Around Grandma's Table

Georgia Roadside Tour

2014-03-26T15:00:00.000-04:00

Spring is Here

Orchids in bloom

Wildflower Wandering

2011-09-13T12:38:00.004-04:00

Our friend by the mailbox is waiting...

Pink Mallows peak out along the path, but no hurry...

The Water Primrose are beginning to bloom along the ditches

Ludwigia

What are all these little bits of stamens

stuck to my pant legs....Tickseed.

Dainty dependable Mexican Petunia,

guaranteed to have a few blooms all summer long.

The perennial yellow daisy that nether rain nor snow

nor drought or a forest fire couldn't kill aways smiling.

One of my favorite that I wait all year

to see come back in bloom...American beauty-berry.

Callicarpa americana L.

A field of moist Sword Fern along the way

is so refreshing on a hot summer day.

What walk would not be complete without

watching the Spanish Moss swaying in the breeze.

See, we really did end up at the mailboxes.

See ya later, when I will pick another day
to wander through the wildflowers. After years of posting
to this wildflower blog of our area, I now only post a better
picture of ones already posted. Still hope you will view a few recipes
and find time to wander through the wildflowers. :)

July Blooms in Ruskin

2011-07-14T15:47:00.001-04:00

Affectionately called the Railroad Vine because of the parallel
path it takes to keep from being washed out to sea.
Also called a Beach Morning Glory.

Here are some multi colored Blanket flowers.

Gaillardia pulchetta

And on any stroll along our beaches

you will be sure to find some Beach Sunflowers.

Heianthus debilis.

Not much happening this summer,
but I am still look'in.

May Blooms in Ruskin

2011-05-04T09:04:00.014-04:00

Elderberry or Water Hemlock

Check it out first.

The picture above is of Water Hemlock.

One of the most deadly plants.

I caught this one in the shadow

to show you that parts of the stems

will have hints of purple streaks,

The picture above is the

Common Elderberry. The Herculesi club variety has thorns.

An Elderberry with dark hanging clusters is for jelly.

There is a red berry variety that is poison.

When hiking the swampy areas along the Manatee

they look very similar when in full bloom,

Below is a picture of Elderberries that are edible.
They start to show up the first of June.

Pictured below is a close up of a Buttonbush bloom.

You'll see about 20 of these little balls

all over a single bush. Butterflies love them.

It is May and the Magnolia's are in bloom all over town.

They range from the small variety here

to the huge 40 foot ones. The swamp variety

blooms leaving a 5 inch

bright red glossy pine cone after the pedals fall away.

A small field of Pink Meadowbeauties

along the road.

Tiny little purple flowers along the road

that you'll miss unless you go out for a stroll.

The Lilies are also in bloom.

I caught this one in front of the Library.

And I have seen Easter Lilies along the fences.

Pink Mallows are just starting to bloom.

Their bushes will be 4 feet high by the end of summer.

The Surinam Cherry Trees drop their fruit in May.

Lay a large drop cloth under a tree,

and pick up the fruit in the morning. Tasty

This is a picture from under the Surinam Cherry Tree.

They are kinda bushy. Probably best grown

in a shady sheltered spot and used as an arbor.

A Green Arrow Arum down next to the brackish water

with blooms like an elephant ear underneath.

Peltandra Virginica

Wow, Coreopsis are in bloom all along the road sides

These are our state wildflower

I know a Hydrangea is not a wildflower,

but this lady always has such beautiful ones

growing in large wooden tubs.

Delightful 4 foot high wispy bushes

that are continually in bloom.

A dainty light pink Coastal Rosegretian
blooming in a moist ditch.

I am sad to say because of strange weather
conditions, there are almost no flowers
blooming this summer. If you have noticed, last year,
there were so many, I had a hard time
narrowing it down to ones I would post.
So.. I have really nothing to post for June..

Looking.......

April Blooms in Ruskin

2011-04-13T10:08:00.009-04:00

One of Florida's native bright Yellow Sunflowers
blooming among the sandy Pine Lands.

Lantana is one of our most hardy wildflowers.
Here is a close up to go with the following picture.

