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Wednesday, September 2, 2009

a visit to Joyce's garden


gorgeous red ixora
gerbera daisy
ground orchid
Joyce
crotons
dahlias Joyce grew from seed
fragrant portlandia grandiflora /bell flower
anthurium
torch ginger
I recently read that this ginger is edible and how it is used   here
lemons
rose of sharon
pink mussaenda
gladilolus callianthus
I can't remember the name of this perhaps someone can help me
crossandra
red desert rose

Today I went to visit Joyce, she is an avid gardener who has that magic touch. Now Joyce is a very special person, she gets things to grow that aren't supposed to be growing in our climate. If you cannot get a plant to grow just take it to Joyce. Her garden is a riotous frenzy of colour. She is a lovely person and a bit shy as you can see in the photo. Whilst there I was ooohing and aaaahing and gasping like a fish out of water. I came away with some huge lemons, some lemon rosemary plants, some of that red ixora I have been trying to get my hands on for some time, and a plant I can't remember the name of. Thank you Joyce and see you soon in my garden.

16 comments:

  1. This is one garden that I dream to have! Joyce did a very very good job! I love the combination of plants that she has. Just so amazing to see gerbera daisy in the garden. Cool!

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  2. I liked the gerbera and the torch ginger. Joyce has built a beautiful garden.

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  3. Joyce indeed has the magic touch. I nearly swooned looking at the pics of her lush garden! I have never seen crossandra of that colour...oh what a beauty! And so is her torch ginger.

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  4. Brilliant pictures, Helen. I loved the desert rose shot. Please tell me more about the torch ginger.
    In India, we call the rose of sharon flower "land lotus"...
    Please convey my best wishes to Joyce...her garden is doing fantastically well.

    http://www.theurbanbalcony.blogspot.com/

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  5. Oh Helen, I'd love to have a garden like that! It's bursting over with the most amazing plants! Wonderful photos and thank you for sharing this treat!

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  6. Wish I could go to Joyce's garden with you and have some ixora and torch ginger as well. Mine is still growing and I can see that her torch ginger is one healthy plant. I use it in curry, makes a lovely taste.

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  7. A piece of paradise! It reminds me of Hawaiian gardens which I visited this summer. Very bright cheerful post, thanks!

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  8. The white flower that you thought might be a ground orchid is Gladiolus callianthus.
    Now about my longan. The seeds pop up all over the garden. Mine is a clone (kohala longan) that I got 50 years ago. I have made air-layers from time to time. But I never used the seedlings.
    I just put two pictures of my Adeniums on my site: www.togofcoralgables.com

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  9. Stephanie .....Joyce loves gerberas and she told me that a few weeks earlier I should have been there to see them all in bloom

    Lotusleaf .....the torch ginger is an incredible flower and I have just found out that there is a white one.

    Anonymous..... thank you, just leave a name at the bottom of your post. It is a lot friendlier to address you by name LOL.

    Urban Green...... I have conveyed your wishes to Joyce and in fact I called her and read all comments to her. She was touched. I told her where all the bloggers lived and that made her very happy. The torch ginger is magnificent and makes a great cut flower. It likes a cool shady spot and grows to around 6 ft tall.

    Kanak .......thank you and Joyce thanks you.

    Pablo...... thank you for dropping
    by.

    FJL......Thank you and Joyce has promised me some torch ginger plants. I am making room for them. It would be nice if you can post that curry recipe using the torch ginger. I will be able to impress my friends!!

    Tatyana..... it was a treat to visit Joyce and certainly a bit of paradise.

    Tog ....thank you for the plant id and the info on the longan. My MIL lives in Miami and I would love to get a longan I will be contacting you for a cutting.

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  10. I'd like to meet Joyce too and and tell her that her garden is very beautiful. Your photos were great and this is a feast of fantastic flowers. The torch ginger looks like my bunga kantan but mine is pink. I like to use it in cooking too. The flower as well as leaves and stems are very fragrant.

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  11. I love the tropical look of your garden, it is so exciting. Gerbera daisy looks very interesting indeed! ~bangchik

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  12. Autumn Belle ......I have passed your message onto Joyce and she was delighted.


    Bangchik and Kadah....Gerberas are a favorite with many gardeners on my island.

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  13. I am impressed. Torch gingers can be eaten! I must experiment with that. Isn't it a pity that we spend so much time importing foreign food instead of developing recipes and agricultural stock of what we have right here in the West Indies. Thanks for the link to the recipe.

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  14. Beautiful paradise! Lovely colors and lush foliage... love it.
    Meems @ Hoe and Shovel

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  15. WizzyTheStick thank you for visiting. Yes I agree with you we should develop recipes using local produce than the imported foods.

    Hey Meems you would really love this garden!

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  16. The torch ginger is edible, Helen. Thinly sliced torch ginger goes well with anykind of seafood curry. Try it. It's fragrance add flavour to the curry.

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