Putting The Veggie Garden To Bed~~~

It was time to say good bye to the spring veggie garden.

Production was close to nil.

I harvested the last of the eggplant(five total were worth harvesting),peppers(red and green bell,and one last banana pepper),

and a few straggling Galinas tomatoes.

…yep,Eggplant Parmesan was for dinner…

 

Two basil plants and two parsley plants were dug up and moved to shadier locations,amongst the flower beds.

And,up came the rest.Chopped up and returned to the compost bin,to see service next spring.

Because the three new raised beds were put in,in a rush,they were never filled properly(though they performed exceptionally well),or leveled properly.So,first on the agenda was to level them,and then,fill them properly.

The two original raised beds needed some amending,also.They got mushroom compost and manure.All of the beds got a dose of blood meal and bone meal.After a good soaking,they were covered with clear plastic.To cook in the sun…

…for thirty  days,which should take me to Labor Day weekend.A perfect time to plant the fall veggies,I think.

Seeds have been started in pots.For tomatoes,I ordered an heirloom seed collection…

For some reason,I’ve found that I have the best luck with heirloom tomatoes,which is why I ordered these.I don’t know if it was a mistake on their part,or not,but also included in the order,I received,was Virginia Sweets.For now,I planted the Stupice,Anna Russian,Mexico,and Cherokee Purple.The rest I shall start at a later date.

Also started in pots were Marigold,Cottage Red,from Burpee.I haven’t been too pleased with Burpee,lately,but I thought I would give them one more chance.Plus,the idea of a red marigold kind of intrigued me.

Two pots of cabbage,Golden Acres,were started.Just to give a head start.The rest will be sown later.

Later,will be sown green beans,broccoli,collards,and turnips(for greens).

So,now,while we enter August,and the hot,steamy days,it’s time to grab something cool to drink,sit in a shady spot,and catch up with all the books I’ve been wanting to read…

 

…until,Labor Day weekend…

…when the gardening fun begins again!!!

 

And football is back,too!!!!

 

Could it get any better than this?

 

I think not….

Technorati Tags: fall garden

Busted!!!

Wandering through the garden,this afternoon.

Camera around my neck,and clippers in my hand

…I was on lubber patrol…

I walked smack dab into this…

Well,hello there,bunny.What’re you up to?

“Nuthin’…..”

Ah-ha!!!

You are so busted!!!

 

And so are you,buddy,if you keep getting into the bird feeders!

“Who,me?”

Yeah,you!

“sorry…”

 

and on a brighter note….

The ever delightful Miss Emma,at the beach…

 

They grow up fast,don’t they?

Waiting…..

Note:The following photos were taken over the course of this past week.

 

“Who has learned to garden
who did not at the same time learn to be patient? "
- H. L. V. Fletcher

 

Back in April,my brother picked up a Banana Shrub Michelia figo for me,at the Bok Tower nursery shop.

Ever since,I have been waiting,

oh so patiently,

for it to bloom.

I had heard about it’s heady scent of bananas.

And I couldn’t wait to experience that for myself.

A week ago,I saw this…

and the impatience set in….

tapping my toes impatiently…..

and,

finally,

this morning…….

and this afternoon….

Yep,smells just like bananas.

Well….

more like a banana   

One can smell the scent from just this one flower from at least six feet away.

I’m thinkin’ I could fall in love with this plant.

And even better yet,

I got a cutting to root!

Technorati Tags: banana shrub

TheGreatWall is famous……

….kinda,sorta….

Leigh Spann,from NewsChannel8,paid a visit to TheGreatWall,last week.She has a weekly gardening spot on the early morning show,on our local NBC affiliate..

…..Guess she heard about the famous GreatWall of Lutz,and wanted to see it for herself…..

Some photos….

That’s Fred,the camera guy.He taught me the easy way to white-balance a digital camera.Yea! Fred!

Here we’re playing a quick game of Simon Says.Simon says,”Hands on hips.”

…. I’m the one with the big hips….

And here’s the video….

or a link to the video….

Now that my fifteen minutes of fame are over,it’s time to get my fingernails dirty and my feet muddy,again.

The garden doesn’t care if you are famous…even if it is only kinda/sorta…or not….

There are weeds growing out there!

Special thanks to Erich,the Younger,for mowing the yard for me …Mom begged…and for acting as photographer of the photography.And for behaving like a good Florida Gator,around a Georgia Bull Dog.

This Week In The Garden….

The past few days have been hot and dry,here at TheGreatWall. I,finally,had to haul out the hose and do some hand watering.Summer rains?

