Heliconia, Passionflower and Gloriosa Lily Blooming!

This is one of those hodge podge posts in which I share everything going on in the garden as of today.  I think that posts in the form of articles are great and all, but sometimes its important to keep a record of events to show progress on a everyday basis.  Maybe I should do what "Plants are the Strangest People" does and have "Random Plant Event" posts to differentiate between Mr. Subjunctives great articles and his journal entries.  Oh well.  Besides, I consider you guys my best of friends and can't wait to share my excitement with people who "get it"!  Thank you all for being so supportive.  Without further ado I present to you... My "Jungle Journal!"

Heliconia "Costa Flores" Starts to Bloom

This is just the bud of the inflorescence, but it won't be long until I see the red and orange bracts attracting hummingbirds!  I thought it was amazing enough that my heliconia made it through the coldest temperatures this zone has to offer, but to find confirmation that it can bloom just five months after being frozen down to the ground is more excitement than I can take.  Some of the stalks are almost up to my nose, and its increased its spread two times since I bought it in winter!  And to think that people even further south are reluctant to plant them.
I will say that it did get some protection in the form of a tarp this winter, so I would still advise anyone to protect them where they even get close to freezing.  This coming winter I'll probably divide it, putting half in a container and leaving the other half very well mulched so that I'll be able to see which protection method is more effective.
"Costa Flores" is a cultivar of Heliconia Hirsuta and has a zingiberoid leaf pattern, meaning that it looks more like a ginger than a say, canna or banana in its form.

Passiflora Alatocaerulea is Blooming!

My passion vine has been especially prolific this year, and already has about five branches filled with blooms, each opening in succession by the day.  The downside of this hybrid is that it doesn't produce fruit, but I'll let it slide on account of those insane flowers with a perfume like lemon pledge.

Gloriosa Lily is Blooming Too!

I finally ended up planting some gloriosa lily tubers this year, and am finally being rewarded with blooms!  Its branching out and rambling over the hollies and azaleas, and seems to have taken off since I gave it some fertilizer and minerals.  My parents have pointed out that formally pruned shrubs by the front door was an odd place to put them, but I rather like the effect.  In any case, next spring I'll plant them at the base of our confederate jasmine trellis for summer interest.  After they die back, I'll have sweet peas planted to take their place in winter, and the evergreen confederate jasmine will continue the show in spring!
There's an azalea hedge in our neighborhood that gets covered with gloriosa by fall, looking for all the world like shower of flaming comets falling to the earth.  Imagine seeing a show like that against a dark green backdrop!

Bottlebrush Has Hit its Stride

I planted this callistemon citrinus last spring, and though it has had sporadic blooms now and then, its never had more than 3 flowers at once.  Now its blooming at full throttle and the place has been busy with hummingbirds and many different kinds of bees and butterflies.
The tree is already starting to give the front window some privacy, and it won't be long before it provides the courtyard with some much appreciated shade!

In Other News...

-  The Musa Velutina seedlings are still doing great despite the drought
-  My dragonfruit seedlings are starting to branch out at the base!  I'll be dividing these soon, one to a pot so that I can train them up in a tree structure for better fruiting.
-  I've identified one of my mystery seedlings as a cassia bicapsularis now that its gotten bigger... now I remember collecting those seeds.

 -  The ice cream banana is doing well and putting out leaves in rapid succession. 
-  Oh yeah!  The sea bean vine (entada gigas) has gotten much bigger and has pinnate leaves now.  Its rambled through a weeping yaupon holly and reached the top.
-  So that's it for my random ramblings.  Take it away, Gilly!

Sorry.