Earth Day 2013

Happy Earth Day!
(well, yesterday, but it's Earth Day Everyday, right?!)

It's amazing how beautiful and complex plants and flowers can be.
As an ode to the day, I went around the yard and snapped a few shots of the flowers that are blooming in my garden right now.


The climbing Jasmine is my current favorite because it smells so unbelievably fantastic.  We have a whole hedge worth, so it permeates the entire yard.

The Jasmine has started climbing up one of the near by Chinaberry trees.

 An elephant ear still holding some of the day's moisture

 

A Solenia Begonia with a big bloom.

Bush Daisies.  I just made this garden but they are a "Florida friendly" plant so they should tolerate a drought and a light freeze.    Trial and Error is how I learn when it comes to what I can plant.

 Tiny marigolds are good for the soil.

I found this bad boy at Lowe's this spring.  It's a Picassa petunia.  Cool, huh?  I have them in my planters and they are trailing and blooming fantastically.

A milkweed that I'm hoping multiplies like crazy.  These guys will keep Monarch butterflies coming to your yard year after year.

There is more, but it's all not blooming right now.   Which is good, I wouldn't want to put all my eggs in one basket.  I like a show for as many months as possible.  The amaryllis just got done their post winter show and the day lilies and lily of the Nile are about to start theirs.  My hubby's mom also scored some Easter lilies the day after for 50 cents each! Their bloom period is short and only once a year, but they do come back year after year.  And who could resist a deal like that?!  ( I got 12 )
Speaking of shows, if you live in Florida and want a plant that blooms a lot, is drought tolerant and can stand a freeze I would recommend double knock out roses.  The only complaint I've heard is the thorns, which of course, is just what you get with any rose. They are great.  Practically no maintenance.  Here's one that's started a new bud.

We also started a salad garden for Ryder.  He got a kit from Growums.com.  Very kid friendly, with free little cartoon veggie videos that narrate what should be happening week by week. He's already asking for the "stir fry" garden.  So, if you wanna promote some gardening skills or healthy eating check 'um' out.

After 6 yrs of living in this plant zone, I think I have finally figured out what does and does not make it here.  This year's garden should be the best yet, as mostly everything I planted last year came back!

As a special little treat, I got a few shots of this red-bellied woodpecker coming to and from his nest.   It's really fun to watch the male and female alternate feeding the babies.  You can barely hear the little peeps from the ground.  This Chinaberry tree has several nest holes where they have come back year after year.

Before I head out to plant some African Iris that my hubby's mom got for me yesterday, I leave you with an image of the wildest, ferocious, car chasing beast I know.