Tuesday, May 15, 2012

A RAINY MAY BRINGS HOPE: HAPPY GBBD!

Carol at May Dreams Gardens, invites the gardening world to share their flowers every 15th of the month.
With a mild winter, lots of rain, and warm temperatures, our garden has never looked better.
My old friend, Alpinia zerumbet is blooming.

It's also called shell ginger.

Alpinia formosana is also blooming.

 Most of the bromeliads are so colorful that flowers aren't even needed.
 It's risky growing a tropical garden in a frost zone, but after a mild winter you can see why it's worth it.

Canna musaefolia will bloom all summer. It attracts hummingbirds.

The Clerodendrum bungei is putting on its Spring show.

Native elderberry is blooming all around the garden. Later, the birds will enjoy the purple berries.
I even eat a few.

American beautyberry is also in bloom. Mine is white, but there's also a pale lavender variety.

Here it is growing at the Houston Zoo.

In the front yard, Mesa Yellow Blanket Flower has hit its stride.
Gallardia 'Mesa Yellow'

This is the first year for the cottage garden. I have a variety of coreopsis, buddleias, pentas, sages, and cape daisies along with foliage plants like lavender, and heliochrysum (in front of the wall).
It should fill out by next year.

Finally, here's my version of a xeric or dry garden for Houston. You can see purple lantana and blackfoot daisies interspersed with Agaves and windmill palms. All are drought tolerant. I've been working on this project for about 3 years and it's finally starting to look like what I had envisioned.
Well, that's it from Tropical Texana.
I'm glad you stopped by my little garden.
Happy GBBD!
David/:0)



14 comments:

  1. Everything looks so happy! The ginger here never blooms, or I haven't seen it yet- it dies down and starts over here so I guess never gets a chance. I miss that- I had beautiful ginger in my backyard when I lived in Houston and love love loved the blooms. Great last shot too- your efforts have paid off for sure! Everything looks fantastic!

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  2. Your garden is certainly looking spectacular. The lantana and daisies go well with the agaves. We have frosts forecast here over the next few days so I,m hoping my tropicals survive.

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  3. Your garden is beautiful. And that windmill palm is stunning.

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  4. Love those Alpinia, never seen those before. Must investigate further.

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  5. Davo, your garden looks primo! Especially like the xeric garden!

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  6. David your garden looks lovely! Your tropical plants give each view so much structure. Also, your xeric garden is wonderful with all the grey foliage tones. VERY NICE! Happy GBBD!

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  7. gosh you have the best of both worlds a cottage garden and a tropical garden. everything looks lovely.

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  8. Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!
    Lots of lovely blooms! I especially like the Shell Ginger!
    Elderberry is blooming here in north Mississippi, too, and your Beautyberry blooms reminds me to go look at mine to see if there are flowers. My Cannas are growing tall but not yet in bloom. Have a great day!
    Lea
    Lea's Menagerie

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  9. Your dry garden is looking quite lovely. I love the Daisies and the Lantana weaving in amongst the Palms and Agaves. Your little cottage garden is just gorgeous too. That's developing so well. The Clerodendrum and the Shell Ginger are the flowers that caught my eye today.

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  10. I really like your tropical garden. You are right. Who needs flowers when you have foliage like that. : )

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  11. Your garden is looking fabulous, David. I love that red canna and your garden bed of palms and agaves.

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  12. Do you dig up your cannas and store them inside in the winter? They don't overwinter in Santa Fe. Nice foliage on the bromeliads.

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  13. Gotta say - your garden looks like a Hollywood set to me. Very tropical and lush! I keep waiting for a jaguar or monkey to run by. :o)

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  14. Hi David. Those Elderberry blooms are so pretty. I have some down along the woods and they always look so lovely. Your blooms are ahead of mine though and the Mesa Galliardia is one I really love. Those things just bloom and bloom.Have a lovely weekend.

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I always appreciate your comments & questions! Happy Gardening from David/ Tropical Texana