Eranthemum pulchellum, commonly called blue sage, is a tropical evergreen shrub native to India, Himalaya and West China. Its name means 'lovely flower' and blooms in early spring.

Shell flower ginger (Alpinia zerumbet) overhangs the Garden path. The flowers are strikingly colorful inside! Native to East Asia, this perennial species can grow up to 8 to 10 ft tall.

The pond turtles got a little sun after swimming!

A sign of spring is the Wisteria sinensis vine blooming. It is dormant all winter and then bursts into bloom. Originally from China, it has naturalized itself in the northern part of Florida.

A couple of natives in the Gardens! The Gulf fritillary butterfly takes a sip of nectar from the Blue Porterweed (Stachytarpheta) which is a member of the Verbena family.

The two-inch, bright yellow flowers on the Buttercup bush (Turnera ulmifolia) open in the morning and close in the afternoon. The plant is native to the West Indies and Mexico.

Some plants are grown for their colorful leaves, and the Croton (codiaeum variegatum) is a great example! Each leaf is unique on this tropical shrub, which is native to Malaysia.

The Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is called the Queen of shrubs and is one of Florida’s best landscape plants. This pink one is sometimes a double bloom. Each flower only lasts one day.

This white Angel Wing Begonia (Begonia Odorata “Alba”) gets its name from the shape of the leaves. The flowers have a delicate fragrance and the mass plantings in the Gardens make a beautiful display. Originally from the Caribbean.

I picked up a turtle on a garden path yesterday and put her back in the pond. I came across her again, but this time she was digging a hole in a sandy spot to lay eggs. We’ll see in 100 days if baby turtles emerge from it!

Lily of the Nile, or also known as Agapanthus, grows from a bulb-like rhizome. Its leaves stay green all year and the blue flower clusters on tall stems usually start blooming in Spring. It is native to South Africa.

Look closely or you might miss nature’s wonders. This little iris spreads by the flower stems falling and rooting where they touch the ground giving it the nickname Walking Iris. Originally from South America and the West Indies, its botanical name is Trimezia.

The Crown of Thorns plant (Euphorbia milii) is an ever blooming, slow growing succulent with thorns on the stems. It has a milky white sap when cut that can be a skin irritant. Native to Madagascar, it’s in the poinsettia family.

Rain Lily (Zephyranthes) is a flowering bulb plant. Remember the rain shower we had last week? The first rain lily popped up and bloomed amongst the Bromeliad leaves to give us hope there will be more rain and more blooms to come.

The Amaryllis is named from a Greek female and it means “to sparkle.” It symbolizes beauty, determination and love.

This variety of Evolvulus glomeratus is called “Blue My Mind.” It is a non-vining morning glory like tender perennial with trailing stems that is native to Brazil.

I found a turtle walking down the path looking to change ponds and it gave me an opportunity to get a close up even though he was being shy and staying in the safety of his shell. Then I helped him find his way to the big pond to join his 50 other friends.

Looks like one of our feathered garden residents is checking out our kaleidoscope flower bowl filled with colorful impatiens. But actually he is following me around hoping I will toss him a peanut!

Panama rose (Rondeletia leucophylla) is a blooming shrub that grows almost anywhere in full sun or part shade. It can reach up to 5 feet tall and the flowers become fragrant at dusk. Originally from Mexico

The Cottage window flower boxes are overflowing with Pentas, Crown of Thorns, Blue my Mind, and baby Sun Rose plants.

Lady finger Bananas (Musa acuminate) produce sweet, edible cigar shaped fruits. It is more cold resistant than other varieties and therefore will survive in our climate. Last year was a good one for bananas, one plant bloomed early after a mild winter and the consistent rainfall made the fruit develop into larger than normal size and had 40 bananas on one stem. This is what it looked like when it first bloomed and then the result of the bounty. A true Bananaram!

Once upon a time a little feral kitten named Henley found his way to the Gardens and found me and adopted me. He spent the first part of his life in the Gardens, hiding under the Cottage and running out when I arrived in the morning or taking a nap amongst the flowers in the Greenhouse. He convinced me that he wanted a real home, so I brought him home with me to join my other two cats who were rescues as well. He thought that his new home was "purrfect" and he especially likes meditating in the pyramid sculpture that my husband Paul created.
 

