Jim,
That's one gorgeous bougainvillea. I never have luck with them. They do well all spring summer, then I lose them over the winter. I've given up.

The bananas look yummy !

Wow, that looks gorgeous!! I can just imagine looking at it close up!
And yes, I like those bananas too!

Lovely, Jim! Is that your thornless bougie? The other kinds are really vicious, although still beautiful. They like to be pruned in order to bloom well though . . donning armor helps with that.

Gloriosa lilies starting to open - the Samba Pah- Ti begins! Wonderful texture on Zingiber collinsii, I call it my corduroy ginger, as the leaves are ribbed as well as striped.


We did get some rain today, the Agapanthus is just starting, too. Purple firespike took years to get going but is really in its glory this year.


Brugmansia 'Charles Grimaldi' has a whole new flush of blooms, they are white when they open, very pale yellow at this stage, but they will be deep gold/orange in a day or two. So fragrant in the evenings.

So pretty! I hope my Brug blooms soon this year. It overwintered in the garage and is now greening out.

We took a walk this afternoon in the Ramapo mountains to check on the Cyp acaule. They were in full bloom and they were plentiful.I took tons of pictures, but I liked this group the best.
In this habitat you don't see conifers, but lots of low shrubs of Blueberries and Mountain Laurels.

great shots!

Elaine, yes, that's the thornless bougie. I still love your Gloriosa lilies! Lots of rain here today and more expected tomorrow. What a blessing it is in the middle of May.

Ursula, great pics! The one of the trail through the trees looks like a painting. Beautiful!

Jim

Thanks. I always like this time of year. So nice to see what's coming up.

For sure, your Ramapo shots are lovely, Ursula. The Cyps are delightful, but I'd love a sniff of those violets! That's a real "springtime" smell to me.

Today I have actually truly something from our small garden, these are the Bletilla striata on our ( South facing) house wall. I am happy they came back after this very cold Winter. The white ones with the variegated leaves take a little longer, but some of the fuchsia colored ones are opening.

Very nice. I had a few Bletillas last year but didn't see any of them this year. I wonder where they went??

Jim

Bletia purpurea just getting ready to open here.



Passiflora Incense



Coral baleria came from Elaine last year....I love it. It's actually a little more red than the photo.


And a noid Rose Mallow...these love wet soil and the heat, come back reliably every year, and HUGE blooms 8-10 in. across. I love that it basically takes care of itself.

Interesting that your Bletillas are blooming the same week as Ursula's, Mj. We sure have had some late cool fronts come through this spring. Another one this weekend, where a weatherperson actually said we "might get to sleep with the windows open one more night". Glad your coral Barleria is doing ok, I only get the odd flower here and there, but at least it doesn't take over, just stays in the light shady part of the border. I think if it was in more sun it might bloom more, but it just won't grow there.

The variegated foliage on your white Bletillas is really pretty, Ursula.

I have Louisiana Iris, Thai caladiums and the coral Spiral Ginger getting ready to bloom.

Thanks.
Bletia is different from Bletilla. Nice one, MJ.
I am partial to the pretty Passiflora incense!

Elaine, pretty stuff!

Ah, yes I didn't read Mj's post carefully enough. Bletia still looks quite a lot like Bletilla, though, don't you think?

Here's my Synandrospadix vermitoxicum, affectionately known over on the Aroids forum as "the wormkiller". Two flowers this year, I may get seeds!


Begonia 'Corallina de Lucerna', pretty little flowers on Pinstripe Ginger, and my tall Canna that was supposed to be 'Stuttgart' with fabulous white variegation on the leaves. I've ordered it twice and never had a vestige of variegation on any leaf . . but I do like the delicate flowers.

Synandrospadix vermitoxicum - say that one three times fast! Neat plant!

Love that ginger!

Elaine, What are you feeding that Worm Killer

Ummmm., anybody see a Pink bloom of ? in my post above ( http://garden.org/thread/view_... ) which should be a Coral Baleria ?

Not my photo, I don't even have that plant, yet when you click on it my Coral Baleria shows up ?

Just a tablespoon of Osmocote in the spring (about a month ago now). That's all it gets all year. It would probably make more leaves if I cut off the flowers, but I like them.

I'm just seeing the Coral Barleria photo in your post, Mj.

This is what's showing up on my computer, I downloaded just to see if it would show this, or the C. baleria...........strange....

That's my shot of Purple Firespike from further up the page - Post # 614256. Yes, very strange!