I haven’t done a “In the Garden” post for awhile. We had some cold weather last week–got done to 34 degrees. I covered the most sensitive plants and brought the potted plants into the shed. There was some damage on a few of the annuals and tropicals but it looks like everything pulled through.

So while I was checking my gardens out, I took a few snaps.

The azalaes are blooming like crazy. I have two different white varieties. The first picture is of the smaller size bush. It’s still quite large. Maybe four feet tall.

And this is the larger style.

These bushes are almost six feet tall. I trim both varieties back most years after they quit blooming. When I planted them–probably 15 years ago–I was doubtful if I had bought enough for that area. Now they have outgrown the space. They don’t require a lot of care. Just fertilizer about four times a year.

Since moving here to Old Homosassa back in 2003. I have tried many varieties of roses. These are the only ones that have thrived in our hot humid conditions and limestone dirt. Don Juan. It’s almost time to trim them back but they are blooming!

My butterfly garden is blooming with milkweed and cosmos. The fungus-y bush in the background is a hummingbird bush. I don’t spray for fungus or bugs. Eventually we will get a frost and those plants will get knocked back and the leaves will all fall off. If it gets cold enough, the entire bush will die. But they have always come back from the roots.

This guy is a type of philodendron. He’s not really mine. Well, he wasn’t. A long-ago neighbor planted several of these on his property. This one has slowly moved onto mine. The tree behind him is on the property line. The new owner has pretty much abandoned the property so I’m guessing this plant was lonely and decided to come live with me! (Don’t tell me that plants don’t get lonely!) I often cut those huge leaves and use them for a very showy indoor vase.

Okay. One more subject. Air plants. They have defied me. I buy them. They eventually shrivel up and die. I bought a few at a craft fair three years ago. Died. These are supposed to be easy! My friend Terry has a whole sun room full of them and they have babies! The next year I asked the same vendor for something that would be easy to grow. And that year those air plants made it. With that success, I bought from a different vendor last year (because the other original crafter wasn’t there) and I asked how to keep the air plants healthy. He told me to soak them overnight in a bucket of water every week. I had just been misting them daily but now I’m trying to take his advice. (Especially because I asked Terry about this and she said that she soaks her’s now, too, but only for a few hours.) Now this is a weekly practice for me. Sometimes it’s just for a few hours. And then there’s the times that I forget all about them and they stay a bucket for a few days. So far, they are okay with that abuse.

I bought several more from Amazon. Yes. Amazon sells plants. (And a lot cheaper than Home Depot) I’m going to say it with this set, but I’m not sure. Most of them survived thus far.

I forgot to bring in my air plants during the two-day cold spell. I guess being in the screened room saved them–it certainly wasn’t me!

Okay, that’s it for today!