Part 2 Pics

Newly planted Pink Delight butterfly bush, red Penta lanceolata, Sweet William and Popcorn Cassia

Side view

Salvia "Phyllis' Fancy", Salvia "Amistad", Salvia "Mystic Spires", cape daisy, shrimp plant

Salvia "Phyllis' Fancy" (I love the deeply quilted leaves on these) with cape daisy and gerbera daisy in the background

Salvia "Mystic Spires" with sweet viburnum bush, cape daisy, gerbera daisy and blanket flower

Cape Daisy, Salvia
"Phyllis'Fancy", Salvia "Amistad", tropical milkweed, Sweet William, red penta lanceolata and popcorn cassia

Beautiful pictures! It's so colorful. I have a long way to go.

Thanks Iris! I started those Mexican Sunflower seeds...can't wait to add them to the garden.

Thanks so much Mary! Joe makes me sea breezes, pina coladas and mango daquiris :)

Beautiful garden.

What sun exposure do you have? I live in Sarasota and have such a problem keeping necter plants alive with the heat and sun. I can't keep Cosmos alive, they burn up. Gerbers struggle and so many of the plants you show are almost impossible to keep alive or thrive.

Pentas do fine as do the Mexican Petunias (watch out for them, they can take over your garden), bush daisies. Salvias are planted under the shade of a large palm.

Just difficult for me to keep plants alive here.

I'm soooo envious of your success!!

Jane

Great pictures of some beautiful plants, Rhonda!

I especially love those shrimp plants. I've tried them before, but they haven't done well for me. After looking at yours, I'll have to try again!

I have 'Phyllis Fancy' salvia, but mine only blooms in the fall. I'm not getting rid of it, though, because it's so easy to grow.

Your 'Amistad' salvia is gorgeous!

Sherry

Beautiful colors.The red mulch really makes them pop.You are off to a great start. I planted three cigar flowers ( Cuphea) here in Illinois last year and they grew into shrubs.The hummingbirds spent most of their time feeding on them. I also tried Mannetia (candy corn vine) for the hummingbirds, but it never grew much and didn't flower.Those two plants would probably do well in Florida. I'm happy to see the blood flower milkweeds.Great that you are including host plants.

Jane,

Thanks for the kind words. My garden faces west and is is full sun after about 11:00 am. I have to water it about twice a week now because it has been so hot and we haven't received rain in weeks.

This is the garden's first full month...so I'll have to wait and see how it does in the summer. Yes, our Mexican Petunias are in large pots to keep under control.

Sherry,

Thanks! I grew the shrimp plants in Williston too but they always got killed back by hard freezes and had to start over every year. I'm hoping that since I'm a whole zone warmer here with no freezes that they will do better for me.

Tom123 recommended the 'Phyllis Fancy' salvia, and I agree...it is so easy to grow. The ones in the pics were dug up from my Williston yard and were just starting to show green when I transplanted them here a month ago..I was surprised that they have grown so full and are blooming already. The 'Amistad' salvia have doubled in size in just a month too.

jaybirdyj,

Thanks!!! I prefer to use pine needles for mulch but Joe uses the red everywhere else so I decided I needed to be consistent. It does makes them stand out as you said :)

Wow! I am surprised that the cuphea grew so well for you in Illinois. Yes, the hummers do love them.

I made sure to include a few host plants: milkweeds, passion vines, Dutchman's pipevine, parsley and dill.

Thanks again everyone!

Rhonda

I
saw my first ruby throated hummingbird this morning....a female. She spent lots of time at
the Salvia Amistad (by far her favorite), Agastache Acapulco Red, red
shrimp plant and firecracker plant. My porterweed is just starting to
bloom again so not much activity there. She never once used the feeder,
which is fine. She has returned several times but it is too windy and
dark to get good pics.


Joe has never seen a hummingbird other than in print and on TV so he was
truly amazed by the little gal. Now, he knows why I have been so
anxiously awaiting them. Don't know if she'll stay, I hope so.

Also, have Gulf Frit caterpillars on the passion vine and monarch cats on the tropical milkweed, so my garden is starting to reward me.
Rhonda