When my real love of all things plants and gardening bega...
When my real love of all things plants and gardening began, I fought my environment by trying to force plants that just werenβt suited for my *very hot*, *very humid* northeast Florida subtropical (mostly dappled shade) garden. Once I embraced where I lived and finally opened my eyes to the never ending list of absolutely gorgeous plants that thrive here, gardening became more fun and rewarding. #HappyGardening
#Neoregelia Blushing Bromeliad #Begonia
Brazilian Plume #Justicia carnea
Begonia #Stromanthe Triostar
#Neoregelia Blushing Bromeliad #Begonia
Brazilian Plume #Justicia carnea
Begonia #Stromanthe Triostar
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Best Answer
Thick-leaf plants are your friend! π You didn't mention any by name, but I'm guessing some of the plants you tried to force were of the more delicate leaf variety? You're going to have some stunning, absolutely enormous plants in your garden! Those Begonias for example π₯π So many never reach their full potential as house plants, but in your garden they'll grow like they do in their native habitats. Glad you embraced the vast array of plant life that can thrive in N. FL π₯°
@stephonicle Thank you!! I really appreciate your comments!
Yep, you totally nailed it β my first plant attempts leaned more towards an English Garden than subtropical swampy Florida!
I hadnβt thought of it that way before, but yes, thick leaves are definitely what thrives here! We have a very large tree canopy above and lots of bright, dappled shade β most βhouseplantsβ do very well outside here.
Yep, you totally nailed it β my first plant attempts leaned more towards an English Garden than subtropical swampy Florida!
I hadnβt thought of it that way before, but yes, thick leaves are definitely what thrives here! We have a very large tree canopy above and lots of bright, dappled shade β most βhouseplantsβ do very well outside here.
@LaneyLichen Iβm in south Florida and can totally relate to your story. Your plants look lovely! π
@ShadowBoxrBaby Thanks Samantha! Your plants look great, too! Looks like we have a lot of the same plants, which makes sense since we are both in Florida! Do you grow most of your plants outside, too?
@LaneyLichen I do! I have an east-facing patio, luckily, which protects a lot of the more delicate ones from the afternoon sun. So far so good. π
@ShadowBoxrBaby Oh thatβs nice! Iβm in a neighborhood with a lot of tree cover so I have mostly dappled shade in my whole yard. Getting full sun is actually a problem for me, which is kinda funny for a Florida yard! I have a couple of balconies and a pergola that allow me to grow some full sun plants like bougainvillea and coral honeysuckle. But Iβve gotten more into growing shade plants, which do so well here. Iβm in Jacksonville, and it gets colder here than in south Florida. But not for long so I donβt usually lose outside plants permanently.
@LaneyLichen Hereβs hoping all of your plants make it through the βwinterβ here in Florida! π
It doesnβt stay cold for very long this far south, but Iβm still worried about some of my fussier plants β they may temporarily end up being houseplants if we do get a cold snap. Many are still just babies. How long have you been working on your gardening?
@ShadowBoxrBaby That was such a strange cold snap wasnβt it?! Did it get cold down there? It was so freaking cold here - for like 2 Β½ days! I love these 70 degree days so much more! But you know, it does get colder here but I rarely lose plants to cold. I think we have it in our heads that most plants canβt tolerate a chill, especially if theyβre tropical, but Iβm always surprised by the resilience of plants, even the ones that seem extra out of place here, like cactus.
However, if you know a plant is fussy, itβs always best to baby them through these changes. It doesnβt always freeze here, and even when it does, itβs not a sustained freeze so it has rarely done any permanent damage to my plants, with the exception of succulents! They will never forgive you for letting them be so cold. But Iβm always amazed that plants like bromeliads can take anything.
I am 50 years old now and Iβve been gardening now for aboutβ¦ 25 years? That canβt be right. No that is correct. Wow! Thatβs so strange to realize. I always feel like Iβm just getting started learning about plants - like any day now I should understand everything. π I know I have a lot of experience with plants, but man, if I thought about someone gardening for 25 years, Iβd assume they were like master gardener level or something.
Then again, I am always new in a sense because Iβm always changing the type of plants that I focus most on. Like, Iβd never grown any typical houseplant varieties prior to this year. I still havenβt really grown any plants indoors yet. Iβve gotten several plants and pots meant specifically for inside, but idk what it is but I get nervous about losing them. My house just doesnβt get tons of sunlight, so I want to make sure itβs enough. Iβll definitely be bringing some inside for winter though.
However, if you know a plant is fussy, itβs always best to baby them through these changes. It doesnβt always freeze here, and even when it does, itβs not a sustained freeze so it has rarely done any permanent damage to my plants, with the exception of succulents! They will never forgive you for letting them be so cold. But Iβm always amazed that plants like bromeliads can take anything.
I am 50 years old now and Iβve been gardening now for aboutβ¦ 25 years? That canβt be right. No that is correct. Wow! Thatβs so strange to realize. I always feel like Iβm just getting started learning about plants - like any day now I should understand everything. π I know I have a lot of experience with plants, but man, if I thought about someone gardening for 25 years, Iβd assume they were like master gardener level or something.