This is one awesome bright
yellow Lantana Montevidensis

in full bloom along a ditch in Ruskin. This thicket was
probably 40 feet long and smaller bushes
were scattered the length of the ditch.

A pool that forms after a rain

is the perfect place to find Pickerel Weed.

Portedena cordata

The Lizard Tail are blooming all along

the Manatee River swampy inlets.

Their the white droppy tails in this picture.

This dainty wildflower is along my garden

in front of the Lizard Tails. It has been blooming for weeks.

The Violet Wood Sorrel continues to bloom since February.

This mound is about 2 1/2 feet across.

I just couldn't resist including a picture

peeking under the scrubery to see the vines that have so quickly

grown up to encase the trunks of the old Palmetto Palms.

A beautiful Coral Honesuckle covering its host.

It's mid April and I find a beautiful

Jersuleum Thorn covered with it's tiny bright yellow flowers

What a sight to stand under an old Jacaranda

in bloom and look up towards the sky..

What a pretty sight to come across a field

of these white Star Grass or Star Rush wildflowers.

An ever so tiny snowflake bloom atop
moist light green feathery foliage along the ditches.
Mock Bishops-weed

March Blooms in Ruskin Part 2

2011-03-28T18:17:00.002-04:00

Loquat Trees are bursting with
their sweet fruit all over town.

A bed of Amaryllis Lilies after the rain.

A show stopping huge red Bougenvilla after a rain.

A beautiful Pink Tulip Tree.

And a White Tulip Tree in full bloom.

This is one of the most breathtaking Red

Weeping Bottlebrush Trees I have ever seen.

Back to wandering in the ditches,

where I found these delightful little

Blue Flag wildflowers.

And next I spot a huge bouquet of Doll's Daisy

peaking out a culvert.

Ruskin Wildflowers in March

2011-03-09T10:13:00.007-05:00

Beautiful Pink Azaleas among the Pines

Perfectly manicured mounds

of wildflowers among the old oaks

This is a Lady Lupine

White Wild Indigo shrubby plants can be found

among the old pines and along the roadsides

Ah, ha, I found Yellow Spatterdock blooming

in some brackish water along the Manatee.

Nuphar lutea subsp.

The Yellow Coreopsis, our State Wildflower

is starting to bloom.

These are 10 feet tall bushes that are

loaded with dainty white blooms.

Similar to a Lantana blossom.

One show stopping Purple Wisteria

A Yellow Tabulea in full bloom. I found this one

a few miles from Ruskin,

but this shows you what the smaller ones in town will look like

in a few years.

The air is filled with the heavenly scent

of rows and rows of Orange Blossom's.

A delightful find when wandering thru old sandy Pinelands

And the month has just started.

February Blooms in Ruskin

2011-02-07T16:30:00.016-05:00

A stroll along the Little Manatee River in February

is full of tiny blooming surprises.

Like these thick shrubby little Oxalis bushes

with yellow flowers.

On down the road are the sweetest
tiny 5 pedaled yellow flower.

Along the roadside are small fields of

buttery yellow flowers on 2 foot tall bushes.

St. Andrew's Cross

One of my favorite is Violet Oxalis Corymbosa

along the muddy ditches

Common name is Violet Wood Sorrel.

Some of the leaves are 3-4 inches across.

Some red tassel flowers are popping up. A rare find.

Even the fields are alive with colorful red brush.

Hastate Leaf Dock

The Pink Tabebuia, the queen all the spring blooming trees.

A close up of a cluster of the pink blooms.

This is one awesome Yellow Tabebuia.

A very lacy bush with dainty yellow

blooms at the ends of the stalks.

Quite the show stopper along the road

are the Simson Stoppers. This one is

about 5 feet high and 5 feet across.

These very thorny crawling vines are Blackberries

along the sides of the roads.

These two pictures are of these tiny Clematis - baldwinii or Pine Hyacinth.

among some Resurrection Fern before it unfurles in spring.

l
A delightful find underneath the old pines.
A succulent that is very hardy
and one of the first to bloom at the first of the year.
These stand about 2 feet high.
Mexican Bells.

