Growing The Right Way For Me

I love the conical shape this dwarf firebush is taking on.  Hamelia patens 'Compacta' is an African variety of our Florida native Firebush species.

Dwarf Firebush with rain lilies underneath

I didn't prune or nip the new growth to make the firebush grow this way, it's just doing it's own thing.

Did I say dwarf?  It's already 5 feet tall.  Remember in Nature, size is relative.

Bonsai Superstars

Breathtaking! I have always wanted to have the patience and the space (as funny as that sounds) to create bonsai works of art. They are fascinating to me. The eclectic environmental blog, WebEcoist highlights tree art with bonsai superstars, such as Masahiko Kimura, Ben Oki, Lindsey Bebb, Quinquan Zhao, world famous for his penjing (miniature landscapes that combine bonsai with soil, foliage, and rock), Robert Steven and John Naka, dec His most recognizable work, Goshin, resides at the US National Arboretum. It consists of 11 impossibly straight juniper trees.



Bonsai award winning artist Masahiko Kimura creates a new masterpiece in under ten minutes:

Crape Murder Spree

Crape murder crime rate is still too high.  These landscape trees required by law, the labor to install them, and the water used to establish them  were wasted.  What a shame and does nothing to enhance the property or downtown. Commercially, these brutal cuts do nothing to promote the business or encourage customers to visit.

How should they have been pruned, if at all?  Crapemyrtle Pruning.

Crape Murder Is Not Bliss

Bliss is pruning your shrubs and trees correctly. Pruning isn't hard - it just takes forethought and understanding what you want to accomplish.  To prevent stress and diseases, make sure all pruning tools are sterile and kept sharp.

UF/IFAS Pruning Landscape Trees and Shrubs

UF/IFAS Crapemyrtle Pruning

UF/IFAS Pruning Palms

UF/IFAS Pruning Ornamental Grasses

Deadheading Perennials

Spiraling Upwards

Teresa's past posts on topiaries:

Topiaries Leafing Out   Check it out!

Spring Rose Care

The next week holds wonderful weather for Florida gardeners to be outside! Mid-February/early March is springtime in our southern state and the best time to prune your roses. I love growing roses and they are easy care but take more time to maintain than typical tropicals.  Roses need full sunlight,  low volume irrigation, and cleanliness.  Without eight hours of sun, most modern roses may survive but won't bloom as much and will be leggy. If you have shade, try antique roses.  Watering roses correctly means that you don't have overhead irrigation hitting the leaves which provides the conditions for diseases.  Low volume, drip irrigation is better with our Florida humidity. Roses need about a gallon of water a week.  You'll find that your rose will stay healthier if they are not en masse' but strategically placed away from the other roses. I have mine located here and there through out the yard.

Separated, pest problems won't spread as easily from rose to rose to rose. Knock Out roses were supposed to be pest free when they first came out, but because of the popularity and mass plantings, have been attacked by epidemic of chili thrips.  Use a slow release systemic rose fertilizer for nutrition, disease and insect control to keep your roses healthy.

Secret to lots of blooms?  Cut back often.  The more you cut roses, the more they will bloom. Now I was always taught to cut diagonally 1/4 inch above a five-leaflet leaf. But Paul Zimmerman, with Fine Gardening seems to have a different opinion.  He does make sense.

My favorite roses are fragrant - why have a rose if you cannot smell its beauty?  Here are the ones that I loved:  Angel Face, Perfume Delight, Double Delight, Abraham Darby, Old Blush, Mr. Lincoln, Scentimental, and Queen Elizabeth. 

Resources:

• UF/IFAS Growing Roses in Florida
• Fortuniana Rootstock - Best for Florida Roses
• Rose Rootstocks
• Rose Pests in Florida
• Rose Glossary
• American Rose Society
• Find a Rose Society in your area. 

Topiaries Leafing Out

Photos copyright 2005-2007 Teresa Watkins

Topiaries are one of my favorite garden features.  Walt Disney World and EPCOT feature topiaries of the Disney fairy tale characters during their International Flower Show each spring.

 WEBecoist has more great photos of exotic and creative topiary artwork to enjoy.  

(images via: Wicanders Cork Oak Blog, New Lantern and HorseHints)

Step by step directions to making a topiary:

• How to create a sphagnum topiary.
• How Disney creates their topiaries.
• Topiary Design
• How to make moss topiaries.

Sources for topiary frames:

• Apenberry's - Orlando
• Topiary Inc - Tampa
• Chris' Topiary Nursery - Online order
• Cliff Finch's Zoo - Online order
• ETopiary - Online Order
• Topiary Joe's - Corporate, custom topiaries