Tribouchina 'Ecuador Princess' Bush in Zone 9B

I just planted one of my new favorite tropical perennial additions to our garden. I do live in a townhome, so we have limited space for things, but I have essentially "adopted" more of the common area from how much planting I do!

This is the Tribouchina shrub 'Ecuador Princess', which offers beautiful tropical purple blooms that flower in the spring and fall. It is said to be easy to care for and quick to establish, which is exactly what I was looking for!

• USDA Hardiness Zone: 9, 10, 11

As you can see, it is still a young plant. It is said to like moist, fertile & well-draining soil and I have amended our soil to be exceptionally well draining due to our naturally clay soil that is commonly found in our area. Below is a photo that I did not take, but I found it online to show an example of how this plant should grow. 

I will post updates on how she grows!

Living in Florida, I love blending the Fox Farm Ocean Forest Potting Soil with some kind of gritty mix, like Bonsai Jack Succulent and Cactus Soil 'Jacks Gritty Mix' on Amazon.

When you live in an area like I do that gets so much rain and already has a lot of humidity in the air alone, all of these factors contribute to heavy clay soil. Amending the clay soil with things like compost can help loosen and break up the soil. Any time I am planting things, I tend to look for a nice organic cactus mix such as Espoma Cactus Mix, which is also available on Amazon. I use this even when planting flowers. 

A plant blend you probably never thought you'd see. That is a well-established Phenomenal Lavender, that loves the dry heat, next to two varieties of Crotons, a Mammy Croton (top) and a Petra Croton (bottom), which of course love moisture. I am not sure why this lavender has not bloomed yet (in almost two years!), but it does not seem to be affected by the rain or run-off watering from our hose when the surrounding plants and grass.

This is a photo of some 'Picasso in Pink' Supertunia. As you can see, some flowers are a little scorched from the sun, as any little inconsistency with watering here in the hot, humid Florida can cause. This is more of an issue with my watering/fertilizing and not the variety. I love this Supertunia! 

I am currently waiting on some Supertunia 'Bubblegum' to arrive, and I will let you all see the planting process!

That is all for today! I hope everyone has an amazing day and a good night's rest!