia

Looks great, Marcia! Those coleus are strutting their stuff. The shell vine is crazy fast - and tough. It looks really nice where you've got it.

I've got the usual suspects blooming right now - rudbeckias, tithonias, sunflowers, brugmansias, blue pea vine and pentas. A few of the roses have a few buds or blooms: Abraham Darby, Louis Phillipe, Old Blush and Greetings. My African Blue basil hasn't stopped blooming. The red firespike is starting up. Everything just got a good soaking, so I'm a happy camper. ;-) The rain really cools things off a bit. LOVE it.

Thanks, Nicki...I'm loving the shell vine. Will it last through the winter? Or is it an annual?

I wish I could have seen your garden Friday! *sniff* I'm going to HAVE to drive up there soon!

Marcia

Marcia

From all the research that I did on the shell vine, there appears to be two. One that is more lavender and not as fragrant, and one that is peachy, pink and lavender (highly fragrant:corkscrew vine). It said it 'should' be a perennial in south florida (so maybe you are south enough?)

here is a pic of the one that is said to be fragrant . .is this like yours?

Regardless which one you have, it is beautiful! I wish I had followed through with my purchse!

Ill, that's a great combination with the ornamental banana and the red rose. Who'd have thunk it? They both look very healthy, too.

Dragonfly, is that desert rose really a light coral pink color or is the lighting deceiving? Very pretty.

Marcia, your bali hut looks like it's surrounded by a tropical jungle! I like the way you've hung plants all around it.

As for my garden, it doesn't look very good right now. Altho we've had rain two days in a row, it has suffered from drought so long, it will take a little to recover. We are still over 15 inches behind. I have really discovered the meaning of drought tolerant! Maybe a good topic for another post. Keep posting everyone, I'm living vicariously through all your gardens! Thanks.

Anna

jamie -- love the caladium/vinca combo. it really works. i think you & i have stained our fences the exact same color! (we only stained the front, street-side)

marcia -- i MUST HAVE a shell vine. did you grow it from seed? and, did you know that the butterfly pea vine is an important fodder crop in africa? that, apparently, cows love it more than anything else and they'll trample fences to get at it? that, apparently, you can eat the pods it forms? i planted some at my mom's on a trellis -- it has completely taken over a side of the yard and is covered in purple blossoms. useless stuff you learn reading ECHO publications...

thanks, everyone, for the lovely photos.

Ill, are you sure you don't mean lablab? Purple hyacinth bean? It's an African fodder crop and has a really beautiful purple pod on it that can be eaten, if it is soaked and rinsed first. I never heard that about the butterfly pea vine, which we have as a native vine here in the US. Of course, there are LOTS of things I haven't heard of, so maybe it's true of both vines.

I have no idea where the shell vine came from, believe it or not. I got a plant at Kate's swap last year that was called bowtie vine, and it died back over the winter. In the spring, I saw it was sprouting back so I repotted it, only it turned out not to be the bowtie that was sprouting at all. My theory is that there were actually two different vines in the little pot, and only the bowtie one was blooming when I picked it up. And only the SHELL vine came back after the winter.

But it is truly a wonder, and I will try to find out how to propagate it for you. I'm totally new to it.

Anna, glad you like my jungly Bali hut! I love it, too.

Dragonfly, I have the lavender one. It isn't quite as curly as the corkscrew vine, and apparently not as fragrant, either. But it is really pretty, anyway.

Marcia

if by butterfly pea vine you mean Clitoria ternatea? if so, then that's the plant that's used extensively as fodder in africa (see link). they list its origin as tropical asia. are we talking about the same butterfly pea vine?

Here is a link that might be useful: ECHO PLANT INFORMATION SHEET

Everyone's photos are so inspiring! Ill, that zinnia is beautiful! And foxglove! I'm going to have to give that a try.

And Miss Coleus Queen - WOW! Love the bali hut photo. Is that blue pea vine under the orchid? Cindee sent me seed but as of yet they have not germinated :(

Betsy

Ill, yes clitoria ternatea is what I have, and I thank you for giving me new info on it. I had never heard that, though I HAD heard it about purple hyacinth bean. One variety grows wild in Florida, though it might have been introduced, and has pinkish lavender single flowers. I think it's clitoria mariana. I've also grown a single white one and a double indigo one. But I don't think I'm going to eat the seed pods on mine. With those tiny black seeds, they don't look tasty to me. But then, I never ate the lablab, either. Let me know if YOU try them. I know you are a big veggie guy, trying all sorts of new and different edibles. I'll be interested in what you think of them.

Yes, Betsy, that's indigo butterfly pea vine under the orchid. I'm hoping to get a lot of new seeds this year. I finally have another double one growing...my absolute favorite, as it looks like a blue & white rose! So pretty!

Ill, I'll give you some lablab seeds, too, if you haven't tried them. They are a stunningly beautiful vine, with both flowers and seedpods in rich purple. Soak 'em, cook 'em up, and let us know what you think!

Marcia

Jamie - your garden is looking great! LOVE that desert rose. That's the prettiest color.

Marcia, my shell vine is perennial - it didn't die back at all last winter. Yes, woman, you'll have to make the journey to my place - we'll do lunch, tip-toe through the tulips so to speak... all that good stuff. Hell, bring Mark. He can camp out in the back yard, stare at the bamboo, then get back to his sudoku puzzles. Bring Barbara, and we'll subject her to lots of plant talk. ;-)

Dragonfly, I think the common name for the one you pictured is corkscrew vine. It sure is pretty.

Ill - I'll try to root you a cutting of the shell vine. That's how I got mine - someone rooted a cutting. That's the pea vine Marcia and I have - I got mine from her. I think I'll try some of the seed pods in a stir fry! Hmmm. I'm just glad we don't have free-range cattle in Leesburg...

ooh. that lablab is very cool. i've never even heard of it! i wonder how it would look on my coral-colored gazebo?

i need more arbors...

