January garden delights

     This year has been super busy so far, between work ( our company www.creativespacesfl.com ), our garden and personal life.  Though I am so happy that all is going well this year.  How has your 2012 been?  Hopefully going great!  With a positive attitude, lots of hope and a connective community conscious we all can make a difference in the direction our politicians take and the decisions they make.  Since this is an election year, we need to start with the local politicians.  Bend their ears about the issues important to you and let them to go to Capital Hill to work the higher up's for support, after all they are elected officials.  Ok, with that little tid bit said, on to the good stuff, lol. ;)

     This morning I walked out to enjoy this glorious 'way-to-warm-for-this-time-of-year' day and was pleasantly surprised to see some wonderful colors and smells emerging in our garden.  The first is a small but potently sweet smelling orchid called, Encyclia cordigera/species- syn. Epidendrum atropurpureum; born September 2003.

Encyclia cordigera/species-
syn. Epidendrum atropurpureum 

About 3 inch flowers, super cool colors and amazingly
soft sweet scent but so thick you can smell it 10ft away.

Encyclia cordigera/species-syn. Epidendrum atropurpureum
This little orchid is mounted in my Beautyberry bush.

My Watermelon Palm, Chambeyronia macrocarpa, or some may call it a Flamethrower Palm, I bought from Tropical Gardens of Maui about 6 or 7 years ago.  It came wrapped in damp newspaper and was so little....now look at this amazing but very slow growing beauty!  I had them in pots at first, lost one then put this one in the ground.  It has thrived ever since.  They definitely grow better as an understory palm but the fronds seem to get much redder with full sun.

Watermelon Palm, 
Chambeyronia macrocarpa 

A close up of my Watermelon Palm, it's not at red as it usually it
 but in winter it doesn't get as much sun as the summer time.
Though you can see how spectacular the new leaf color is
compared to the older green ones.  The trunk also has a dappled green color to it like the outside of a watermelon.

A close up of the new Watermelon Palm frond.

See you all tomorrow out in the garden!  Have a wonderful weekend!!! xoxo