Carnations and Rudbeckias in My Central Florida Garden

Surprising and Spicy Carnations and Rudbeckias in My Central Florida Garden


I had quite a surprise last week…. After looking as though they were done for the season, the carnations I started from seed last year that bloomed so profusely this spring sent up two light pink blossoms that held that lovely spicy scent right here in my Central Florida Garden. The carnations purchased in the stores just don’t have that incredible perfume that the old-fashioned carnations have. I remember my grandmother’s flower garden up in northern Illinois always had at least two long rows of carnations. She would cut some to bring in the house to fill her little front room with their sweetly spicy smell. Thinking back, she did the same with lilacs, sweet peas, and lily of the valley, each in their own seasons. It was my grandma who lit the flower gardening fire in me, while it was my dad who did the same for my love of vegetable gardening. Unfortunately, neither Dad nor Gram are with us, but their gardening legacies live on even as I pass them on to Tyler.

A year ago we ordered several hundred plant liners that included rudbeckias, buddleias, and sages. I potted them up into 4” containers in flats of 18. I have a dirty little secret to share… I’m embarrassed to admit that we just finished planting them in the garden beds and berms JUST THIS WEEK! Yes, they have been languishing in those tiny pots for over a year! I had been on a planting binge back in June and planted about 6 flats of the rudbeckias – the Prairie Sun and Cherokees. And THOSE are already blooming in the gardens! One of the unplanted Prairie Suns was so determined to get going that it sent up a flower and bloomed in the 4” pot! The flower was only about an inch across and only about 4 inches high. Contrast that to those in the gardens which are over a foot high and 5 inches across! That little plant was certainly persistently working toward getting its bloom cycle in this year! I’ll post if any of the newly planted old-baby plants bloom still this season.

Central Florida Gardening in the SUMMER

Dang!  It's HOT!  Been in the mid and upper 90's and it's not even the middle of August yet.  All the plants are looking tired, tired, tired.  One bright note today:  It's raining just now.  We have not had the regular daily afternoon rain, but today it rained for about 30 minutes this morning, and we just had another rain storm.  Thank you heavens!  The eggplants will be ever so happy for the drink.  I watered them yesterday, but I didn't even think of them this morning when I was out watering before starting the work day. 

Surprisingly, the coreopsis (which I thought was all done for the season) pushed a few more bright yellow blossoms out over the weekend.  The marigolds which are usually really starting their blooming about now look totally tuckered-out.  Even the usually perky impatiens are leggy and just tired looking.  The pentas that are out in one of the drier areas of the beds are not too robust looking. 

On the bright side (pun intended) the rudbeckia Cherokee Summer (I think) and Prairie Sun are just spectacular.  They don't appreciate lots of rain in the hot Central Florida summers, but since it has been a bit on the dry side in our area, they are putting on their late summer show. 

Oh, and the potatoes I started earlier this season did well in the pots where I planted them.  Tyler was so eager to eat them, I sent most of them home with him for his mom to cook up for dinner.  Not bad for those "free" potatoes!  They were fun.