Variegated giant reed (Arundo donax) is a tall grass that resembles bamboo and some say looks like corn. The new growth in spring is a cream & green color, turns green when it reaches its 20’ height and grows a feathery plume in the fall.

This hungry pond resident is enjoying his lunchtime and we hope you are too! Happy #TurtleTuesday 

African Iris (Dietes) forms dense clumps of iris-like foliage. The blooms sit atop flower spikes that reach two feet tall. This perennial is native to South Africa.

The coral plant (Jatropha multifida) has distinctive fan-shaped foliage with 7-9 lobes, unusual flowers and green seed pods. Native to Mexico, all parts of this fast-growing tropical plant are poisonous if ingested.

Thryallis (Galphimia glauca) is a sun-loving evergreen shrub that can grow from 5 to 9 feet tall. It blooms on and off all spring , summer and fall with small spikes of golden yellow flowers.

This sunflower (Helianthus annuus) was a gift from the squirrels last year. They planted the seed that I put out to feed them and it grew up strong along the path to greet everyone as they entered the Gardens

This larger Bromeliad is Aechmea blanchetiana. Originally from Eastern Brazil it is tender to cold and can grow 3 to 4 ft tall. In full sun the leaves turn orangish. The flower stalk is branched and is covered with red bracts with yellow tips. The tiny yellow flowers don’t last long but the inflorescence stays showy for months.

Off the path on the east side of the Gardens is a small patch of Buddha Belly Bamboo (Bambusa ventricosa) named for its bulging culms which develop when the plant is stressed for water. If not it can grow zigzag or straight culms.

Hey, friends! It’s a beautiful #TurtleTuesday morning! A year or so ago, a different kind of turtle showed up here. I think it is a type of soft shell turtle, but not the common kind we see in Florida. Can anyone identify him?

The Magnolia grandiflora is aptly named. This native tree in the Gardens is over 50 feet tall and in full bloom now.

 

Pentas lanceolata is one of my favorite flowers and a favorite of butterflies too. They come in many different colors and bloom continuously. They get their name from each individual flower in the cluster is shaped like a 5 pointed star. In this area they can be perennial if we don't have freezing temperatures.

When I was cleaning out the little pond near the Cottage this Southern leopard frog had his eye on me to see if I was doing a good job.

Dusty Miller (Senecio cineraria) is grown in this area as a winter annual. Usually by July it looks sad and moldy. Its silvery grey foliage is a beautiful accent when planted with colorful flowers.

Caesar’s weed (Urena lobata) has unusual furry leaves. The plant can grow from 2 to 7 feet in a year. It has less than 1/2 inch flowers that look like tiny hibiscus. The seed pods have hooked bristles that cling to clothing or animal fur and therefore can spread widely.

The maidenhair fern (Adiantum) looks so delicate. It thrives here rooting itself on the coquina rocks where there is flowing water splashing it like on the waterfall.

This turtle is checking out to see if the coast is clear for her to get in some sun basking time!

Moss Rose (Portulaca grandiflora) is a sun and heat loving succulent from South America. The 2 inch double magenta colored flowers open in the morning and close in late afternoon. It is a vigorous grower in the summer spilling over the edge of the wall. I usually take some cuttings and keep a few potted plants in the winter then come spring  put the cuttings directly in the soil to start a new mass planting. 

Neoregelia plants have colorful leaves and little flowers that grow in their cups. They are hardier than other bromeliads and can withstand more sunlight. This variety was hybridized by Burt Foster which he named "Fosperior Perfection"

Azalea flowers make a spectacular display in early spring. 

From my home Garden, my husband Paul captured this photo of a Monarch butterfly sipping nectar from a Confederate Jasmine while a male cardinal looks on.

This pink striped Spider Lily flower (Crinum Amabile) is a hybrid and the plant is more tender to cold than the regular white flowered spider lily. Very heavy fragrance attracts pollinators.

