On My Walk This Morning 4b

My neighborhood, Palm Aire, continues to plant new flowers and trees in front of the

buildings and along the Ste Genevieve Canal.  These are "Brunfelsia / Yesterday, Today, and 

Tomorrow" Flowers.  They are usually planted as individual small decorative trees.

But here the city has planted two large beds of Brunfelsia around clumps of three

new palm trees.  When the flowers first open, they are a deep bluish purple.  In a few days

they fade to a light lavender, and then in a few more days they fade to pure white.

"Brunfelsia / Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow" Plants

The landscapers here tried something new this year.  They planted two large beds of

white and pink begonias.  "White Angel Wing Begonias" have been around for a long

time, but the "Pink Dragon Wing Begonias" are a totally new flower.  The

combination makes a beautiful entry into this condo bulding.

"White Angel Wing Begonias."  These grow as bushes which reach 3-4 feet

in height.  They take pruning, and some have lasted around other buildings for more

than a year. I will check and see how these do.

These are the wonderful new "Pink Dragon Wing Begonias."  They are as tall as the white.

We have always had small pink Wax Begonias, but never like this.

In front of this same building, someone since last September has tied an orchid plant

to each of the ten or so palm trees.  The plants have looked mangy and as if they

were almost dead, but in the last couple of weeks, most of them have sent out stems

loaded with buds, and today, there were five of them in some stage of bloom.  This

one, "Snowflake White Phalaenopsis Orchid," is the most mature one right now.

"Asparagus Densiflorus Fern."  They make a nice border and last for years.

The "Crimson Red Amaryllis" is the last of the amaryllises growing.

The "Resurrection Fern" is an Epiphyte; it grows on another plant, usually a tree, without

causing any harm.  This fern has the greatest drought resistance of any plant.  It can lose

up to 95% of its water, and it will still revive and thrive after a rain.  These fronds are

quite small; when fully grown, they will be about 12-15 inches long.

One of the three "Yellow Bell" Decorative trees.  They were planted last summer, and

this one is now showing its sixth set of flowers.  The tree will be completely covered

with yellow flowers which last a couple of weeks, and then drop the flowers.  It will

be a green tree for a few weeks.  And then it will produce another huge crop of

yellow flowers.  It is a wonderful little tree.

"Pink Floss Silk Tree."  I have shown you the earlier "Purple Floss Silk Tree."  Notice all

the little spines or thorns growing from the lower trunk.  The flowers look like orchids.

This tree is about 100 yards from the other one.  There are three more around, but they

have not bloomed yet.

"Pink Floss Silk Flowers" on tree.

"Broad Leaf Lady Palm"  One of the condos has a bunch of these on either side of

the entrance.  They look very nice, hardier than the usual decoratve palm.

"Purple Periwinkle / Vinca."  There used to be a large bed of these flowers

growing here, but they got long and straggly and the landscapers ripped them all out.

Except that some piece of root must have survived underground and grew back as

this lovely single plant.  They are very hardy and colorful flowers.

"Blood Red Ixora" Bush.  I think I like this deep red color the best of the ixoras.

The lady in the next building who buys orchids and hangs them on hooks on the wall

outside her door has bought a couple of new plants.  They are doing well.

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