Monday, October 31, 2011

Potinara Netrasiri Orange orchid (Pot. Netrasiri Orange)

Like a finely tuned clock, this intensely colored orchid blooms every year just in time for Halloween. Think of it as Mother Nature took food coloring to dye this orchid the most amazing carrot orange.  You can see a hint of deep magenta veining through the center of the orange petals, as if Netrasiri was blushing with beauty when Mother Nature blessed her.  The Pot. Netrasiri Orange has a solid magenta lip at the end of her meyer lemon yellow mouth.  All the colors you could want of the most delicious Halloween candy!
Pot. Netrasiri Orange
October 2011
with a flash showing her bright and sassy side
Pot. Netrasiri Orange
October 2011
another bright and sassy close up
Pot. Netrasiri Orange
October 2011
without a flash showing her dark & sultry side
Pot. Netrasiri Orange
October 2011
No tricks here, this gem is a real treat!
This potinara netrasiri orange is growing in my catteleya guava tree which gets just the right amount of bright light in the form of dappled sun & shade.  The flowers are 3-4" and grow in clusters.  The flower petals are of a semi-shiny yet slick waxy texture while the center is a bit more soft & crystallized looking.  A very subtle but sweet scent, a total treat to have in your collection.  
HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!!

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Plantio La Orquidea & my infamous lc. gold digger 'redland gold' x c. schilleriana orchid

Once upon a time there was a gardening girl in Pompano Beach that would spend lots of her hard earned cash on orchids.  Yes that girl is me & yes those times are over, whaaaa...thank you crappy economy (yes that's a whole different conversation lol).  Back in 2006 I bought an amazing orchid from a vendor at Tropiflora's Spring Festival.  Turns out I killed the orchid & had no record of who I bought the orchid from (I now record every purchase in my orchid journal).  I tried in vain to find another.  Later that year my orchid club, Fort Lauderdale Orchid Society, had Rafael Romero from Plantio la Orquidea come speak at one of our monthly meetings.  Well long story short, guess who I bought that orchid from, yup, Rafael.  I told him the story about this orchid & how I loved it so much.  I ended up ordering three bare root orchids from him.  This orchid is lc. gold digger 'redland gold' x c. schilleriana.  I attached two of the three orchids to one of my Christmas palms, veitchia merrillii, in the front yard.  It was remarkable how fast they rooted.  Here is a picture of the two when I first mounted them five years ago (see pics below).
lc. gold digger 'redland gold' x c. schilleriana's
attached to Christmas palm June 2006
lc. gold digger 'redland gold' x c. schilleriana's
attached to Christmas palm June 2006
The third one I mounted on a piece of driftwood I found at John U. Lloyd State Park (see pic below).
lc. gold digger 'redland gold' x c. schilleriana
June 2006


lc. gold digger 'redland gold' x c. schilleriana
June 2006

Two years later, November 2008, this is what they look like (see pic below).
lc. gold digger 'redland gold' x c. schilleriana
November 2008
 The palm was in decline & the fronds were sparse so the amount of full sun was increasing.
An orchid's leaves will have a reddish color to them when they get a lot of direct sunlight.
The Christmas Palm was damaged during a very active hurricane season & didn't make it.  Though surprisingly the orchids adapted extremely quickly to the full morning sun it was now getting.  Here are a couple pictures of the orchids after the palm completely died in 2009.
lc. gold digger 'redland gold' x c. schilleriana
November 2009
exposed to full sun in morning
lc. gold digger 'redland gold' x c. schilleriana
November 2009
flower close up
Look at all the roots growing around the trunk of the palm, such a vigorous grower and extremely hardy orchid. It blooms twice a year, the flowers bloom in a grandiose cluster with multiple clusters all over the orchid and the blooms last for months.  I was tentative to remove the dead palm trunk, so I left it as a show piece since it was right by our front entry way.  Yes, this orchid loves to show off & dag nab-it I would too if I were this orchid.  So there she grew for another two years until a few months ago when the palm trunk began to dry out in the middle.  Time for the big move.  My boyfriend helped cut the base of the palm so we could move the entire piece to another area.  Yes, it's still a show piece but located in our backyard.  So here it is right now starting to bloom again at the end of October & will probably continue until the end of November.
lc. gold digger 'redland gold' x c. schilleriana
October 30, 2011
The leaves are back to a rich emerald green color
since the orchids are now getting the ideal bright light
from dappled sunlight through the trees above.
lc. gold digger 'redland gold' x c. schilleriana
October 30, 2011
You can see in this picture how I buried part of
the palm trunk in the ground for better stability.
You would never know there are two orchids.
lc. gold digger 'redland gold' x c. schilleriana
October 30, 2011
close up of one of the flower clusters
this orchid is a super happy & extremely hardy orchid

