How Our Garden Grows: September 2013

Sunday, September 29, 2013

BEACH DAY!!

Sunrise at Playalinda on Cape Canaveral, FL

A few pics from the garden when we got home.

Papaya blossom

Papaya Fruit

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Today was supposed to be a beach day. It looks a bit cloudy here, but forecasters said there'd be morning showers along the coast so we decided not to go. Here's the sunrise we enjoyed in lieu of the beach! Still spectacular!

The Musical Notes (Clerodendrum) always have amazed me. They go from this bunch of tiny little buds through a metamorphosis that is spectacular along the way. Some shots of it's journey this week.

Full shot of the "hill" gardens ...

SEED DAY!

- 2 trays of Mixed Double Click Bonbon Cosmos (red, pink & white)

- 1 tray of Pot Marigold Mandarin

- 1 tray of Mixed Zinnias (Zahara Starlight & Profusion Double White)

- 1 tray Zinnia Pincas

The Perfect Planting Soil!

Some close-ups of undiscovered gems in the garden this morning.

White Buttercups

Excellent Autumn Color
Rudbekia (Black-Eyed Susan)

Orange Bulbine

Bush Gomphrena

Lantana

Mexican

Petunias

Red Milkweed

Soon to be cocooning caterpillar enjoying
breakfast of milkweed leaves and stems

Got to be good soil to have such beautiful mushrooms growing!

The phlox is still blooming - mostly on what appears to be
dead plants and stems!

Double Purple/White Angel Trumpets (Datura)

A white vinca just starting its morning, slowly opening

Blue Wildflower

We went on an small exploration of our development's undeveloped areas last year with our neighbor and found this tiny little blue/purple wildflower struggling. We pulled the plant carefully from where it had been trying to grow and replanted on our hill. The plant is now 10 times the size and gives a these great flowers. It produces more in the spring so I was really surprised to find 2 flowers this morning.

Yellow Elder

Yellow Zephyrantes

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Acerola blossoms

Barbados Cherry
More commonly called acerola (ah-say-rol-a) in the islands
(Malpighia emarginata )

     Unlike cherries that we typically consume in the US, this fruit tree (or shrub) blooms and fruits at the same time. We're used to seeing a tree full of blossoms, then green fruit, then finally the ripening fruit that is harvested almost entirely at once. These little gems will take about 3 weeks to harvest all of the fruit from one blossom cycle.

     We have 3 of these in pots. We move them onto the lanai when the temps go below 40 because they are very sensitive to the cold weather, even for a short period of time. Our first tree was sent to us by Tony's dad from a nursery in Cabo Rojo. I found a nursery in Miami that also had them, so on one of my many trips to SoFlo for work, I bought 2 more.

     Heavy rainfall induces this tree to bloom (sometimes 4 times in a 12 month period) and it'll bloom for several days, even over 2 weeks. As it's finishing up blossoming, some of the fruit is ripe and ready to eat. The fruit is sweet when fully ripe, but the majority of what you're seeing is 3 seeds that aren't edible. The pulp makes up only about 25% of the visible fruit.

     Another interesting fact about acerolas: this fruit has WAY more Vitamin C than oranges! A 4 ounce navel orange gives you 100% of the USDA's recommended Vitamin C. Acerolas (same 4 ounces, but it would take 15 or so cherries) provides 2800% of the Vit C and less calories and carbs!!

Cherries ready to eat!

More Cherries

More of Thursday's garden findings....

Marigold seedlings (planted 9/15)

Bat Face Cuphea

beach morning glory - not on the beach
but our original plant was taken from our
favorite beach at Playalinda on Cape Canaveral.
It's now spread all around all 3 a/c units and this
group of flowers are on the hill by the meadow!
It's so beautiful when they all open in the morning.