Jim, The "bush you inherited" appears to be Raphiolepis indica. Mine is in full bloom now too.

I didn't inherit any bush but on your authority, I'll insist that Ted dig it up and send it to me.

Jim

Lovely show, Ted. I am jealous of your clivia! I've had a couple of yellows, and a couple of orange ones, (gifts from my kids) and they seem to just peter out on me. Guess I can blame the weather, right?

Just ran out to check on the one I have left - wouldn't you know, it is going gangbusters, has 5 large rosettes of leaves, but . . . no sign of flowers! Neither coming or going (at least I didn't miss them) I wonder if I let it dry out a bit in this warm weather we're having it will get inspired to flower?

I am enjoying the Show!!
Around here the trees are blooming and in general things are finally busting out! Looks pretty driving around and seeing pink or white trees and there is green!!!
I spent a few hours today weeding my garden. I need to start my herb garden from scratch, I dug almost everything over in that corner.

Thanx. Our Clivia is in a spot where it does not get water from the sprinklers, so it gets hosed maybe twice a week at most.

Oh Jim, if you get a large heavy package from California....it didn't come from me.

Sorry Guys! Shows how short my attention span is. My Raph. is winding down now. Usually it's done by the time the roses start their growth, and I trim it back, but this year everything is off schedule.

Fabulous roses, Carol. D'you know the name of the red one?

That's a really pretty flower bed.

The red one is 'Taboo', a florist rose. The buds are black, and it opens to that deep, velvety red. It's similar to 'Mr. Lincoln'. I've never been able to get it in a picture, and of course I took that shot in full sun. The heat and winds are trashing all of my plants, and they just extended the red flag warning till tomorrow evening. I'm just leaving my potted plants where they fall, after 4 days of this. Sigh.

We spent some time yesterday and today at our Pennsy place. Springtime is just about starting there, the Coltsfoot blooms ( leaves emerge later) are up and Claytonias are blooming along the path though the woods. Trilliums are emerging with some buds just opening. Mayapples look fine and there is the Goodyera pubescens. Hopefully that one will bloom this Summer.

Wow! Way ahead of zone 4-5!!!

Looks like spring has arrived! Nice shots.

Thanks!
We were happy to see our place coming nicely through this Winter. It is almost exactly one year after the major break-in we had. And our neighbor on the next hill has been spreading the word that dumping garbage in our woods is not tolerated. He has been literally policing the street. It is working. Not a single piece of garbage, not even a beer can!

What a great neighbor! You are so lucky, we have low-lifes that throw beer and pop cans and plastic bottles from their cars, and we are nearly in the city! Didn't their mothers teach them a thing??

Ursula, what is the pretty plant with the low patterned leaves against the background of dead leaves in your 1st pic, second row? It looks amazingly like my little jewel orchid Macodes petola.

I have a curious plant blooming right now, Synandrospadix vermitoxicum. As the name implies, its known as The Wormkiller. Ancients used it as a cure for intestinal parasites, so the story goes.

You mean this plant? That is the Goodyera pubescens. I planted it many years ago, it always looks fine but hasn't been blooming lately.


Your Wormkiller looks like a very neat Arum!

Elaine that is a very cool plant!

Thanks, Kathy. My most cool plants are the ones I ignore so they do their own thing. The ones I fuss over are sickly wimps. Or maybe they're sickly wimps and that's why I fuss over them?

Ursula, here's a pic (sorry about the focus) of my little jewel orchid. Don't you think the leaves are very similar? What are the flowers like on your Goodyera?


This is a pretty little begonia 'Maurice Amy' that I got as a cutting last fall. It has earned itself a new pot today. See how red the new foliage is!

Nice plants all. I have to take the time and get out there with the camera

I like Begonias, pretty one!
Elaine, both Goodyera pubescens and Macodes petola have very pretty leaves, but the pattern is different. Here is a bit more about the Goodyera
http://www.orchidspecies.com/g...
Paul Martin Brown ( Wild Orchids of the North Eastern United States) lists also Pennsylvania as its habitat and so I tried to re-introduce it to our woods, since we didn't find any. The pictures are old, but I hope you get the idea.

Wow! That is a tall flower spike. It really must be a sight to behold when there is a colony of those in bloom!

Couple more of my begonias are coming along. B. Carolina de Lucerna has large luminous flowers (although the plant is looking rather sad) B. Sophie Cecile has pink spots on her new leaves.

Ursula, I always enjoy pictures of your Pennsy place. Such a quiet little slice of heaven!

Elaine, that reminds me that I have two new begonias to pot. Tons of rain today and we needed every drop. It is the middle of the dry season and this will save me hours of hose time.

As for my garden, the daylilies are blooming:


The loblolly bay is beginning to bloom:


The yellow bells (aka yellow elder) brightens up the garden.


The native Florida sweetbay magnolia is blooming. It was 10 feet out into the lake during the last rainy season but recovered nicely.


Someone gave me this hanging basket last fall and I have it hanging under a oak tree. I have no idea as to the name of the plant .


Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost' brightens up a shady spot.


Gardenias by the front door. The fragrance greets visitors as they come and go.


And of course the jacaranda tree. When in full bloom, it is a traffic stopper.


Jim