The Maple Hill Hop 45

Welcome to 

The Maple Hill Hop.

This is a hop for folks who love the outdoors.

Feel free to post about anything that's going on

OUTSIDE

in your neck of the woods.

(Please share only outdoor posts.)

Summer is winding down here in Central Florida.

There's a subtle change in the air.

We are blessed to continue to enjoy an array of blooms.

 The lantana is drought tolerant and thrives in the heat of summer.

The only care they require is a pruning several times a year.

 The beautyberry is an explosion of color.

This year we have more berries than ever before.

Another Florida-friendly plant, 

it adds interesting texture and height to the garden.

The berries are enjoyed by wildlife.

 

In our back bed, the coleus a friend gifted us with is doing well.

This bed doesn't get as much water as some,

but this plant doesn't seem to mind one bit.

The hibiscus shares a space near the coleus.

We've had an abundance of blooms on this new(ish) addition.

This plumbego had recently been severely pruned,

but it's bouncing back thanks to a few good thunderstorms.

This plant serves as a buffer for the front part of our house,

as we don't have gutters to filter the rain.

The plumbego absorbs most of what falls in this area.

The moonflower plant on the east side of the house

provides a constant shower of giant, fragrant blooms.

They are much like morning glories in their appearance and growing habits.

The dried seed pods  provide us with a never-ending supply

so that we can enjoy these for years to come.

This spider plant greets visitors.

Propagating this plant is a simple matter of

pulling off the sprouts you see at the ends of the vines

and placing them in soil.

The front walk was lined with these native petunias.

When they are in bloom,

there are tons of periwinkle flowers lining the walkway.

Several transplants of this native salvia were placed 

throughout the back beds.

The color is what sold me on this beauty,

but the velvety foliage and the way they sway in the breeze are so appealing.

It was so exciting to see a pumpkin finally appear!

We had tons of male flowers, but no females.

I thought maybe they were just awaiting the right time.

Unfortunately, this morning I found our hopes dashed.

The squash had turned brown and was squishy.

I'll be tearing out the whole vine to make room for an herb garden.

 This basil plant began so well.

Then it started getting eaten by some small green grasshoppers.

I just let it go to seed in hopes that we can start again next spring.

 The zinnias never disappoint.

They are a constant in our garden every summer

and it's gratifying to know that they will always be here.

 With a rainbow of colors to choose from,

there's sure to be some you can't live without.

What's going on outside where you are?

HOP on!

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