Sunday, February 15, 2009

Bloom Day in the Sunshine State


This morning was our last here in Florida, after spending a week visiting with my aunt and uncle at their beautiful condo. Jenna and I took one last short walk through their development, soaking in the warmth of the sun, wishing we could take it home with us.

Romie had told me that on the south side of our house, the tulips were starting to emerge from the ground, but we both remembered they had done that last year, too. We have nothing blooming outside in the middle of February in Ohio, even though the snow all melted during our unseasonably warm weather this past week.


So my Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day post is brought to you from beautiful Bradenton, Florida, with a few of what my Aunt Kay has in bloom at her place:



Desert Rose (Adenium obesum)


Wax Begonia (Begonia semperflorens)


Tropical Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)


Now here I sit, nearly 1000 miles from where I woke up this morning, through the wonder of aviation. It's 45 degrees colder here, but it's warm inside. While Jenna and I had a nice time at my aunt and uncle's, there's no place like home.


26 comments:

Nancy said...

No matter what, home is best.

Spring will get there, it's coming!

Kerri said...

Glad you got home safely, Kylee.
My oh my, that Desert Rose is glorious, isn't it?
And the Hibiscus....scrumptious!
The Wax Begonias remind me of my mum. She always grew them in her Australian garden.
We'll have beautiful blooms outside again one of these days!

Katie said...

I have always wanted a desert rose. Thanks for sharing the pictures!

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

Those are so pretty! It's always fun to see what is blooming this time of year in other parts of the world. I agree it does feel good to be back in the comfort of your own home after a trip.

Gardeness said...

Sure beats the snowdrops I spotted while we were away from home this weekend. Stay warm!

TYRA Hallsénius Lindhe said...

Good morning Kylee, it is so delightful to visit the sunshine state and to view all your beautiful blooms, thank you for sharing/ Tyra (snow and freezing cold here)

VP said...

Ahhhhhhh - I feel like I've been on holiday too after seeing those tropical blooms!

flydragon said...

Hi Kylee,
Glad you're back home. I've enjoyed all your post while you were basking in the sun. Loved all your photos from your Edison post, too.

Lisa at Greenbow said...

It is good to hear you got home safe and sound Kylee. I know you enjoyed your visit. How could you not when you had all of these lovely blooms greeting you every day and all that sunshine and warmth. Happy GBBD.

Rose said...

As much fun as it is to travel, especially to some place warm in the dead of winter, it's always good to get back home. Beautiful flowers! In a few months we Midwesterners can show off our own:)

Glad you had a good time in Florida; those bouganvillea are just gorgeous, aren't they? I noticed them, too, in Arizona when I visited my daughter in December.

Sweet Home and Garden Carolina said...

Sigh. I was there last year and can still feel that wonderful Florida sunshine in February.

The Florida flora is so amazing isn't it ? Of course all you have to do is spit on something and it'll grow :-)

Now your winter will seem a lot shorter, Kylee.

Anonymous said...

All the photos you shared with us this past week were beautiful, and I was struck by how much colour there is in Florida. Makes sense, I guess, given the climate. :) These beautiful blooms are no exception. Welcome home.

Nutty Gnome said...

Welcome back Kylee! Glad you had a good time in Florida - and were thoughtful enough to share your trip with us. Thank you for all the glorious photos and beautiful blooms you've posted. I've almost felt the warmth of the Florida sunshine from over here in the UK ( which is back to damp and grey after all our fantastic snow!)

Gail said...

Kylee, Beautiful blooms...there is nothing like the smell of Florida! Nothing like the warmth of the sun!....There is nothing like home.

gail
clay and limestone

Aunt Debbi/kurts mom said...

Well that's just not fair, GBBD in Florida. I am terribly jealous:) Love the desert rose

Rob (ourfrenchgarden) said...

I need to be in Florida now!

Beautiful blooms

Rob

Jan said...

I'm glad to hear you had a nice trip and are home safely, Kylee! Your trip sounded like so much fun! Your aunt certainly has some lovely blooms in her yard. Florida does allow for some fairly 'exotic' plants, at least to us 'northerners'. (And, I am a northerner--PA,ME, and OH were all my homes growing up). Keep looking at your photos...don't let the blah Feb. weather get to you...it's almost spring!

Anonymous said...

Nice photos, esp. the Desert Rose. I bet it is good to be home even though the temperature is a little colder.

Jan
Always Growing

Carol Michel said...

Pretty blooms. Did you sneak any back with you?

Carol, May Dreams Gardens

Cathy S. said...

Such pretty flowers!

Corner Gardener Sue said...

Lovely pics from Florida! I'm glad you got to go. It sounds like you had a great time.

Welcome home,

Sue

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

I just got back from Florida too. It was wonderful to see and touch actual flowers outside. Don't you just love those Hibiscus?

EAL said...

I bet you have plenty of flowers blooming indoors at your house!

Unknown said...

Great blooms your Aunt has. Glad you enjoyed your visit to our Sunshine State!!

Meems said...

Kylee,
So glad you made it home safely. It's too bad our sunshine can't be bottled up and tucked in the luggage. This week has been so wonderfully perfect for gardening. The blooms are pretty you managed to capture.
Hugs,
Meems

Ginger said...

Good morning Kylee, thank you for the beautiful Florida flower photos! They are stunning! We are headed to Hawaii in 2 weeks and I am looking forward to the beauty of the plants there. I especially enjoyed your short history lesson about the wind. I have passed your site on to a couple other people. Take care! Enjoy the beauty of the art work we are given so freely each day. I always do. :-) Peace, Ginger

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