Medinilla magnifica is in bloom!

Such a reliable and lovely plant! I've had it for 4 years now

 

Mid April in My Garden

 The Pond is cleaned up for spring and the spring bulbs are popping up too! I have lots of violet on the lawn, hyacinth (they finished up last week when we hit the 90s) and tulips (just hitting their stride now!)

Hawaii Plant Haul

 I came back from an incredible trip to Hawaii & here's the plants I brought back! 

Jim Little Plumeria: Metallica, Juicy Juice, and Hawaiian Rose 

A few seeds I got from the mail! Hibiscus arnottianus, Hibiscus waimeae, Caesalpinia pulcherrima, and Milo Thespesia populnea

I also brought back a Kahili Ginger Hedychium gardnerianum, Pink ginger Alpinia purpurata, Hawaii Tuberose Polianthes tuberosa, and a Purakenikeni flower Fagraea berteroana

Early April in my Long Island garden

Freshly planted pansies with my Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei)

 

And these very cute Tete-a-tete daffodils

Fresh kumquats! 

Babaco Papaya

Staghorn Fern 

Staten Island NY Palm Tree Update!

 I can't believe we had a blizzard two weeks ago - because on March 10th NYC hit 80F for the earliest time on record. In my parent's yard my weather station recorded 4 days in a row in the 70s (Just for some perspective, we only had 6 days in the 50s since Jan 1 and no days in the 60s prior to this week!)

    March 8     70/44

    March 9     74/41

    March 10    78/41

    March 11    72/48

    March 12    64/34

My fatsia japonica on Feb 16

Sabal Minor March 9 - unprotected on a 5F day but protected for the rest 

Windmill palms & Florida Anise on March 9. Anise was not protected - Trachycarpus were heavily affected

Gardenia Summer snow, Just put a bin over them and ran some C9 lights

Completely unprotected Windmill Palms

Musa sikkimensis could be alive! I mulched it