Torenia Fournier is a versatile plant that can be grown almost anywhere, including flower beds, borders, containers, window boxes and hanging baskets. Plant in moist, rich soil that is partly shady. Keep the soil moist, but never soggy, as the Torenia wishbone flower is susceptible to root rot.

It’s #turtletuesday so here’s a quick look at the famous residents of OMAM’s Peacock Fountain. Did the one turtle give the other a kiss on the cheek? Watch this video on FB and let us know what you think!

Bird of Paradise flower (Strelitzia Reginae) has spectacular blooms that evoke the tropics. The one in the Gardens often puts out double blooms. Native to South Africa, they are closely related to bananas plants. 

Ti plant (Cordyline terminalis) is a showy tropical grown for its colorful leaves. This variety is called Red Sisters and has beautiful magenta new leaves.

Leopard lily (Iris domestica) is a flowering perennial from China that blooms in the summer. The seed pods open in fall and somewhat resemble blackberries which gives it its other common name of “blackberry lily”

Cane Begonia has green leaves and pink flowers. This variety needs more shade than the Angel Wing Begonia. It can grow over 6’ tall when planted in the ground.

Photo Archives: I made this flower arrangement for a Museum event. I used white spider lilies, gomphrena and three colors of pentas with a little bit of Mexican heather.

Fern leaf plumosa has feathery foliage and tiny thorns along the stem. It is not a fern at all but belongs to the asparagus family. 

Not all turtles can swim and could drown if put into a pond. Such is the case of the Box Turtles that live in the woods in the Gardens. They have a high domed shape to their shell with yellow lines making a star shaped pattern and hinges that allow them to close up inside their shell completely. 

Sunpatiens are a newer hybrid that can take more sun than traditional impatiens. The have a lot of color and long lasting blooms. 

Ixora is sometimes called Flame of the Woods. It is a year round blooming shrub. Each flower cluster can last between 6 to 8 weeks. 

Firecracker plant (Russelia equisetiformis) has fine almost feathery foliage and tiny bright red tubular flowers hanging like little firecrackers.

In the little pond near the Cottage there is a submerged free floating aquatic plant nicknamed Coontail (Ceratophyllum demersum). It comes from an ancient lineage believed to be some of the earliest plants to evolve on land.

From my home garden. Nothing says tropical like the white bird of paradise (Strelitzia Nicolai) with its enormous leaves, upright stems and exotic flowers that grow from where the leaf fan emerges from the stem. The unique white bird grows in a clumping form and needs a large area in which to spread out and unfurl its big leaves. 

For Memorial Day, I offer this combination of red button spiral ginger, white fan flower, red begonias and blue torenia. 

This is a red eared slider (notice the red on the side of her head) it is the northern relative of our native yellow bellied slider turtle.

Resurrection fern (Pleopeltis polypodioides) is an epiphyte that lives on branches and trunks of trees, especially live oak. It can survive periods of drought by curling up its fronds and appear dead, but when it rains again it comes back to life.

Rain lilies revisited. After waiting all spring the rain lilies finally have their chance to shine. It's a Blooming party.

Nerium oleander flowers are beautiful and slightly scented. Although widely planted, all parts of the plant including stems leaves and flowers are toxic and can cause severe illness or death if ingested.

Chrysanthemum lavandulifolium is a big name for a small yellow daisy-like flower. The plant is perennial and flowers twice a year.

Water hyacinth has just started blooming in the ponds. It is a free floating perennial aquatic plant native to tropical or sub-tropical South America. Its growth is invasive and has become the major plant in all the ponds, requiring a clean out of excess plants weekly. It does help to clean the water and makes a floating platform for the turtles to bask on. At one time there were water lilies in the ponds, but the turtles ate them all!

Trumpet vine (Campsis radicals) is a common native high-climbing woody vine. Little trumpet shaped coral/orange flowers appear in summer, but the vine is so invasive it can take over trees.

It's #TurtleTuesday, our favorite day here at OMAM! Check out these adorable babies basking on a rock.

Cardboard plant (Zamia furfuracea) belongs to an ancient family of plants called Cycads. It gets its nickname from the leaves being very stiff like cardboard but the new growth at this time of year is soft and fuzzy.

