Fall Gardening in Florida

Today was a day to get out in my garden, rake a few leaves and cut back some overgrown branches. I found that my "Secret Garden" was in need of some TLC.... When Ellen and Ted visited a couple of years ago, she aptly named it for me. I had to trim back some of the growth on the jasmine at the entrances so that I could get in there easily and not have to bend down too far! In the photo, you see an adiition to the garden this summer, a Passion Flower. Today, there were blossoms, as well as caterpillars present. The leaves provide a great banquet for the life cycle of butterflies. One of the purposes of my garden to present plenty of food for all the stages of their life cycle. As I worked on the pathway and the garden, several winged species flittered around me. I received an early birthday gift a couple of days ago, two wonderful amaryllis bulbs... one called Dancing Queen, a red/white hue( a red pot) ; the second named Hercules, the color violet( a green pot). These are authentic Dutch bulbs, straight from the Kukenhof gardens in Holland, a grand gift indeed! I planted those babies this morning, watered them nicely, then left them in partial shade to start their growth!!! If you have never watched this kind of bulb, you need to. Growth happens almost right in front of your eyes. One bulb already had a tip started, so it will be great fun to watch the daily progress. The beauty it will show, from that ugly ball with dried up roots is miraculous indeed. Just as babies grow in the womb, "my" flowers are growing, ready to spring forth beautiful blossoms! oh, the wonder of gardening!!!!! I am delighted that I will not have long to wait...just a few short weeks. I shall keep you updated on the progress of the blooms when they appear.