New England native, Florida resident. Blogging about boating, beach-combing, gardening, camping, and knitting. Work for Zazzle as a designer since 2008.
Two years ago I planted a little hibiscus plant out behind my house. It grew quickly and flowers all the time with double flowers. Double flowers means each bloom is more ruffled looking with layers of petals as opposed to flat, 5-petaled flowers.
Hibiscus grow very well here in Florida, and this past winter was quite mild without any overnight temperatures dropping below freezing. At least not where I live. I never had to cover any plants and everything looks great. The chances of having a freezing night now are slim, so it’s safe to cut back outdoor plants that need it.
At Home Depot I spotted a table with small hydrangeas for sale. I call it a “greenhouse” hydrangea because I imagine that is where it came from. The price was around $12 as I recall, so I bought one. Now I know these are not like the hydrangea plants I purchased in New Hampshire to plant in my northern yard.
The tag on this one said it “likes cool nights” and it’s climate preference is 50-70 F. That’s what “cool” is in Florida. It’s also listed as a Houseplant. This plant obviously can’t take wintering in a dormant stage over several months. Growing hydrangeas this way is new to me.
My bougainvillea is just a baby, but it is already reaching over the fence into the front yard. Last year this plant was nearly dead after the cold winter and I thought it was hopeless. Then little green sprouts began to appear at ground level and it continued to grow. You can see a picture of it on this blog post with photos I took last January. It looked dead. Not only did it survive, it went nuts this year!
Some of the branches were growing awkwardly toward the house, so I trimmed them up and took the flowers inside. They did well in a vase of water until day three, when the flowers began to fall off and make a mess. Bougainvillea is not a long-term bouquet flower.
Cuttings last a couple days, but the stems can grow roots for beginning new plants!
This vining plant is gown in many yards around Florida. It can be huge and looks beautiful draped over a fence or along a wall. I love my light pink flowers, but the deep red is stunning and it comes in many other colors, like orange and yellow.
My bougainvillea is in a semi-shaded location, but they do like lots of sun and will have more flowers. They can be trimmed at any time and this is the first year mine has been so tall and had so many flowers so I’m not sure how long the flowers will last. They don’t need a lot of water either, which is nice. They won’t droop and wilt. But do be careful if the weather turns cold because they don’t like cold temperatures.
The University of Florida has a page all about Bougainvilleas. After reading the page I discovered that they are easy to propagate! I will definitely be trying that. I’ve had success with propagating crotons and cuttings from my rubber plant.
Our Warm Winter of 2019
A few nights this winter the temperatures dropped close to freezing and the only plants I covered outdoors were the crotons in the big pot out front. They were newly planted to replace the beautiful big croton that died in 2018 due to the cold.
This year was so mild, that everything is still big and green. I recently cut back my orange hibiscus which was nearly touching the roof of the house! When nothing freezes back, the plants have a head start in Spring.
With the cooler weather comes the time to do things outdoors. My winter is like a northern summer. I’ve been waiting for months for the heat to go away so the days will feel more normal. It’s just like suffering through a long, frozen winter and waiting for the warmth of Spring. Except in reverse.
January has brought cool breezes, lots fewer bugs, and breathable air. It rains less, but the plants are not burning under the sun, so watering is occasional. I still check on my plants and vegetable garden. The Lime tree seemed to be in need of help, and the pot it was in needed an upgrade. I bought a couple pots at Home Depot, but then decided to use one of my larger fabric bags. The Lemon tree is doing great in a fabric pot.
Lime tree in fabric pot
The Italian Oregano plant was in need of attention and got a new home in a deeper pot. I also added some bone meal for root growth.
A new pot for the Italian oregano plant
Little white buds on the Persian Lime tree!
New growth beginning on the lime tree in January
The Meyer Lemon has some pink flower buds, and the Persian Lime has little white buds and greenery popping out along the branches. Although freezing temperatures could hit, both my citrus trees can be brought indoors for the cold weather.
