Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia)

Mexican Sunflower
(Tithonia diversifolia)

This is a Mexican Sunflower I was not familiar with. It was not to be ignored as it grew to about 25 feet tall and was covered with hundreds of blooms. The foliage was nicely patterned and a good color.

I made it down to West Palm Beach and have been doing a bit of garden hopping. Internet cafes are not very popular around here and I finally found a place where I could update my blog. I actually miss updating this site. As much as a pain it can be, sometimes I have really begun to enjoy my time I spend here. I guess it is a bit of an escape for me.

The weather hasn’t been typical Florida, not the postcard type anyway. There is actually a freeze warning for interior Palm Beach County tonight. It still is better than the reports from home; I didn’t mind missing that messy storm that hit Connecticut the other day. So this isn’t t-shirt weather, but it isn’t jacket weather either.

I visited the Mounts Botanical Garden, which is a nice collection with some good design elements. The price was right for this garden; free. I also, on the advice of a regular reader, visited The Japanese Garden in Delray Beach. It is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon. It has all the aspects that I know about Japanese Gardening and then some. The restaurant is also a good place to grab some authentic Japanese cuisine, probably one of the nicer garden cafes that I have been too. This garden has the added benefit of being directly next door to the headquarters of the American Orchid Society. I saw some plants in there that I hadn’t seen before including some wonderful exotic orchids. It was really, really windy during my visit, but I managed to get a few pictures. For plants, I would have to rate this place a 10.



I have been enjoying my new lens. It seems to be a good all-purpose type. I really like the macro function and the ability to get a wide-angle shot without having to change. This was the first exposure I took with the Sigma. There are 3 rose bushes at the house I rented. I think this one maybe ‘Peace’.