Not a master gardener

Despite the years I've spent gardening, I am not an expert.  Much of my gardening is based on experiments because I like a particular plant and want to see if I can grow it (like the pin oak tree at right).  Thus, my gardens are always changing as some experiments fail.  But that's okay with me.  Sometimes, Nature affords me the opportunity to change plants.  Case in point is the hard freeze we had in Florida over the winter, not once, but twice.  A few of my plants had weathered such cold in previous winters but not the extremes and duration this year.  I lost several dwarf ixoras and crotons.  The loss of the crotons, however, enabled me to change the look of the garden by adding camellias, another spreading rose bush, a dwarf powder puff and several "snow on the mountain" bushes.  So far they are looking good, even blooming, so I have high hopes. 

I've documented many of the plants around the house in photos I am putting in a set named April 2010 on Flickr .  Take a look if you want.