Trying something new in my container garden is always a pleasure, though of course a bit of an experiment, especially regarding our climate here on a mountaintop in Northern Israel, where we can grow some tropical and sub-tropical plants, but one can't always be sure which plants will survive the summer heat and the frosts of winter! Nonetheless, I just couldn't resist this gorgeous little plant, which was about the price of a nice bouquet of flowers, but has already given me pleasure for several weeks.
Using google and few descriptive words I was able to identify this plant as Ixora, a native of Malaysia, where it blooms year round as a bush. Oh how I'd love a bush! While I found various info on the internet regarding care for my new little friend, the woman at the nursery told me "shade" and while the internet and a gardener friend told me "partial shade", a few hours in the sun and I almost lost the flowers, yikes! So shade it will be for now or until next year when this Ixora is hopefully just a bit bigger, and by that time he will most surely have moved out of his temporary home in an enamel cooking pot!
So don't be afraid to experiment with some plants that catch your eye, the baby steps, and the trial and error are also part of the joy of becoming an accomplished container gardener!
