Irises

Most types of true Irises will not grow in Florida. A number of members of the Iris Family will grow here however, and will be covered later. People with access to a lot of water can grow Louisiana Irises. But, I could not. Too dry. The true Irises that I can grow here are the blue and white forms of Iris virginica. Photos are shown with this entry. Iris virginica needs quite a bit of moisture, but is easier for me to grow.

More Daylilies

Here are some more Daylilies that have come into bloom. One is BUTTERSCOTCH RUFFLES and the other is one that I have no name for. It is obvious by the color which one is BUTTERSCOTCH RUFFLES. While on Daylilies, it is so danged dry the Spider Mites are becoming a serious pest.

Alligators

Alligators... ...it is these creatures that inspired my blog name, and my e-mail address. Alligators can be found in any body of water in Florida. While I find them to be fascinating, I don't want to get too close to them either.

The town of Dunnellon, FL has created a new park. Yesterday [April 10] I walked one of the trails. It goes around a small lake. Shown are the photos of two different Alligators I saw there. I saw two other ones, but they submerged before I could get a photo.

Philadelphus

The Philadelphus are another nice spring bloomer here. Sometimes, these are called "Mock Orange" or "English Dogwood" although they are not citrus nor are they a type of Dogwood. Shown is a photo of the blooms of Philadelphus. The open bloom closest to the top right of the photo has a Ladybug on it.

First Daylilies of 2009

On Sunday, March 29, the first Daylily of the 2009 season came into bloom. That Daylily is ROSIE MEYER (Alexander, 1957) which is the red one shown with this blog entry. It is an Evergreen, and can rebloom. The gold Daylily is AZTEC GOLD (Dennett, 1936). It came into bloom on Friday, April 3. AZTEC GOLD is a Dormant, and it also can rebloom here. Both Daylilies are suitable to this area. Now, I am hoping the scapes on these two, and the not yet bloomed BUTTERSCOTCH RUFFLES don't get frozen tonight...

Bridal Wreath Spireas

I still need to remember to try to make the font large enough for easy reading... Does anyone know of a way to make the font larger after an entry has been posted? Shown are Bridal Wreath Spireas. I love these things too.

When I was a kid in Kentucky, I knew a girl who lived in an older house that had Bridal Wreath Spireas around it. Those were one heck of a show, and that girl loved them. At that time, we did not have enough space for one.

She moved, and we moved, and I never got around to growing these plants for the entire time I lived up there. Upon moving here, I never even thought of them until... ...that spring, when I noticed Bridal Wreath Spireas being quite common around Dunnellon, FL.

I started planting some, and am glad I did. Bridal Wreath Spireas are wonderful plants. They are not commonly found in nurseries. Mine came from Dinkins Service Store in Dunnellon, FL on US 41.

Fringe Trees

Shown are Fringe Trees (Chionanthus virginicus). These trees can be grown in a wide range of climates from southern Canada to central Florida. But, it is best to get them locally instead of mail order to make sure one gets a specimen better adapted to their climate. Fringe Trees bloom in late March into early April in Dunnellon, Florida. In Lexington, KY they don't bloom until after the Kentucky Derby.

The blooms are fragrant. Only female trees set seed, but they are more susceptible to hurricane damage since they are loaded with grape-like seed clusters at the peak of hurricane season. In late fall, the leaves turn yellow or gold for a short time, then quickly fall off.