Sunday, February 28, 2016

South Florida Hedge Plants

Aloha Everyone!
I thought today would be a good day to do a post about some wonderful plants to use in a hedge and/or for privacy screening.  As you know, depending on the amount of  sunlight, water and location, will determine which plant species to use.  Hopefully when you are done reading this post you will have a better understanding of which plant(s) will work best for what you.  If you have the room, I love layering ground covers with larger shrubs for a more natural feel.  Just remember the saying "select the right plant for the right place" and you'll be alright!  So let's get started...

SMALL HEDGE PLANTS ( 4-8 ft high )
Blue Sage (eranthemum pulchellum) - 4-6 ft high by 3-4 ft wide with branching habit, needs some light shade, gorgeous blue flowers
Brush cherry (eugenia myrtifolia) - is easy trimmed to 5-6 ft but grows to 12-15 ft, easy to shape or topiary, grows in full sun & part shade, compact grower with dense small leaves growing upright (columnar), drawback- can have sections that die out.
Cocoplum (chrysobalanus icaco) - available varieties are the red tipped, green & horizontal, grows up to 10-15 ft high by 6-7 ft wide but can be keep at 5-6 ft high by 3-4 ft wide, looks better when hand pruned as the hedger will eviscerate the beautiful leaf structure, has a wide branching growth habit, grows in full sun to part shade, can make jams with the fruit, long living plant (+20 yrs).
Copperleaf varieties (acalypha wilkesiana) - there are probably a hundred different varieties with different growth habits & light requirements but most prefer full sun to keep the aphids & scale away, many will max out at about 10-12 ft tall but are super easy to hand prune while the majority stay with in 6-8 ft high, the leaves are a gorgeous collage of colors which is their trademark so keep the hedgers away, leaf colors are constantly changing, they have a wide growth habit so will need room.
Croton (codiaeum variegatum) - another plant with easily over a hundred different varieties with different heights, growth habits & light requirements but most prefer part sun/part shade to stay viable, they never seem to do great in full sun, this is another plant with incredible leaf shape & coloration, leaf colors are constantly changing, long living plant (+40 yrs).
Day blooming jasmine (cestrum diurnum) - average height of 6-8 ft by 4-6 ft wide with branching growth habit, needs full sun to promote flower growth that smell like honey, has small white bouquets of flowers, a nice hardy shrub full of leaves, flowers attract butterflies, birds eat berries.
Dwarf yaupon 'Schillings' (ilex vomitoria) - in it's dense trimmed form it max's out at around 3-4 ft high by 3-4 ft wide but if let go can get a bit larger, grows in full sun, used primarily as a square or round shaped plant in formal style landscapes but can also be trimmed to create unique shapes. dense growth habit with very small leaves & twig type branches, our neighbor's looks like waves.
Firebush (hamelia patens var. patens) - average height of 12-15 ft high by 8-10 ft wide, easy to be keep trimmed but looks it's best if left to grow naturally, prefers full sun to promote full growth habit & keep pest away, if grown in shade it tends to be more "branchy" than leafy & scale will be present (but so will the lady bugs), beautiful red/orange/yellow flower clusters, this is one of our best natives for butterflies, birds, lady bugs, great plant for screening, drawback is the branches break easily in high winds.
Gardenia varieties - different varieties grow to varying heights but most average at about 5-6 ft high by 4-5 ft wide, easy to kept trimmed by hand pruning so the new growth where the flowers grow at the ends do not get cut off, grows in full sun but doesn't like to be dry or too wet, likes acidic soil so my Mom used pickle juice, heavy feeders so likes composted rich soil & consistent fertilization, drawback pests like scale, white fly which cause black sooty mildew can be a problem.

Green buttonwood (conocarpus erectus)
Green island ficus (ficus macrocarpa)
Indian hawthorne (raphiolepis indica)
Ixora varieties
Jamaican croton (graptophyllum pictum)
King's mantle (thunbergia erecta)
Plumbago (plumbago auriculata)
Porterweed (stachytarpheta jamaicensis)
Star jasmine (jasminum multiflorum)
Simpson's stopper (myrcianthes fragrans)
Silver buttonwood (conocarpus erectus sericeus)
Spanish stopper (eugenia foetida)
Viburnum suspensum
White stopper (eugenia axillaris)
Wild coffee (psychotria nervosa)

