Week of January 30, 2022

The Florida Garden has had a warm winter so far, allowing a number of flowers to brighten it up. The Camellias will continue to bloom for many weeks, with mid season varieties now dominant, soon to be replaced by the late bloomers. A number of fruit trees are in blossom, including avocado, peach, plum, and several citrus varieties, with the Chickasaw plum being the most notable. This is not good as the early blossoms or pollinated buds will not survive a moderate freeze in the 25 F range. The Matchstick bromeliad now starts blooming. A couple of frost tender plants provide nectar for the pollinators, including the Pentas, lantanas, and Firebush. All these blooms live on borrowed time as the frosty nights will likely visit several times before the real spring arrives.