Flowery Florida

Why is that woodpecker pounding away on that tree?

Is he trying to wake up grandpa snoozing in the hammock...

so he'll jump on his bike to take pictures of the March flowers?

The Spanish named this place Florida or "flowery" because of all the flowers that bloom all year. The main flower in March is the azalea.


But there are left overs from previous months such as this poinsettia from Christmas time.

You can see the overlap from harvesting oranges and the new blossoms. We just finished the oranges from our trees.

The berries from the fall and the irises of March make a pretty combination.

It is too warm for tulips, but we have lots of irises...

and lilies coming up to remind us that Easter is coming.

There are still a few dogwood trees in bloom, though they are usually one of the first blooming trees in February along with the redbuds, which are bloomed out already, and

camellias.

You can see other flowers here and there.

These periwinkles bloom all year until a frost gets them. These were protected in our entryway so they are looking great.

Wisteria is a vine that grows in the trees like a weed. It smells heavenly. Caroly thinks of it as a substitute for her favorite, lilacs, which don't grow here.


I only found one rose in my ride around the neighborhood. Roses don't grow well in Florida.

There are lots of non-flowering plants too that are normally houseplants in colder climates, such as this giant split leaf philodendron in our back yard. Of course, they are much smaller when raised inside. Most house plants for the USA are produced outside in plant nurseries in Florida.

This Spanish moss hanging from the oak trees technically isn't a March flower, but it reminds me that I am home and not in Hungary.