MEDIUM HEDGE PLANTS (8-14 ft high)
Beautyberry (callicarpa americana)
Brush cherry (eugenia myrtifolia) - is easy trimmed to 5-6 ft but grows to 12-15 ft, easy to shape or topiary, grows in full sun & part shade, compact grower with dense small leaves growing upright (columnar), drawback- can have sections that die out.
Copperleaf varieties (acalypha wilkesiana) - there are probably a hundred different varieties with different growth habits & light requirements but most prefer full sun to keep the aphids & scale away, many will max out at about 10-12 ft tall but are super easy to hand prune while the majority stay with in 6-8 ft high, the leaves are a gorgeous collage of colors which is their trademark so keep the hedgers away, leaf colors are constantly changing, they have a wide growth habit so will need room.
Croton (codiaeum variegatum) - another plant with easily over a hundred different varieties with different heights, growth habits & light requirements but most prefer part sun/part shade to stay viable, they never seem to do great in full sun, this is another plant with incredible leaf shape & coloration, leaf colors are constantly changing, long living plant (+40 yrs).
Elderberry (sambucus simpsonii)
Firebush (hamelia patens) - average height of 12-15 ft high by 8-10 ft wide, easy to be keep trimmed but looks it's best if left to grow naturally, prefers full sun to promote full growth habit & keep pest away, if grown in shade it tends to be more "branchy" than leafy & scale will be present (but so will the lady bugs), beautiful red/orange/yellow flower clusters, this is one of our best natives for butterflies, birds, lady bugs, great plant for screening, drawback is the branches break easily in high winds.

Green buttonwood (conocarpus erectus)
Indian hawthorne (raphiolepis indica)
Ixora varieties
Jamaican caper (capparis cynophallophora)
King's mantle (thunbergia erecta)
Marlberry (ardisia escallonioides)
Myrsine (myrsine guianensis)
Myrtle of the River (calyptranthes zuzygium)
Orange jasmine (murraya paniculata)
Podocarpus (podocarpus macrophyllus)
Silver buttonwood (conocarpus erectus sericeus)
Simpson's stopper (myrcianthes fragrans)
Southern wax privet (ligustrum japonicum)
Spanish stopper (eugenia foetida)
Sweet viburnum 'Awabuki' (viburnum odoratissimum var. awabuki)
Walter's viburnum (viburnum obovatum)
White stopper (eugenia axillaris)

TALL HEDGE PLANTS ( 10-20 ft high)
Jamaican caper (capparis cynophallophora)
Japanese blueberry (elaeocarpus decipiens)
Marlberry (ardisia escallonioides)
Myrsine (myrsine guianensis)
Myrtle of the River (calyptranthes zuzygium)
Orange jasmine (murraya paniculata)
Podocarpus (podocarpus macrophyllus)
Sweet viburnum 'Awabuki' (viburnum odoratissimum var. awabuki)
Sweet viburnum (viburnum odoratissimum)
Walter's viburnum (viburnum obovatum)
Yaupon (ilex vomitoria)

I will be adding to this along the way so please keep checking back for new updates and links!
Happy Gardening Y'all and Mahalo!
Best wishes,
Sheri
xoxo

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Weekend Awesomenessss!!! v.3

Welcome to this week's edition of Weekend Awesomenessss!!!
Let's start off with something nice shall we...

These kids practice their reading skills to an unexpected audience, so sweet!

A scrumptious throwback recipe for homemade animal crackers!

I know what I want for my birthday, not just any chocolate...insert "Oooohs & Aaaaahs" here!

This week's Shirk Report on the Twisted Sifter, hilarious!

Archaeologist's found extinct squash seeds that are over 850 yrs old...see what happened.

Just when you thought label laws on GMO foods were becoming more transparent...this guy shows up!

Thanks to moth eyes, we could have "super smart wallpaper!"

Thanks Ikea for being eco-responsible...hopefully others will follow!

The best telescopes for novice & advanced astronomers...so sayeth Popular Mechanics.

Lastly, cause you've been siting here too long, here are some neck stretches for computer folks.

Now get outside and have some fun!

Happy Gardening and Enjoy your Weekend!

Sheri
xoxo

Friday, February 26, 2016

Mistaken Identity...

