Have you noticed all the gorgeous flowers blooming right now that really catch your eye as you are out for an evening walk or traveling down the roadways.....or......maybe...... right in your own backyard?
A real eye catcher I've noticed is the Agapanthus and it seems to be doing very well this year. It can be a large plant with lily-like leaves. The flower stems are about 2 ft. tall and the flowers, which are much taller than its leaves can be either blue or white. Grow them in full to filtered sun areas. We have a few in our yard and we really like them a lot. And.....if you like dried flower arrangements .....when the flowers of the agapanthus have gone by and the stems and what's left of the flower itself are brown and dry....clip the flower stems back to the ground hang them in your garage upside down until they are totally dried out. Then you can use them in any dried flower arrangement.
Bougainvilleas are out full blast right now. They will be in bloom spring through fall. Plant them in full sun and also know that they will need a trellis to grow on as they can grow 6 - 20 ft. tall. Bougainvilleas are evergreen so you will have leaves year round. Color of the flowers are white but the bracts around the flowers can be in many colors.....like shades of red through purple. But....for every good thing there is always a little bad thing.....bougainvilleas have thorns.....and they can claw their way up a tree, along a fence, up a tree or palm and I've even seen them traveling along brick walls.....so they will need a little grooming from time to time....but don't forget to wear your tough, thick gloves when you do it.
Pentas are another of my favorites. They are tough plants and their flowers can come in many different colors like white, shades of pink, lavender, red and also one that is red and white. Pentas will do very well throughout Florida. Height at maturity, depending on the variety, will be about 4 - 5 ft. tall....width about 36 inches. They would prefer a full sun location or possibly a little light shade. Prune back the spent flower heads as they go by....then new ones will appear.
They can be a very nice addition to any garden whether planted in the ground, in a pot or possibly in a bowl with other plants. You could even have them in a pot on a deck or in an enclosed pool area.
Orchids are my #1 favorite. They are very tough plants and there are many different kinds and colors to choose from.....flowers can be large or tiny.....plants also can become very large or stay quite small. It all depends on the one that you choose. They will need a shady area and water regularly. If it rains......you get a day off.
Most of ours are hanging under ligustrum tree branches. We have 3 large ligustrum trees which we planted near each other and they are about 24 years old and are quite tall and have very strong limbs. So they are now supporting lots of hanging orchids. Then to support my addiction to orchids.....Tom built a pretty shelving area under the ligustrum trees......then a large orchid house that he is now enlarging. So if you are tempted to grow a few orchids....be very, very careful.....it's addictive!