what a survivor, oh a thought just popped in my head...
it would be a great poster plant for breast cancer
awareness month (pink & October)...whatcha think huh huh
lc. gold digger 'redland gold' x c. schilleriana
October 3, 2011
another flower cluster






lc. gold digger 'redland gold' x c. schilleriana
a Butterfly Ginger is to the left of the orchid (see Sept 30th blog entry) which has a super sweet gardenia like smell that perfumes the air. An extremely hardy ginger esp. in winter.
So this is the short story of my infamous lc. gold digger 'redland gold' x c. schilleriana orchids.  Over the past five years I have continued to email Rafael pictures of this gem of an orchid along with my many thanks & much appreciation.  Keep up the great work to everyone at Plantio la Orquidea!
Merci beaucoup pour mes belles orchidees!!!  :)

Crotons....ohhh Crotons...I've got Crotons on my mind....

On this rainy and really wet Saturday I decided to talk a little bit about Crotons, Codiaeum variegatum,an ornamental evergreen tropical shrub.  Crotons are known to have a devout cult following due to their fanciful colors, various leaf shapes, unique free form growing habit & super easy to grow.  From the 1950's through to the 1970's, crotons were widely used throughout Florida as a major landscape plant.  Then the housing styles started to change from classic brick & mortar simple style ranch homes to a new hipper look with stucco & wood in the 80's & 90's.

Our Miami house 1971
With that, the landscapes also changed from the old stand-by's like croton's, gardenia's, dracena, natal plum, ixora's, etc. to new tropical plants imported from other countries.  The landscapes became more colorful & textural by layering different tropical specimens like gingers, alocasia, crinum lilies, palms, etc.  So the poor little croton lost is luster and faded to the background.  In the older neighborhoods you can still see some crotons over 50 years old which were planted at the time the houses were built.  Growing up here in South Florida I remember our neighborhoods filled with all different types of huge old school varieties of crotons.  Unfortunately Hurricane Andrew destroyed quite a few of them.  Now the croton is back and badder than ever with over four hundred different cultivar's.  So if you are not familiar with them you are bound to fall in love.  I'm sure you have seen them everywhere just never realized it.  Grab a cup o'joe or glass of wine, relax and let's get started cause this may be a long one, lol.

Croton Dhyana hybrid from Siam Croton
A tiny bit of history about this gem of a plant....a native to India, Malaysia & South Pacific Islands, so they like heat & humidity.  Crotons were first introduced into North America by the Henry A Dreer Nursery around 1870 in Philadelphia, PA. as a new hothouse plant for the collections of Victorian gardeners.  Quickly became popularized and made its way to South Florida as a new unique & colorful landscape plant of the 50's & 60's.  Now with that bit of trivia out of the way, on to the good stuff, lol.

Hmmmm where to start...well let's start with the basics.  Crotons love hot & humid weather but also like to be well watered in good draining soil (no mucky ground as they will get root rot very easily).  Though I do have to say I have heard this plant be called drought tolerant. To quote my Dad, "let me say this about that"...once crotons are established they can be resistant to periods of dry spells.  If the soil is extremely dry and hot like in areas of sugar sand (where I live) the plant will stress out, drop their leaves as a survival measure & if the plant has multiple trunks a few may die back to save the whole plant (like mine did).  Crotons are much better at being drought tolerant in partial sun rather than in full sun (plants in full sun have to be extraordinarily tough here in South Florida to survive this kind of ecosystem).  Now conversely, crotons are cold tolerant for short spells but cannot survive long hard freezes.  They either need to be brought inside or put in a greenhouse during the colder months.  Though don't worry too much about crotons because they are extremely resilient & hardy plants that survive most types of dramatic weather conditions.
Croton Dignity hybrid from Siam Croton
Croton Harmonious hybrid from Siam Croton
To plant in full sun or not to plant in full sun...that is the question, lol.  What makes crotons attributes very unique is their coloring, spots, dapples, swirls, curls, twists & leaf shapes.  How much & how little sunlight they get each day will affect all of the above.  Some varieties do very well in full sun like Batik, Bravo, Mammy, Petra & Red Tortilla while others prefer part sun/part shade like Fishbone, Mrs. Iceton, Nirvana, Polychrome & Zulu.  The older more established plants will do very well in full sun.  Though when in doubt plant them, especially when they are young, in part sun/part shade since that is their ideal growing conditions & produce the best colors.
Croton Nirvana from Siam Croton
Croton CRT007 hybrid from Siam Croton