Love driving down the road lined with

Bright Yellow Mexican Poppies.

This is a field of Bay Purple Lobelia.

These are so tiny you will only see these jewels

if your out walking. Check out their painted faces.

I really new find. Large mounds of soft green leaves

with a tiny flower at the end of each branch.

Chickweed

By February bright yellow Jessamine.

covers numerous fences, bushes and trees.

In passing. it can look like the host is the one in full bloom.

Gelsemium sempervirens

Fall Flowers in Ruskin

2011-01-11T14:55:00.011-05:00

This picture was taken in late December
of a blooming Brazilian Pepper in our drive.

The red berry clusters make
nice Christmas decorations.

Delightful low growing Burr Marigold

Kosteletz pentacarpos

Under the tall pines and Maples were large
Climbing Purple Asters

Symphyotrichum carolinanum

Nowhere grows it bigger or better than the Ruskin area.

Gigantic Yellow daises that stand 10 feet tall.

These were in a sandy field.

They may be Yellow Lupines.

Delightful yellow blooms. Maybe a Butterfly Pea

with 4 inch long green seed pods.

Wild Arrowhead plant

Probably "Pixie"

Here is a huge buding bush along a watery ditch.

A Simson Stopper before it is in full bloom.

Many beautiful grasses, but the pink are so pretty.

Hairgrass - Peaceae

Yellow flowering wildflower under the pines.

It's been a wonderful experience

to photograph month by month

all year - wildflowers in bloom.

Ruskin, Florida - a city in bloom.

Flowering Trees of Ruskin Part 4

2011-01-05T15:18:00.005-05:00

Beautiful pink folage turns to white in spring.

These colorful branches are 3 to 4 feet long.

The following pictures were taken in

November and December.

Many shades of green.

Down the road to our home.

Beautiful Maples in the fall.

Check out these fantastic fall colors,

This Chestnut Tree is covered with round spiked seed pods.

More fall colors...

Fantastic color variation.

Off on the horizon.

Check back for the names of these trees.

I am a little late posting the fall colors.

Ruskin Wildflowers Part 8

2010-10-03T17:21:00.003-04:00

In October are fields of wildflowers are growing to great hights,
like this striking Goldenrod.

Iponemas like this Glades Morning Glory

are at their peak in October.

As you can see, they are willing to climb or cover just about anything.

This mound of blooms is

about 8 feet tall and 6 feet wide.

A beautiful Meadow Beauty blooming among the grasses.

This is a Pink Mallow. They get huge. I have one

in my backyard that is 6 feet across and 6 feet high.
Salt Marshmallow - Kosteletzkya pentacarpos
Hibicus Family

The American Beauty are just getting bigger and more beautiful.

See ya later, along the roadside with camera in tow.

Ruskin Recipes

2010-09-09T17:17:00.003-04:00

A Real Cuban Sandwich

made with

Fresh warm Cuban bread, Pan Sobao or soft French bread

Split the whole loaf in half lengthwise leaving a "hinge" if possible

Spread with 1/3 cup of yellow mustard (mayo omitted in Miami and Cuba)

Spread on the top only

Layer on the bottom half in this order

4 slices or 2 layers of thinly sliced baked ham

4 long slices of pork roast

Lay 4 slices of thinly sliced Cotto Salami, overlapping by almost half (omitted in Miami and Cuba)

Lay 4 slices of Swiss cheese cut in half the same way and don't skimp

Add a layer of sliced dill pickles (sandwich stackers)

Close up and press down

Put a cast iron skillet on low

Spray lightly with a non stick spray

(most of us don't have a well seasoned cast iron pan)

Lay half the sandwich in the skillet and press down

with a bacon press till the cheese starts to melt.

I use my George Foreman grill for about 1 1/2 minutes
I like to add some big juicy sliced Ruskin tomatoes

and very thinly sliced sweet onion rings on top of the pickles.

But that's Ruskin

Extras:

You put the salami on top of the other meats because,

it's juices then run down on the lower meats.

If you don't like Swiss use provolone.

No yellow cheese.

And please no boiled ham.

