Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day February 2015

I thought I was on track for Garden Bloggers' Day back in January, but even though I had selected my photos and written a few lines, something went amiss. So here we are, uncharacteristically early for February's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - the 15th of the month being the day garden bloggers all over the world share what is blooming in their garden, courtesy of our wonderful host, Carol, at May Dreams Garden.

I have hung onto some of those January photos, so my selection this month is a consolidation of what has been blooming in my sub-tropical Brisbane garden over January/February - the two hottest and wettest months of our year.

Plants like the Red Spiral Ginger absolutely thrive in the conditions

My 'Wilders White' hibiscus shrub is a bit ungainly after I had to remove its main trunk, when it was damaged at ground level, but it is such a prolific bloomer.

The daylilies haven't been as good as in previous years, but as the garden matures, more of it is thrown into shade, and I worry I have lost some favourites as I have moved them to follow the sun. 

These two are All American Tiger and  Mildred Mitchell - I bought the latter by mistake (instead of Ginny Mitchell) and confused it with Isis Unveiled, which is similarly coloured but not so ruffled. 

Daylily 'Mildred Mitchell'

Daylily 'All American Tiger'

Daylily 'Double Cranberry Ruffles' which varies according to mood just how 'double' it is

'Finish with  Flourish'

'Jordan Verhaert'

'Irving Schulman'

My pentas along the side fence aren't flowering as well as they should - too little light, plus some bug that attacks the buds. (I use some herbicides but worry about pesticides' effect on the good critters). This one is 'Pink Malay'.

A very showy bromeliad bloom - Bilbergia 'Hallelujah'

Visitor on one of the bromeliads

 The back garden  behind the garage is our wild zone. We had a large carpet python and a grumpy possum emerge from here recently - and yes, the possum's mood was definitely due to having his sleep disturbed by the snake.

The big lime leaves to the left belong to the Brazilian Red Cloak, which will flower in winter. There's a red foliaged cordyline, and above, my neighbour's Murraya in full bloom. On the lower right, the red blooms belong to the Firespike, Odontonemea strictum

Only small critters were visiting when I headed out this time.

This little ginger is Globba winitii 'Red Back'. I previously posted another globba, 'Golden Dragon' here, which I fear I may have lost. Because they die down over winter, they can get dug up by mistake, so I have made sure the rest of my collection are all marked with stakes.

You don't need blooms for colour, when you have crotons.

Another ginger, this is the beautiful Blue Ginger, Dichorisandra thyrsifola

I can always rely on the Leopard Lilies for interest - whether in bloom

...  or in seed

The Purple Basil never seems to stop flowering.

Here the basil has attracted the attention of the native Blue Banded Bee.

Plumeria pudica - the Hammerhead Frangipani

Salvias are another great favourite with the bees. This is 'Heatwave Sizzle'

This more recent addition is Salvia 'Sierra Coral'

Finally, more of that glorious coral from another of the bromeliads, Aechmea 'Burning Bush'

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day October 2014

It's mid-Spring in the garden here at Casa Bella. One of my daylilies has been very cooperative and had its first blooms of the season just in time for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. However, I have been very remiss with posts for Bloom Day after the garden went into a bit a bit of a decline while I had other projects demanding my attention.

 

We are still not back at the point we were a year or two back, but we have made some progress and although the offerings are relatively paltry for a spring garden, I am optimistic there will be much more to see by next Bloom Day.

 

 

Dockrillia linguiforme - the Tick Orchid

 

 

 

 

There were a couple of first time appearances this month at Casa Bella. I was thrilled that a crinum I have had planted for several years finally came into bud and then bloomed. It is the sole survivor of three crinums that I picked up at Bangalow markets; the others fell victim to a diabolical plague of caterpillars that apparently specialise in dispatching crinums - little monsters!

The other first for the garden was a rose.  I had spotted this beauty in Better Homes and Gardens, and while I still hope for a sub-tropical garden and hadn't planned on planting roses, I thought this might tie in with the current slightly cottage-y theme. It's called 'Eyes for You' with unusual eye markings reminiscent of oriental poppies.

My early bird daylily 'Donna Mead'

Here are a couple of wider shots of the front garden - little photos so you don't notice the weeds!

From the front veranda looking over the murraya hedge past the ponytail palm to the poinciana

The front lawn has been completely over-run by weeds and the temporary edging has almost had its day, but I have started mulching again (top left hand side).

The  right hand side of the front garden is full of virtually indestructible nut grass. That will be my next big campaign!

Thank heavens I can always rely on the salvias for a splash of colour!

Salvia 'Heatwave Sizzle'

Salvia 'Santa Barbara'

Salvia 'Ember's Wish'

Salvia 'Hot Lips'



Rondeletia splendens

Epidendrum - Crucifix Orchid

 

 

At least there were enough blooms for a tiny posy. 

 

And I can always rely on my bromeliads for garden colour whether their blooms or stunning foliage.

 

Finally, this beautifully marked Phalaenopsis orchid was an early gift for my birthday later in the week. Aren't I lucky?  Thank you, Susan!

 

 

 

Happy Bloom Day!  To see what is happening in other gardens around the world this Bloom Day, visit Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day host Carol at May Dreams Gardens.