Goodbye October
October has come to an end and due to my obsession of taking pictures of plants,
I've decided to start something new where every month I highlight all the beautiful things that happened at the nursery.
- Like what's blooming
- what new plants and pottery we received
- home and garden inspiration I've come across
- which plants we're looking forward to see bloom next month
- and pretty much anything else exciting that happens while working with plants!
So lets start with...
What's Blooming?
Bat Flower
Since October is a pretty spooky month, why not start with a plant that is the definition of spooky and spectacular at the same time, the Bat Flower,
also known as Tacca Chantrieri, this unique tropical plant produces a gorgeous black flower that resembles an actual bat with whiskers that hang almost 24 inches long. The Bat Flower will begin to bloom as early as May, but you can still enjoy its spooky flower all the way into late november.
Dombeya
Another indication that Fall has arrived is the wonderful sight of the pretty pink blossoms on a Dombeya Tree. Commonly known as Tropical Hydrangea, Dombeya is a great alternative for those who love the hydrangeas that are commonly used up north.
Tropical Hydrangea thrives in South Florida weather and begins blossoming late October all the way through January.
Heliconia Stricta “Jamaican Dwarf”
Another reminder that we live in a tropical paradise is the display of the vibrant red flower bracts on the Heliconia Stricta.
This dwarf heliconia is ideal for those love that heliconias but are working with a smaller space. With their large dark green leaves featuring a bright red streak down the middle, even when its not blooming Jamaican Dwarf heliconia is still a stunning addition to any garden.
Lady of the Night Jasmine
One of my favorite fragrant flowers is the Lady of the Night Jasmine, also known as Brunfelsia Americana.
This plant comes alive at night with a sweet, strong fragrance that any passerby would appreciate. With its tube like flowers that start off white and slowly fade to cream, Lady of the Night Jasmine will begin to bloom as early as May until late fall.
Muhly Grass
One of the best parts about fall in Florida is seeing the wispy pink flowers on the Muhly Grass blowing in the wind. It’s pretty hard to miss this stunning plant during this time of year since its planted along the highways all around Miami.
This Florida Native is great for mass planting or as a border.
Moringa Fruit Tree
Moringa, also known as Drumstick Tree, has been used for centuries for medicinal purposes.
Although Moringa blooms periodically throughout the year, ours just started blooming this month!
Moringa has small oval leaves, dainty white flowers and produces long seed pods
that can be used over a hundred different ways.
It is often called “Miracle Tree” because practically every part of the tree can be used to heal!
Red Ginger
Another tropical treat we get to receive in the Fall is the stunning blooms of Red Ginger. Also known as Pink Cone Ginger, this tropical perennial is a dramatic addition to any landscape with their vibrant red flowers and lush shiny leaves. Red Ginger will begin to bloom early in the summer and late through fall.
Screw Pine
One of the best parts about our nursery, I would have to say is our Screw Pine, also known as Pandanus Utilis.
This unique tree is definitely a showstopper wherever its planted and we are always amazed by how much its grown and changed over the years.
The female tree produces round fruits and the male produces cream colored fluffy flowers that bees love.
We planted this screw in 2008 when we opened the business pine and its been growing with us ever since!
Silk Floss Tree
The exotic Silk Floss Tree is like fairy tale when it blooms. Every inch of the tree is absolutely amazing, from its thick thorny trunk, to its gorgeous white and pink flowers, to their seed pods that contain silky floss seeds. This remarkable tree is one of the best parts about living in south Florida during fall.
Red & Yellow Orchid Vine
The best part about orchids is that their varieties are endless! So if your an orchid enthusiast then a red or yellow orchid vine is a must have for your garden!
This variety of Bauhinia grows lovely here in South Florida, so I’m trying my best to spread the word about this lovely vine just so I can come across them more often, because I can’t get enough of their flowers.
This lovely orchid was hiding in the back corner of our shade house when I suddenly noticed a few buds appearing at the very beginning of the month.
I wasn't sure if it was your typical ground orchid or a lily, so I watched its progress over the next couple of days and to my surprise this gorgeous yellow flower with speckles of burgundy appeared.
just another one of those plants waiting for the right time to shine!
If anyone knows what variety of orchid this is or if it is truly an orchid at all please let me know!
Another beautiful moment I was able to capture this month was
a Black Swallowtail Butterfly emerging from its cocoon.
It started feeding on our rue plant and then made its way to a nice cool spot
under a strawberry plant leaf.
The first picture was taken on October 4th and the last on October 16th.
NEW TALAVERA!
Every couple of months we receive a brand new shipment of gorgeous talavera from Mexico and we are always so excited to showcase all their new and creative art!
We always say you can never have too much color
and Talavera art is the best way to bring out all the colors in your home!
October Inspo
We honestly could never have too many plants, so when we were gifted this water hyacinth from a fellow nursery owner/friend we were so thrilled to add it to our pond.
Although water hyacinths are beautiful, they can double their population size in about two weeks,
so they are definitely invasive.
but despite its rapid growing rate, its a gorgeous addition to our pond..
The best part about doing deliveries is coming across some pretty neat homes and gardens. .
Like this beautiful cover of
variegated pepperomia
and this oddly satisfying
ficus repens creeping up the wall.
I love it when our customers come with a picture of a landscape or an idea they want to replicate and
we are able to help make it happen!
The picture to the left is what our customer found on Pinterest from easyplantsgalore.com and
the picture to the right is what she planted herself.
We had everything she needed to help her get this look,
the dark grey low bowl planter, the Madagascar Palm, the Golden Barrel Cactus and the succulents.
we were thrilled to see the pictures she sent us of how it turned out. .
What's happening in November?!
Our 10 year anniversary!!
I was still finishing high school when my mom decided to open the nursery in 2008
and I never thought it would mean so much to me like it does now.
We are definitely going to celebrate our 10 year anniversary in a major way
so stay tuned to see what we have planned!!
SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY
Another excting event happening this November is
the annual American Express Small Business Saturday!
one of my favorite things about American Express
is their initiative to get their customers aware and involved in the importance of
supporting their local businesses.
This and every November, American Express helps small businesses like us show our appreciation to all our customers by sending us some pretty awesome goodies.
so join us on November 24th for small business Saturday
as we show our appreciation to our customers continued support over the years!
Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
Another great thing about November,
Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow plants
will start to bloom!
Just as the 1st of November comes around,
like clockwork, the little buds of the Brunfelsia pauciflora will appear gracing all of south florida with their loveliness.
Pasquita Tree
This lovely small tree produces tiny fragrant white flowers just in time for the holidays.
it is even often referred to as
snow flake tree or Christmas flower.
Until next time!
Give thanks for the blessings of each new day!