The Maple Hill Hop 154

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,
no matter the season.

(Please share only outdoor posts.)

*Grab the button above to link back to Maple Hill 101.*

On Saturday,
there was a Master Gardener's Sale 
on native and Florida-friendly plants.
This event occurs twice a year
and much of our garden is composed
of plants from this venue. 

It was a beautiful morning
with abundant sunshine and smiling treasure-seekers.

This display of tiger lily caught my eye.
It's a fall bloomer, so it happily soaked up the sunshine
and strutted its stuff.

The range of colors, textures and shapes was astounding.
Whether one was looking for succulents, flowers or butterfly attractors,
the choices were plentiful.

red penta

crossandra

There were quite a few specimens that were new to me.
The flowers of this beauty were enchanting.

And would you look at the color on this gorgeous blossom?
Simply striking!

For only a few dollars per pot,
there were bargains to be had.
It would be easy to spice up your garden
for very little money.

Wagons at the ready to be loaded up 
and delivered to waiting vehicles.

The tiger lilies proved to be too tempting,
so I brought home two.
One will be given to a friend and the other is for my garden.
I also bought a lemon balm (for the bees)
and found a butterfly vine that was given to Faye & Lynn.

The tiger lily has a seed pod that's just loaded!
I see more of these in our future!


That's what we've been up to her in Central Florida.
What's going on outside where you live?
HOP to it!


   

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The Maple Hill Hop 150

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,
no matter the season.

(Please share only outdoor posts.)

*Grab the button above to link back to Maple Hill 101.*

Our house has been for sale (on and off) for 3 years.

We are all so ready to move further north

and are willing to do what we need to

in order to make that happen.

Although we aren't sure why we are still here

while neighbors have been able to sell their homes,

we trust that there is a reason.

We recently took our home off the market

because we needed a break and wanted to try a new approach. 

We've been working on a project for the last few weeks

to make our home more appealing

to a larger audience.

We are downsizing the garden.     

lemongrass

Although we haven't received negative comments from realtors showing our home,

we think that simplifying the yard will make it look bigger

and help buyers feel that it's easier to maintain.

star jasmine

Even though all of our plants are either natives or

Florida-friendly and therefore don't require much care,

the sheer number of plants may seem overwhelming

to someone who is not a gardener.

lantana

 So, for the month of September, every other weekend,

we are hosting a plant giveaway.

We have done this periodically over the last few years,

but we are working on redesigning the garden

which requires less plants overall.

flax lily

It just doesn't sit right with me to toss healthy plants,

so the giveaway is the perfect solution.

Greenthumbs get something new for their garden,

and we get a clean slate to start over with our simplified design.

The beneficiaries do the digging, hauling and loading,

and we get the empty space we are looking for. 

Everyone wins.

passionflower vine

We advertised in our local Craig's List under "free"

and asked that those coming to partake bring canned food 

for our local Meals on Wheels program.

Another win.

It's been our experience that folks often bring more than expected.

Gardeners are known for being generous spirits.

African Iris

Our plants will get good homes and make someone happy

and we can remap our yard to appeal to buyers.

pineapple

So far, so good.

We've had several folks come by and take part in the event.

With one more Saturday to go,

we already have lots of new space.

Now that fall is closer to bringing cooler temperatures,

I may be able to get out there more

and tweak things a bit.

Let's HOP!

   

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Plant Profile-Porterweed

Porterweed is a Florida-friendly plant

that thrives in our Zone 9 climate.
(This perennial grows in zones 9-11).

Most of the plants in this group

are drought-tolerant, require no extra fertilizing,

and don't mind our often hot and humid conditions.

This plant was a gift from a neighbor.
The same neighbor who has that amazing banana tree
we featured a while back.



It started out as a spindly seedling,

 

and has flourished into a thick, bloom-filled bush.
It stands over 6 feet tall now.
We have it planted on the north side of the house,
in the small garden near the front door.
It gets partial sun during the afternoon
and protection from the wind since it grows against the wall.

The blossoms last from early spring into the cooler fall weather.
All types of pollinators visit daily, 
including various types of bees, butterflies and moths.
It's so amusing to watch the bumblebees as they weigh down the delicate branches,
flitting from flower to flower,
drinking in all that goodness.
Porterweed serves as the host plant for the tropical buckeye caterpillar,
as well as a nectar source for several types of butterflies and the hummingbird moth.

