Purple Performance

The weather has been warm and wonderful for the garden.  A few rain showers have fallen even though this time of the year is usually one of the driest along the Suncoast of Florida.

Purple hues are flourishing from the sunny beds sporting deep purple eyes in the osteospermum alongside the lavender tones of lantana to ....

...deep purple firespikes lighting up the dappled shade under the oaks. 

One of the showiest irises here along the path is 'Regina.'  She is a royal purple shade and a very prolific bloomer in the Spring.  

Blooms appear on and off throughout the year and the strong strappy foliage grows in ever expanding clumps.  These clumps can be divided and more of this easy-care and cold tolerant beauty can be spread to other areas of the garden.  

Purple and Iris are practically synonymous.  These purple and white walking iris are loving the boggy conditions at the bottom of the hill in the backyard.  This past fall these plants were in standing water and they never skipped a beat.  Did I mention that this is a shady area along with being wet?  There haven't been many plants that have survived the conditions in this spot.  

Tomorrow hasn't come for the Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow bush.  It will though.  Today the flowers are deep purple, yesterday's flowers are now light purple, and tomorrow those flowers will be white.  Love this fragrant spring flowering bush.  Mine is planted in part shade and so is a bit spindly in growth habit, but the sweet gardenia-like scent is strong and wafts across the garden.  


Purple in many different tints and hues is putting on quite a performance in my garden this month.  Do you have some favorite purple performers in your garden?

It's January?

This is the warmest January we've had in several years and the garden is loving it!  There are plenty of growing and blooming plants to enjoy  for the first winter in recent memory.  A few overnight freezes did take down some of the most tender tropicals but they will return as soon as we experience reliably warm weather.

Alternanthera dentata 'Purple Knight'

Now is the perfect time to do all those gardening jobs that require heavy physical labor.  The temperature is cool enough that the gardener won't melt while shoveling amendments into the soil yet warm enough that there will be butterflies and other garden creatures to provide companionship.

Orchard Orb Weaver

Several late winter blooming shrubs are still holding on to their budding flowers.  A few of their branches were nipped by the cold but there is hope in my heart that this will be the year I can see them in full flower.

Eranthemum pulchellum 'Blue Sage'

This January's garden has plenty of foliage left in it unlike the last few years.  This is partly because of the mild weather not killing everything but the hardiest evergreens down to the ground and partly because more cold-hardy plants have been incorporated into the beds to give winter structure.

Odontonema callistachyum 'Purple Firespike'

Having most of the garden spared from the ravages of winter is a wonderful treat to enjoy.  Along with that enjoyment comes responsibility however.  There is more to trim, weed, edge and feed.  Less down time for the plants means less down time for the gardener.

It's wonderful to be back to year-round gardening in central Florida!