First Epiphyte Day

Welcome to the first ever "Epiphyte Day"!  The first of every month is your chance to join the 'Phyte Club (thanks Mr. Subjunctive) and blog about all your favorite plants that just happen to call the treetops their home.  The following posts are brought to us by the blogging early birds that completed their posts in advance.  If you would like to add your own post, share a link in the comments and I'll be sure to add it to the rest!
.

How My Plants Are Tolerating the Freezes

I could be complaining about the early and prolonged cold here in Florida, but I'm honestly just excited to see how my plants respond!  Last year it snapped to twenty degrees right away, but this winter the not-so-hard freezes have been gentle enough to let me see which plants perform the best.  To the left is a lone penta flower, left over after several nights of hard freezes.

.

3 More Days to Submit Your Epiphyte Post!

Hey Garden Bloggers! You still have three more days to share a post about a favorite epiphyte (plant that naturally lives in a tree), and enter to win a prize package of... you guessed it, epiphytes!  You can either go to the contest page to take part in the very first "Epiphyte Day", or you can continue on to read the contributions of the five bloggers to participate so far. Or, you could just do both!

.

Orchids Blooming Today!

I've been so down lately thanks to the early cold snaps and working in retail (Kyna knows what I'm talking about), that its been hard to get excited about gardening.  At least it would be if not for the cheerful blooms of my orchids to make these short winter days more enjoyable.
.

Plant Profile - Bottlebrush, Callistemon Citrinus

I don't have a favorite tree, or any other plant for that matter.  I'm sure you'll understand, since there are just so many great trees vying for my affections with their unique foliage, branching structures and other enticements... how could anyone honestly pick a favorite?  One tree that does come pretty close to perfection is callistemon citrinus. Its a winner in all respects!
.

My Favorite Photos of the Year

Tonight I'm going to share some of my favorite photos from the first year of The Rainforest Garden!  Maybe I'm lazy, or maybe its just because I can't take any photos because the sun is down by the time I'm off from work. Mostly its those two reasons, but I still want to share a mashup of some of my favorite gardening moments this year.  Photos with black borders are from the beginning of the year.
.

Asian Theme Garden

Today I'll be sharing the newest garden at The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, the Asian Bamboo Garden! This is the third installment in my (hopefully inspiring) series that features some of the zoo's wondrous horticultural creations.
.

Epiphyte Blog Carnival and Giveaway

I'm starting a new meme for epiphytes, and I'm rolling it out with a contest!  The prize is a goodie box of epiphytes, including cuttings of several rhipsalis, some bareroot dragonfruit seedlings, an epiphyllum cutting or two, some bromeliad pups, an orchid, and whatever else I have lying around.  You can win by blogging, tweeting, and more, so read on, why don't you?
.

Keeping My Plants Safe From Frost

Well, that hard freeze never panned out like they thought it would, and I'm definitely not complaining in the least!  All my children, I mean plants... are huddled together safe and sound indoors.  At least they're safe until my fiance gets too tired of them intruding, taking up space in our living room and blocking the tv!
.

Tillandsias for Holiday Decor

We all know about the spectacular "Christmas cactus" and its impressive winter show of flowers, but here's another versatile epiphyte that you can use in your holiday decor: Tillandsia!  Also known as 'air plants', tillandsias obtain their water and nutrients from nothing more than rain, dust, and the humidity in the air.

.

Mother Nature's Freezing My Assets.

Temperatures here in Jacksonville are expected to reach 21 degrees Fahrenheit tonight, with hard freezes through Thursday.  WTF, La Nina?  Not willing to let the plants be caught off guard by this over-eager arctic air mass, I did the humane thing and brought most of the plants in from the balcony with the exception of the unhealthy ones.  Then I took a trip to my parent's house to protect some plants.
.

Easy Vertical Gardening

I wrote a guest post for Life on the Balcony about easy and affordable vertical gardens, and I can't recommend this blog enough if you're looking for creative ideas to make the most of your small garden.  Fern Richardson is also releasing a book in Fall 2011 by Timber Press about balcony and patio gardening, and you might even see some of my own balcony in those very same pages!  In the meantime, get your fix over at Life on the Balcony!
.

