My Favorites....This Month

December 2010 Favorites

This has been a busy month filled with Holiday activities from beginning to end.  Time for the garden has been short around here.  Most of the garden activity has consisted of bringing potted plants and newly rooted cuttings in and out of the house and back porch.  Watching the weather report has also taken up a lot of time here at My Garden Path.  There have been a few shining stars out in the garden this month in spite of my neglect and I certainly want to give them credit for the great job they have done keeping my garden from being just one big brown patch.

The two camellia bushes have been blooming all month providing lots of color and shiny green leaves.  I am seeing that I need to add more of these to my garden.  The roses have shown how much they love the cooler drier air by blooming profusely. The honeysuckle was purchased this spring just for it's cold hardiness and it is rewarding me by not only keeping it's leaves but also putting out wonderfully scented blooms.  Of course, the Christmas cacti shone bright this month.  It always amazes me how they bloom right on time.  I'm only showing the creamy white one but there are two other colors in my collection, a fuschia and a red.  The two big surprises have been the red shrimps and the flowering maple.  Both have been blooming since October and neither have been fazed by all the freezes we've experienced this month.  I will definitely be adding more of these.  Since they are easy to root from cuttings they'll even be budget friendly. 

Drop by Simply Susan's blog to share your December favorites.

Happy New Year!

My Favorites....This Month

"I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving."  Psalm 69:30

Simply Susan  invites bloggers to share their favorites each month on the 25th of the month.   My garden brings me joy all year long and so it is fitting to share my thankfulness for these favorite flowers on this day. 

The candy corn plant, Cuphea micropetala, was killed to the ground this past January and it was feared that it was not coming back.  A few spindly sprigs did return to bloom this month.  The blooms are pretty enough that it will get a reprieve from the shovel and given a chance to return to former glory.

Another favorite bush that isn't quite back to full size after being frozen, the Cassia bicapsularis, is popping out with it's lovely yellow blooms.  This bush has been providing suphur butterfly caterpillars with food since spring, yet is still able to produce a cloud of blossoms. 

Camellia sasanqua, 'Shishi Gashira,' was planted last January just after the freeze that took away so much of my garden.  It's still a very small bush, but it is loaded with buds ready to explode into bright pink double flowers.

Camellia sasanqua 'Yuletide' is opening single red flowers just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. It should continue blooming right on through the Christmas season after which it is named. These cheery flowers will be greeting guests to My Garden Path when they arrive at the front door. 

My favorites for November are all, with the exception of the Cuphea, only winter bloomers.  The 'Candy Corn' will bloom much of the year if we have a mild winter.  I hope you are enjoying your November garden and will join Simply Susan in sharing your  favorites this month. 

I am thankful for the joy my garden brings.  Happy Thanksgiving!

October Favorites

It's the 25th of the month and time to join Simply Susan in showing garden favorites. 

Three swamp sunflower plants were planted in front of the bamboo hedge last fall.  After their bloom was finished they died back and were forgotten until Spring.  Suddenly there were lots of swamp sunflowers.  Too many for the space.  They were growing up through the bamboo and were taking over the whole bed.  They had to be moved.  Now they are growing in the boggy area of the garden along with pinecone gingers and umbrella sedge.  There is plenty of room for them to proliferate and bloom their cheery yellow flowers.

Bees and wasps have been quite numerous around the garden this month.  They each have their place in the life of the garden and so accomodation is made for them up to a point.  They are fascinating creatures to observe nectaring on the flowers, but their nests are kept away from the house and play area for the grandkids.  This little guy is enjoying the White Out rose, which has been a favorite of mine most all year. 

One of my new favorite blossoms is this purple salvia.  The bloom is very large compared to other salvias in the garden and the purple color attracts the hummingbird. 

White and purple Philippine Violets re-seed so abundantly that some people find them a nuisance.  I, however, love their flowers which bloom only in fall and find them worth the trouble of keeping in check.  Actually, this year, I didn't have too many seedlings come up and so am quite happy to have these blooming away in the October garden. 

The purple variety grow shorter and bushier than the white ones.  The two planted together complement one another quite beautifully.  

This month there are still plenty of favorites in the garden, but there is a definite change.  Many of the summer's best bloomers have faded and plants which were waiting in the wings have come into the spotlight.  Something I have noticed in creating this post is that My Garden Path is lacking in fall foliage plants.  Mmmm....

What are your favorites......this month?

My Favorites ...... This Month

It's time to join Simply Susan in sharing favorites from the garden for the month of September.  There is a lot going on in the garden now that the humidity has lowered along with cooler night temperatures. 

Pinecone Ginger, Zingiber zerumbet, has been blooming in interesting pinecone shapes.  The cones have really been turning red this month but there are still some green ones just coming up.   They not only look pretty but they smell good too.

This September bloomer is Justicia brandegeana 'Fruit Cocktail'.  Curiously, the red shrimp plant in the same location hasn't begun to bloom. 

Blooming off and on all summer, the Tecoma stans 'Orange Jubilee' is really pushing out the flowers this month.  This sprawling vinelike bush is supposed to be hardy through our central Florida winters.  An added bonus is watching the hummingbirds enjoy its nectar.

My favorite of the favorites for this month is the white butterfly ginger, Hedychium coronarium.  The white flowers bob and weave on the breezes looking just like butterflies.  Their brightness lights up the dark corner and provides a delicious scent  that travels throughout the garden. 

Don't forget to stop by Simply Susan and share your September favorites from your garden. 

