Waking Up In The Garden

It's a great time to be in the garden.  Signs of awakening  life are everywhere.  Fern fronds are unfurling, even some of the gingers are pushing shoots up through the earth. 

Holly Fern

While most of the ferns around My Garden Path have proven to be cold-hardy,  they do go into a sleepy, semi-dormant state.  Growth is minimal until warmer temperatures arrive.

Bird's nest fern w/ ladybug on top frond

As they awaken they stretch their new fronds upward. 





The shady tropical corner is being filled with new growth.


Raja Puri Banana

Even the tropical bananas are waking up and throwing new leaves out into the spring sunshine.

Taking a stroll through the garden as it is beginning to stir with life again brings great joy.

(...and this morning we are receiving a wonderful ground penetrating rain.  Perfect.)

Garden Valentines

Valentine's Day in a Florida garden is traditionally the time it is finally safe to think about spring.



Camellia Sasanqua 'Shishi Gashira'

 Signs of life are budding out on previously cold ravaged stems.  Flower buds are showing up  promising springtime blossoms. 


Rosa 'White Out'

 The temperatures are just delightful here in central Florida.  The coming week is forecast to be in the 70's during the day and the 50's at night.  Absolutely perfect gardening weather.

Happy Valentine's Day gardening friends.  I hope you are enjoying all the promise that springtime has to offer.

Happy Gardeners' New Year!

The first day of Spring has finally arrived. 

I hope all gardeners are having a wonderful day outside today. 

Having to wait for this season to begin has been very difficult for My Garden Path.   Waiting and watching beloved plants to see if they were going to be with me another season or be buried in the compost pile has been a slow and painful process.  Much about right plant/right place has been learned.  The lessons I learn the hard way seem to be the ones I remember.  I plan to remember to include some cold hardy plantings for the background of every area so that I never again have to look out onto a bleak wasteland for months on end.  Oh those tropicals will always have their place in my heart and garden, but there will also be good, dependable cold hardy shrubs, trees, and groundcovers to provide the framework for the garden.  I must admit I have never appreciated my azaleas more than this first day of Spring.

They Made It!

I know that whining about the big freeze has been very much overdone at My Garden Path, so today I declare that I am officially over it. 

Clockwise from Top Left - Fig, Firespike, Butterfly Ginger, Papyrus, Crinum, Ice Cream Banana

Many of the plants I thought were never to be seen again have begun to push through the oak leaf mulch.  Soon they will back better than ever just as they were last spring.

Clockwise from Top Left Ending in the Middle - Cat's Whisker, Penta, Canna, Tibouchina, Passion Vine, Grand NainxSumatrana Banana, Butterfly Cassia


The list of plants not showing signs of life is very short:  a few Hibiscus, Firebush, Pseuderanthemum, Clerodendrum.  By the end of March if they haven't woken up they will be replaced with other more cold hardy specimens.  The only one I will really miss is the Firebush, so I may get another of those for the hummingbirds.


At last, I'm able to go out into the garden and see life and growth!