Cooking Tips:

Pork Roast

Marinate your pork shoulder in a product from Goya called Mojo Marinate with orange and lime juices, oregano and garlic.. Recipe below. Read the ingredients. It's a tall glass bottle. Put 2 cups in a gallon Ziploc bag and marinate your pork overnight.

Remove the roast and make 1 1/2 inch slits in the top and pour fresh marinade all over and stick a garlic clove in each slit. Cook in a crock pot till tender. Baste a few times. Slice

Brown Sugar Ham:

When cooking your ham give it a nice heavy crispy brown sugar glaze so some of the sugar crust is on the slices. You could serve the ham the first night and make the pork roast the next. Great leftovers. I use brown sugar and just enough honey to stick it together and pat all over the ham.

but I want it now!

Caramel Flan, Avocado and my Cuban

at your local supermarket..

Shopping List

One 12 - 14 inch fresh Italian bread, or Pan Sobao (Sweet Bread) pictured here from Miami

I had the deli clerk set the slicer to No. 2

4 long slices of Cuban Pork Roast

2 very large thin slices of ham, folded in half

5 slices of Cotto salami,with peppercorns, there is a difference.

4 slices swiss cheese, cut in half

4 Valasic dill sandwich stackers

Lots of mustard

opt.

mayo - if you like a mixture it's 1/2 cup mayo and 1/3 cup mustard

onion - 4 thin slices

tomato - 4 thin slices

No Mojo Pork available ?

Buy sliced pork and in the deli baggie put

2 Tablespoons of Goya's Marinade.

These pressed sandwiches travel really well. They can be cut

into 2 inch slices or larger.

Since their pressed they stay together well. Enjoy

Mojo Pork Roast Marinate

1 head of garlic
1 teas. cracked black pepper
1 teas. salt
1 - 2 teas. oregano (spanish)
Mash very well
Add 1 cup of diced sweet onion
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
some add a little oil
to help the juices stick to the meat.
Add add moisture.

French Toast

Cuban Sweet bread is heavenly

and makes the best french toast or bread pudding.

As of this posting can be found at the Winn Dixie in Sun City Center. Two short loaves per bag.

Ruskin Wildflowers Part 7

2010-09-02T19:30:00.005-04:00

The fragrance from these Easter Lilies filled the air
as I walked down in the ditch to take their picture.
It's mid August.

A up close view of the purple-red berries that can be found on

a Phytolacca Americana (Pokeweed) in mid August.

The heavy rains had managed to bend these lovely
bright yellow wildflowers over
but hadn't knocked off their blooms.

Tiny little dew drops of yellow cover these delicate

fern like bushes for a very short time. They are about 7 feet tall.

Here is is close up of their yellow bloom.

Chamaecrista fascienlata

These beautiful Golden Asters are beginning to bloom in September.

Our Water Primrose grows everywhere
and has reached a height of 6 - 7 feet by September.

Beautiful clumps of wildflowers off in the distance.

Here is a zoomed in view of one in a cow pasture. Really pretty.
Very lacy foliage with an upright yellow bloom.

American Beauty Berry, one of the prettiest wildflower bushes.

This is an old one way back off the road

among the grasses. Maybe 6 feet high and every bit that wide.

Lots of pines and oaks nearby.

Callicarpa Americana

The older variety of Bougainvillea were not bushy.

Like this one, they show off their blooms at the end of

5 -6 foot weeping branches.

I found another clump of yellow

and orange Canna Lilies blooming.

September is no exception, there has been

something new blooming along the roads

in Ruskin every month this year.

Ruskin Wildflowers Part 6

2010-08-28T21:02:00.004-04:00

Phasey Beans are blooming
along the roads in July and August.
The mowers had to go around these growing by a mailbox.

Macrophium Lathyroides

Even late summer shows off some old bloomers.
Cut Leaf Morning Glory - Merremia dissecta

I love these vines. They grow along the ground.

This above vine has been blooming since February.

Ruskin can grow it bigger and better.

This is a 8 foot fence

and this is a squash plant. Wow.

Wild Cannas have been blooming all summer.

Fascinating 6 foot tall lacy bushes

covered with little yellow dew drops.

