Torrentially speaking

Pouring rain.  A weekend of rain blowing in off the ocean. It's growing season and this heavy drink won't be lost on the plants. The bud's that were beginning to appear last week on what remained of the solanum macranthrum (aka giant potato tree), have become randy, bright green leaves ready for some action.

FYI,  the Vietnamese gardenia responds very well to the soil acidifier w/ iron and regular food. It soaks that iron up and the leaves look green and glossy. Also true for the beautiful oak leaf croton.

B. 'Gryphon' 

Bromeliad achmea 'Zebrina'. This was a pup that is growing up quite handsomely. Keep it in dappled shade for the more vibrant colors. The stripes fade quickly in full sun.

Achmea 'Zebrina' 

Notes

Using intuition rather than science, made an interesting tea of soil acidifier, fish poop, and SuperThrive which I fed to all of the big pots and rectangular planters along the handrail. Need to feed the ferns and burle marx over the next few days. I'll plan on this feeding once a month with very light liquid feed in between, with some regular ole water somewhere in there.

Still soaking the potato tree branches in SuperThrive, I should have soaked one in plain water and the other in SuperThrive. They are busting out all over. It would be good to know if it's just an agressive grower responding to some sun, or if SuperThrive is actually the miracle vitamin boost claimed.

This might look REALLY good in a pot on my terrace. Supposed to be fairly pest free.

Acalypha wilkesiana 'Godseffiana' an old Florida classic aka "Curly Ruffle"

Slightly blurry, but I've always enjoyed the contrasting textures.

Chuck Plumier

Here is another member of the plumeria family, a yellow flowered frangipani. Not to be confused with the pastries (both sweet and savory) that bear the same name. I was walking the dog and at one particular spot on the block,  the scent of brugmansia and the shy, but beautiful, scent of frangipani flowers went to my head like honeyed truffles (if there were such a thing).

Named for French botanist Charles Plumier who introduced this beauty into Europe in the 17th Century. Soon after used as a base for perfume. [all photos: me on my Samsung cell phone]

An idea bears fruit

Philodendron 'Burle Marx' cascading over its pot. The plant will grow up (until pulled down by its own weight) and outward. Lovely sheen on the leaves when not in full sun for too long. VERY sensitive to the cold. It went down below 40 degrees 2 years ago and it wiped out huge beds of it. My experience with this plant; soil evenly moist, feeding bi-weekly with MiracleGro, this pot is sheltered -- I grew this in my last back yard  under some palms- they will start to cling and climb if they're in a sheltered spot.

Pure as the driven snow

A cutting of plumeria alba taken from mature wood makes itself known. Plumeria, commonly known as frangipani, will bloom from now until October. A tropical 'white garden' ( Sissinghirst meets S. Beach) made up of plumeria, white orchids of various types, brugmansia, peace lilly, etc., stuffed into a Caribbean cottage garden would be right nice to say the least.


1. SUN, SUN, SUN, SUN
2. DON'T OVERWATER-- IT WILL DROP LEAVES AND GET LEGGY
3. PROPOGATE BY CUTTINGS TAKEN FROM MATURE WOOD, AT LEAST 1/2" ROUND 6-10" LONG
4. LET THE CUTTINGS DRY BEFORE PLANTING

B/W

Torrential rains this evening. Nice that everyone got a good bath and the terrace a wash.

Subtropical island, GA [photo: anon]

Naughty shears gone wild 2

Trimmed the potato tree back down to 1" diameter branches, no leaves. One trunk is about 1.5' and the other 3' or so. It had been blooming nicely on new growth, just as it should, but the leaves were being eaten or severely troubled by something-- off with 'em. There is a bit of a sadist in me that enjoys radical surgery like this. A shrub can shaped for more fullness at a more desirable height, etc. The coming heat and rain of the summer will be favorable to a busty recovery. Time for some new pruning shears.

Pruned potato tree, notice the finely incised philodendron under orange in the corner

Having taken the solanum macranthum down to a nub, I moved it way from the exposed corner and replaced it with a 5' macho fern with a bird-of-paradise in front. This same bird-of-paradise has a raucous bed of b. 'U402' growing at it's base, these little begonias do not want to stop blooming! It's a nice arrangement.

The result of a hard prune-- fullness and better shape

Sheer protection from the caribbean sun

Hot n' humid in this tropical shadehouse
PHOE, my favorite, 9995 Southwest 66th Street, Miami, FL

(305) 274-9813 () ‎

Light n' lively

It had been on my to do list for a while. So, I got busy on this sunny beautiful day. Made a very light soil mix; 1 part perlite , 2/3 parts MiracleGro (which seemed very light and full of organic material-- and was on sale at Home Depot). Repotted 2 begonias. I have not had very much luck with planting rhizomatous begonias in potting soil alone. The soil can become compacted, slow growth and can rot the rhizome. 