The miracle of metamorphosis. This little fuzzy, fast moving and harmless caterpillar will turn into this amazing Echo moth (Seirartia) after eating its fill of its favorite plants in the Cycad family, including coonties, sagos or cardboard plants. 

Butterfly ginger (Hedychium coronarium) is a perennial moisture loving plant that grows at the edge of the pond here in the Gardens. It spreads by rhizomes and begins flowering in June. The flowers look like orchids and smell like gardenias. 

Three native yellow bellied slider turtles sunning on a rock in the OMAM ponds.

The common periwinkle has been cultivated by horticulturists to create new colors with showy flowers. This one is Pacifica Halo Vinca.

There are many varieties of Crinum lilies. This is a smaller one that grows from a bulb called “Wine and Milk” lily. It only took one day for the flowers to open fully.

When I first started working at the Gardens, the ponds had night-blooming water lilies. Then a herd of turtles showed up, and they began eating them down to the roots. Before the lilies were all gone, I transplanted a small one to my pond at home. I found this one blooming in my pond last weekend. – Janett

Every summer the Gloriosa lily vines reemerge on the north side of the Museum. They grow from tubers and are dormant in the winter time. They have survived a few re-landscapes over the years. The best year shown here is when they had shrubs to help support them. Their amazing upside down flower is a sight to see

Red-eared Sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) are a common, non-native turtle. This photo by Janett shows a male RES turtle (note the long fingernails) next to a baby one as a hybrid turtle looks on. #TurtleTuesday #OMAMturtlepond

This type of Bromeliad (pyramidalis) has gotten the signal that it is time to bloom and they all put on a spectacular colorful show but the blooms only last about a week and then they go back to being green.

Florida native ironweed (Vernonia gigantea) is a great pollinator plant and nectar source and attracts hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. The yellow in the smaller photo is pollen on the legs of a bee.

"Nora Grant" Ixora has a more coral pink color bloom that the more common Maui Ixora. It also is more cold sensitive and grows larger. 

Mexican butterfly weed (Asclepias curassavica) is a tropical milkweed. These pictures show the flowers in two stages of opening

Janett found this tiny turtle walking down a garden path yesterday. Happy #TurtleTuesday!

"Majestic Beauty" Indian Hawthorn is a shrub that grows large enough to be trained into a small tree. It features showy clusters of soft pink flowers that attracts bees and butterflies.

Nature pays attention to even the smallest detail. The tiny flowers on the stalks of the various colors of the Angelonia plant look like little orchids.

Coral bean (Erythrina herbacea) is a Florida native shrub with unusual shaped leaves and red flowers in the spring that develop into bean like seed pods that open to show red seeds in the fall. 

This is a bloom on a peanut plant that the squirrels planted for me.

This “Bossa Nova” bromeliad is normally just green with a white stripe but it is now “blushing” as it blooms. The actual blooms are small and located inside the cup that the leaves make.

This small green bromeliad can go unnoticed until it blooms. It's nickname is the "Matchstick Bromeliad" because the blooms resemble the old fashioned matchsticks.

The Firespike bush (Odontonema cuspidatum) has begun to bloom. Each flower is unique in form and attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. It has large glossy foliage and can grow to 6 feet tall. 

The Golden shrimp plant (Pachystachys lutea) is a soft stemmed tropical shrub that can grow to 3 to 4 ft tall. The golden colored bracts hold long throated white flowers. 

All the ironweed in the Gardens have purple flowers except for this one that bloomed white.

These newly installed bright monarch butterfly flags on display in our parking lot provide a beautiful welcome to visitors. 

This is the time of year that the new bamboo shoots appear on the giant tropical bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris)  They emerge from the ground full sized and grow rapidly up to 50 ft. These pictures show how it almost doubled in height in just one week. 

Tallow plum (Ximenia Americana) is a native sprawling shrub with thorns. The leaves are oval shaped and smell like almonds when crushed. The flowers are pale in color and very fragrant. The fruits are bright yellow/orange and edible.