This plant is not picky about soil requirements and can adapt quickly to a variety of soil types & ph's.  Though ideally you always want to have good organic rich soil to plant your plants in.  Also, it's a good idea to fertilize crotons at least twice a year (for crotons early & late Spring) along with the rest of your plants to help your crotons live up to their potential, lol.  Having a healthy plant will help keep them pest free.
Crotons in a Davie, FL. landscape 

Cordylines, Crotons & variegated Pittosporum
in a South Florida landscape
Crotons have a reputation to live up to with their endless variety of colors, shapes & sizes.  By nature these genetic features are extremely unpredictable & can vary from plant to plant but it's also what makes crotons so special.  These mutations allow for hybridizer's to create some really awesome varieties.  With that said crotons are first grouped by their leaf types: broad, hastate, linear & orbicular are the main types.  From that, are variations like croton dhyana (see pic above), a "linear leaf that spirals with spots & colors of red, yellow, green and black".  See how that works?  Ok, lets do this again...start with a basic leaf shape, lets say broad base, add a leaf shape variation like a ruffled edge then throw in yellow, pink & orange spots on a green, red & black leaf, hence croton pie crust.  See, easy right?!?  LOL ;)  Good thing the technical stuff is left to the professionals.  Though the good thing is once you find a croton you like, it can be propagated easily through cuttings.  Which means you can take either cut a leaf or a branch off the mother plant, put in water and/or moist organic rich soil until it grows roots, then it can be re-potted and/or transplanted into the ground.  A great way to share your croton collection with friends, family & neighbors.
Croton Pie Crust
Croton Pie Crust
Another wonderful thing about crotons is they are widely available, if I may be so bold to say, at all South Florida nurseries.  Most gardening centers and some nurseries will just carry the standard old school American varieties like Mammey, Petra, Curly Boy, Eleanor Roosevelt, Batik, Gold Dust, Picasso's Paintbrush,  Mrs. Iceton, Congo & Turkeyfoot/Oak Leaf.  Though if you are looking for something a bit more exotic (something totally different from your neighbor, lol) then check out some of the new hybrids coming out of Thailand.  WOWZER!!! Here are a few South Florida nurseries & growers you can purchase some healthy beautiful crotons.  Leserra's Nursery in Deerfield Beach, Fl.  NuTurf Garden Center in Pompano Beach, Fl.  Living Color Nursery in Davie, Fl.  Gardino Nursery in Delray Beach, Fl.  Peter's Croton Nursery in Vero Beach, Fl.  Siam Croton from Thailand is always on the cutting edge in creating some outstanding hybrids.  A few great resources to peruse during your down time are: Croton Mania with his incredible registry of the different cultivars; the Croton Society located in Tampa, Fl;  Peters Croton Nursery has an very informative website along with an impressive list of available plants to purchase; and of course our beloved University of Florida IFAS extension is a great website resource for all Florida gardners.
Croton Prajna
Croton CRT #43
Growing up in South Florida I saw crotons every where so I never really gave them a second thought.  Once I became a homeowner with actual land I could plant cool stuff on, crotons became a new passion for me.  Currently I have dwarf Curly Boy, Batik, Picasso's Paintbrush, dwarf Pictum Spot, Red Spot and Mammey.  After writing this blog episode, I now have another wish list of some crazy wild new crotons to add to my landscape (and our client's landscapes also), hee hee.  Here are a few pictures of my current crotons in the yard.
Croton Pictum Spot dwarf version
with necklace pod on left, biscayne prickly
ash on right & acalypha (copperleaf) in back
Close up of the croton pictum spot dwarf
Isn't it gorgeous!?!  Such a beautiful accent with the
yellow dappled green leaves which punctuates the
landscape saying "hey, look at me!" This croton is about 5-6 feet high & that's about as high as it will get.

Croton Red Spot is super gorgeous as a
stand alone accent in the landscape.  Long
linear leaves with spots all over them. To
the right is my Bay Rum tree.
Croton Red Spot close up
The newer leaves are the green & yellow ones,
which will then turn into the red, pink & a little
dark blood red or black.  Looks like fireworks in
the sky on 4th of July  Spectacular! ;)



Croton Mammey
Just ignore the weeds, lol, I have our
front yard under another renovation. 
Croton Mammey close up
Linear elongated leaves with slight twists
towards the ends. Lots of dark reds, greens,
& black with bright yellows & greens
popping out to brighten the plant.

