Greetings!
Fall foliage colors make an appearance when the length of night becomes longer than the length of day. The decreasing day length causes the green chlorophyll to wane and allows the ever present gold and yellow background colors to appear. Warm days and crisp fall nights create the rose, scarlet and purple shades. Nights will have to drop at least another 5+ degrees to get these deeper colors. Some trees will drop their leaves before temperatures get cool enough. Trees like Shumard Oak, Burgundy Liquidamber and most cultivars of Callery Pear hold their foliage well into winter which enables them to develop their rich colors.
Unfortunately, I can only recall one year when Japanese Maples reached their fall potential. That particular year temperatures dropped into the 40's in late September. Our specimen Oshio Beni Japanese Maple and Dissectum Japanese Maple both turned brilliant scarlet. In November we reluctantly sold both to a good friend while they were still in full glory.
Citrus fruit is beginning its color change. Cool fall and winter temperatures make our citrus fruit very colorful. In the Tropics, citrus fruit turn greenish yellow or greenish orange. Just remember that rind color has nothing to do with sweetness. Satsuma mandarins are already edible when the rind shows just a bit of color. Valencia oranges, on the other end, will look ripe by early winter but remain too tart to eat until mid-spring. Our cool fall and winter temperatures also increases the acidity causing our citrus fruit to be richer in flavor. Florida growers usually have to de-green their oranges to make them more appealing when selling the fruit to markets.
I know many of you are getting anxious to order the seedling onions for the 2012 growing season. I just got off the phone to our sales rep and was told I would be receiving my wholesale price list in the mail within a week. I should have ordering information for you within 2 weeks. For those of you who have yet to grow some there are 2 sure bets. The variety 'Candy' readily makes sweet yellow onions about 6" in diameter. The variety 'Red Candy Apple' is the most beautiful bulb you'll ever grow. For best results onion seedlings are planted within a few weeks of the first day of winter.
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AVAILABLE AT THE GREAT PARK FARMER'S MARKET
Some of our favorite indoor plants 
Snowflake Ming Aralia Polyscias fruiticosa 4"pot $4 This beauty has been labeled "difficult". Like many fussy plants it is actually quite normal when grown in our TROPICAL POTTING SOIL.
Prince of Orange Philodendron 4"pot $4 This plant can add color to a low light area of your home where no flowering plant has a chance to bloom. We also have the cultivar Lemon Lime which adds a lime glow to a low lit area.
We also have some Variegated Ficus benjamina (4"pot $4), Croton (4"pot $4) and some common and unusual varieties of Sanseveria (4"pot $5, 6"pot $10).
Hanging plants for bright windows or outdoor shade 
String of Hearts Ceropegia 6"pot $12 We just have a few of this new variegated version of Ceropegia linearis.
Hoya Hindu Rope 4"pot $5, 6"pot $25 This tropical vining plant is native to southeast Asia. Hindu Rope (a.k.a. Krinkle Kurl) is a variety with fantastically compact, crinkled foliage. Mature specimens produce clusters of small, light pink flowers that look and feel like soft plastic. Other varieties of Hoya vine are also available.
 Goldfish Plant Nematanthus 4"pot $4 This charming plant can bloom all year with small goldfish-shaped flowers. The lush, glossy dark green foliage will hang down at least 20". Best in bright indoor light or part sun outdoors. This native of tropical South America doesn't seem to mind wet or somewhat dry conditions.
Patio plants
Jamaican Poinsettia Euphorbia punicea 6"pot $10 This relative of the common Poinsettia is less tolerant of cold (OK to low 30's) but blooms spring-summer over a long period. Under ideal conditions it can reach well over 6' tall and wide and make a small tree. Best in sun to part sun Jamaican Poinsettia is tolerant of low water but prefers ample. Probably should be grown in a pot so you can bring it inside on the coldest nights.
Cardboard Palm Zamia furfuracea 4"pot $7 This is my favorite Cycad. It is relatively small with cartoonish, reindeer antler-like, fuzzy, olive green leaves. It can be grown in sun or shade, the leaves being compact in full sun and nearly vine-like in deep shade. We just have a few Cardboard Palms, along with a different species of Zamia.
Banana Shrub Michelia figo is still available. If you want to grow Bay Leaf Laurus nobilis, we have a few 1-gallon plants available.
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