HAPPY FRIDAY Y'ALL!!!
This should be the title of a Nancy Drew book...The Case of the Mistaken Identity...
Turns out the collard greens are really cauliflower 'snow queen'
Luckily, I have a few recipe's waiting on the sidelines cauling (lmao) for cauliflower.   If you haven't seen it already, there is a new trend in using cauliflower as a vegetable option for rice.  Here is one for 'Light Shrimp Curry with Spinach Over Cauliflower Rice' from the lovely Jocelyn at Grandbaby Cakes blog that looks and sounds delicious!

The broccoli head starting to emerge.
Yeaaaa, the strawberries have survived so far!
Made my Mom's delicious New England Boiled Dinner that everyone love's!
This time I made it with heirloom purple/gold/red potatoes and
heirloom purple/orange/white carrots. I found it so pretty with all the colors, I just had to
take a picture to show you, lol.  It also has cabbage, leeks, onions, garlic,
parsley (my addition), celery and beef in a broth.  Serve with dijon mustard.
A few things on the "Things-To-Do" List:
Find a good type of netting to keep mocking birds from eating the sweet 100 tomatoes,
Plant the second round of vegetable seeds in garden,
make a rain barrel,
odd's and end's in the garden,
enjoy this weekend to make up for a crappy sick birthday weekend last week and
Watch the garden grow!

Hope everyone is doing well and be on the look out for the week's Weekend Awesomenesssss!!!
Happy Gardening and Best Wishes,
Sheri
xoxo

Sunday, February 14, 2016

How does your garden grow?

So, can I just say, whaaat tha' heck!?!  Our weather has been so kooky this fall to winter to spring.  This year's winter has been very wet, high wind gusts and constantly overcast.  Though it's not our norm, I do remember winter's like this when I was young.  Has this winter been unusual for you too?

Despite our weather disparity, I thought for sure my orchids would suffer severely and the vegetable garden would surely shrivel up and the leaves/flowers/fruit of our tropical fruit and citrus trees would just drop off.  Again, Mother Nature proved me wrong indeed.  

So here's whats growing in our garden now...
I need to get in there & relocate a few of the collards for some better growing space

 
  

The pak choi has started it's bolt already...the flowers are delicious in stir fry.


An larger shot of the vegetable garden...you can see the repurposed bed frame for the
sweet 100 tomatoes.


              



       
The strawberry tree isn't a strawberry at all, it's actually a tropical fruit, which doesn't even look like a strawberry, it looks more like a cranberry.  Super easy to grow either in a container or in the ground, grows to be around 20 ft high.  Very little pests or disease pose a problem and the small berries are delicious!  They taste like either caramel corn or kettle corn or cotton candy depending on the tree and ripeness.

Wishing y'all a most wonderful Sunday!
Happy Gardening and Best Wishes,
Sheri
xoxo

Friday, February 12, 2016

Weekend Awesomenesss....

Heeey y'all!  So in the spirit of getting your vegetable and herb garden going (yes of course cakes & sticky buns come from the garden lol, if I could grow them I totally would), this weekend's awesomenessss contains so much delicious awesomenesss!!!


Yummy spicy white bean chili with shredded chicken except minus the chicken for me lol

Truffle edamame ravioli ...uh ehllo super delicious goodness!


I totally want to make this unique bread but know I would mess it up.

Grandbaby Cakes sweet potato pound cake, oh my!

When I visit my family in Atlanta, here's some delicious places to eat under $10

Who wouldn't like homemade French bread!?!

And then this happened...best sticky bun recipe ever!

Amish sugar cookies!

Try this spicy Indian mango pickles in mango season this summer.

Gooey-Gooey cake...the name says it all, yum!

Celebrate the year of the monkey with this delicious vegetable wonton miso soup!

Some awesome Hawaiian tiki drinks to wash it all down.

Wishing you a most awesome weekend!

Happy Gardening and Best Wishes,

Sheri
xoxo

Saturday, February 6, 2016

Weekend Awesomenessss....

Hi Y'all!  So here are some cool things for this weekend's awesomenessss....

Looking forward to making these yummy bars for when we have long work days.

Taking passive aggressive to a whole'notha'leval!

An inspiring story...with pictures too.

These nature photographers have such an awesome job...just love their selfies :)

Things not to wear

I would be devastated if this happened to one of our gardens

I sooooo want one of these expensive toys!

And totally want one of these for my birthday!

So incredible how much has changed in 100 years.

I love brie and I love bacon soooo this happened.

And to end this awesomeness with more awesomeness!

Wishing you all an awesome weekend!

Happy Gardening!

Sheri
xoxo