Cactus Monday

This time I did a little work in my succulent garden before taking photos for the blog. Last year referred to this little stretch of my garden as my pathetic succulent garden. It does get kinda sad looking during the winter.


Last time I posted a photo of my Jade tree people got excited! LOL This is one of the first plants I bought after moving to Florida in 2001. I just realized that it is starting to get a bit leggy but I still like it!

My zig zag plant is growing like crazy. It's actually snuck through a lattice in the jasmine arbor and I can't get it out without bodily injury, LOL.

My Christmas cactus is creating buds so I guess it's a late Easter cactus instead!

Green Thumb Sunday

This was my Sunday surprise today. I've been really good at staying off my foot all morning and rewarded myself 5 minutes of digicamera in the garden. I heard a bang agaisnt the screen porch door as I came around the corner and was greeted by a Black Racer. Scared the heck outta me! I think I screamed and then Eddie took off after it. Luckily he didn't catch it. I wasn't quick enough to photo it so I borrowed the photo from: oops, I lost the link.

The most colorful hybiscus in my yard. It is a real survivor. conan chopped it down once, a frost got it a couple years ago, and jerry broke/damaged it pulling out a rouge vine. It may be a weak shrub but the flowers are gorgeous.

My staghorn ferm. I am thinking if we remove the propane tank, which we do not use because we don't heat our pool, then I may cosolidate all my ferns creating a fern garden! When I bought this one a couple years ago it only had two leaves - or was that last year?? I purchased the most unusual items from this lady who lives near my friend Christina. She has an awsome yard and sells plants she has propegated. Her sale was probably yesterday because it usually coincides with Green Thumb Festival :(

My Christmas cactus which is actually an Easter cactus but blooms more like a Mother's Day cactus. Let's just call it a holiday cactus and be done with it!

This plant was delivered to my Dad's house when my step mother died. You just wouldn't believe how many plants were delivered to the house on top of everthing at the funera home. No kidding, there were probably 50 plants. Most were what one would think of as houseplants but in my climate they are lkiving outside. Dad is still keeping a dozen or so alive. Since we drove to Arkansas we were able to bring a few back and I created a Bessie garden. A cold night took out a couple of them and I moved the bromeliad to my new bromeliad border but I still have two "Bessie" plants in a corner by the pool - it's a reflective area of my garden.

My Pathetic Succulent Garden

It's a bit humid in Florida for succulents but I have had a fascination with them since I was a kid so I try :) These are a few shots of part of my succulent garden but keep in mind that I haven't worked outside yet. It does get better.

Second photo is the shady side of my succulnt garden. Basically my garden is that strip of unusable space between the walkway on the side of the house and the fence. You can see I used pots, stands, and the fence to create different levels.

First photo is an upcoming bloom off this very prickly cactus. I found a piece of this plant in the street in St. Petersburg near the Coast Guard base after someone had done some cleaning of their yard and dropped a piece. My hands were a mess by the time I got home due to the hard to see thorns.

Fourth photo is one of my succulent wreaths. I've had this wreath for about 4 or 5 years. I bought two of them at the Green Thumb festival (annual event every April meaning it's coming up soon!) and have managed to keep things alive but have battled to keep soil in the frame.

Third photo is a closer up of the plants on the ground. My Easter cactus is setting buds but not sure you can see. Look at the red cactus - I bought it from a woman who sells starts from her yard once a year. You should see her yard!