Even down here in balmy Florida I have to go looking a bit to find some color these days. We have had afew cold nights down into the 40's and the plants really know it's time to sleep, for most of them. Another chilly weekend coming up too, high forecast for Sunday here is 60. That's capital W for Winter in Florida.

My Coleus are putting on a lovely show though.


I have several clumps of Matchstick bromeliads, Aechmea gamosephala coming into bloom now, too.

My sweet almond shrub doesn't seem to know anything about seasons and just keeps on blooming, and my one large Brugmansia 'Milk 'n Honey' had a lovely flush of bells this week, too.


Large shrub of Brazilian Red Cloak is in full bloom now. Oddly enough this one blooms again in the summer, too.


Last but not least, I'm starting more seeds for my Earth Boxes and the school garden, under lights on my living room coffee table, since it is conveniently located in front of a nice south-facing window that gets some sun at this time of year. Broccoli, kale, some new types of turnip called 'Silky Sweet', Mache salad greens and some zinnias for my llittle granddaughters who are coming to visit in February. Hope they can make it to blooming in 6 weeks! They both love purple so I have purple pansies, calabricoa and tiny blue violas as well as the zinnias. Going to put them in pots so I can protect them if it gets too cold. They're definitely staying indoors until after this weekend's cold snap.

Ohhh, thanks so much for your lovely start of the new garden etc thread for the new year. Elaine, I love it!
Such pretty Coleus and I love the seed starting trays.

Whoa, that Red Cloak is awesome, what a nice show of color for January - even in Florida.

This little succulent, Haworthia mirabilis is growing underlights with my orchids. I have had it about a year now and it has roughly doubled in size. It is just so dang cute!
And will you just look, it has a bloom spike! Oh my goodness.
Now I wouldn't know one Haworthia from another if it sat down next to me on my sofa but it is kinda of a neat looking little plant!
It is in a 2 1/2" pot and I got it out of the sales carts @ Matthaei Botanical Garden. It was $3 and as a member, I got 15% off. How sweet is that for under three bucks?!

I like that a lot! It is nice to see more of this type of Haworthias around, they seem to become more popular! Rightfully so!

This Hibiscus surprised me this morning with a nice bloom. I had cut the plant way down as I always do in the Fall, so I am able to shoe-horn everything back into their indoor spots.

love the saturated color in that one.

Well, its official...my Licuala spinosa has surpassed me in height.


As have many of my plumeria


Meanwhile, back at the ranch, my Licuala peltata var. sumawongii is in the same container it has been in for, oh, 9-10 years? (This is an advance in size believe it or not). Finally getting some 'entire' leaves. I'll check back in when I am 80 on this one


Batwing passiflora has climbed up to a height of about 12 feet

And Heliconia stricta 'Olviera's Sharonii' has a brother or sister coming

Ohhh, I love the Batwing Passi! I had that one years ago! It is hard not to want them all!!
Right now I only have only this one and it climbed all the way on to the top shelf in the greenhouse. I just got done watering and as I am looking up - to my delight it is blooming!!

Lovely, Ursula. When it's dry you could 'diddle' it a little bit with a small paintbrush and it might even set a fruit for you.

Sounds like a plan!
Last week my local farmer's market was selling super ripe Passion Fruits. I picked one up and seeded it out.

Forgive me for posting another pic of this hibiscus but I am thrilled I am getting this many flowers in January. The foliage looks like lace from snail damage, I am hoping the snail repellent I just put out helps.

Ursula I really like the blue on white passifloras!

Gina, me too!

Alice, I always enjoy looking at pretty Hibiscus! Hopefully you get the snail population under control!

ardesia said:Forgive me for posting another pic of this hibiscus but I am thrilled I am getting this many flowers in January. The foliage looks like lace from snail damage, I am hoping the snail repellent I just put out helps.

Alice; You could turn your Snail invasion into some $$
https://www.etsy.com/listing/5...

ugh the worst kind of meat!
Too bad snails turn their noses up at invasive stuff like air potato and coral berry and concentrate on whatever your favorite plants are. I don;t think my silver veined Monstera dubia that got munched by snails is going to recover. I have the stub of the vine still potted we'll see, cuttings I took did not take

I put out some organic snail and slug bait, we'll see how that works. My dog likes it , I hope the snails do also.

Very funny, Glenn!

I've got a single plumeria in bloom, Pizzazz. She's not nearly as vibrant as she'll be in mid-summer, but that's expected. The vast majority of my plumeria are leafless and dormant. The second photo is Pizzazz last July.


Plumeria rubra MM's Pizzazz