They like the wet roadsides.

Chamaecrista fascienlata

The Water Primrose can be found EVERYWHERE

in late summer. These huge bushes

are always loaded with blooms.

These yellow flowers are everywhere among the grasses.

The stems are maroon,

which makes them quite striking.

Such a beautiful find along the ditch. A few blooms

had even survived the afternoon rains.

Scarlet Milkweed - Asclepias curassavica

It's the end of August and the roadside grasses

are about at their peak. This gorgeous clump

was as high as the Stop sign you see on the right.

This 6 or 7 foot Pokeweed really caught my attention.

Phytolacca Americana.

You can see in the next post,

some with their bright red berries up close.

Flowering Trees of Ruskin Part 3

2010-08-11T16:10:00.010-04:00

Beautiful shade tree with
yellow tiny flowers in bloom during August.

Still looking for a name.

Still looking

A light Yellow Mimosa by the water.

Next view is a close up.

Down by the brackish waters edge,

Yellow Mimosa - Albizia lebbeck

Fascinating tree with bark that literally peels off

and hangs by threads. It also has a smell you will never forget.

Not pleasent and really loud some 30 feet away.

Melaleuca leucadendron - Punk Tree

This tree has a bloom like a Button bush,

very large with fern like branches

I think this is an Acacia.

Melaleuca quinervia with lots of

blooms very much like a cream colored bottlebrush.

This was taken in September.

Some consider the Castor Bean a bush,

but in Ruskin, ya know, we grow'em bigger and better,

so here is a partial picture of a row of Castor Beans

along with a Yellow Water Primrose.

It is now the first week in October

and this tree is just starting to bloom.

Will do some more checking before I post a name.

Ruskin Wildflowers Part 5

2010-08-06T18:44:00.005-04:00

It's now mid July and I found these

very dainty Buchnera americanas that

keep on blooming for quite a while.

Mexican Petunia's found growing in the local swamp.

Lush 5 foot high dense pink flowers along a watery ditch.

A field of Yellow Squash in bloom at the end of June.

A very lush Virginia Creeper. The Cardinal's

love these vines:

maybe because they blend in so well.

Trailing yellow flowering vine

found covering fences in Ruskin.

Later it will have orange pods

that pop open and expose bright

red seeds. Wild Balsam Apple

Momordica charantia

Lovely Beach Morning Glories are in bloom

during July at the beach.

Blanket Flowers are in bloom

along the local beach in July.

Gaillardia pulchella

Coreopsis are still in blooming

along the roads, though not as thick.

Wildflowers At The Beach

2010-07-13T08:59:00.007-04:00

A beautiful day at a beach about 5 miles from Ruskin, Florida.

Walking down the sandy path lined with

5 foot tall Beach grasses (Poaceae)

and Sea Oats (Uniola paniculata).

The shrubs are as tall as me.

Interesting green spiny seed pods. Once open,

they hold what looks like mothballs. They are about 5 inches long.

Gray Nicker - Caesalpinia bonduc

Ipomoea - pea-caprae - Railroad Vine

When you see these vines you know what inspired the song,

The Girl From Ipomoea.

Railroad Vines send their longest Rrunners

at right angles so seed nodes are sure to get planted

in the sand after the tide goes out.

Pink and solid yellow Blanket Flowers are rare find.

Some orange, maroon and yellow tipped Blanketflowers.

A whole field of our bright yellow Beach Sunflowers.

Helianthus debilis

Little blue Dayflowers among the grasses.

One of the entrances to the water.

Rippling water along the mangroves, by the shore.

A little secluded clove.

Of course, I was not the only one

out for a stroll along the beach.

A pelican and seagull waiting for a handout.

And better than the wildflowers

is a sighting of a baby Manatee.

Peace

Orchids and Bromeliads in Bloom Part 2

2010-07-11T13:14:00.007-04:00

Entering the wonderful world of Phalaenopsis

and Bromeliads in August.

Pedals with bright purple dots

and dashes on light pink pedals.

Shadows of purple on white.

Pure white with a tiny pink spotted throat.

Quite bold, with deep purple pedals

with tiny white edging and a maroon throat.