 

Porterweed readily self sows,
so you'll always have plenty to start elsewhere
or gift to friends.
Cuttings can also be started without much effort.
It is as easy to grow as they come,
and will fill your garden with beautiful blue blossoms.
It can be used as a ground cover,
which would make a stunning floral carpet!

 Have a bloomin' good weekend!

Plant Profile-Tropical Sage

Welcome back to our 
 June series on native plants.
Each Friday, we have profiled a plant
that thrives in our area (zone 9b). 

We conclude our series with 
Tropical Salvia.

This beautiful perennial is native to the Southeastern United States,
and can be found in zones 7-11. 
Its moderate growth habits allow it to be placed
almost anywhere in the garden.
With heights only reaching 2-3 feet tall,
it would be perfect for a tiered effect, 
in front of taller bushes and framed in front 
by low-growing annuals or ground covers.

Although we feature the red variety in our garden,
this beauty also comes in shades of pink and white.
For most zones, the blooming takes place from spring through summer,
but warmer zones can expect blossoms throughout the fall as well.



Native salvia is a boon to the gardener determined to attract
butterflies, wasps, bees and hummingbirds.
The vibrant red blooms signal to pollinators
that there is a steady source of nectar to be found here.

With an easy-growing attitude,
salvia will do well in either part or full sun
and is highly drought tolerant.
In fact, this heat lover will thrive when other plants are fading 
from soaring summer temperatures and oppressive humidity.
Ideal plant spacing is 1 to 2 feet apart,
as powdery mildew can take hold if planted closer.

This low-maintenance garden gem readily self-seeds,
but seeds are easily collected by sliding a hand down the stem for direct sowing. 
With so many wonderful attributes,
why wouldn't a gardener want to add this alluring native
to a carefree landscape?

It pays to go native!

Other posts in this series:

 Blanketflower
Coral Bean
Beautyberry

The Maple Hill Hop 137

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,
no matter the season.

(Please share only outdoor posts.)

*Grab the button above to link back to Maple Hill 101.*

***
Today we're visiting some of the beauties
gracing our spring garden.

Spring is on its way out,
and summer is almost here.
With the recent rains we've had,
it's difficult to keep up with the trimming!

Pentas are one of the best plants to attract butterflies to the garden.

Zinnias are one flower I can never get enough of.
They come in a variety of colors and sizes,
and always provide tons of interest to the garden.
The bonus is that pollinators love 'em!

These lilies are on their way out,
but not before strutting their stuff for most of the spring.

This recent addition, pinball gomphrena,
greets visitors near the front door.

Sunflowers are the best way to welcome summer!

Mums are starting to open up and greet us with cheery, yellow blossoms.

Thyrallis blooms most of the year,
and would make a great privacy hedge.
We've recently noticed that many birds nest here.

The butterfly vine had been transplanted from the south part of the garden.
It wasn't looking too good for a while,
but with warmer temperatures,
it's coming right along.

The beach sunflower and lemongrass are a dynamic duo.

Citronella has interesting texture and a pungent scent.
It is used to repel mosquitoes.

This porterweed has been blooming nonstop for about 3 months.
It's a favorite stopover for pollinators and birds.

The beautyberry is starting to flower,
and will soon be full of bright, purple berries for the birds to savor.

 The one hibiscus we have planted in the rear of the back bed
frequently treats us to beautiful, crimson blooms.

 The gloriosa lily plants continue to soar to the sky
and reseed themselves at will.
They are always welcome in our garden.

 Isn't it brilliant?

This coreposis is also known as tickseed,
and is a Florida native wildflower.
We enjoy the pop of color.

 Our transplanted Florida maple tree is doing well
after careful watering and a week of generous rainfall.

The rosemary is always a fragrant delight,
but with its delicate blue flowers in bloom, it's a treat for the eyes as well.

A new pigeon pea plant has sprung up, unexpectedly.
We profiled this crop here.

We are inundated with the caterpillars of the
black swallowtail butterflies.
As long as we have enough parsley to keep them fed,
we'll be blessed with a garden full of flitting fliers.

We'll be giving some away,
as we have done for the past few years,
so that others can enjoy these amazing creatures.

 Maybe I need to plant more parsley?!


   

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