Lemon tree buds
One other plant that was in need of attention was my corn plant. This one came with me down from New Hampshire. I had purchased some houseplants to decorate when my house was up for sale. The corn plant (this is what I call it, but I’m not sure what the real name is) is meant to be an indoor plant in the north, but here in Florida it does fine outside as long as it’s in the shade. The front of my house doesn’t get direct sunlight, so the corn plant is generally happy by the front door. But the pot was ugly and too small, so now it is in a bigger one. I think it is happy.
It is January, and the weather has cooled off nicely here in central Florida. The windows are open, and it’s a pleasure to be outdoors. Finally I wanted to shop for plants because walking through the nursery was fun!
Christmas spending is over and I decided to add a few essential plants to my home. I traveled to Lindley’s Garden Center in New Smyrna and bought a little Staghorn Fern which is hanging under the Brazilian pepper trees in my backyard.
For inside the house I added a little thyme plant to the kitchen windowsill – a necessity for cooking – and a Fiddleleaf Fig tree to the dining room. Yes, I have a Fig Tree! I have wanted one for a very long time, and finally splurged on this beauty. Now I need to find a suitable decorative pot to complete the look. I’m in the process of finding the perfect pot.
My new Fiddle leaf fig tree
If this fig tree looks familiar, I wouldn’t be surprised. It is used often as backdrop greenery for commercials, tv shows, and movies. You can hardly watch any show or read any magazine without seeing one somewhere in the background. If you are a fan of the Fixer Upper show, Joanna uses them often when decorating finished homes. The gorgeous fiddle-shaped leaves grow in bunches from a straight trunk to create a tall, textured green space. Various size trees can be grouped together to make a big accent area, but single trees are enough to decorate any room with interest. They can grow tall without being overwhelming, and the combination of stalks and fat leaves is such fun. Smaller trees can even go on countertops or tables. If my house was larger, I would have many of these trees scattered about. As it is, I could barely find room for just one.
At Lindley’s I paid $39.50 for this tree which is about 4 feet tall. Mind you the pot is nothing special. To get it home I set it on the floor of the passenger side of my Subaru and tilted it back toward the seat. I did have to grab the pot as I went around corners as it wanted to roll, but no leaves broke off- phew. I got it home safely and am so pleased to finally have this tree to enjoy.
How to Care For the Fiddle-leaf Fig Tree
After a day or two I took the tree outside and sprayed it down with the hose. I added a little fish fertilizer and watered it good. I am lucky to live in a tropical location because these trees love sunlight (filtered, not direct) and warmth (with humidity thrown in). Because of this, I have a good chance of keeping this tree happy and healthy. I can give it some playtime outside now and then, which I do with all my houseplants.
I’m not sure how well a Fiddleleaf Fig would fare in a northern climate, but the HGTV website has some advice for those of you who would like to try to grow one.
Fig Tree Artwork
One afternoon I decided to draw the fig tree. After I finished the drawing I uploaded it and used Pixelmater to remove the background and add color. Then I played around with the image and used it to create artwork for sale in my Zazzle store, Clara’s Desk. Below is the poster I made.
My drawing as a poster for sale in my online store.
In New England squash and zucchini were always part of my summer gardening design. Usually a couple of plants gave me more squash than I could eat.
In Florida I have had no luck growing any type of squash. Now I read that “summer squash” is not grown in summer here. In fact, I am discovering that not much does grow well here in summer, except the tropical plants and citrus.
The Summer Squash Gardening Solutions page at the University of Florida has some recommendations when it comes to planting and growing squash. My garden is very small so I’ve tried to grow squash in my fabric bags. The plants begin fine, but eventually rot away. The types suggested are: Black Beauty and Spineless Beauty zucchini, and Summer Crookneck and Early Prolific Straightneck. I’ve never grown pattypan squash, but the site recommends Early White Scallop.
Another mistake I may be making is buying my seedlings (and seeds) at Home Depot. I have not had luck growing any plants that come from that store! Both of my caladiums have disappeared totally from the garden! I don’t know much about growing caladiums but I guess they need attention I did not give them.
Recently I visited a local nursery called Lindleys, in New Smyrna, where I found my Staghorn fern and Fiddle leaf fig tree, and a little thyme plant, but I’m thinking they might have seedlings to plant as well. I believe the real growing season begins in February here. I will go back and see what they have next month.
Hydrangeas Blue 