Everyone knows my yard is a mess, an ongoing work in progress that I can never seem to keep up with. It's already getting out of control, but that's what yards do in Florida, especially when you can't do it, and can't afford to have someone do it. So ignore the weeds (some are actually kinda pretty), and the mess lying around (like bricks and hoses), and just enjoy the flowers. Click pics to view full sizeflowers. Click pics to view full size
O.K., this isn't really "in the garden", but it will be outside when these blooms fade. This is the second branch of the orchid cactus to bloom, and it was just too pretty not to include.
I've had this aloe since I was 25 years old., at least the top of it. It gets too tall, I lop the top off and replant it. My mother gave it to me as a birthday gift.
The geranium is called a "tree geranium". It's one of the tall growing species of geraniums, and this is the only one I've been able to keep alive for very long. It gets up to 4 feet tall, and hopefully, I will get this one that size this year.
A Versicolor Peach Brugmansia I thought was dead from the cold, coming back up in a pot full of blooming purple oxalis. I love this oxalis, but the purple is coming up all over my yard. Little spots of purple everywhere. Can't see it well in this pic, but the blooms are a pale pink, very pretty contrast.
Tutti Frutti plumeria. I lopped this off of the one that was planted outside this winter so it wouldn't freeze. Just stuck it into this pot, and it seems to be happy.
I love these caladiums. There are also celosia and a Alabama Sunset Coleus in there, but you can't see them from this angle. I may have to move the caladiums, because they are already showing a little sun stress.
My new "rescued" Calibroachoa (Million Bells). This was an almost dead plant I got from Wal-Mart for half price. I don't know why I buy these things, but I do, and it seems happy now. It will have its own home soon.
Pot of celosia. The pink and yellow don't seem to be doing as well as the red. May take them out and put them into their own pot.
Cucumbers blooming. These are from the seeds I'd had in my freezer since 1991...seriously. I did not even think they would come up.
Double Purple Datura growing in a pot of Ruellia Squarosa. This Ruellia is so pretty as a ground cover, and nearly bullet proof. It's called Water Bluebell, because it will grow in standing water. It also withstands drought, or it wouldn't have survived my yard, believe me.
Elderberry in bloom. Had my neighbor saw this thing down to the ground last year. The original trunk was about 2 feet around. This came up from around the trunk. I tried to grow this as a tree, but it's much prettier and easier to care for as a bush.
Mimosa Strigillosa, finally taking over my side yard. This was so strange. It grew from my yard over into my neighbor's yard (towards the sun), then back into my yard. It's moving into the front lawn too now, which is fine with me. I'd transplant some, but somehow, I've had no luck with that. People say it's easy to root, but I haven't been able to get any to live in pots.O
A somewhat wilted Pereskia Grandifolia. I have another one that is just coming into bloom, so I'll have better flower pics later. This thing has some baaaaad thorns on it.
There are so many fruits on this Surinam Cherry, they are falling all over the ground. I eat as many as I can, but nobody else I know likes them, so they just fall off.
I'll have part 2 of WBITG in May soon, but I don't have time right now to resize all the remaining pics. I think I took 63 this morning.