Spring Has Begun Part I
Posted: February 10, 2019 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: Australian Violet, Automatic Gardening, Fire Spike, Gardening, Gulf Coast gardening, leucojums, Mexican Knot Weed, Odontonema strictum, Paperwhites, Polygonum capitatum, snowflakes, Southern Gardening, subtropical climate, Subtropical Gardening, Viola hederacea, Wendy's Wish Salvia, Year-round gardening 26 Comments
Spring has started here along the Gulf Coast area. Snowflakes or leucojums are some of the first to bloom.
Wendy’s Wish Salvia has made a comeback from flooding rain and freezes. It didn’t bloom at all last year.
Paperwhites bloom along with Snowflakes. Both are bulbs that can survive our climate.
Fire Spike, Odontonema strictum begins its blooming in late winter. It is a hummingbird favorite. Most Fire Spikes are red like fire, but somehow I have pinkish purple one.
Violets, of course, are early bloomers and this Australian violet, Viola hederacea, is growing happily on rocks and the patio after relocating itself more than 5 feet from where it was originally planted. The first time I bought this plant, it was called Confederate Violet.
Mixed in with it, is what I have always called Mexican Knot Weed. As it turns out, the plant is from China not Mexico. Its proper name is Polygonum capitatum and its common names are Pink Button, Pink Knotweed, Pink Fleece, Pinkhead, Smartweed, Pink Clover and Punching Balls. I could not find the name Mexican Knot Weed, except on the single pot I bought over 20 years ago. This little plant came along when I moved by hitchhiking with another plant and it has popped up here and there all over the yard. In China it is used to cure many aliments.
Part II coming.
November Pinks
Posted: November 15, 2014 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: Ancore Azaleas, Automatic Gardening, Camellia, Confederate Rose, Gardening, Gulf Coast gardening, Japanese Anemone, Mexican Knot Weed, Pam's Pink turks cap, Penta, Pink Flamingo Feather Celosia, Pink Salvia, Wendy's Wish Salvia, Wishbone Flower, Year-round gardening 6 Comments
Pink is not usually a color associated with November and I was surprised to see how many pinks were in bloom this month. The garden favorite, Confederate Rose, begins the show. She only blooms in the fall.
Wendy’s Wish salvia will bloom in the spring, but it does bloom nicely in the fall and into the winter if the weather stays mild.
Pam’s Pink Turks Cap has continued blooming from late summer.
Camellias begin their bloom time in the fall. This one starts by Halloween.
Ancore Azaleas bloom on and off all year-round.
The Japanese Anemone is beginning to wind down after a couple of months of blooming.
The cutest little pom-poms develop on the Mexican Knot Weed.
This pink Wishbone had reseeded from last year’s plant.
Believe it or not, no pink Pentas were ever planted in the garden. There are white and red Pentas. Maybe they got together.
The Pink Salvia has been with me for a long time. Many years ago, a neighbor let me dig it up from her garden. I have moved since then and so has she.
Even though this is named Pink Flamingo Feather Celosia, it looks a tad purplish.