BROMELIADS
There are three types, first is Epiphytic
that grow on other plants or trees.

Next, there are the Terrestrial
that grow in the ground, like the one below.

The orange and yellow inflorescence are awesome.

A real Red Hot Poker

This is a Bromeliad that was so pretty

with it's shades of pink
and had such a long spike or Scape
.

Bright orange center or rosette of another bromelaid.
This type likes to be watered from above
so the water can puddle in the center

A bright yellow-orange and red long

inflorescence

shooting out from this bromelaid.

What a unique patch of bromelaids
under some old Oaks.

No, my camera flash didn't wipe the color out,
this one really was white. There was only
a hint of pink in the folds.

A pineapple is the only edible bromelaid.
Ananas comosus

A fascinating Bromeliad that is almost
3 feet tall.
Bromeliads only bloom once. They produce a pup
at the base that will bloom the next season.
The pineapple is a good example.

The third type is Saxicolous
that grow in the cracks of rocks
I'm down on the ground, looking up
at a stunning purple orchid.

Hot Pink and Yellow Orange, WOW

Hanging way above my head. Pretty Pink Orchids

Pink Zebra coloring on this one.

I am still searching for some wild orchids.
Our area has the best Orchid Nursery
at Big Bend and Hwy. 41.
Check it out!

Wildflowers in Ruskin Part 4

2010-06-22T14:36:00.026-04:00

Huge Bleeding Heart sprawled out over an old deserted porch.

Clerodendrum thomsoniae

Very delicate pink Meadow Beauty

wildflowers among the grasses in June.

A tiny walking Stick actually was watching me take this picture.

He is on the right side, half way down.

These little bushes have tiny white flowers

on the end and bright orange stems at the center
Rust Weed - Poypremum procumbens

I love these little Pink Rain Lilies.

I have been watching the Blue Plumbago's

and here is a beautiful row along the highway.

I love taking pictures of the current blooming wildflowers
around Ruskin, but I really don/t seem to find
anymore newcomers. So, I'm

off to the nurseries again to see whats blooming now.

The Caladiums are stunning. I love all the varieties

And I do see them growing wild along the shady ditches.

And so are the yellow Tiger Eyes - Rudbeckia

Light Blue Persian Violets

with bright yellow centers - Exacum Affine

These huge lilies keep blooming all spring.

Here it is the middle of July in the parking lots,

and some still have some buds left to open.

Oh, a perfect Pink Echinacea bloom.

A field of Phasey Bean, (along the road)

Macroptilium Lathyroides,

a little like tiny Sweet Peas.

I'll include lovely Peace Lilies again,

because I still see them blooming in yards.

Off in search of some newcomers this season.

Wildflowers in Ruskin Part 3

2010-06-15T07:28:00.017-04:00

Gaillardia pulchellas and Black Eyed Susans

on the way from 301 to Hwy 17 going to and from Starke

May and June

Shades of Pink Phlox

Phlox drummondii

A bed of yellow Stargazer Easter Lillies along the road

Bright orange Butterfly Weed in the sand
Asclepia tuberosa

More fields of Pink Blanket Flowers and Black Eyed Susan's.

The prettiest Pink Daylilies just blooming along the road.

Neat little bundles of these yellow wildflowers
in the ditches. Goldenaster Family

Florida's native wild Rain Lily that is almost extinct.
Found them in an old yard where they are allowed to
bloom before being mowed in June.

Zephyranthes candida - Amaryllis Family

Would you look how many lilies sprouted overnight.
I couldn't believe it. It is June,
and the afternoon rains have started.

I think the above is a Strangler Tree..
Yellow Butterweed along a dry sandy roadside.
About 3 foot stalks and spread out about 5 feet wide.
Packera glabella

Water Hyacinths with deep lilac blooms
about 14 inches high and 6 inches wide. Lovely

Eichhornia crassipes

See ya later...

Flowering Trees Part 2

2010-06-14T06:44:00.046-04:00

Beautiful Poinciana Tree.

Just had to post another, one more time on July 1st.

