May Flowers!

It's been a little while since I've done a garden post, and it's definitely time to catch up!  My lovelies have been showing off their beautiful blooms all this month, including my front orchid which is on its fourth or fifth rebloom and the back orchids which have produced a flower apiece!  My two late-blooming mini azaleas have also put in an appearance.  I can't wait to share!

Our magnolia started blooming at the beginning of the month, and still has a flower or two on it now.  I LOVE the smell of magnolia blossoms--it reminds me of summer time at my Dee Dee and Gan Gan's house when I was young.

My pineapple guava plants have also bloomed this year!  I was especially excited about these blooming because last year I only saw two flowers.  This year there were quite a few!  Interesting fact:  if you pull off one of the white petals and eat it, it's actually quite sweet and refreshing!  Very yummy :-).

I also have discovered the name of another plant that I think is just gorgeous.  Even though my husband used the weed wacker on my stalks last year, I am relieved to say that most of my agapanthus (aka Lily of the Nile, aka African Lily) are blooming beautifully.  I'm worried about one of them, but I'll wait and see how it does.

 Another scent that I adore is the smell of gardenias.  We had regular gardenia bushes in the front flower bed at my parents house, so the smell immediately makes me feel at home.  My mini gardenias around the side of the front of the house exploded last week, and the ones in the very front flowerbed have started blooming this week.  Happily this means that every time I leave home or return I get to smell them!

In other plant news, I put my bougainvillea through its first summer prune.  I was really starting to worry about it--most of its leaves had fallen off and it only had a few blooms left.  The stems were all bare and spindly.  That said, ONE DAY after pruning it made an amazing comeback!  I watered it as well, and it got even happier!  I think I've finally got the water schedule down--when the dirt feels dry, water!  It sounds so simple, but with this plant I really have to pay close attention!  I'm just very glad that it has perked back up!  Here's the before and after:

 Another plant that I was afraid I had managed to kill is my ivy.  As you may remember, I attempted to regrow root systems for a couple of cutting from the original plant.  I am happy to say that, so far, it has been a success!  The roots regrew beautifully, and I replanted the cuttings in a clay orchid pot which has very good draining.  So far, the cuttings seem to like the Miracle Grow potting soil and their location on my kitchen window sill.  I keep checking the dirt--I don't want to drown the plant again BUT I don't want to dehydrate it either.  I'll probably water it either tomorrow or Thursday.

All of my plants seem to be happy.  Even our yard, which was horribly neglected by the contractor's landscaping company, has started to prosper under my hubby's amazing care!  In this picture you can see the St. Augustine filling in from the side of the yard (not to mention my sexy husband mowing the yard).  Soon it will squeeze out all of the weed grass!

I sure do love this time of year!