My Favorites For August

On the 25th of each month, Susan from Simply Susan invites bloggers to share what favorites are growing in their gardens .  In spite of the heat and humidity, there are many favorites in my garden this month.  There are many plants that have been blooming since Spring, but just a few have only begun their bloom cycle during August. 

Clockwise From Top Left

The Red Firespike's buds showed up at the beginning of the month and now they are in full spike.  Blackberry Lily began blooming last month and they are still putting out blooms as well as developing seed pods.  'Sherry Baby' Butterfly Ginger is through blooming now but the first two weeks of August the garden was filled with her heavenly perfume.  The new Celosia's blooms keep getting taller and taller.  Canna 'Intrigue' is a new addition to the garden this year and here is her first bloom.  (Leaf Rollers are plaguing the other Cannas but so far, 'Intrigue' has remained Leaf Roller free.)  As the summer rains finally kicked in this month so did the Cat's Whiskers blooms. 

I think what I have appreciated most this month is all the lush, tropical looking, if not completely tropical, foliage.

Clockwise from Top Left

Resurrection Fern has been plump and happy since August brought the summer rains.  Stromanthe 'tri-color' is one of my favorites all year.  It lost a few leaves in the cold but it didn't disappear like so many other plants did.  Started from a leaf cutting last fall, this Star Begonia is ready to be divided. Two  new additions to My Garden Path are the Bird's Nest Fern and Swallowtail, Christia obcordata 'Stripe'.  The Lotus Begonia is also ready to be divided.  I love getting more plants for free!

Please share what your garden favorites are for the month of August.  Go to Simply Susan and leave a comment to let everyone know you are joining in the fun. 

(Can you believe it's only 4 months until Christmas Day?)

My Favorites.....This Month

I can't believe it is the 25th of July already and time to share my favorites for this month from the garden.  Simply Susan invites bloggers to share what has done well in their gardens each month.  

The Cannas and the Zinnias have been continuously blooming since June.  The little white Rose I received on Mother's Day keeps pumping out flushes of blooms as well.  The Blackberry Lily is a first time addition to my garden and this month it has bloomed for the first time.  It grows in fan shaped clusters that stand about 2 feet tall.  I'm really enjoying this plant's foliage even when it isn't in bloom.  Brazilian Plume is a shade lover that I have had for about 4 years when the backyard garden first was planted.  Winters always see the foliage nipped back but this past winter these plants were taken down to ground level.  They are only about 6-8 inches high but started putting forth blooms just this month.  Usually these are shrubs that are about 2 feet tall and just as wide.  I hope they keep growing and get some size to them again.  They are a little lost in the background of the shade garden right now. 

Another plant doing really well in the garden this July is the Bulbine I planted in early Spring.  It took some time before it began blooming but now it is in constant bloom.  This month I noticed the clumps have become fuller as well.  The Beach Daisy I planted last year.   It struggled through the winter but now  is taking over it's flower bed.  The Butterfly Bush is blooming and perfuming the air drawing in the butterflies just as advertised.  I have never been successful in keeping one of these through the winter.  Maybe this will be the year.  Pinecone Ginger was added to the shade garden this past fall but never produced any pinecones.  This month the cones sprouted up and I can't wait to see them turn red.  A friend of mine uses the red pinecones in flower arrangements in the fall and I want to be a copycat this year. 

Don't forget to stop by Simply Susan's blog to see what her favorites are this month as well as link up with other bloggers to see their July garden favorites. 

My June Faves

On the 25th of every month Simply Susan! posts favorites from her garden for the month.  I'm joining in on the fun. 

Okay, I know these aren't flowers, but they are ON flowers.  Blue plumbago, milkweed, zinnias and pentas seem to be the favorite flowers for the butterflies this month.  That makes them favorites of mine too.

The cannas began blooming just this week!  I love when they bloom as they fill in the back fence area with big blooms that can be seen from the back porch.  Late in the summer last year a hummingbird would visit them .  I haven't seen any hummingbirds yet this year but I'm hoping that, now more flowers are blooming, they will come. 

Go on over to Simply Susan! and see what's filling other gardeners with joy this month.

My Favorites For May

Simply Susan posts her favorites from her garden each month on the 25th of the month.  I'm joining in and posting my own faves from My Garden Path. 

Of course, my lovely rose, Belinda's Dream leads the way with her most prolific flush of blooms yet.  The peace lilies, both variegated and regular are blooming constantly.  The new gardenia tree planted in the new front entry garden has been providing wonderful scented blooms all month.

The caladiums FINALLY have unfurled their colorful leaves this month.  I was starting to be concerned but they haven't disappointed.  They provide so much color and interest to all the shady gardens here I really count on them each year. 

I look forward to seeing what's new and wonderful in your gardens this May. 

March Favorites

Simply Susan  suggested posting our favorites from our gardens on the 25th of every month.  This is a great exercise which helps me to appreciate what is right with my garden. 

Pretty Pinks

Beautiful Blues

Amazing Azaleas

February Favorites

Simply Susan suggested making a post with February Favorites. My favorites are all the reds in my garden which showed up in time for Valentine's Day. I like the idea of having a photo collage each month with what was doing well in my garden. It's a fun way to keep records.

As a new blogger, I have been learning about new tools and interesting things to do for my blog. Sometimes I am not so happy wih the results and other times I'm very happy. I've been making changes to the background, template, font colors, etc. This post allowed me to learn about Picasa and collage making. Learning new blogging techniques helps to take my mind off the fact that we will be having close to freezing temps tonight. YIKES!