A Yellow Poinciana Tree is the current tree

to start blooming in Ruskin. They are simply breathtaking.

This one is about 40 feet high and 40 feet wide.

Mid June

Next is a beautifully trimmed deep Marron Crepe Murtle.

Here is a beautiful closeup of the blooms.

Ok, I found another Yellow Poinciana.

This is a close-up of the bloom.

Each stalk is about 18 inches long.

Pellophorum dubium

The Pink Mimosa's are beautiful this time of year.

Albizia julibrissin

The Loblolly Bay is in bloom in June also.

A beautiful tree with white Camellia like blooms

so thick you can't count them all.

This one is at least 50 ft tall.

Fascinating - a whole tree covered with these tendrils

during May and June. This tree is outside Ruskin,

but I was so unusual.

Popcorn Tree

A tree with it's fresh green pods that will

eventually turn light brown.

Maybe a Poinciana Variety

Crepe Myrtles can be found all over town in whites, pinks and

last to bloom in June, the deep pinkish red..

Lagerstroemia indica

Hope you are enjoying the view as much as I have. Love.

Pretty pink soft bristle blooms cover this low growing tree.

Calliandra haematocephala

I have been watching this tree and all it's cluster of buds

to see what would unfold. Well worth the time.

Pitch Apple - Clusia rosea

These pinkish tinged pear like fruit hang from 2 foot rope stems.

Fascinating. Mangifera indica - Mango

I found this beauty loaded with fruit at the end of June.

About 40 feet high and 20 feet across.

A fascinatingl bloom on one of many palms in Ruskin.

The perfect Carnary Island Palm Tree.

Phoenix canariensis

Still wandering about with camera in hand....

Wildflowers in Ruskin Part 2

2010-05-24T15:59:00.020-04:00

An awesome Spanish Bayonet (Yucca) in full bloom.

The Milkwort grow in mass under the old pine trees in May.
They stand about 14'' high with flowers 2 1/2 in. wide.
Yellow Milkwort - Polygala

I found these growing among the cattails,

and sometimes just as thick.

Duck Potato - Sagittaria graminea

I seem to always find these Pluchea Rosea

in the shade at the end of May.

SaltMarsh Fleabane

Graceful Iponema climbing up the trees.

I can't believe I found a bright red wildflower.

This Tasselflower is about 24 inches high on a slender stalk.

Emilia fosbergii

Pretty looking yellow flower about 2 1/2 inches across.

Argemone mexicana - Mexican Poppy

Very dainty Doll's Daisy growing among some

equally tiny fern along the ditch.

The daisy is about 1 inch in diameter or less.

Boltronia Diffusa

This bush with it's white blooms was

tucked way down in the stream among the lilies.

It stretched along about 3 feet.

This is as far as this girl steps into the swamp.

Florida Wildflowers Part 1

2010-05-15T19:28:00.039-04:00

Known as the Land of Flowers.

Our State Wildflower is Coreopsis

(pictured below)

Found this Coral Vine rambling up the Australian Pines

with it's dark pink flowers.

Antigonon leptopus

A green Oxalis Sorrel with it's yellow daisy all around the library.

Tiny ground cover found in lawns.

Mexican Clover - Richardia brasiliensis

Another Oxalis with lilac buttercup type bloom.

This is another ground cover I found growing in mass

along the road. The leaves hug the ground

with yellow blooms standing about 4 inches high.

Cowpeas

Beautiful Purple Oxalis.

This little yellow daisy is about 4 inches high
along the roads at the end of May.

Such tiny delightful tiny flowers along the ditches.
Meadow Beauty

A snowy white dainty bloom

that rises from the ground as it forms a stalk.

Tromping around the Common Cattails on the first of May

to take these wildflower pictures.

Some white lily like stalks

emerging from the same muddy ditch.

Duck Potato - Sagittaris lancifolia

Pontederia lanceolata

Multiple blue stalks rise from the muddy ditch.

Delightful little snow white dangling balls with soft feelers.

Butterflies love this plant!

Cephalanthus Occidentalis - Common Buttonbush

These are the tiniest little purple flowers

that butterflies love..

