I'll Have a Bloom-Filled Christmas

Douglas Hunt
by Douglas Hunt
For someone who spent many a holiday in the cold and gray Northeast, I particularly savor this time of year in my Florida garden, which is still filled with colorful blooms. Here are a few.
Camellia sasanqua "Kanjiro" started blooming in mid-November and is still going strong.
In Florida you don't have to toss paperwhites after they bloom. I planted these in my garden two years ago after receiving them as a gift and after taking a year off to get acclimated: voila!
The giant yellow shrimp plant, Barleria micans, has just started blooming in a shady spot.
Asclepias tuberosa "Hello Yellow." I really should cut off this bloom, because the experts on monarch butterflies tell us the presence of blooms can cause them not to migrate and become more susceptible to disease.
Red firespike, Odontonema strictum
And its purple cousin, Odontonema callistachyum
I found this blanketflower (Gaillardia pulchella) growing right next to the street, in pure Florida sand, so I transplanted it to my back yard and it has been blooming pretty much ever since.
I am savoring the last of the blooms on my absolutely maintenance-free "Old Blush" rose. I will cut it back significantly in mid-February and soon thereafter it will begin another year of blooming.
Coreopsis leavenworthii has not gotten the message that it is mid-December and it should be taking a rest.
Pentas lanceolata.
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
Comments
Join the conversation
4 of 19 comments
  • Chris aka monkey Chris aka monkey on Dec 21, 2014
    @Douglas Hunt having spent most of my life in fl and now in the cold gray state of tn, this makes me so homesick, but thanks for sharing...enjoy the holidays xx
    • Douglas Hunt Douglas Hunt on Dec 21, 2014
      @Chris aka monkey Sorry for causing pangs. Happy holidays to you as well, Chris.
  • Rhonda B Rhonda B on Dec 22, 2014
    Beautiful as always! Thanks for sharing:-))
    • Douglas Hunt Douglas Hunt on Dec 23, 2014
      @Rhonda B And thank you for stopping by, Rhonda. Happy holidays!
Next