Let's see your gardening pix!

Location
Forida
Okay, I'll start. I live in Florida where we only have two seasons - winter is November, December and January. Everything else is summer - scorching hot and dry. The "soil" is sand. It is a challenge to find plants (other than cactus and palms) which will survive. But I love flowers, so after much trial & error I have filled up my yard with survivors. Got lots more other places, which I'll post later.
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That is so totally beautiful, and it looks to me like you have done a remarkable job of helping your plants survive ! Actually, there must be a lot of wonderful plants that will grow down there where you have so little winter , and warmer ones for what you do have.
You can grow all the tropical things like oranges and bananas, and flowers that won't winter over even here in Alabama.
Okra and tomatoes would be year around down there, right ? And Plumeria (Frangipani) would survive outside probably. I had some for a while, but it had to come in during the cold season, and never got large enough to bloom.
Anyway, whatever you have in your yard, it is sure beautiful !
 

Yes, that shot was just the tip of the iceberg here. I've neglected my garden since I lost my husband this January, so it is mainly those who thrive on neglect, and many do. My main problem for years now is that I must water with city water and only twice a week; Thur & Sun before 10am. Our area has been in a long lasting drought, and I have lost a lot of my dear plants because of it (and the occasional winter frost!). My cherished Plumeria was one of the casualties. My orange tree survives, but I lost my Avocado.

In '08 I suddenly lost my 49 year old son to a heart attack. In order to cope with my grief I volunteered at a local botanical garden(http://www.dunlawtonsugarmillgardens.org/). I did learn a lot about what grows locally when I was there doing potting and propagating. I actually redesigned their website, too. Here are a few pix from around my garden.

walking-iris.jpgThis is a Walking Iris Philippine Violet.jpg This was a volunteer, dropped by birds no doubt. I first grew it in a pot on my sun porch and after finding out what it was put it outside. It is a Philippine Violet and said to grow to 8 feet. Mine beside my door gets to about 5. by-steps.jpg The one you see in front of it is also a volunteer, Cuban Buttercup. This is a most delightful plant in about a 2'-3' bush.

bleeding-heart-vine.jpg Bleeding Heart Clerodendrum Vine. A survivor, was here when I moved in. Stunted by frost a few times, but frew back nicely.[FONT=arial, sans-serif] [/FONT]cashmere.jpg Cashmere Bouquet, another of the Clerodendrum family.

Well, I just got a notice that I've attached my limit of files for this post, so I will continue in another.
 
dbl-purple-datura.jpg Double purple datura, grows to a 5' bush at times, reseeds freely.
easter lilies.jpg Easter lilies bloom in June usually.
mex-bluebells-purple.jpg Mexican Bluebells. They love it here, bloom all the time and reseed. I also have pink ones, which are ruffled and a bit shorter. mexbluebells-close.jpg
rose.jpg And, of course, the roses. My Jacob's Coat climbs a trellis out front. Our Lady of Guadalupe is very pretty. But my two Knockouts aren't doing too good.

I hope you enjoyed your tour.
 
Beautiful photos Jan, thanks for sharing. :rose: I literally have some cheap fake flowers in pots 2 small pots outside, because I gave up trying to keep them alive with all the heat and drought...also, with us leaving on camping trips and not being able to care for them. :eek:
 
I have been trying to grow a little vegetable garden, and it seems like the weather is not being cooperative this year. Either it is too cold, too hot, or pouring down rain. And if it is not doing one of those three things, the squirrels are out there digging up my seeds for things like sunflowers and squash, and eating them.

I have a few roses growing, and one that had a blossom, but several of them, Tootsie, the Blue Heeler chewed up. Just WHY she would want to chew up a rosé, is beyond me, but she did. I am hoping that as the bushes get larger and hardier, she will abandon that plan.
I finally have some cucumbers coming up, that I sprouted in a container, so I am going to get them out in the garden when they get a little bit larger, and hopefully, we will have cucumbers.
 
Beautiful garden, Jan! Wish I had your natural green thumb. Last summer I moved from the high desert to the Midwest, and have had to relearn everything.
 
Jan..beautiful garden..a real dedication and commitment. I planted lots of flowers from seeds this year...not doing so well. Right now I have glads, lillies, sunflowers, geraniums and bee balm in bloom..not much else. I will post some pics if things ever really pop out in bloom.
 
My pics are still on the old 'puter but if you see Max's pic of him standing in the weeds, then cross it with the one below which is how it looks after it's been mowed with weedkiller you'll get the general idea of my 'garden'. :cool:

 
Stunning pix! Hope you keep those snakes at bay. We do here in Florida. Found a snakeskin by my house last year and took it be identified - cotton mouth rattler! We also battle the Gaudy Grasshopper, colorful but a voracious eater!
 
Stunning pix! Hope you keep those snakes at bay. We do here in Florida. Found a snakeskin by my house last year and took it be identified - cotton mouth rattler! We also battle the Gaudy Grasshopper, colorful but a voracious eater!

That's partly why I didn't even try to make a garden, it's Brown Snake Central around here and they're easier to spot on the gravel than in the grass. They don't chase you but I'm too damned slow now to get out of their way. :(
 
Stunning pix! Hope you keep those snakes at bay. We do here in Florida. Found a snakeskin by my house last year and took it be identified - cotton mouth rattler! We also battle the Gaudy Grasshopper, colorful but a voracious eater!

Cotton mouth rattler??? You're combining snakes. A cotton mouth is a common name for a water moccasin.Then there are several species of rattle snakes (rattlers). All the above are venomous though so be careful.
 
My pics are still on the old 'puter but if you see Max's pic of him standing in the weeds, then cross it with the one below which is how it looks after it's been mowed with weedkiller you'll get the general idea of my 'garden'. :cool:


Kinda like my lawn at present ...:D .. the garden does look a little better (or greener)
 
My pics are still on the old 'puter but if you see Max's pic of him standing in the weeds, then cross it with the one below which is how it looks after it's been mowed with weedkiller you'll get the general idea of my 'garden'. :cool:


Perfect inspiration for my rock garden...
 
Well, I'm totally sure about the "Cotton mouth" part of the name. Perhaps my old brain added the rattlesnake part!
Sorry 'bout that!
That's partly why I didn't even try to make a garden, it's Brown Snake Central around here and they're easier to spot on the gravel than in the grass. They don't chase you but I'm too damned slow now to get out of their way. :(
 
A Rose Mallow with an admirer.
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A not so close up view. Things are a bit wilted in this pic.
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A view from the yard
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