Fogfruit - Lippia panodifolia

Bright yellow globe shaped flowers

Wild Bachelor Buttons in June under the Pines.

A miniature field of tiny flowers and ferns.

Blue Daisy - Sesuvium Portulacstrum

Fern - Mock Bishop's Weed - Ptitimnium capillaceum

Saururus Cernuus

Looked like little dancing cotton stalks all along the marsh.

Lizards Tail

Truly a white fairy like blooming fern

all along the water filled ditches.

Mock Bishop weed in bloom.

Mounds of 14" high white daisies

with yellow centers all along the roads.

Bedens Spanish Needle

This Pointsetta Cyathophora it's ready for Christmas in May.

It stands about 14" high. The white daisy is often found alongside.

(Star Rush- Rhynchospora colorata)

This Yellow Purslane is so low

to the ground, that the mowers went right over it

in the bottom of the ditch. Portulaca

See ya among the cattails,

and with more names as I find them.

Gardens Galore

2010-05-08T15:55:00.006-04:00

Every garden tour should start with a

lovely pink Rose.

This is the 2010 National Floral Emblem

"Easy Does It"

Picture from the AARS

Wide eyed Cosmos

Azaleas are coming, can't wait.

Allyssum can be seen planted in mass. This Violet mix is so dainty.

Old Faithful - Bright Orange Marigolds.

Bright yellow tipped white Gazania daisies.

And some plants have no need of flowers, cause they just are perfect.

A huge red Hibiscus bloom.

rosa-sinensis

A sprawling Fire Red Firecracker Fern, in mid May.

This red Begonia was as tall as i am.

The stems were an inch and a half thick

and had huge hanging clusters of blooms.

An old Purple Wisteria climbing on a fence in May.

Be back with more...

Flowering Trees of Ruskin Part 1

2010-05-07T21:58:00.048-04:00

February Trees in bloom
A truly outstanding Yellow Tabeluia

a few miles from Ruskin. An example
of what the smaller trees here will

look like in a few years.

Below is the Queen of them all a Pink Tabeluia.

I am still looking for the lovely

old tree pictured below with tiny pink flowers

One more beautiful tree covered with pink blossoms.

Beautiful Elderberry snow capped branches galore in April.

Bright gold blooms in Early April. Which becomes

a beautiful green shade tree by May.

Very bright yellow foliage

that didn't last long in April on this small tree.

Yellow Tabebuia

I actually found a Magnolia bloom

low enough for me to snap a picture. This is a very fragrant tree.

This is the bloom of a smaller variety of Magnolia's. Very fragrant,

blooming in July.

The King of them all, The Blue Dragon (Palonia Tomentosa)

A 1st of May close-up with the fallen pedals

forming a blue lake beneath the tree.

The bloom of a Bauhinia Purpura (Orchid) Tree in Mid April.

Beautiful Red Bottlebrush trees

can be seen everywhere in April and May

A Weeping Bottlebrush (below), before it blooms.

Then it is covered with red bristles

on the end of each branch in April.

Huge old Oak with it's golden tendrils
that start to form in March.

Golden Oaks in April. We know it

as the yellow "dust" that settles all over everything

when the wind blows.

One very old Purple Orchid tree in Late April.

This Oleander was covered in pink blooms in May.

This is a mighty big Oleander, and there is a pink one

on the other side just as big. To the right side
you are looking at the roof.

Fluffy white cotton balls

and dark brown leathery seed pods adorn this

Mimosa Tree in May.

Bright orange-gold spikes all over these Silk Trees, in May,

originally brought in from Australia.

Grevillea rubusta

As you can see, these are very tall trees,

I found this one with a low hanging branch.

It is now mid May and this tree still has

it's bright yellow blooms. Sestania

Beautiful yellow tendrils grace this old tree

that you see in the photo above.

Jerusalem Thorn

Neat and trim tree with pretty dark pink blooms.

Sesbania punicea Red Wisteria

A full view of this Red Wisteria tree.

This is a Blue Jacaranda Tree. One of the most beautiful trees in Ruskin.

This is a very unusual tree, very waxy foliage

that just happened to be covered with Love Bugs.

More to come...