Plumerias are about to bloom for the first time! Also, picked up a Hawaiian Papaya at Baker's today, got a nice hot spot for it. Also, they got in some banana, finally, Cavendish, Goldfinger and Ice Cream, will have to go back for that.

White ginger is growing, red and blue ginger are planted, Edulis Passionfruit is sprouting.

Grant, that stapelia is awesome. I visited turtleman the other day and he showed me the stapelia he's been growing for a few years from one tiny cutting you gave him. Impressive!

Hi Grant,

Love that starfishy stink-flower! That's awesome! I actually just started a gardening blog that has a few of my 'survivors' posted in pix. It was really a rough summer, and due to my traveling for work, I didn't have a lot of time to pamper and fuss. But now that the fall is here, I feel re-energized and ready to start anew.

PS. Have you heard of the pilosocereus azureus cactus? It's a fantastic shade of pale blue...have you tried growing one and had some success? I saw one today at the nursery and it really knocked my socks off...and I'm not generally a cactus lover!

Here is a link that might be useful: Xica's Summer Brutality Garden Survivors

Fun updates! Congrats on all of your goodies, euqruob. Keep us posted. My 'Divine' dwarf plumeria has had a wonderful summer--it's had at least one open bloom every single day since May 15th. What's not to love??

I'm glad to hear from other stinky lovers too, LOL. I just can't get enough of those Stapelias and their relatives. Neat that you saw Turtle's plants from those old cuttings, Mary, that's cool.

Nice little blog there, Xica, thanks for sharing it. I'll definitely add it to my list of blogs to watch. Great to have another AZ gardener blogging!

I tried P. azureus in the past, but they got zorched during a cold snap, poor babies. Since then I've been growing another blue-skinned cactus Azureocereus hertlingianus with great success. Below is a pic of mine as of this morning, LOL. I've been growing it in the ground for four years and it's done great. It was six inches tall when I purchased it four years ago--Wilson the tennis ball included in the pic to show size.

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Let us know if you give P. azureus a try and how it does for you. :)

Here are two other plants looking good this month, Zauschneria californica (hummingbird bush, or California fuchsia) which blooms non stop spring through very late autumn (and self-sows nicely too), plus a 'Krakatoa' rain lily in bloom this week.

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Other pics at my photo album link below. This is a long month, so hopefully some of our other gardening friends will chime in with pics and updates!

Happy gardening all,
Grant

ps: Any gardening fanatics who want to connect via Facebook don't be shy--just look me up and let's chat gardening (Grant Meyer in Scottsdale AZ) . Almost everything I post there is plant/garden related, or occasional SW road trips.

Here is a link that might be useful: My October 2011 garden photos

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From the pond this morning.

LOVE the water lily, euqruob! That color combination is very appetizing. I had a small water feature at my last garden here in Scottsdale and really should be doing one here as well. You're giving me a c-r-a-v-i-n-g! Thanks for the eye candy!

Take care,
Grant

Here is just one of several "surprise lilies" or "spider lilies", genus Lycoris, blooming in the garden this week. I love these because they bloom right now, then make leaves for winter, and then disappear for summer so no need to really water them when it's Blast Furnace Season.

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Keep the updates coming, all,
Grant

The Plumeria bloomed for the first time:

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LOVE the plumeria!! How is the scent??

I have half a dozen in the ground in my little garden--my best flowerer is 'Kimo' which is a neat, branching dwarf variety, but unfortunately it is totally without scent, boo, LOL.

Love yours!
Take care,
Grant

Ugh, that was supposed to say 'Divine' not 'Kimo'. Kimo doesn't have much scent either, LOL, but it's not dwarf the way 'Divine' is.

See what happens when I reply without verifying names by checking out a plant label or pic? LOL.

Keep the fun updates coming. October is a good month in the garden!

Take care,
Grant

Here is a link that might be useful: Pics from my small garden, October 2011

Very fruity scent, and long lasting. Too bad the manure in the yard overpowers it a bit....

Okay, it's the last day of the month so I thought I'd toss in just two more plants. Euqruob, your plumeria is really stunning, and I'm glad to hear the scent is nice and long lasting.

An unlabeled Echinopsis which blooms off and on for me spring through late autumn.

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My variegated-leaf (nice white stripes) Hippeastrum reticulatum.

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Happy gardening all,
Grant

I have a succulent bowl that I put together this spring that has some pretty flowers.

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And some brick-red chrysanthemums in my rock garden that look nice
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And my adenium, which I "adopted" last year, is really thriving. Check the before and after pics:
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And my poor sago, which got frozen last winter and lost EVERY single frond, has recovered nicely over the summer! I was so relieved!
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Awesome updates, piranha! Your plants look great! I love your succulent containers and you're right, your sago and yoru adenium have made a ton of growth. It's good to know the sago bounced back from losing all its leaves. Good information!