If you've had this happen to you, you know what I'm talking about & if you haven't, this sounds crazy, but my flowers visited my dreams.
It was just one small patch of purple anemone flowers but the corns were telling me it's time.
The next day, when I checked on the corms, it wasn't just the anemones, the ranunculus and freesia were also sprouting.
It's a relief to finally be feeling like I'm intuitively tuning into these cycles of seasons in the south.
#falsefall #secondspring
Looks who's back!
The native green anole 💚
It's been months since I've seen it last and I'm so happy I noticed it hanging on the leaf of my firespike plant!
Just a few notes about the fire spike plant:
It grows fast!
It is very easy to care for.
It has as a nice uniform, clumping growth habit.
It grows tall and wide.
It can be pruned back multiple times a year.
It is good for cutting... and propagating.
And best of all, local natives seem to visit it all the time!
~mine quickly grew larger than I expected, so make sure you plant yours it in the "right" spot. ~
#lovewhereyoulive #greenanole
#plants #garden
If you miss the giant puff ball stage, the psychedelic patter on the hairy petals of the starfish cactus flower are sure to grab you attention and draws you in. But don't get too close. This flower doesn't smell very nice. It honestly smell like trash on a summer day. I wish I were joking. The smell is supposed to attract flies for pollination.
This is a leafless beaked orchid. It is native to Florida and blooms from March-July.
Although it grows well in our sandy soil, this was my first time ever seeing one (5/30).
Under the shade of a tree on the edge of the last pass on a lawn the lawnmower regularly cuts, this brightly colored orchid caught my eye and I had to get a closer look!
The whole plant is covered in tiny hairs and given the shape and color of the flower, humming birds will be visiting.
This is a new plant for me! It's called creeping cucumber and it's little jelly bean sized watermelon looking fruits caught my eye last month. It's been taking over my back fence ever since!
I've been encountering the Gulf fritillary in it's butterfly form mostly but today it's orange color colors caught my eye. I've not yet noticed the eggs they hatch from, but they are said to look like little yellow ears of corn. They are mostly found on passionvines, but I must have something else they are enjoying.
New encounters keep me curious so here's a little more life cycle info:
Eggs are no more than a week old when they turn into a caterpillar. 2-3 weeks later a 5-10 day chrysalis stage. Then magically comes the butterfly and the cycle repeats some 4ish weeks later.
I saw something while driving down this dirt road today & honestly just figured it was a dead butterfly, so yeah, I stopped to inspect it and take it home because, well, that's my thing. But what a suprise!
I got out of my car and realized it wasn't a butterfly.
It was a little baby tortoise!!!
I've seen so many dead turtles on the side of the road this week and I knowing a few more people were about to drive down this road, I moved this little hard shell and was just happy it was alive.
After reading up on them just now, I learned---> this is a gopher tortoise hatchling...a threatened species. Panic set in for a sec. I don't want to share this if it's illegal. FWC says you can't relocate them, but you CAN move them off a road in the same direction they were traveling. Phew.
Always do your homework. Every bit of me wanted to put this little guy in my car but he has a good habit here in this area and should be safe.
As a hatchling this means its already made it some 80-100 days as an egg in the sand. Now, it has zero guidance but natural instincts! it's on its own.
I'll have to read more but it seems like like they spend most of their time underground and in Florida, this time of year (May - August) they are most active outside their burrow~ active mid morning and late afternoon.
Lifespan is 40-60 years
And 90 years in captivity.
Interesting fact: they don't really drink water & they forage less than 200 ft away from where they live.
That's all for now 👌
Drive safe; eyes on the road!
Mother's Day flower orders need to be placed (and paid for) by Saturday evening to ensure Sunday delivery.
Please order as early as you can.
Indoor and outdoor plants available as well!
It was a challenge to get a video of this ric-rac cactus flowering because:
1. It blooms at night.
2. That night, we were having our worst storm so far this year.
3. The flower has an incredibly short bloom time.
But I was determined to see it open and as long as I'm dressed properly, I enjoy being outside in the elements when they are so extreme. And that night, it was extreme.
I got the video and at the same time as I was carelessly filming my plants blowing in the "breeze", my neighbors car port was being ripping from the ground and getting thrown on their roof 👀.
By the time morning came, the flower was closed up. I had travel plans and left town for a few days and when i came home the once bloom, was completely shriveled and brown.
Will seeds form? Idk. We'll see!
#fishbonecactus #zigzagcactus
#ricraccactus #cactusflower #cactus
The sender of this wished to remain anonymous, and it has me thinking ~I hope not knowing who sends you something special, reminds you of all the people who love you enough to do something special for you 🌻
I think that's a reminder we all need; someone's life is better because you're in it ❤️
Who's day would you brighten with flowers?
Let me know in the comment!
This is the first time I've been asked to record a delivery ❤️ it was also the first time I've had a sender wished to remain anonymous! No it wasn't a secret boyfriend or anything like that.
It was actually very fun and heart warming experience!
I use to have so many fears and worries with each delivery, but after about 100 drop offs and a few of those fears coming true, I can confidently say, excitement is what I feel with each delivery!
Being able to help YOU spread happiness and love through flowers and plants, means more to me than you know! 🌻❤️🙌
I'm starting to sort my bottle collection in prep for The 4th Annual Earth Day Celebration at @wellcomeomcenter.
Celebration starts Saturday at 9am! 🌎
Stop by early for the best selection! 🌻
@floralcultured will be set up with a bunch of old bottles, like these, for sale with a single stem of a locally grown & certified organic sunflower from one of my favorite Florida farms.
The bottles I bring each year to this event are a collection of "trash" I've removed while swimming in the Weeki Wachee River, since the last Earth Day Event. I say "trash" but really I view each thing I pull from the sand, a treasure & I do get a kick out of tying to age the bottles and enjoy thinking about how long they've been in the river.
Like many others county's, ours doesnot recycle glass. So after every large trash haul, glass and electronics are sorted & instead of throwing away the glass, I save it, and give it another life & hope you'll choose to keep the old bottle long after the flower fades.
#oldbottles #bottlehunting #bottlecollection #weekiwachee #wellcomeomcenter #earthday