Piper auritum is known as Mexican pepper leaf or root beer plant (because the crushed leaves smell like root beer). Its chopped leaves are used in a wide variety of Mexican stews and sauces. Fresh leaves also are used to wrap cheeses, meats and fish for steaming or baking. This tropical and invasive plant has large heart shaped leaves. The flower is a tender and long cylindrical spike that grows upright.

Variegated Baby Sun Rose (Aptenia cordifolia) is a very low growing ground cover. Its leaves are small and thick like succulents. The tiny flowers look like miniature asters. The leaves and flowers are edible.

Beauty berry (Callicarpa) is a wonderful large understory native shrub. It loses its leaves in the winter and in the spring it has delicate light pink flowers that turn into bright magenta berries in late summer or fall. Beauty berries are edible and can be made into jam, jelly, sauce or wine.

The white flowered String lily (Crinum Americanum) is a spectacular huge lily. It grows to 5 ft. high with 5 ft. long leaves. The white flower is more common and makes seed pods readily. 

Normally in Florida, the common Oxalis plants are considered weeds because their tuberous roots spread fast and usually break off to regrow when pulled up as weeds. But the Purple Shamrock (Oxalis triangularis) can be grown as a potted plant and enjoyed for its pink flowers and purple leaves.

Another common garden bromeliad with very sharp spines that doesn't stand out until it throws this unusual bloom!

The Oyster plant (Tradescantia spathacea) has many names. The vase shaped plant is very easy to grow and has attractive leaves that are green above and purple below. The tiny white flowers appear nestled within two boat shaped purplish bracts. Beware when pruning that the sap can cause skin rash. 

Coral vine (Antignon leptopus) is a fast-growing climbing vine with heart shaped leaves that can reach 25 feet in length. It has lacy sprays of bright pink flowers that attracts bees. Native to Mexico, it can freeze back to the ground in this area in winter but regrows back rapidly from its roots in spring.

I encountered these two varieties of Swallowtail butterflies in the Gardens recently. Common cultural depiction often uses Swallowtail butterflies to represent grace and free nature of the ineffable human soul. 

Ti plants (cordyline) are usually grown for their colorful foliage but they also have interesting flowers if you look closely.

 

A fairly new addition to the Gardens is this little fairy cottage. Soon after I installed it these mushrooms grew under the table as if to copy the ones decorating the little Fairy Cottage.

Crown of thorn plants now come in a variety of colors. This coral pink one is growing ing the flower boxes on the Emmons Cottage.

 

Two leaf nightshade (Solonum diphyllum) is a shrub or small tree native to Mexico or Central America. It has become invasive in Florida. The small white flowers turn into half inch bright orange fruits filled with tiny white seeds. The fruits are eaten by birds and small mammals which spread the seed far and wide. 

Another Bromeliad flower. The plant that bloomed was almost unseen amongst the other varieties. They only last a short while but can surprise you with their detail.

Four o’clock (Mirabilis jalapa) is an old fashioned flowering garden ornamental so named because the very fragrant flowers open late in the day and usually close at dawn. A cloudy morning allowed me to get a picture of the open flower. 

Corky stem Passionflower (Passiflora suberosa) is a fast growing Florida native vine that is the larval host plant for the Gulf Fritillary and Zebra Longwing butterflies. The tiny crown like flowers are green and inconspicuous unless you look closely. Notice the spiral tendrils that help it to hold on to grow longer. The older stems form a corky looking outer covering.

Red hibiscus flowers symbolize passion and deep romantic love. Here is one blooming amongst the crotons.

Lifesaver plant (Huernia zebrina) is a creeping succulent house plant with a flower that looks like a root beer flavored lifesaver is pasted on it. Native to Southern Africa, its stems look like cactus but have no spines. Easy to grow in a clay pot, the stems will grow roots readily when stuck directly into the soil. It likes partial shade and fast draining soil. It does not like it wet, only water when the soil feels dry. And protect it from temperatures below 50 degrees.

Mother Nature is good at recycling. She can take a dead oak stump and with the help of mushrooms turn it into rich soil. I found these Honey Fungus (Armillaria) starting to grow on an old oak stump and in a couple of days they grew to be a little forest of mushrooms.