It would be FABULOUS on your gazebo, Ill! Do it NOW!! hehe I think I have a couple of seed pods left. I didn't plant it this year. Will be happy to share them with you. It grows fast and gets very full and lush looking. You'll LOVE it!

Nicki, if I didn't have doctors' appointments this afternoon, I'd come straight up. You made it sound SOOOO tempting!!!

Marcia

OK, here's a quick take on what's bloomin' 'round here.
Next month should be a lot better, I have some interesting things that are just coming into flower. But for now...

Liriope, Caladium, and Coleus under a big Laurel Oak.

Oxalis

Purslane

Society Garlic

Clematis Henryi, just opening

Lantana

Begonia

I'm really enjoying these other picture posts. Keep 'em comin'. :)

here are some of mine :-)

Evelyn

Just poking my head in from across the beautiful USA, all the way in CA. Beautiful pics from everyone,

Manature: I love the lizard guarding your orchid, neat pot holder too.

wish I could fly in for some of your swaps (and take back the plants and cuttings from the swaps)

keep it up,
-Ethan

evelyn -- what's the yellow bloom?
musicman -- what kind of purslane is that? it's HUGE!

Just gorgeous!

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!
Why does my yard look so 'poopy'?
(can I say that word here?) LMBO!

Marcia...everything is just lovely. I absolutely LOVE a brick walkway and am patiently, or rather, IMpatiently waiting for my DH to pave some areas in our yard.

Evelyn...did you ever ID that gorgeous yellow bloom?
If so...I must have missed it.

And Musicman...AH-HAH!!! I just knew Clematis would grow in Florida! LOL

I ain't got much goin' on but...

Salvia's doin OK

Ixora

Can't remember the name of this, but it blooms continually

Lellie, your plants look very pretty! Don't despair. More than half of my backyard is a mess right now! I only post pictures of the parts that look good, believe me. (BTW, your first picture is a ruellia...Ragin' Cajun...rather than a salvia. A great little plant! And the last one is called Mona lavender, though it isn't a lavender at all, but a plectranthus (in the same family as Swedish ivy).

Hi, Ethan in California! *waving* Glad you popped in, and glad you enjoy all the photos. This group is great for sharing them.

Evelyn, love your yellow canna and the succulent blooming. So pretty. But what is the white one at the end? Those curly blooms opening up are so cool! I have a feeling it's something I should recognize, but I don't!

Great photos, Musicman! Oh, I'm so envious of your clematis!!! I want one! I think when I finally get most of the yard planted with stuff that is relatively low maintenance, I may have to have a special section for plants that are tricky to grow here. And clematis is going to be one of the first things I experiment with.

Great photos, all!!
Marcia

In response,

ill: that purslane came from Lowe's. It was labeled only as "Portulaca oleracea", no cultivar info. Quite tasty though :)

lellie: yep, certain types of Clematis will indeed grow here given proper conditions. That Henryi has done quite well for me with Eastern exposure, plenty of mulch, and regular water.

manature: thank you! Glad you liked the pics. That clematis has done superb so far this summer. It was planted back in March, with a good deal of enriched soil and the conditions I mentioned previously. I got it from Brushwood Nursery (link below)... never seen such vigorous plants. I am still getting the hang of pruning; the vines had started to get too tall and began to wilt. So I cut them back to about 12" and they are flourishing with new growth. Totally possible.

Beautiful gardens, everyone!

Here is a link that might be useful: good source for Clematis

silly me, I forgot the names of the plants i posted higher up:
1) bromeliad - billbergia pyramidalis var. concolor
2) Canna - canna compacta ssp. cinnabrinac
3) hen and chicks - Echeveria
4) Musical Note - Clerodendrum incisum

Evelyn

here is one from this morning:

Ooooh, Evelyn! What a gorgeous water lily!! Do you have a picture of your entire pond/water garden? I'm collecting photos for ideas, for when we start digging ours (hopefully this fall, as soon as the weather cools down a bit). Thanks for the ID on the clero!

Musicman, thank you for the info on your clematis. I swear, I'm going to get me one!! I just love them so much. The only one I've ever grown down here is the sweet little native, clematis crispa, which I also love, though it is much more subtle than the more typical cultivars.

I'm so enjoying everyone's photos!!

Marcia

Marcia

Marcia, here is a picture of our pond:

Evelyn

Here is a link that might be useful: about our Pond

Wow! I have a lot of stuff blooming, but no time to go take pics right now. I love all of your pics, though! I'm doing a major yard renovation this year, so I'll post pics when I get the side I'm working on now done.

Hey Betsy, don't dispair, the Blue Pea seeds can take a while before they start showing green, but once they do...LOOK OUT!

Marcia and Ill, as always your photos and gardens are stunning! Mar, could you save me some of the Purple Hyacinth Bean Seeds? I had some plants last year and I don't know why they perished.

Jaimie, where did you find that caladium? I have been looking for that one for ages!

Evelyn, that blooming succulent? WONDERFUL! I have 2 of these and didn't know they had suck a fantastic bloom!

Front Door Welcome

Well I was so inspired, I took some more pics! I realllly need to do some work in the yard! It has been raining so much (Finally!) We can't mow! And the lightning strike we had to our palm realllly destroyed our largest bed. Time for new plants!!

Our bouganvilla are blooming again . . .

the durantas are covered . . .love them!

I guess I am not the only one!

I call this one "cousin it" . ..anderson crepe????

really pretty blooms though

Annafl-I do think that those photos all had a "peachy hue" to them . .the roses are lavender! SO I do believe that the blooms on the desert rose are more pink.

I Love seeing everyone's pics!