Latin American Theme Garden

This is part two of my series featuring the incredibly creative Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.  Last post I shared some creative container ideas, and today I'll be sharing some inspiration for recreating an exotic locale by incorporating plants into a convincingly authentic setting... like the Neotropics for example!  This Latin American Garden is hot!
.

Container Garden Ideas

These container gardens are brought to you from my excursion to the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens!  This is the first in a series of posts with ideas from the zoo, and I can assure you that there's just as much inspiration to be found here as you'd get from a trip to the Fairchild.  These have to be some really imaginative gardens in order to hold your attention in the midst of jaguars and Komodo dragons!
.

Ideas From Philips Garden Store

I just thought I'd share some fall inspiration with you!  I visited a local garden store a month or so ago and have just now gotten around to posting the photos, complete with lots of fall color!  I especially love the juxtaposition of the sweet potato vine with the purple heart in the second pic.
.

Plant Shopping!

Actually I got these a week or so ago but I thought I'd share some of my great buys with you, including lots of orchids and rhipsalis, and a few other epiphytic plants as well.  I recently had money to spend, and a wish list to check off.  I'm sure you don't mind me sharing... after all, isn't talking about new purchases one of the best parts of garden blogging?
.

My Favorites for November

unripe fig

I usually miss Simply Susan's "Favorites" meme since I'm not at the house to take photos, but I suppose I could just recycle some pics, right?  Its not so much that I have favorite plants for the month of November, the whole month is actually my favorite time of year in the garden since my garden is in its prime and frost hasn't yet laid waste to the landscape. 
.

Between Balcony and the Garden

I live in an apartment, forty minutes away from the garden that I call my own.  Though I have a wonderful balcony filled to the brim with rare and unusual plants, the main attraction and the place that supplies me with endless photos of gingers and palms, is at my parent's place and is visited only once a week.
.

To My Blogging Friends

To all my blogging friends that have stuck with me over the last year, you've probably noticed that in the last couple of months I've been less candid in my posts and have left less comments, so you might feel like I've forgotten about you!  To the contrary, I sometimes feel guilty for working on my own writing, and feel bad about all the stuff I'm missing.
.

Tropical Gardening Books

These make my list of the top gifts for the tropical gardener this year, and yes, they are all books.  Very good books.  Even if you can't think of anyone to buy them for, beat the black Friday rush and get these inspiring tomes for yourself online!  I've included links to buy the books from Booksamillion.com so there's no need to brave the holiday crowds. 
.

Tropical Vertical Garden

Some of you may recall that I've been experimenting with vertical gardening solutions using epiphytes, and I've finally finished my first installation!  I've seen some amazing succulent wall art via Flora Grubb, but most succulents require more sun than my balcony can provide, so I've replaced the echeverias and sedums with cattleyas and rhipsalis!

.

Epiphytic Cactus Nursery!

Seven Trees Nursery grows more than just epiphytic cacti of course, but Jan and Ina Zevenboom's selection of rhipsalis, epiphyllum and other cacti of the rainforest were enough to convince me to make the drive... and stay for just a few hours! 
.

How to Design a Getaway Garden

Want to recreate your favorite vacation spot?  Here's how to design a tropical vacation retreat wherever you live, be it zone 5 or zone 9! By picking appropriate plants, borrowing from tropical cultures, and by captivating all of those senses, you'll be able to pass up those plane tickets for a peaceful backyard getaway.  How's that for 'living local'?
.

Seeing Red in the Tropical Fall Garden

Is any color better than red to evoke the tropics in a garden?  The color red screams loudly above all of the more civilized hues, grabbing your attention and holding it there.  It can be a little much for some gardens, but not mine.  When it comes to flowers, red is my color of choice!
.

Some of My Bromeliad Collection

I haven't really shared my bromeliad collection in a while, so I suppose I'll show you how they're doing!  For those of you who didn't know, bromeliads are my favorite plants, especially the ones that can take the cold.  To the left is my neoregelia "tequila", lounging in a concrete container under my radicalis palms. 
.

