In the past I've called them Pinecone Gingers as well. My "pinecones" always started out green, with pretty little yellow flowers, but then "ripen" to a red.

Melanie, your butterfly garden looks so pretty and it sure appears like it fared very well while you were on vacation!

I currently have Blanket Flowers (Gaillardia pulchella) blooming in a container (from seeds that I saved from our old yard in Daytona.) I also have some Pentas that are blooming; small plants I bought after we moved here on May 1st but I haven't seen any butterflies visiting them yet. I rooted cuttings of Pagoda Flower (Clerodendron paniculautm) before we moved and they are doing well. They always attract butterflies and hummingbirds. We've been so busy since moving ...nand then we decided to get another puppy. My attention span is pretty awful as it is and now with the new little guy in the household I don't seem to ever get caught up with anything! He is growing quickly though and won't need so much supervision by this time next year. I'm hoping by next summer to have a bunch more of my container plants in the ground and also I hope the butterflies and hummers will show up in droves. My husband says he's hoping the Painted Buntings will visit which would be really wonderful ... I miss those beautiful little rainbow birds!

I just won 6th place in the latest raffle here on the site so I chose the $25 gift certificate from Victory Seed Co. and my seeds arrived yesterday! I ordered 2 packets each of Blanket Flower (Gaillardia aristata), Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica), Gayfeather (Liatris spicata) and a packet of Lime Basil and Ox-Eye Daisy. I also ordered a packet of purple carrot seeds and a packet of green bean seeds that I gave to my nephew to try in his vegetable garden. I think I saved seeds from Tropical Milkweed last year and I also think I might still have some Blanket Flower seeds but I'm not sure of the viability of either which is why I ordered more. The butterflies and hummers were always attracted to them at our old house.

Oh how I wish we could get at least one good downpour of rain here ... it seems like I watch the news every day and Vero and West Palm area seem to be inundated with rain but we stay dry.

The cones will turn red after the little flowers are finished, Molly. Pinecone ginger is another common name for this guy.

Shampoo Ginger (Zingiber zerumbet)

I call mine pinecone ginger as well. I got mine with Molly, so maybe thats what they called it that day. Whatever you call it, that goo inside makes the skin so soft, rub it on the dogs too. Hummers love hose little tiny white flowers, spreads like a champ. Love it

We've been getting some GOOD rain for a few hours now!

We do finally seem to be getting our turn now. It's been raining now since around 4. Nice rains, not gully washers that just run off. Boy do we ever need this! Last I looked before it got dark, we had an inch in the rain gauge. I'm pretty sure by morning it will have overflowed.
I won't have to water tomorrow!

Ann, glad you got rain!

Lin, congratulations on winning a raffle prize! Sounds like a good selection you chose. Make sure to share some pictures with us when everything is up and ready. And when you get those Painted Buntings!

Yes, we finally got some good solid rain for a while this evening, too. Phew!

Thanks Melanie.
Elaine!!!

Yes Lin, we want pictures when your seeds sprout!

We finally got some nice rain yesterday evening too!!

Lin!
The rain gauge overflowed as I expected. It's still raining but the dog has to go out sometime so we'll see if I can duck out & empty the gauge real quick so we can tell how much more we get from this point on.

Hardly something we ever say in Florida in August - it is beautiful and cool outside! It feels like it's below 80deg. even at mid-day! If it wasn't for the pouring rain, I'd be out there with my hands in the dirt. Uh oh, here comes the sun.

We've had well over 2in. of rain between last night and this morning. This storm seems to be just edging in towards the coast during the day and it recedes out over the Gulf at night. Wonder if the Gulf temperature has moderated with all the rain, and cloud cover during the day? We might have an early, cool (ish) fall if that happened.

It sure would be nice if that happened Elaine but I dunno; last I saw they predicted a warmer than normal August, September & October.

I know what you mean though about the temps. It sure has been nice having a good break form the blistering temps. plus the never ending sun drilling holes through your hide. I've greatly enjoyed these cloudy days.

My rain gauge hold 2.5" & since it overflowed last night I'm guessing we got at least 3". I woke numerous times overnight & it was always raining pretty good. It's been raining pretty much all day so far, with a few short breaks. Medium to light rain all day. It's getting brighter out there now but I think it's just a temporary break.

I never put much faith in those long-range forecasts, though. "They" can't have predicted this present situation happening, for example. This weather system has been hanging out offshore of us for at least 5 days already, and doesn't look to be moving away for a few more. I just checked the NOAA map of six offshore buoys nearest us, and the water temps have dropped between 4 and 6 degrees in the last week.

I'd really like to know how "they" come up with the predictions for hurricane season, too. When one dust storm in the Sahara can send an aerial layer of sand across the Atlantic that shuts down the development of hurricanes - how can they predict that stuff in February? I think it's just a conspiracy to keep people on the alert - not a bad thing but they look foolish come October and no major storms have shown up.

It's been raining here for about 2 hours ... nice, steady hard rains which are so welcome!

dyzzypyxxy said:I never put much faith in those long-range forecasts, though. "They" can't have predicted this present situation happening, for example. This weather system has been hanging out offshore of us for at least 5 days already, and doesn't look to be moving away for a few more. I just checked the NOAA map of six offshore buoys nearest us, and the water temps have dropped between 4 and 6 degrees in the last week.

I'd really like to know how "they" come up with the predictions for hurricane season, too. When one dust storm in the Sahara can send an aerial layer of sand across the Atlantic that shuts down the development of hurricanes - how can they predict that stuff in February? I think it's just a conspiracy to keep people on the alert - not a bad thing but they look foolish come October and no major storms have shown up.

All excellent points Elaine. And as we all call them the weather guessers then we know better than to put stock in their predictions.

Lin!
I think everyone in the state is getting something out of this thing. It's pouring here right now.

The rain has stopped here but we had a good drenching that lasted 2 or 3 hours! The plants are sooo happy!

Nothing here in NE. Fl.

So sorry, Tara. Maybe when this stalled front starts to move all this mess will make it rain where you are. My weather guy says Wednesday it will start getting back to a "more normal" summer pattern.

terrafirma said: Nothing here in NE. Fl.

Awwwwww Tara According to News 4 Jax they say tomorrow is your day. See:

Update from Blake Mathews

As expected, some of the models that were showing upwards of an 80 to 90% chance of showers for your Monday were way wrong. We've seen popcorn type showers popping up area wide but nothing very concentrated or heavy.

This evening, expect the showers to weaken and fade away making for a fairly dry and quiet night along the I-95 corridor. Overnight lows will drop into the mid 70s.

Tuesday should be one of the wetter days here locally and the rain chances reflect that. Look for highs to stay in the mid 80s under cloudy skies with periods of heavy showers rotating through the city. While it won't be area wide, I suspect the coverage of rain will be a bit greater for Tuesday than we've seen recently. Rain chances will be around 60% in Jacksonville and 80% once again along the I-75 corridor. Rainfall amounts should be generally between a quarter and a half inch with isolated higher amounts.