Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Garden

Winter in Florida is a blizzard of color

Pinks, yellows, blues and oranges run riot in Florida gardens even when our weather is its chilliest, and who wouldn't rather gather flowers than clear snow?

By JOHN A. STARNES JR.
Published February 26, 2005

	[Photos: John A. Starnes Jr.]
	The flame vine’s brilliant oranges and warm yellows add sunny hues to a fence or trellis.
	The acid soils of Florida’s interior are perfect for the robust Korean azalea, the blooms of which brighten late-winter landscapes.

As our northern friends endure wintery blasts, we get to pick bouquets instead of shoveling snow. Even better, these perennial subtropical flowers thrive in our soil and climate with little or no fuss and produce a heartwarming array of color.

Got an ugly chain-link fence or garden shed? Use it as a trellis to enjoy the year-round gracefulness of the flame vine (Pyrostegia ignea). Massive clusters of tubular blooms weigh down the vines, each boasting a range of warm oranges and subtle golds. (Because of their beauty in the landscape, I forgive them their lack of perfume.)

Our acid inland soils are perfect for the "Korean" azaleas (Rhododendron indica) that are the pride of older neighborhoods. Tolerant of both shade and sun if kept well-mulched with oak leaves, they create stunning privacy and security hedges, while one well-placed shrub adds drama to a drab corner. Tough, reliable varieties include formosas in pink, red and lavender and Mrs. G.G. Gerbing (white) and George L. Taber (pink with magenta speckles). Plan on heights and widths of 6 feet each.

Acid soil and light shade also reveal one of the truest blues that all gardeners treasure, the lovely spires of Eranthemum pulchellum. It is a statuesque tropical foliage plant that's triggered by winter's short days. Each stem will last days in floral arrangements.

In sheer contrast to that blue is the cheery yellow tabebuia tree. It does well in small spaces with full sun and well-drained soil.

Bougainvilleas can and do bloom throughout the year, but their winter and early spring display is a traffic stopper. We've all seen "minivan size" hedges dripping with thousands of magenta or apricot or white blooms. The only way to kill one is with kindness, too much water and fertilizer. Ignore it in full sun or light shade, and it will reward you with the perfect screen of color. Just watch out for those long thorns.

John A. Starnes Jr., born in Key West, is an avid organic gardener and rosarian who studies, collects, cultivates and hybridizes roses. He can be reached at johnastarnes@msn.com

[Last modified February 25, 2005, 09:20:07]