While most of the country is blanketed in snow and ice, we have a colorful mix of blooming plants in our Florida front yard!
Wow! What a difference 2 years can make! The picture below is from March 2019. We had owned the house for a year, but we were still “snowbirds” at that time.
In this one, Dave had just trimmed the pigmy palms. They do look sad, don’t they! And the front looks so barren! I am sure no one could tell a former florist lived there!
And now, we have replaced the pigmy palms in the front yard with Christmas palms. I have added a number of patio pots. Truthfully, some of these really belong in the lanai but since it is still under renovation, they are “vacationing” in the front yard! A bit of information about our backyard renovation can be found here:
Having gardened in Zone 6 A most of my life, I am still having a bit of a problem getting my head around gardening in Zone 10 which is considered the tropics! I still do a double take when I check the tags on the geraniums and they say “will bloom Fall through Spring”!
Two weeks ago, I went to Walmart and purchased a few new plants. The pot of kalanchoes had four plants in it so I divided them among 4 different planters and added a succulent and a decorative heart on a stake. I added a hot pink geranium to two of the pots.
I love these vintage wrought iron hearts ! They belonged to my paternal grandmother. Dave tried to throw them in the metal recycling when we were still in Illinois! Fortunately for him , I found them before the pile of metal left the farm. They are currently flanking this wrought iron bench.
What is that I spy nestled in the planter of Diamond Frost? Yes, it is a Peach Glitter Poinsettia! And yes, it is almost Valentine’s Day! I guess I have a Valentine Poinsettia! This one started out as a Thanksgiving poinsettia! You can read about how I made dish gardens with it here
I don’t know, maybe I will have an Easter Poinsettia! It is certainly holding up well here in Florida! The picture below is from a photo shoot in November when I first got the poinsettia and before I divided the Diamond Frost. The picture above was taken a week ago.
Picture below is a patio pot of Diamond Frost and Supertunia that I potted last October. I wrote about how I potted it here:
This is how the planter looks today! It is the one in the front. I am not sure what is going on with the leaves of the hibiscus . I may need to spray them with something.
A few more shots of the front yard
And as much as I love my farmhouse in Illinois, I certainly don’t miss the winter landscape!
I would be so lost in knowing what to plant in a tropical zone! A relearning process all over again, I’m sure! Happy planting and weekend, friend! It’s 16 here, feels like 3 with heavy snow forecast for next week. Enjoy that warmth and sunshine where you are!
It has been a learning process! There were several things I would have brought with me from Illinois but they just couldn’t take the heat! I know it is cold up there! I am hoping it warms up by next month when I head back! I still have several days of work to do at the farm that involves being in the unheated outbuildings! Hope you are staying warm!
All of your flowers are so pretty! I don’t have a green thumb! We have had so much snow in the midwest it’s so refreshing looking at all your flowers! Stay cool I hear it’s been warm in Florida.
Thank you, Mary Anne! I know there has been so much snow in the Midwest! I have been keeping an eye on it. I need to get back to Illinois but I really don’t want to drive in all the mess! Thanks for reading!