Then again, I am always new in a sense because Iβm always changing the type of plants that I focus most on. Like, Iβd never grown any typical houseplant varieties prior to this year. I still havenβt really grown any plants indoors yet. Iβve gotten several plants and pots meant specifically for inside, but idk what it is but I get nervous about losing them. My house just doesnβt get tons of sunlight, so I want to make sure itβs enough. Iβll definitely be bringing some inside for winter though.
@ShadowBoxrBaby Oof that was a lot!!
What about you? How long have you been gardening? What made you first take an interest in gardening? Did you say youβre in Tampa?
I wish this app were set up a little differently - some easier way to chat and share plant photos.
I thought I was bitten by a brown recluse spider last week, but apparently they donβt usually live up here. Itβs finally starting to heal now, but I definitely was bitten by something pretty gnarly! On the bottom of my toe. Do you ever get bad bites there? I think itβs related to me being a redhead or something because critters seem to know that Iβm extra sensitive to a lot. Ah Florida!
What about you? How long have you been gardening? What made you first take an interest in gardening? Did you say youβre in Tampa?
I wish this app were set up a little differently - some easier way to chat and share plant photos.
I thought I was bitten by a brown recluse spider last week, but apparently they donβt usually live up here. Itβs finally starting to heal now, but I definitely was bitten by something pretty gnarly! On the bottom of my toe. Do you ever get bad bites there? I think itβs related to me being a redhead or something because critters seem to know that Iβm extra sensitive to a lot. Ah Florida!
Wow, thatβs an incredible amount of time to have spent gardening! I am only just getting started this year. My mother passed away last summer, and I inherited a plant from her. She had lost the ability to take care of any of her plans long before she passed, And this poor thing was just languishing in a pot that was really too small for it and had been for a long time. She really loved it, so I wanted to try and save it. I put it in a much larger pot and gave it better sunοΏΌ conditions than it had been used to in a really long time. Now it is absolutely massive! Giving new life to something as I was going through such a hard time inspired me to try my hand at growing other plants as well. My grandfather was a gardener by trade, so I can guess you can say itβs in my blood.
I am way down here in Fort Lauderdale! It did get pretty chilly a couple nights last week, even here. I was so worried about my plants because a lot of of them are still pretty small, I ended up bringing the whole menagerie inside. Needless to say, nobody was able to use the kitchen for a night or two. π
I hope your insect bite heals quickly. We get all types of crazy looking things down here. There are these really interesting looking spiders that live in the trees, they are gray and black with a little bit of red on their backs. Iβm not sure what they are exactly, but I definitely do my best to stay very far clear of them! Nature in Florida can definitely be veryβ¦aggressive, haha.
I am way down here in Fort Lauderdale! It did get pretty chilly a couple nights last week, even here. I was so worried about my plants because a lot of of them are still pretty small, I ended up bringing the whole menagerie inside. Needless to say, nobody was able to use the kitchen for a night or two. π
I hope your insect bite heals quickly. We get all types of crazy looking things down here. There are these really interesting looking spiders that live in the trees, they are gray and black with a little bit of red on their backs. Iβm not sure what they are exactly, but I definitely do my best to stay very far clear of them! Nature in Florida can definitely be veryβ¦aggressive, haha.
@ShadowBoxrBaby Wow, we have a lot in common! My mom also passed away last summer, after having Parkinsonβs and losing her ability to care for her plants, as well. So interesting! Iβm trying to keep a lot of her plants alive.
@LaneyLichen it definitely sounds that way! Iβm so sorry you lost your mom as well. But I hope youβre enjoying keeping her memory alive with her plants as much as I have enjoyed that for my mom.
@ShadowBoxrBaby Iβm really sorry for your loss, too. Itβs such a huge loss! Iβve had a pretty difficult time moving forward since.
I didnβt really do any gardening (beyond maybe watering my plants a few times) for the past couple of years while caring for mom, and I wasnβt sure if I was going to be up for it this year, either. But after I signed up for this app to help me keep track of my plants and their needs, and started reading again about soils, mixes, and compost teas - while also drooling over all of the super cool, gorgeous plant varieties available now, and really inexpensive, I was fully back in my addiction to all things plants! Itβs such a livesaver! And I love that working with plants will forever be a connection to my mom. Gardening will always remind me of her. Itβs great. π
Gardening is my retreat and meditation, but also my temptation and guilty pleasure! Plants just make me so happy. π
I didnβt really do any gardening (beyond maybe watering my plants a few times) for the past couple of years while caring for mom, and I wasnβt sure if I was going to be up for it this year, either. But after I signed up for this app to help me keep track of my plants and their needs, and started reading again about soils, mixes, and compost teas - while also drooling over all of the super cool, gorgeous plant varieties available now, and really inexpensive, I was fully back in my addiction to all things plants! Itβs such a livesaver! And I love that working with plants will forever be a connection to my mom. Gardening will always remind me of her. Itβs great. π
Gardening is my retreat and meditation, but also my temptation and guilty pleasure! Plants just make me so happy. π
Howβs your weather been lately? Itβs super nice here. Perfect, really. Do you have other family in town? Plans for Thanksgiving?
I married my husband on Thanksgiving. We just had our 20 year anniversary the other day. π₯°
Hope you have a great holiday weekend!
I married my husband on Thanksgiving. We just had our 20 year anniversary the other day. π₯°
Hope you have a great holiday weekend!