Red and Orange Blooms
Posted: June 5, 2023 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: abelmoschus moschatus, Ablemosha, African Blood Lily, cigar plant, Cuphea ignata, Hibiscus coccineus, Malvariscus arboreus v. Drummondii, Scadoxus multiflorus, shrimp plant, Texas Star Hibuscus 17 Comments
The Texas Star Hibiscus has begun to bloom. The big flowers are a stand-out in the garden, but each flower only lasts one day.
I had featured Shrimp plants previously and sure enough, the red Shrimp bloomed after I posted.
Abelmoschus moschatus is back and blooming.
Even though the Peruvian Lily makes a pretty flower, it is one plant I wish I had never added to my garden. It comes up all over, hardly ever blooms, and the plants’ deep roots and tubers need to be dug out of the ground to remove the plants.
The poor Cigar Plant, Cuphea ignata, had a long struggle coming back from the freeze and is finally making flowers. It is the number one favorite of Hummingbirds.
The current stars of the garden are the African Blood Lilies. The plants have been very reliable and have multiplied over the years.
The flower grows from a bulb and is the size of a softball or maybe a bit bigger.
September Flowers
Posted: September 26, 2022 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: abelmoschus moschatus, Amberique bean, Automatic Gardening, Cardinal Flower, Gulf Coast gardening, Mexican Sunflower, Southern Gardening, Subtropical Gardening, Tithonia, Year-round gardening, Zinnias 22 Comments
It is so nice to still have a yard full of flowers, especially after a vacation in the North where leaves were beginning to fall. Of course, the temperatures are in the 90s, but one can’t have it all. The Zinnias, that decided a better place to grow was in the driveway bed, are putting on a nice display over hot concrete.
I thinned out and cut back the Cardinal Flowers early in the season and they are putting on a very controlled presentation attracting the migrating hummingbirds.
The Amberique Bean I mentioned in a previous post as running amok is flowering like crazy. The tiny flowers are so sweet and make a good substitute for Sweet Peas that do not like our climate.
The Mexican Sunflowers or Tithonia have skyrocketed and are taller than me. This was the only flower I could photograph.
The Abelmoschus moschatus is an odd plant that blooms on and off all summer. It is related to hibiscus and each flower lasts for just one day. I have been trying to get a good grouping so it will look as if it is always blooming. I do have many more flowers in bloom, these are a few that caught my eye.
Pot O’ Volunteers
Posted: October 28, 2018 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: abelmoschus moschatus, Automatic Gardening, Clown Flower, Gardening, Golden Dewdrop, golden dewdrop duranta, Gulf Coast gardening, penta lanceolata, Southern Gardening, subtropical climate, Subtropical Gardening, summer pansy, Torenia fournieri, Wishbone Flower, Year-round gardening 15 Comments
The black pot had been sitting in a bed in the front yard for several years. Its purpose was to hold the Golden Dewdrop Duranta (the tallest plant). Over time some, volunteers decided the large pot would be a great place to grow. White Penta and Abelmoschus Moschatus seeds dropped in. Even the Passion Flower is attracted to the pot. Luckily for them, I love volunteers and the plants have a happy place to grow.
Another volunteer that I am thrilled with is the Wishbone Flower (Torenia fournieri). Its tiny seed is able to lie low all winter and germinate when the temperature rises. Its nickname is Summer Pansy, as it is too hot to have real pansies here in the summer.
Shortly after photographing the pot full of volunteers, I came across another Abelmoschus volunteer growing in the cobble rocks. It was quickly moved to a bed. Volunteers are a great way to keep the garden full.
Abelmoschus
Posted: October 27, 2015 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: abelmoschus moschatus, Automatic Gardening, Gardening, Gulf Coast gardening, Passalong Plant, Year-round gardening 1 CommentAbelmoschus moschatus makes a pretty flower. It is in the Malvaceae family and is related to hibiscus and okra. This plant has been drifting around the garden for years and I really can’t remember how or where I got. I think it was probably a passalong plant and I do remember passing it along to others.
The Abelmoschus has popped up in the yard again and I dispersed the seeds to different locations. The top photo has the plant growing in a bed that receives sun part of the day. The very red Ablemoschus, is growing in a self-watering pot in the driveway getting high heat and sun. Are the colors different because of sun exposure and soil? Anyway, I will be collecting the seeds and see if I can get a colony started again.
Automatic Gardening & Real Gluten Free Food 