Things I Have To Do This Fall

I've got a lot to do this fall, and now that the Florida heat has given way to a brisk and gardener-friendly chill, no more excuses!  I'm going to whip my balcony into shape, and transform "The Rainforest Garden" at my parent's place into a green winter wonderland!
.

A Video of Me Showing You the Garden!

My sister came and shot this on the fly, so I had no time to plan... hence the "um"s and messed up hair!  Here's a link to see the uncropped full screen video in HD!

Garden Inspiration I'm Digging

Instead of doing a roundup of all my posts like I did for September, I'm going to share some of the links I've been talking about on Facebook and Twitter last month!  I'm going to make it a habit of sharing inspiring links to jump start your creative process, and this time I'm focusing on inspiring stuff on the web. 
.

Epiphytes for Small Spaces

Epiphytes are way underutilized in small gardens, and I want to change that.  For those of you who didn't know, epiphytes are plants that have miraculously adapted to living out their lives in the branches of trees, requiring little or no soil at all!  This independence from heavy soil translates to light and easy vertical gardening!
.

Why I Plant Densely

Crowding your plants closely together is bad, right?  Not if you're gardening "tropical where its not so tropical"!  Planting densely not only creates a lush impression of a rainforest, it also adds protection from frost, cools the soil, shielding it from the evaporating sun, and creates a haven for wildlife.  Here's why I densely plant my garden.
.

Wordless Wednesday: Fall in Florida

I just got back from my parent's garden, AKA The Rainforest Garden!  I love my balcony, but I'm incredibly grateful to my parents for allowing me to create a jungle in their yard, and I'm also very thankful that I get to use their DSLR camera.  Sure beats the cell phone!
.

Garden Shopping at the Riverside Arts Market

Every Saturday the city of Jacksonville puts on a big market with lots of vendors, mostly artists and crafters.  Of course my favorite booths are the ones dealing in plants and produce!  No one week has the same lineup of vendors, but you're likely to stumble across anything from orchids, to hanging baskets, to herbs, to pitcher plants, and even hypertufa pots!
.

Extremely Unusual Plants at the Orchtoberfest

What do you get when you mix German Food and lots of orchids, and wrap it up in October's wonderful weather?  Orchtoberfest!  Every year EFG Orchids opens their magical greenhouses to the public so you can wander amongst their many rare and unusual tropical epiphytes.  This warranted a road trip!
.

Fiscus Palm, Anyone?

Every now and then I make the trip to Whole Foods to see if they have any tropical fruit to harvest seeds from.  Well, they didn't have much in the way of unique fruit, but they did have a palm I had never seen before, by the name of... "Fiscus Palm"?
.

Drought and Songbirds

I started the day miserably with a headache, but thankfully still decided to forge ahead to my mom's and play in the garden.  On the way I even redeemed my rewards card at Ace Hardware to buy some herbs, but upon arriving at the house I realized that my plants were dying from the drought.  That's the problem with living 40 minutes away from your garden.  Things die and there's nothing you can do about it.
.

How NOT To Prune a Crepe Myrtle

I don't care what anyone else tells you, hacking a crape myrtle to stumps every year is wrong.  It produces unhealthy and weak branches, weakens the tree, lets in disease and stresses the tree, compounding any other issues further.  From an aesthetic standpoint, it also ruins the tree's naturally graceful form.
.

Carrion Flower For Halloween

If you want to go with a creepy plant theme this year, gross those kids (and adults) out with carrion flower!  It blooms through the end of October, starting out as puffy and swollen buds that unfurl into huge platter sized flowers shaped like starfish with a fleshy and hairy texture and the barely noticeable scent of rotting flesh, only apparent when holding your nose up to it.
.

Beach Combing For Gardeners

The beach has long been my second favorite place, next to the garden of course!  Its there that everything becomes clear and simple, and beach-combing helps me focus as I scan the blank canvas of the sand and shells.  A gardener can get a lot out of the seaside!  Besides the obvious gift of calm and relaxation, you can find seeds for planting, materials for your garden, and plain old inspiration.
.

Does This Make My Balcony Look Bigger?

