Garden Blogger's Bloom day Feburary 2013

 Hello and welcome to garden blogger's bloom day where gardeners around  the world show what is blooming in their gardens.

 I grew over four hundred red Kalanchoes from cuttings  and planted them along this bed and on another nearer the house.

  Starburst clerodendron (clerodendron quadriloculare) putting on an amazing show.

 These colourful graptophyllum pictum  awaiting a sunny spot.

Roof repairs are into week five and I am weary.

To see what is blooming in other gardens please go over to Carol at may dreams gardens. Wishing you all a great weekend and happy gardening!

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day Jan 2013

 Magenta night blooming tropical water lily

 Vanda orchid blooming for the first time and took nearly 6 years to bloom!

 While this vanda blooms nonstop

 Garlic vine back in bloom (Pseudoclymma alliaceum)

 Bougainvillea pink ice 

 

 Back garden all cut and waiting for the workmen to wreck!

 Hello and welcome to garden blogger's bloom day where gardeners around the globe post what is blooming  in their gardens. The rustic Bajan gardener has been busy preparing the homestead for roof  repairs. The roof is being rebuilt and we have moved downstairs. Hubby and I are now camping in the TV room while daughter along the rest of stuff in the great room or the formal living room that had been empty for years. Yes I am sleeping with the dogs, not quite but they seem to think that.  The roof will take about  six weeks to complete (I hope).

I have taken back what I had said about our dry season starting in November. We have had rain almost every day so far this month. The night temperatures have been  hovering  between 20-24C while the day remains a constant 27-30C. The ground is saturated and everything is green and lush.  I am hoping that the dry season will kick in while the roof is being built. To see more of what is blooming in gardens around the world please visit Carol at may dreams gardens. 

Have a great week my friends!

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!

Happy Yuletide

 Snow on the mountain (euphorbia leucocephala) and golden crinums

 Christmas palms

 Mangoes giving me a second crop for the year

Ham just out of the oven, I couldn't resist and stole a few slices of pineapple so I apologize for the missing pieces. Ha!

Wishing all my blogger friends and those following my blog a peaceful and joy filled Yuletide.

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day Dec 2012

 Begonias enjoying the cooler temperatures.

 Bougainvillaea

 These dwarf browallias with their pretty blue flowers make a great border and ground cover.

 My snow on the mountain right (euphorbia leucocephala) on target for Christmas, she is on her last legs  but not giving up the fight.

 Yellow ground orchids still putting on a show

 Purple ground orchids not wanting to be left out of the party

Galphima glauca (thyrallis or showers of gold)

Hello and welcome to Garden Blogger's Bloom Day where gardeners form around the world show what is blooming in their gardens. Last night the temperatures dipped to 70 degrees F or 20 degrees C so  it was very pleasant out in the garden in the early hours this morning. 

To see what is blooming in other gardens around the world please visit Carol at May dreams gardens.

My deepest condolences to the people of Newtown Connecticut who have lost their babies and loved ones. It is very hard to fathom out why someone would do something like this except that there are many mentally sick individuals amongst us with very easy access to guns. May you find comfort in these difficult times.

Orion is back

 Video of Orion feeding

 We recently harvested some bananas and of course all ripened at the same time. What we couldn't give away we gave to the birds and butterflies. We were hoping that the Orion (historis odious)butterfly will make its annual appearance.

 In fact two made an appearance today, one was so busy feeding from underneath the table  that he took no notice of me.

 The other one was also busy feeding on the table top that it totally ignored me.

Here I am trying to get its wings open and it didn't even budge.

Dry days are here again

We are now into our dry season. Last month was the driest November I have ever experienced.

This lemon ginger is drought tolerant and seems to be growing effortlessly under my lime tree.

This area is where my natural pond occurs during the rainy season and since it remains damp I decided to try a bog garden here. I planted some gingers on the perimeter and am undecided whether to place a lipstick palm in the middle or plant some lotus.

The heron looked rather surprised as I took this shot.

I planted this creeper between my frangipani trees about  ten years or more ago. It has found its way to the top and this is the second time it has flowered and just recently I found out its name. It is called the red hot poker vine (norantea guianensis) thank you Sharon.  The flower spike is more like an orange colour and of course it only blooms at the very top.

The island now is very busy preparing for Christmas and this year I decided to scale down things and just observe others (I hope). I am hoping for some rain, just enough to green the grass and feed the plants.  Wishing all a great weekend!

Annual Garden Ramble and Plant sale

This weekend  on November 30th Barbados  will celebrate 46 years of Independence from Britain. I will be celebrating it by having an annual Garden Ramble and plant sale. I extend this invitation to all gardeners and photographers on the island to come on over to meet and mingle. Fresh fruit juices will be on sale, mango smoothies, chutneys and snacks.

Starts at 9.00am until 5.00pm