I have to start labeling my begonias.




Newly planted. Nice contrast light blue and green

 

A simple rose.
(Palm Hammock Orchid Estate)

The lizard

A regular-- loves the sun.

Tropic of Cancer turns its face toward the sun

Sun becoming more direct as it leaves the southern sky. Came home to wilting leaves. Pulled out the hose (which attaches to the adapter on the bathroom sink that I bought at Home Depot for $.89) and watered everyone in. Came back with a weak solution of MiracleGro for those in bloom.

Duranta is wilted. It's being watered.. perhaps the insecticide slapped it too hard. I will miss the beautiful blue florets if it doesn't make it. 

Plumeria growing in nicely 4 weeks after hard prune

Just a reminder, Oak Leaf Croton-- beautiful shrub. Don't overwater!

More later.

No school, doing the needful

Day off warrants a good cleaning of all sorts. I feel a little awkward admitting to have tossed the California alocasia after having said what a pretty, tropical addition it was to the garden. I couldn't get a handle on its culture-- at times it seemed to have been burnt by the sun and new growth seemed to rot when in the shade. Gone.

I am in the process of 'renovating' macho fern. I pulled it out of it's current butt-ugly cheap pot it was in, where it had done spectacularly and have cut roots beginning to bind top and taking off rather compacted, sandy soil from bottom. I pulled a bromeliad from the underneath the blood orange, too crowed, and the soil was sandy there too. It occurred to me that if organic matter, at least some mulch, wasn't added to the soil every so often, the humus part of the potting medium would be washed away, leaving more sand than soil.. mm. I amended the soil with some Plant Tone organic fertilizer and some potting soil that has a high humus content. Then mulched. I mulched a number of other pots as well.

[later in pm]

 Repotted macho, put in place a little further away from the potato tree so potato can get plenty of air and sun on all sides.  I can't say enough about this wonderful fern.

[Family: polypodiaceae Genus: nephrolepis Species: biserrata Cultivar: Macho]

Bought some handsome pavers and elevated handrail rectangular planters to ensure easy drainage, the spout had been getting clogged and they weren't draining. Raised bamboo, potato, bougainvillea on east wall as well. I want to lift everyone off the terrace floor eventually-  much cleaner, less white fly, more air under plants, etc.

Darkest before the dawn

I'm going to cut an inconspicuous branch off of potato tree-- I want new growth on the tree and I want to try propagating from cutting.

Late afternoon, time for some black darjeeling

Shelter from the storm

Holding up fine to the salty ocean air

Probably pushing my luck in terms of putting this solanum macranthum through chemo-- I drenched it in a copper fungicide. I have a hunch that that this pretty boy is susceptible to fungus.. 

The response to the Bayer Protect and Feed applied to potato, jasmine, plumeria, several days ago, was evidently successful, there seems to already be new growth on the tips of the jasmine vines. The duranta, did not fair as well. It looks wilted in places. Hopefully this will pass after a rainstorm or two. We had a nice shower today.  

Giant potato tree 

Sometimes poison is the best medicine

Very windy morning, gusty showers expected for the day.

Dowsed the potato tree and the jasmine with a Bayer 12 Month Protect and Feed. I wet the soil first to protect the roots from burning. I've treated the jasmine before with no harm to the plant and with increased new growth. I don't know how the solanum macranthum will respond to the application. The leaves are being attacked by something, and warranted immediate action.

Eligible (and tested with this pesticide) shrubs include: gardenia, croton, jasmine, plumeria.

More later.

Bleeding heart

Lovely flower but blooming only shyly for me this year. Too bad, I have masses of it over handrail.. I tihnk the new growth, where the the flowers form, is getting attacked by something mean.

White bleeding heart, a shy bloomer so far this year.

Duranta, (below) pretty vanilla smell, beautiful blue flowers. It's loving the warmer more direct sun, regular watering and feeding. It is prone to white fly, but with moral support seems to be able to fight off the offenders to a good degree.

Duranta

U402 begonia extraordinaire

Under the sheltering blades of the white bird-of-paradise, begonia 'u402', a venezeulan species, is currently enjoying full mid-morning sun for several hours..-- and this is S FL sun. It is a dainty-looking workhorse- hardy, easy to grow and eager to bloom. It started flowering in January, still going strong (as are several other begonias, they are worth all the trouble!!).

Begonia 'Caribbean Corsair'  3 month bloom time- still going strong!

No Pests on this buxom gal, rhizome like thick snakes creeping over edge of pot.

I love lime, the scarlet makes it pop. This boy is making a great effort to fill up the pot.