Views of the Neighborhood – What’s Left in the Garden.

~ John W. Howell

Today we are not going far from home. Since we have had some cold weather, it is time to check the garden and see what remains after a mild freeze. We are catered by Patrizi’s. To view the menu click on the link. Pay no attention to the prices. I’ve got this. Our entertainment is Ricky Nelson

Picture of an old time school bus
So let’s go.

Here we are. Pretty quick trip.

Hanging begonia is a little worse for the wear.

One last rose. They are finished for the season.

A hibiscus bloom. It might be one of the last.

The pentas look good.

The liriope (green plant) survived, but no blooms. On the other hand, the hypoestes (polka plant)are hanging on.

Ivy looks great.

The fig is doing well and will drop its leaves soon.

The bougainvillea lost some flowers and is no doubt finished blooming this year.

The gaillardia survived.

The trellised Mandevilla is doing well too.

The moss rose (purslane) is headed south.

Another begonia hanging on

Vincas are holding firm and still budding.

Purple sweet potato vine is showing signs of the cold.

More pentas holding out

The marigolds go on forever.

I hope you enjoyed the tour. Now enjoy the food and music.

 

 

89 thoughts on “Views of the Neighborhood – What’s Left in the Garden.”

  3. The bougainvillea’s leaves will turn color in a drought, giving it the appearance of blooming. Everything else looks like it’s reacting to the changing season. Here, I have the AC on and only go outside to water my very confused plants. 🙄

    Liked by 2 people

  6. I hadn’t heard “Garden Party” in ages! It was good to hear it again. (I agree with Darlene about the dreamy factor with Ricky Nelson.) Your garden’s last hurrah is looking good. My small cutting garden has become the dog’s outdoor napping sofa of choice.

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    2. I had his picture hanging in my bedroom and it was the last thing I saw before I went to sleep. Garden Party is such a great song, (although they weren’t actually booing him at the concert.) But he turned a lemon into lemon aid.

      Liked by 2 people

  7. I laughed at your comment about the marigolds going on forever. They truly will — or at least close to forever, like mums. Just so you know, Ricky Nelson’s favorite color was red, and he wore size 10 socks. (Yes, I was enthralled.)

    Liked by 2 people

  13. The wheel turns, but there is still some life in the gardens in your area. That’s nice. Winter is just about here. After a spell of 20-degree days, we’re back in the 40s. It’s a temporary relief, but I’ll take it. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  19. I’m over-wintering my Begonias, in hopes of having them emerge afresh in the Spring. Fingers crossed! Everything else is pretty much gone. Glad you still have a few hangers-on, John. Hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful — congrats to Twiggy (her breed won Best of Show in the National Dog Show!!)

    Liked by 1 person

  20. What box? I couldn’t find a box.
    Maybe it’s just me?
    I’d like to read the menu, especially that it’s on you!

    Will your area go through no plants for a few months, or is there plant life beyond any evergreens? Do you have evergreens?
    I’m thinking like decorative cabbages. There are some growing in the snow here!
    Hmm, maybe they are just frozen?

    Anyway… playing my hand:
    🧽❤️ 🐃❤️ 🐆❤️💋❤️ 🐂❤️

    Like

    1. Sorry about the box. It disappeared. I did put a link into the post. Here it is https://www.patrizis.com/vortex-menu

      We will continue to have plants. We have to cover them when the temps get below freezing which in normal times is only for a couple of days. We have boxwoods which stay green all year. We could grow cabbages but we have other stuff. A good hand for sure. Here’s mine. 🧽❤️ 🐃❤️ 🐆❤️💋❤️ 🐂❤️🍰

      Like

  21. What a wonderful poetic garden, dear John! My congratulations!🎉🎉🎉👍👍👍🍇🍇🍇
    My poetic impromptu:
    Two wonderful roses there are in my garden: Lucy & Twiggy they are called.
    They bloom all the year among other flowers like vincas,mandevilla, marigold.
    😊😊😊🍻🍤🍤🍤

    Liked by 2 people

  22. Some plants take to the cold better than others. Nice that you have some that are hanging in there. Thanks for Ricky Nelson and for picking up the tab! Gorgeous sunny day here – we opened up all the windows to let in fresh air.

    Liked by 1 person

  26. Pretty interesting, John. It’s fun seeing what’s happening just across the Gulf. We are seeing a wee bit of seasonal change, but today was back in the 80s, so not much, yet. Plus, the best thing about Florida gardening is that roses bloom all year long. I love them, and had some beauties before Hurricane Irma wiped out most of them. Hoping to get some new ones planted in the next month or two.

    And the winter is the very best time for many annuals which will die during our hotter months. Violets, violas, pansies, and many others are winter bloomers, and make great hanging baskets to keep things colorful.

    Thanks for another great “Views of the Neighborhood” post, John! And have a great week ahead! 😀

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you for the lovely comment, Marcia. We plan to put in some more for the winter. By the way you made some really nice promo pieces for Eternal Road. The ones with the cober on a 3D book and kindle. What was the program you used?

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I used to do a lot of my graphics in Paint Shop Pro, but my old version won’t work on my new computer and I haven’t wanted to spend the $$ for an updated version of PSP. Happily, I had already found BookBrush, where I now make 3D graphics of all my books (and where I made yours), plus, I think I also can combine the 3D images into all sorts of finished projects, like your header. I can’t remember if there’s still a Free option or not, as I upgraded to the paid version right away. It lets me do a LOT of fun stuff, in addition to putting my covers into all sorts of designs. You can take a look and see if it is something you’d be interested in.
        https://bookbrush.com/

        Liked by 1 person

  31. It’s pretty amazing to still see some blooms at this time of year. Of course, ours are loooong gone. Some of those plants are pretty hardy!
    Thanks for the tour, the tune and the eats!

    Liked by 1 person

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