OK Tara - I have babies!!!!

It's Kalanchoe thyrsiflora, aka K. tetraphylla.

And I need to write that down somewhere where I won't lose it!!!!

I would have to write that down myself, very cool looking tho.

So I won all these caladium bulbs in the Caladium photo contest last month. I mean, Bill sent me a whole BOX full of big fat bulbs!

Here's an edging I planted of one cultivar 'Florida Beauty'. I was amazed at how fast they came up, and how many different leaf patterns they have, too. I'll also be really curious to see how long they last into the winter, being planted this late.

VERY nice Elaine! They're beautiful & I love the coloring on those particular ones. I'm going to bet they'll go into November for you.

I love them too! Caladiums are one of my favorites. Alot of bang for the buck,,and care they take.

I just repotted 6 tomato startings I was gifted along with 6 others I had kept going from cuttings. Of course, before I could do any of that I had to pull the zillion weeds out behind the shed where the potting bench is. I need to find ground cover for back there. No irrigation & a bit further than hose can reach so it has to survive on rain. Plenty of shade.

Next is getting a few larger plants into the ground.

Sure wish it was a bit cooler out!!!!

It's coming, Jean, it's coming! Really nice and cool with a breeze this morning for a while here. Now I have Heliconias that need to be planted that I rousted out of the gravel walkway yesterday morning . . . I waited too long yesterday and didn't get them planted before the rain came. Uh oh! I hear 'tap, tap, tap' on the kitchen skylight already. Hope it's just a little shower.

It was very pleasant here this morning too.

Well darn, I'm north & nothing cool about this weather... Came in abt 30 min ago & was practically melted. Still more holes to dig but they will have to wait till tomorrow AM.

Had to cut 1 sm tree out of it's pot. Had some of the hugest roots I've ever seen. Needed a much larger hole than I had planned on digging. Moved an Althea to a sunnier spot where it will get watered when I'm out doing the pots.

Tomorrow the White Plumbego & purple butterfly bush have to get planted, but need to move a couple small plants 1st.

I'm with you Jean; sort of wondering what they're talking about with the great weather. While it wasn't exactly hot here this morning, I could surely tell if you were put working in it, you would be dripping with tongue lolling. And we're now @ 92.4 degrees. I say it's nap time.

Ok, you're right it's still summer. I ventured out to plant those Heliconias and it had rained a bit, then the sun came out and it was an instant sauna. Luckily it clouded over again while I finished my planting project, and now it's raining again.

But it really was nice this morning, honest!

it was nice this morning. It is a sign that things are changing but we have a little ways to go yet.

I found it particularly hot today as well. Im looking for the cool weather, but that means the holidays are coming, and that means cleaning.. cooking.. cleaning.. stress.. cleaning....Ive never dreaded it this early in the year....until this year. There is a light at the end of that tunnel tho Then the thoughts can go straight to the garden.

Pam, ya just gotta tell your family you're coming to their house for the holidays. That way they do the cooking, cleaning and stressing. Sometimes I cook at their house, but they still do all the prep, shopping, cleaning and planning . . . no stress.

Kidding aside, we have a 'rotation' going on whereby one year we go there (Salt Lake City, which I hate because it's cold and I have to leave warm Florida), the next year they come here (that's my year to stress . . . and cook etc. ) and the third year we all stay home and send gifts and do a lot of Skype-ing.

Caladium 'Gingerland' is my favorite, (more prize bulbs from Bill) Philo pastazanum is going crazy making huge leaves.

That sounds like a great rotational plan Elaine. You should institute something like that Pam.

Love the Gingerland!

We get out of the "Hosting" end cause the house is small. We I bought this place I was more interested in the barn for the horses, which has more square feet under roof than the house does. Plus I didn't need a big house as it was just me and the dogs/cats at the time.
I will be happy enough with just a little cool off, in no hurry to have to move plants into the greenhouse or deal with frosts/ freezes.

I like the Gingerland also. Anything with freckles I like !

Philo pastazanum is phantastic !!

Here's my P. gloriosum it's really taken off this year.



Philo Jose Buono, X. monstruosum ( Mickey Mouse Taro) and Brom.Kyoto with a Hoya in the background.

Just gorgeous, Mj. I still have not rescued my Gloriosum from the border, but I did give it a little fert today . .. I was potting up two new plumerias between rain storms.

My broms like that are blooming now, too. I was too wet, dirty and sweaty today to pick up the camera. Gave my neighbor some starts of that Brom 'Kyoto' a while back and he planted them under a tree where they get full morning sun until about 11am. Last spring he had the most amazing display of flowers on them I've ever seen. His leaves are not as nice as mine - paler green so the variegation doesn't show up as much - and the flowers don't last as long in the sun, but . . just so you know. I'm going to try a few out front for next spring and see what happens.

Elaine mine are in a couple different spots. But all mostly get shifting sun/shade, shade is mostly during the middle of the day.

I'm going to have to unpot the Gloriosum and re-situate in the pot, it's trying to grow over the edge.