Garden Photo of the Day

Roger and Linda’s Florida Garden

Creating a tropical paradise

We are Roger and Linda. We live in Pompano Beach, Florida. We have built this little paradise, which is our pride and joy. We cherish every moment that we sit and relax daily in our garden.

Now this is a garden that takes full advantage of the Florida climate, with the dramatic columns of palm rising out of a lush jungle of tropical foliage. Strings of lights make the garden enjoyable into the evenings.

This dramatic flower is called a walking iris (Neomarica regina, Zones 8–11). The striking blooms show this plant’s relationship to irises, and the “walking” part of the name refers to the way that some species produce new plantlets at the tops of the flower stalks and then bend down to the ground, rooting as they go and “walking” through the garden.

So many plants usually familiar to northern gardeners as houseplants thrive outside, here surrounding a statue of the Buddha.

A huge golden elephant’s ear (Alocasia macrorrhiza ‘Lutea’, Zones 10–11) dominates this part of the garden with enormous leaves that have golden-yellow petioles.

Bromeliads bring a huge amount of color and interest to a warm-climate garden. As they get close to blooming, the leaves flush bright colors to help attract pollinators. That strategy works to attract gardeners as well!

Roger and Linda are posing with a silk handkerchief tree (Cynometra lenticellata, Zones 10–12), which has showy bracts around the ripening seeds.

 

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Comments

  1. [email protected] 04/08/2024

    Beautiful and so different from my garden in the North! Love the handkerchief tree, I have never seen one before. Thanks for sharing.

  2. User avater
    treasuresmom 04/08/2024

    Beautiful!

  3. User avater
    simplesue 04/08/2024

    Fabulous post and fabulously gorgeous garden! I love the flagrant path, your plant selections, and the story about the Walking Iris! You do have a little bit of paradise for sure!

  4. janetsydoruk 04/08/2024

    Just beautiful. It must be glorious in the evenings.

  5. btucker9675 04/08/2024

    Love that silk handkerchief tree - fabulous! What a pretty garden you've created!

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