Late March Blooms

Things are coming together so beautifully! We had a record warm day on Saturday (82F at Islip, 81F in my yard) but otherwise it's been cloudy and not too warm which will hopefully keep these flowers blooming for longer.

This is Camellia Ashton's High Rise

It's been in a container for 3 springs now. I really love how numerous these tiny adorable flowers are.

A vertical shot for the Instagram

A lovely plant!

RL Wheeler

At my parent's house - Camellia Miss Betty

Agave Parryi Truncata - Not particularly cold hardy but a great container plant that overwinters well in the garage

Scilla siberica (Siberian Squill)

Pansy Tiger Eye Viola - Overwintered beautifully in my garden this year. Really looking forward to trying this again

Osterospermum African Daisy does well in the garage over the winter, it seems cold tolerant down to about 30F but more incredibly, it's very COOL tolerant and overwinters in a cold place that hovers around 40 degrees. These are new purchases! 

Pansies and Primrose. Both are perennial!

March Plant Shopping

 Nurseries seem to be getting colorful earlier and earlier. I was really surprised to see so many plants out already. 

Loved these pansies from Decker's Nursery in Northport, NY

They also have camellias! This is Pink Perfection

Camellia Jury's Yellow

Home Depot is also coming alive!

An update on my indoor plants

 

In less than a month they'll be outside! I can't wait! 

My Plumeria "California Sunset" is blooming beautifully!

Hi Joey Palm

Musa Ae Ae looking good along with Licuala grandis

March Yard Work!

 

The weather is warming up and I am busy in the garden again. It feels amazing! I added 4 raised garden beds to my front yard and will install drip irrigation. The tomatoes and eggplant are sprouting in the basement, but the broccoli rabe, cauliflower, cilantro, and kale are happy in the garden! 

My Pansies survived the winter in tiny 4" pots. I never brought them in from the cold. Really impressed

I got a monkey puzzle tree! The root system on this was kind of sad but I added root hormone and am hoping for the best

My flax lily did great in the garage this winter. The queen palm spent the coldest weeks of the year in the house and the rest of the time in and out of the garage

The citrus and bismarkia

The Mule palm is looking great after a winter in the garage

At my parent's house I planted this nice container of primrose and camellia

This camellia is Mrs Bertha!

An update on my Joey Palm Johannesteijsmannia altifrons

 I wouldn't consider. this magnificent palm to be a good candidate for a houseplant in NY, but it's proved me wrong! It spends the winter indoors and is quite happy! 

This is an incredibly slow growing palm with no trunk, but undivided fronds that can eventually reach 20 feet tall. It's something to marvel at in the tropics and a pretty cool plant in my dining room here in New York! 

Wide view of my licuala & Musa Ae Ae

Plumeria California Sunset has been a stunning bloomer!

 

Staten Island Winter Update

 My Windmill Palms were planted 16 years ago in my parent's yard and it's time to uncover them! 

These trachycarpus look great! And maybe I'll try to grow some seeds. I got very lucky that one of my palms is female and the other is male! 

My sabal minor was totally unprotected so nothing to unwrap here. It looks great! This has been in the ground since 2010.

My Evergreen Dogwood (Cornus capitata) is thriving! There's a little damage to the leaves, but it's definitely more cold tolerant than it's zone 8 rating. They grow so fast too! 

Inside the house my plumeria divine smells incredible!

These hibiscus have been blooming all winter & I love their smaller growing habit & beautiful leaves

The garage plants are outside! Including the banana shrub (Magnolia figo) and Variegated Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides 'Variegatum')

And the hellebores are late to the game, but they're managing!