If you were disappointed by the last post's lack of imagery, you're in luck.  Today I'll share the "Epiphyte Balcony" with you, along with some nifty little ideas for gardening with limited space, by utilizing shelves, organizing your supplies, and hanging mounted plants.  For example, this mounted encyclia tampensis orchid to the left that I've attached to the balcony's wall. 
.

What Good Are Garden Blogs?

Recently Allan Becker, Garden Guru posed the question "Are there garden experts out there that resent the abundance of horticultural advice that is posted online?", sparking a great conversation about the legitimacy of what amateur garden bloggers have to say.
This got me thinking.  Are we really taking our roles as informers seriously enough?  Read the long post and tell me what you think.

How to Make the "Gack O' Lantern"

As promised, today I'll show you how to create your own vomiting jack o' lantern using nothing more than succulents.  This is a great way to scare trick-or-treaters from your doorstep, thus saving more candy for yourself!

Is a barfing pumpkin just too gross for you?  Read on for some 'tastefully spooky' ideas that Martha Stewart would approve of.
.

More Inspiration From Kanapaha

Earlier I focused on the Kanapaha fall plant sale, but today I'll focus on the gardens themselves.  Here are some of my favorite areas, such as the entrance garden, ginger garden, rock garden, fern cobble, and a few mini gardens throughout.  I know many of you will never visit, but I've learned a lot just by which plants make it through their winters.
.

Wordless Wednesday: "Gack O' Lantern"

Read more in this Sunday's issue of the Tampa Tribune, and stay tuned for my how-to post on Friday!  I hope you're all "feeling well" this Halloween, and don't eat too much candy or else... you know. 

Epiphyte Inspiration From Kanapaha

Since you all had horrible excuses for not visiting Kanapaha this weekend, and I am kidding by the way, I'll treat you to some inspiring photos and ideas brought to you by the innovative vendors and the local chapter of the American Orchid Society, since there was also a stunning orchid show!

Plant Profile: Firecracker Plant

What more could you ask for in a plant if not for evergreen foliage, drought tolerance and flowers that attract hummingbirds in droves?  Russelia equisetiformis, alternately known as firecracker plant and coral plant, is nearly leafless and bears hanging flowers on wisp like stems, gracefully arching towards the ground.

A Recap of September 10'

Just in case you missed anything over the last month, I've gathered all of this months posts, wrapped them up and put them here, you can easily browse through my overly enthusiastic gardening nonsense and drivel!  Blah, blah, blah.  At least there's pretty pictures.

Photos of the Garden at Night

Tonight I got set up with a tripod and the "good" camera, and got some shots of the garden lit only by moonlight and the glow of the lights indoors. The effect is kind of spooky and somehow serene to me, as if its a movie set with side lighting.  I also utilized the flash for the graphic silhouette of the echeveria, and I managed to get a shot of a moonflower before it got too dark.
.

Appearances Can Be Deceiving

One of the coolest things about growing exotic tropicals is becoming acquainted with their unusual forms, which often have otherworldly appearances!  Those of you who have the plant pictured probably know what it is, but for the rest of you, try to identify it by looking at just the first photo. 

Macro Monday: Echeveria

This is an echeveria in my coral reef succulent container garden... that's a mouthful!  The leaflets remind my of fondant petals used in confections and cake decorating, and the texture is so soft.  See below for the full view.

Be sure to visit Lisa's Chaos for more Macro Monday!

A Drought Tolerant Sedum and Cordyline Container Planting

This combo was done using two of my favorite plants, Cordyline Australis "Red Star" and "Florida Friendly Gold" Sedum.  Both are incredibly drought tolerant, sun tolerant, shade tolerant, frost tolerant and even hard freeze tolerant, and they provide excellent color and form with their foliage alone!

Ti Plant "Red Sister"

"Red Sister" is the most commonly seen cordyline here in Jacksonville, and if its not because of their eventual recovery from the harshest zone 9 winters, it must be for their gorgeous colors that seem to intensify in the moderate temperatures of fall.  There are plenty of unusual varieties to choose from, but for combined beauty and toughness "red sister" can't be beat.