A New Year a new garden

The back garden was a riot of colour with containers filled with blooming plants.

 

 A spectacular bloom of this phalenopsis orchid.

 I was in awe of these beautiful anthuriums.

Impatiens dotted this container garden

 Thunbergia grandiflora

 On Sunday the local Horticultural Society commenced their open garden program. Located in the parish of St. John the garden covered approximately 21/2 acres. The hub was at the back of the house where there was an explosion of colour.  It is still a young garden  with many of the trees still in their youth. There were stunning sights like the white petrea  cascading along a support and thunbergia grandiflora on the lawn.  

Next week the open garden will be in the Sandy Lane area.  Even though I had announced the beginning of our official dry season in my last blog or two, it has been a very wet January. It has rained every day so far. So please take what I say about the weather with a fistful of salt. 

Happy  gardening for 2013 and have a great week!

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.

bloomin' friday and garden rant

dendrobium orchid

 
Barbados cherry

lipstick pink ixora

white dendrobium orchid

anthuriums

hosta or not a hosta can anyone help me?

Here are some blooms happening around the garden today. I am also not pleased with the recent water rate hike by the government. The rates have been raised by 60% so my water bill at the end of this month will determine the plants I will keep and the ones I will sell. This island is one of the most expensive places on earth to live. This island produces very little and imports almost everything. With this new hike in water rates, this will hike the price of locally produced food, vegetables, poultry, fish and anything that uses water in their production. A trip to the hairdresser will cost more, the price of plants will have to go up and hotel rates will go up in a shrinking economy that depends on Tourism for its survival. Since the new government has come into office they have raised the land taxes, the road taxes and the cost of drivers licenses have been doubled. This has and will impact negatively on the general population, the last straw was the water rate hike. This is a vital service and I consider the rate hike extortion at its finest. The political and financial backlash will determine the future of this present government. We are in for a very, very rough ride.