Well, we sure got behind with our new threads here in Florida, didn't we? Although it's not quite 2017 yet, I'll take the liberty of starting one.

Anybody harvesting tomatoes?


I also have a few nice things in the flower department going on - my brugs always love this kind of weather:
Milk 'n Honey smells so good.

Ground orchids - Spathoglottis - are blooming away - again they seem to really like the cool nights.

Elaine, thanks for starting a new thread. I don't get here every day but look forward to seeing our Florida friends posting.

We seem to be in a Florida Indian Summer here. Unusually warm weather for December in my area. Much like last year. We've had no more than 5 days this month of close to freezing temps, and now this past week, some days hit almost 80. My turks cap thinks it's spring and have started making new leaves as have the angel trumpets and several other plants/bushes. Blanket flowers are blooming.

In mid-November I moved all the tenders into the guest house. My desert flowers are in full bloom in there and 2 vanda orchids are blooming. I have some trays that I had put seeds in that are doing well.

It always scares me with these late warm spells about what the future brings for cold temps. January and February aren't here yet.

I'm with you, it's forecast to be a high of 63 and low of 42 here on Friday, so you may yet get a freeze up there! We've had the a/c running here today, but will probably have to turn on the heat for the weekend.

You're a terrible tease telling us about your blooming Vandas and desert roses without showing us pictures, Molly! That's like telling a little kid you have candy and not giving them any . . .
I still have a rather ratty Canna blooming.

Very pretty color on that canna Elaine. You don't often see that cherry red.

Thanks for the new thread, Elaine!

While we did get some unexpected rain the other night, it has been very dry here. And we all know that makes the bougainvilleas bloom! They've been outstanding all around the neighborhood. Ours isn't looking too shabby, either. Mom picked this color out so I refer to it as her bougainvillea, even though she doesn't do anything but admire it. Okay, she also buys a lot of the plants for the garden so I consider her my patroness. Gotta keep the financiers happy!

Winter? We don't know what that is!

Hibiscus 'Ft. Myers Yellow'



Abutilon spp. The Zebra Longwings and the hummingbirds love this one.



Brugmansia getting ready to bloom again. It will be a little darker pink than this.

Beautiful, Melanie - I love the color of your Mom's bougainvillea and that yellow hibiscus is a knockout!

I have an Abutilon that blooms with flowers the same color as yours but haven't seen any butterflies visiting it. Mine has variegated leaves so I'm thinking maybe it has sterile flowers too - they wouldn't have any pollen or nectar.

I picked a whole quart of those little 'Sun Gold' tomatoes yesterday and gave them to my cleaning lady since we've eaten so many we're getting tired of them. It's such a trial to have "too many" vine ripe tomatoes in January, huh??

I'm pretty sure we had "winter" last Friday for a day and a night - see, I had to schlep a whole bunch of my orchids into the house so their buds wouldn't blast. Here's my new one opened today for New Year's with her sister ready to pop tomorrow:

Beautiful, Elaine.

Here's more of my Brugmansia.



And it's that time of year when the Portea alatisepala blooms. It's a bromeliad, FYI.

Becky, does that Brug have any fragrance. I have a single emlon colored one that is just heaven. My pink doubles, like in your picture, dont smell at all. I was going to get rid of them this spring.

Pretty flowers on the bromeliad.

Think of you alot, if finally got zebra longwings!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Im giving up alot of daylily space to feed the butterflies and birds.

The Brug is mine! And no, I never smell anything from it. People say to try at night, but I never smelled anything then, either. Congrats on the Zebra Longwings!

Beautiful ladies!!

Melanie, I love that Portea, really gorgeous! One of these days I'm going to have to try growing Abutilon, I love those pretty blooms!

Elaine, lovely Orchid ... do you know the name? It looks a lot like a noid Catt I've had for years; mine doesn't bloom often due to lack of care. I'm such a bad plant person, letting them fend for themselves most of the time. This is a photo from Sept. 2014 of my orchid that I think resembles yours:

Yours is lovely too, Lin. It's got much more vivid color than mine, which is overall very "blue". The name is C. canhamiana coerulea 2 X self. My camera adds a bit of red to everything, so the lip is quite purple, and the petals all have a pale blue/purple cast. Latest pics of it today, a cloud obligingly covered the sun so the color is a little more apparent.

Oh wow, that is a beauty for sure; love the colors!

My Brugmansia today.



Aechmea gamosepala usually blooms this time of year.

OOoh, so pretty, Melanie. My Matchstick broms have all been blooming, too. I almost missed them, so I surely need to move some out where I'll see them more easily.

These Coleus really make much nicer colors in the cold weather:


We all appreciate these wonderful floating seeds from the tropical milkweed - they have shiny silky parachutes, and a gust of wind blew this whole bunch away just after I caught the picture.


My fall-planted (fall 2014, that is) Florida Beauty caladiums are still looking pretty nice, and one of them made an albino leaf that truly is pale green and mauve.

It's a bit breezy outside but I took a couple of pictures of what's in bud and or bloom here at my house.

I didn't even know I had this plant and I'm not exactly sure where it came from but I used to volunteer at a little botanical gardens before we moved south and I was always bringing home cuttings that folks gave me when plants were pruned or beds were thinned out so I think that's probably where I got it. Everyone used to laugh at me because I hated to see stuff thrown in the compost so it got to the point where they'd always ask me if I wanted cuttings before composting them. I was so thrilled when I saw these blooms; I found the plant growing in a container with what I think is Firespike (I'll be more certain about that one if it ever produces blooms!) This is Clerodendrum schmidtii (I'm not sure what has been chewing holes in the leaves.)


Hawaiian Bells (Stictocardia) has a couple of buds


Lilac Tasselflower (Emilia sonchifolia) are popping up in a bed with Pentas


Streptocarpella (Streptocarpus saxorum) and Salvia


Fiespike and although this one is not a flower it's the colorful fruit/berries of Schefflera arboricola 'Trinette'

You count Tassel Flower as a legitimate plant? I just ripped a bunch out of my butterfly garden. I have plenty that grows on the border between the backyard neighbor and myself. Neither color is native, but the butterflies do like to nectar on them. I prefer natives, though. But I'm lenient sometimes. Plus, I don't think you ever really get rid of Tassel Flower.

mellielong said:You count Tassel Flower as a legitimate plant?

Nope ... it's just seems to be proliferating everywhere! We had a lot of it at our house in Daytona but oh my, it's even more abundant here!

Thank You Elaine for the new thread I posted a message for you all on the old thread.

Nice to see all the beautiful pictures and love the orchids. I have some spikes coming up on several, but so far no flowers. I have lots of arboricola but have never had them bloom, but then I do hack them back every year.
Hawaiian Bells is really nice.

Two days before Christmas a stray kitty showed up at my back door, it seemed so shy of the outdoors but having three indoor cats I can't bring it in. I put signs up, ads in paper, and even called the animal shelter, but no one has claimed her. She just hangs in my back garden all day, doesn't bother with the birds or butterflies, I think it is an older cat. I have to admit I kind of like her following me around the garden, the dog and her have made friends.