The Aluminum plant (Piles cadierei) is so called because of the silvery color in the variegated leaves. The flowers are small and barely noticeable unless you look very closely. Normally a houseplant, it can grow outside here in the shade during summer and is easily propagated from stem cuttings. It’s native to China and Vietnam and is very sensitive to cold, so make sure you keep a stock plant indoors in winter.

Things are always growing and changing in the Gardens and some elements stay the same, but are viewed differently because their surroundings change. This is a view of the waterfall from 5 years ago.

Did you happen to spot this happy little land art design in the Gardens today? It was created to welcome our special visitors from The Garden Club of the Halifax Counrty!

A view of my pond at home.

Cape-Honeysuckle (Tecomaria capensis) is a sprawling half-climbing shrub that may be made into a vine or tree with training. Originally from South Africa, the orange bignonia-like flowers bloom in the winter months here. The leaves are evergreen with a fine texture.

A walk along the Garden path, the pink pentas are waiting for butterflies to sip their nectar and the Ti plants seem to be reaching for the sky.

A few years ago the Peacock Pond was seemingly bursting at the seams with an abundance of blooming water hyacinth.

Brrrr

Ten years ago, Ginger Rivera and I collaborated to decorate the tree in the lobby of the Museum using pine cones and magnolia leaves from the Garden. 

Here are a couple of friends that show up daily for “Breakfast in the Gardens.” The Blue Jay loves peanuts while the female Cardinal prefers sunflower seeds.

The bright colors of Summer with pentas, portulaca and vincas blooming in the flower bed along South Halifax Avenue. The pentas attract butterflies and honey bees to sip their nectar.

Thanks to the City of Ormond Beach for rebuilding the wooden bridge at the turtle pond.

The Greg Johnson original sculpture paying tribute to those who served in the Vietnam War has been permanently relocated along the main garden path where more visitors can engage with it. The bronze and granite sculpture was installed in 2011.

Last Friday this Polyphemus moth spent all day laying eggs on an orange safety cone. Can anyone give me advice as to what the little caterpillars eat so they can survive?

In 2006, friends of Sandy Baird worked together to create a fanciful garden in her memory. This special section has a little pond with a turtle sculpture, an alligator bench loved by little ones, and a mosaic wall made from her dishes and her grandchildren's hand and foot prints. Sandy’s Garden continues to enchant our visitors on a daily basis. 

Sandy Baird (1941-2005) was a former board member and president here at OMAM, and also a member of the Garden Club of the Halifax Country. That garden club and, in particular, local ceramicist Sang Roberson had been the sponsor in part of bringing the Emmons Cottage here and refurbished it to save it from destruction in 1998. Sang and her friends did the mosaics on the wall. Sang's son, Shed, and his friend, Chris Hill, built the little pond and the alligator bench.

Is that a four-leaf clover hiding in there?

It's often said that Ireland is home to more four-leaf clovers than any other place, giving meaning to the phrase "the luck of the Irish." The leaves of four-leaf clovers are said to stand for faith, hope, love, and luck.

 

The decorative flower pots have been relocated to the wedding area by the coquina steps. The impatiens seem to be bursting with color. 

 

Sure signs of the arrival of Spring are the beautiful pink blossoms of the Indian Hawthorn shrub and the amazing true blue flowers on the Eranthemum (Blue Sage) shrub. 

The amaryllis is said to symbolize determination, love and ethereal beauty. In Victorian times, the flower also became associated with strength and determination because of their height and sturdiness.

This dramatic tropical bloom got its name from Greek mythology. A love-struck maiden named Amaryllis longed for Alteo, a handsome but cold-hearted shepherd. Desperate to win his love, she consulted with an oracle who told her to pierce her heart with a golden arrow and then visit Alteo’s cottage each day, shedding drops of blood along the way. On the 30th day of this ritual, he discovered her surrounded by beautiful scarlet flowers. He was enamored and her heart was healed.

Here are two varieties of amaryllis (Hippeastrum) blooming in the OMAM Gardens. 

