I love the epi's! They look like dancing ladies.

So many events this weekend! What are you guys up to? Normally, I would be at the USF Botanical Gardens Plant Festival, but I've been so many times, I'm trying somewhere new. Today, Dad and I are taking his truck over to Wilcox Nursery in Largo. The Pinellas Chapter of the FL Native Plant Society will be there, along with Restless Natives Nursery who will be selling "Got Milkweed?" tee-shirts. I think some of you have been to Wilcox before as I think I've heard it mentioned. I've been wanting to go over there for a long time as they are a native plant nursery. I've got a list, and I'll let you guys know what I come back with! Now get out there and enjoy this weather and this weekend!

I am headed to the USF sale as usual.

How I wish I could go to either one but we have guests. I will be enjoying the weather but nothing plant related.

The Vanilla Orchids are in bloom all over the place. Makes me want to get on a chair with a q-tip to pollinate them all!

Nice, Hetty! I have killed every vanilla I've tried...yours is gorgeous!

Yep, me too. Can't grow them outside here, it gets too cold in the winter. Hetty is just that little bit further south that her temps are not as cold when it gets cold.

You'd have a bumper crop from it, if you could get them pollinated, Hetty. The other reason I haven't tried again with that one is the flowers are only open for a day, so unless I have a place I can let it climb and ramble, it's not much use to grow it.

That is beautiful Hetty!

Here is my amaryllis in pots

Beautiful Vanilla Orchid and beautiful drop dead red Amaryllis.

I've been to Lowe's a few times this week and had to give in to temptation! I also had a few things I actually needed. And of course, I took lots of pictures for the plant database! My Lowe's had quite a few plants that weren't in the plant database or didn't have pictures yet. So get out to your local garden centers and nurseries and see what they've got! In particular, I saw Hibiscus, Caladiums, Canna Lilies, and Salvias that weren't pictured. Oh, and if you're a fan of Mandevillas, they have so many cultivars!

I didn't have a Hibiscus, and I couldn't pass up this 'Fort Myers Yellow'.



I got a little scared when I saw these guys today, but our Super Sleuth Janet told me they were Katydid nymphs!



My Brugmansia is blooming again!



Looking at the other side, you can see the Purple Firespike. I saw the hummingbird on it today.

They're beautiful Melanie!

Nice brug, Melanie. Mine must be the same variety as yours (but I don't know its name, either). Have you gone out at night to smell the fabulous scent? The flowers open wide like cartoon characters at night, too, then close halfway again in the morning. Here's mine this morning, and just a few minutes ago.


Alocasia (or Caladium?) Hilo Beauty, and my favorite Caladium 'Gingerland'


I've got a huge plant of Purple Firespike, and have never seen a single hummer or butterfly anywhere near it. Also this orange thing that I thought was Mexican Flame looks like it should attract butterflies too, but again, Nada!

You have beauties too Elaine! What a nice variety you have!

I'll have to remember to stop and smell the Brugmansia! I can't even remember where I bought mine, and that's pretty unusual. But I've had it for years. I was going through some old photos yesterday and saw one of the Brug that dated back to 2009.

I actually bought the Purple Firespike because they have some at USF Botanical Gardens. Mom and I were there for some event and we just stood there watching all the butterflies, mostly Swallowtails, on it. I bought it for that mostly, but I thought if the hummingbirds like it, that's just a bonus! I think this is the third year for the Purple Firespike; it took off pretty fast!

Melanie, is your purple firespike almost as tall as the brug? I just planted one this spring, but had no idea they could get that tall Beautiful, but I'll have to keep an eye on it. Love your yellow hibiscus - they are striking!

Elaine, I picked up what I thought was a gingerland caladium recently, but when I looked it up, it was Miss Muffett. Still pretty, but I'd like to add some gingerland at some point. That vine sure is pretty, maybe the butterflies haven't found it yet?

I have been spotting butterflies and that makes me happy. They have been scarce to non exsistant in the past few years. I even saw giant swallowtail on the meyer lemon. Its the only reason I keep that tree.

I have brugs all over, just for the smell. One of the biggest is just outside my bedroom door, in the bed inside the screen. You can just lay there with the door open and inhale. I will say, the last two nights...and days, Ive had to shut that door tho, getting to hot and humid.

Pam - proofread! I think you mean "shut"!

Ibis, the Purple Firespike is indeed as tall as my Brug. The ones at USF are pretty tall, too, but they have a lot of room to spread, as well.

Ibis, the Purple Firespike actually takes pruning very gracefully. It will be bushier and bloom more if you keep it low. I found this out after I suffered it being tall and leggy for a couple of years. Just cut it down to knee height, and it's bounced up and done SO much better.