But along with the dry weather has come somewhat lower humidity.So,by getting in the garden by 7:30AM,I have been able to accomplish things that I’ve been putting off

….by noon,I‘ve been floating in the pool….

With the intention of putting in a cycad garden,I managed to remove some brush out of the back northwest corner…

This area was overgrown with stink vine,wild potato vine,and philodendron,and ants!.All growing in from my neighbor’s yard…neighbors!…

I,finally,had to resort to Round-up and ant killer to get rid of most of it.Right now,the cleared area measures approximately eight feet by sixteen feet.Eventually,I would like it to go another sixteen feet further back….gonna wait until Fall for that…When I was at the Edison/Ford Estate,last May…read about it here…I fell in love with the cycad garden they have,and I want to try replicating that…

…in the newly,cleared space.The cleared area has very early morning sunlight,dappled sun in the late morning and early afternoon,followed by deep shade in the heat of the day.I think it will compliment the shade garden.

But first,I have to make sure all the wild vines are killed off.

Other stuff…..

~The old wash tub,that stands next to the garden shed,has been turned into a planter….

Filled with bits and pieces,and cuttings,that I had no other place for.

~Two more Buddhas have come to live at TheGreatWall….

To me,they add a meditative feeling to the shade garden.Whenever I walk past them,I always stop.And isn’t that what wandering through the garden is supposed to be?

~What’s blooming?

  The Angel’s Trumpets are blooming,better than ever.

  I cannot recall them ever blooming this profusely,and as often.

Orchids are still blooming….

  Stokes Aster…

Gaillardia Sunrita Yellow

These are new.I found them at Home Depot.They’re supposed to be a semi-compact form.So far-so good,performance wise,here at TheGreatWall.

Agastache Blue Fortune

There’s been more going on,around here.But that’s for another post…..

 

I think I hear the pool,and something cold to drink,calling my name….

‘til next time….

What To Do…..

on a Saturday,

in July.

When it’s so hot and muggy,even Secret fails you.

Even the pool is hot.

Hot and steamy…

Florida in July…

Not a chance you’re gonna find this gardener out in the garden.

…..did my weeding by 8AM…..

Now,it’s time for some blessed AC!

…Reconnecting with the bro,who by the way is a Landscape Architect,orchid aficionado,fellow blogger,and his home is on a garden tour

…stay tuned for that guest post…

in Michigan.And check out some of his photos of his yard,and a cool internet sight he’s found.

Now,regular readers know I LOVE yard-art.

…Why else would I have a toilet and a sink as planters?…

as long as it’s tastefully done,of course…

What?!

The toilet and sink aren’t tasteful?

Whatever….

I have posted many photos of great garden sculpture and yard art,

but

this,I must admit,is incredible!

A Rain Tree!

that is also a sprinkler!

Totally sculpted out of copper.

Yep,that’s his yard…

Here’s another shot of his yard…

and another….

And for more neat garden art,check here… 

Brother highly recommends them.

Some are quite $$$,but I’m really loving this one for Emma’s Garden.

Think Emma will like it?

Random Photos….

It’s almost the dog days of summer,

and it’s

too hot

to do anything in the garden

except for taking photos.

So,here ya go……

Let’s macro away,shall we….?

A Sphinx Moth Caterpillar…

Late afternoon sun through the Caladiums….

Angel’s Tears against a Caladium….

Orchids…

Epidendrum…

Coneflower…

Trailing Verbena...

First berry on the Simpson Stopper...

Bud on the Banana Shrub? I thought they only flowered in the Spring…? Hmmmm….according to the ‘net,it does bloom through out the summer….

Croton “Zanzibar”

Doesn’t it look like fireworks?

How do you pass the time in the summer garden?

TheGreatWall’s Wild Side…..

Yesterday,it was the “discussion” with the Marsh Rabbit regarding his dining on my potato vine.

 

I think the moth balls worked.

Nothing was touched,last night.

 

Today,I was repotting some plants,

moved a pot

and found this…

A Corn Snake!

….Yea! for cell phones!….

 

I don’t know who was more scared.

Him ….

or ….

me!

Haven’t seen the bunny,today,either…..

Uh-oh….

Me and the Bunny…..

are having a little confrontation.

 

Yep,this little cutie-pie….

….dontcha just think he’s the cutest thing ever?

….but I caught him red handed!

 

is eating my potato vine.

 

It used to be thick and lush,but now,it looks like this….

Time to go to my mother’s bag of tricks.

The moth balls!

It keeps the armadillos and the squirrels away,so,maybe,it’ll work on the bunny…..

 

….but now TheGreatWall smells like my grandmother’s apartment….

 

He couldn’t be attracted to this little lady….

Could he?

….ya think?….