Rainy Days
Posted by Jake on 10 July, 2009
We have had a nice and rainy week recieving much of our 3.05″ for the month this week. I have a Rain Lily that is about to bloom; the bloom just popped up yesterday. Yesterday I power washed the lanai which was getting green from all of the rain, I am sure it will be back tomorrow.
Earlier this week I notcied that the Moonvine was not growing around the white post holding up the roof of the lanai. Instead it had grown up and around one of the Elephant Ear’s leaves which wasn’t working for me. I went to Home Depot and got one of those tall green stakes. So far it seems to be growing around it, I think the vine must need something smaller to be able to wrap and climb a support.
The other vine that I have growing on the fence is a Morning Glory and it finally bloomed Wednesday. Th epicture I have of it shows that it wasn’t the pretiest bloom, but at least it bloomed. By the time I had noticed the bloom, it had already been beaten by the rain. I was just glad to see it, I was wondering when it woul bloom.
A plant that has really surprised me this year is my Alocasia Macrorrhiza ‘Black Stem’ that I bought last year. It seemed to struggle last year despit me watering it and caring for it. It would only grow one leaf at a time, this year is a whole other story. It came back slowly, but that is due to me moving it right before some twenty degree weather and forgot to cover it so the foliage burnt to the ground. As you can see by the picture it has really grown and is full of leaves not just one like last year, which I love, it is now one of my favorites.
Another plant that is doing well for me is one that mother nature provided for me for free; the Roadside Verbena. It was was growing naturally through my backyard and was an annoying weed. What caught my interestwas the fact that one looked like it was blooming and sure enough it was. I potted this up and and took a picture to see if someone could identify it for me. Darla, who runs the blog, More Family and Flowers, identified it for me which I was grateful for. This plant since then has bloomed and bloomed its little heart out and continues to do so with no care at all. It gets rain and irrigation water two days a week and that is it unless I have extra water that I throw into it. It hasn’t been invasive as far as I can tell. It doesn’t seem to be seeding into my beds or grass, others may have different experiences.
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Darla said
Great post Jake. You know the roadside Verbena is very drought tolerant. Sometimes over watering will reduce the blooms. Your Morning Glory seems to be saying, “I’m here, I’m here.” I bet it’s going to start blooming like crazy now. I also know and you probably do to, if you overwater morning glory you will get wonderful foliage with few blooms.
ChrisC said
yep-all this rain is over-kill,isn’t it?We went from drought to rain to drought to rain,again.Isn’t there some sort of middle ground?Your garden is looking great!
Prospero said
Hi Jake. I recognize many of the wonderful plants on your blog. I like your Alocasia. I once had an Alocasia robusta but was unable to grow it.
Meems said
Jake,
Rain water is just what the plants love… of course the grass here is overwatered with all the rain but by next week will most likely be too dry again. And so it goes in Florida. Love the alocasia… I have one in the front garden called Alocasia Plumbea Nigra and I just adore it.
I’m wondering if that roadside Verbena is the same thing as the native Tampa Vervain Verbena?
Meems
David Seaman said
That roadside verbena blooms all year long in poor soil and no attention in south Georgia. What is its real name? How can I order the seeds?
David