My Pandemic Garden 1. Winter and Spring

Red Anthuriums are tolerant of cool weather,
and if the temperatures stay above 32 F, they
add a welcome bit of color in January. 

I usually write about wild flowers and wild places here, but for the past year I have been on an extended expedition to my backyard! So what you will see in this post are descendants of wildflowers that are well adapted for central Florida gardens. The first installment covers winter through spring, the only part that most of our visitors from up north ever see. As long as it doesn't actually freeze during the this time,  the display of colorful flowers never ends.  

Pelargoniums are native to South Africa, where
rain falls and flowers bloom during the cool
winter and spring,  so they are
quite at home here in central Florida.

January: In a mild year, many tropical plants continue to bloom this month, including Anthuriums and Hibiscus, along with plants that prefer cooler climates anyway. It is the season for leafy green vegetables like mustard greens, bok choi, green onions, and lettuce.

This yellow Hibiscus is one of my favorites, and kept blooming through the month.

February: Winter continues, but it is springtime for Azaleas and Camellias

The Himalayan Azalea is the most spectacular blooming shrub
of central Florida's winter.

Camellias are popular winter bloomers 
throughout the milder parts of the southeast.

March: Florida's spring is in full swing, and for us, amaryllis blooms replaces the tulips and daffodils of the north.

Amaryllis (genus Hippeastrum) come in many shades of red, pink, orange and white.

This yellow Laelia can bloom just about anytime, but had
a spectacular display this year during March.

For the second year in a row, my blue bearded
iris has bloomed. Only the "reblooming"
varieties do well in Florida. Others require more
winter cold to set flower buds.

Mulberries begin as catkin-like clusters of tiny flowers. The ovaries then swell, first turning red,
then black,  superficially resemble blackberries.

April: Amaryllis continues to bloom, and the harvest of mulberries lasts until the middle of the month, and we have some new additions:

Alstroemeria bloom in April and May.

Blossoms of the guava tree begin appearing in April, harbingers
of fruit to come in the summer.

Gardenias make their presence know by
their fragrant scent as much as by their dazzling
 white flowers.

Daylilies start in April with one bloom per stalk, and run into May.

May:  Though summer weather is here, spring continues with more slowly emerging flowers.

Easter lilies cast aside after the holy week in years past, continue to multiply and bloom year after
year, but typically about a month after Easter.

I got seeds of this mystery variety of hollyhock from a friend. Most
traditional varieties won't do well down here. Have to start these in the
fall to get blooms in the spring, for they will wither away in hot weather.

Most standard varieties of morning glory, like this "Heavenly Blue,"
have to be planted from seed early in the spring for blooms in May.