Tropical plants – Hydrangeas Blue

Planting Moringa Tree Seeds

I’m getting to know about the Moringa tree, which is also known as the miracle tree because of its many health benefits. It should thrive in my yard and I just planted some seeds.

Just a few days ago I knew nothing about the Moringa Tree. After watching some videos about planting for central Florida, I decided the Moringa had to be added to my yard.

I’ve been discouraged by trying to grow vegetables here in Florida, and finally I realized that I need to plant differently. The Moringa contains lots of good healthy stuff and the leaves can be eaten right off the tree. I need it!

During my YouTube search, I came across the Urban Harvest channel. The woman in charge – Elise Pickett – lives on the west coast of Florida and has turned her yard into a beautiful food forest. (See the link to her channel below).

One of the plants she raved about was the Moringa tree. I can’t find that video right now because she has soooo many… and I still need to watch most of them. I’m in zone 9B and my research finds that the Moringa can grow in zones 8-10.

Moringa tree seeds — Seven Moringa seeds came in the packet

I planted them as is into three pots – one per pot. I also planted two seeds right in the ground, out in the side of the yard.

Later, when I came in to cool off, I found this video about how to plant the seeds. The gentleman suggests taking the outer layer off… Oh well, I’ll see what happens.

Mooring tree seeds — Planting Moringa seeds

The first Moringa seedling appeared ten days after planting. None of the others have sprouted yet. I also put one seed into the new coconut coir to see if it germinates faster.

Moringa tree seedling — Moringa seedling

Moringa tree images from Pixabay

It is also called the drumstick tree.

Moringa tree leaves — Moringa tree flowers

Visit the Urban Harvest YouTube site here, with advice for a Florida gardener.

I ordered some seed packets from the Urban Harvest and got the seeds within a couple of days. It is April, which is leading us into the hotter months here. Not much likes to grow during summer, so I may wait to plant most of my seeds until Fall.

I’m off to plant my garden! Blog post to come.

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Greenery, Big Leaves, Jungle Growth

Yes, things are so boring around here I am taking photos of leaves. Really? Well, my life is pretty boring and low key. I do enjoy the green that surrounds my Florida home. On close inspection there are many types of things growing in the jungle. I am amazed by big leaves.

Inside the House

The Fiddleleaf Fig tree has added new leaves since I last purchased it last January (2019). I’d never grown a fig before, but had wanted one for ages. I will say that they are super easy to grow. I thought this new leaf emerging was quite interesting.

Fiddleleaf fig tree houseplant in basket

Around the Yard – Elephant Ears

Elephant ears are some of the largest leaves you will find. They die back in winter months but come back strong in summer. I did not plant these, they are growing along the edge of the yard in a lot.

Palmetto Leaves

At one time the palmetto palm was everywhere. It doesn’t seem to be so common these days as this palm is apparently considered too ugly to keep in a landscape.

Builders come in and wipe out all traces of native vegetation, build a house, and plant new vegetation. The local plants don’t count here.

These photos came from the land next to my house lot. As of this writing, the land has not been bought and cleared for a home, but I expect it to happen. These big old palm trees will most likely be ripped out, along with everything else.

One image below is from my Staghorn fern.

March is When The Hibiscus Can Be Trimmed Back

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.

The Beautiful Bougainvillea

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!

Light pink flowering bougainvillea on a white fence

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.

Light pink flowering bougainvillea in a vase — 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.