Croton Curly Boy
This little one is just now showing its true
colors, coming back from a stressful
transplant during a month that ended up being
a summer of drought.  Look at it go! :)
Not sure what this little croton is but it's the plant I
was referring to earlier. This section of yard is a type of silicone sugar sand.  It gets super hot & dry especially in a drought summer.  So this croton did survive but not without loosing a few stalks & lots of leaves.  Give it another couple of seasons & will maybe figure out what it is...unless some croton aficionado knows, lol.


Croton Moth
Croton Exotica



Croton Thomas Edison
Croton Fishbone



Croton Cranberry
Croton Golded Glow
So there you have it ladies & gentlemen, crotons 101 a la Sheri B stylie!  Hope I am able to spread some color, texture & fun into your heart and of course your landscape.  Get out there & get dirty! :)

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Deerfield Beach

A shot of the dune plants here at Deerfield Beach; beach naupaka, sea oats, beach morning glory, sea grape & a local yocal, lol thats my cutie bambootie bf :)





My lizard buddy

This little guy has been watching me the whole time I've been working in the master bedroom of my Dad's new house.  What a cutie! Plus I got a chance to use the Blogger app on my new phone, yeah buddy! :)

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Let's see what's blooming in the garden today

Opened up the house for the first day of sorta cool weather, but hey will take what we can get. LOL.  Today's little gems are showing their true colors, literally, lol.
Brassavola Nodosa, 'Lady of the Night', since
this beautiful species intoxicating fragrant is
only smelled at night. The flowers bloom in
groups only intensifying the already deep sweet
smell. The flowers can last up to 3 months. 
Brassavola Nodosa is a great beginner orchid for any of
you still hesitant to start your collection. This beauty was
given to me by a fellow FLOS member since she had so
many of them. That's how easy they are to grow. Find a
local grower & pick one up to get started.
Queen Emma Lily is a gorgeous purple leaved
type of Crinum Lily.  The plant gets very large
in diameter which is perfect to fill empty space
in your yard, lol, like any gardener has empty
space. ;)
The Queen Emma Lily flowers are very fragrant in a
light & gentle way but can fill the air with lovely
goodness on humid days here in Florida.  The Luna Moth just loves these flowers at night.  They almost look like tiny bats flying around the flowers in the evening. 
Does anyone know what this small shrub is?
Anyone, anyone? LOL.  It's called a
 Chinese Perfume Tree, Aglaia Ordorata. They
are hard to find so snatch one up if you find
one for sale.
I have our Chinese Perfume Tree in a  bold blue
ceramic pot on our front porch so our guests can enjoy the highly unusual scent as they visit. The scent is a very unusual lemony, perfumey light but sweet aroma. It's said only 30% of people can smell it. Can you?
A close up of the tiny yellow "perfumey" flowers.
These rare trees can get about 8-10ft high in
the ground.  If you find one in your travels I highly
recommend you buy it, I know you will love it.
To my surprise this handful of a Brassavola
orchid that I bought from Jamaica was blooming.  I have just moved this one into my Lignum Vitae two
weeks earlier. So glad it's happy!:)
Orange Plume flower or Brazilian Plume flower is
a fast aggressive growing shrub here in South
Florida.  So buyer beware if you have a small yard
like moi! Though they are a great plant to use as
a hedge or screen cover.  There is even a pink one too!
My little hot fuschia purslane just pops out in the sun. They are sun lovers & with stand the
high heat we have here that comes off all the concrete of suburbia. An amazingly resilient ground cover for your gardens since they love spreading out.
Cattelyea Green Emerald 'Ochid Queen'
The second set of blooms opened this morning
C. Green Emerald 'Orchid Queen' detail


What this no name beauty looks like today!
Still growing new spikes with new flowers,
WOW! Super hot tomato red!
Everyday it grows more & more, I guess its
making up for all those years not blooming
or growing. Go baby go! :)
The orchid is in the middle, see how tall it is in
comparison to the root system. I believe what did the
trick was more light. It really likes lots of bright light!
See how its curving outside of the shade house.
Hiding in the background of my wall of orchids in
the shade house is this Slc. India Rose Sherwood
'Kiilani'. Just blooming away like is was nobody's
business, lol. I bought this intensely sweet smelling
orchid at RF Orchids on an FLOS orchid ramble to
Homestead & the Redlands way down south.
Odom's orchids also has these beauties.
The root system on this unbelievable root bound
bound beauty lets you know how healthy & happy
happy an orchid is.  That is basically their life line
to essential water & nutrients to survive. Check out American Orchid Society for more orchid care.
IT'S A GORGEOUS DAY TODAY SO GET OUT THERE & ENJOY YOURSELVES!!! XOXO