The Trumpet Lily (lilium longiflorum) more commonly know as the Easter lily is now blooming in the Gardens. It is a perennial bulb that will bloom every year but not exactly at Easter. They prefer morning sun and afternoon shade and can grow to 3 ft tall. 

 

I found two pink beauties blooming today. A Hibiscus and a Coral Ixora.

The Gulf Fritillary butterfly found some tasty nectar from the Buttercup bush (Turnera ulmifolia)

The Gloriosa lilies in the Gardens have proven to be very resilient. Growing on the north side of the Museum every year, their twining vines emerge from underground in the spring and usually by the Fourth of July the first blooms open somewhat resembling fireworks. The little tubers have survived a number of re-landscapes in that area and have faithfully grown and bloomed to the delight of everyone who sees them. The bottom image is a file photo taken during their heyday, when they had a sturdy bush to support them and consistent fertilization and gardening care. The top photo was just taken recently, and shows that though they've been fenced off with limited care this year, they still grew up and bloomed, even using the construction fencing as support.

I helped this yellow-bellied slider return to OMAM's big pond last week. The turtle found herself in a too-small water feature near the Emmons Cottage after returning from laying her eggs.

Using gifts from the garden, I made an arrangement for our "Pop-Up at the PAC" exhibit reception on July 21st. Here's a photo of the flowers in the sunlight!

The Triostar stromanthe is grown for its striking foliage of green and white above and pink beneath. A member of the prayer plant family, it is native to the jungles of Brazil. It requires high humidity and must be grown in the shade outdoors.

The Night-Blooming Cereus is a climbing vine in the cactus family that has unusual triangular shaped stems. The white blooms can be a foot wide and open at night. These blooms were from the night before and had mostly closed up. I had planted a small piece of it at the base of a palm tree. It grew up 20 feet before it branched out and bloomed this week for the first time.

Blue Butterfly Bush (Clerodendron ugandense) is a new addition to the Gardens donated by volunteer Chris Marquis. It is a shrub that blooms from spring to fall with 1.5 inch flowers that look just like little blue butterflies even with antennas. Bees are attracted to these unusual flowers.

Our Gardens get the coolest visitors

Spotted in the Gardens on #turtletuesday: A little box turtle having breakfast of leftover cat food. 

One rainy night last week or so the turtles went for a walk. These three found their way from the big North Pond and ended up in the Waterfall pond. They found a rock where they could stretch out their legs to catch some warmth from the sun.

When mother turtles lay eggs they just walk away and the baby turtles have to hatch and find their way to the pond by themselves. But this little hatchling knows just what to do to find a floating plant in the pond where it can stretch its legs out and get warmed up by the sun. 

I encountered this Great Blue Heron drying its wings after going wading in the pond looking for a fish to have for lunch.

After the storm has passed, the Crinum Lily decided it is time to get back to business and bloom. This plant loves water and was undeterred by the flooding of the pond it grows next to. The flowers have a spicy smell somewhat like licorice.

The Nature Spirits seem attentive and all aglow with the celebration of Halloween.

I found this Land Art on a garden path this morning (Nov. 18, 2022)

Fleeting beauty. These African Iris were putting on quite a show this week with multiple blooms. But they only last a day. I was lucky to capture them in their full glory.

A little holiday cheer can be found in The Gardens.

The Cordylines (Hawaiian Ti plants) are blooming. After the storms, they think it is spring.

The "Matchstick" Bromeliad mounted on the greenhouse gate is blooming. The unusual flowers resemble the old fashioned strike on the box matchsticks.

When the flower stalks first come out on the Rice Paper Plant, they resemble reindeer antlers. They bloom in our wintertime, and remind me of little snowballs. The bees love them, but be wary of getting too close... They are loaded with pollen and will make you sneeze!

Happy Holidays from our Garden to yours!

This week I was replacing the frozen Pentas (which are one of the butterflies favorite nectar plants) with Jolt dianthus and wondering if the butterflies would like them. While the dianthus were still in my cart, a little Red Admiral butterfly came and sipped on several of the flowers and answered my question!