Sometimes Things Go Full Circle…..

In the light of day,things tend to look different.

Looking back on yesterday,I realize things could have turned out a whole lot different.

Just 30 minutes before the tree fell,YardBoy and a friend were moving the canoe…(I finally convinced him to sell that thing!).

But,today,has brought a new light to TheGreatWall.

In the light of day,the tree/pool look like this….

 

more cracks are showing up as time goes on.

Adjusters have been here.

Estimates made,

faxed,

yada,yada,yada…...

 

So,today,is a time for counting our blessings…

 

Miss Emma’s Garden survived….

but will need to be removed,temporarily.

 

And Dad’s orchids were truly blessed…

Can you believe the branches missed them?

…but most other plants will be lost….

no time to remove those before the tree removal.

 

The poor La Toilette planter took a hit….

But,thankfully,isn’t broke.

Nor,is froggie who sits,contemplating,on the bowl.

Yes!!!!

Sorry,but I love,love,love that darnn planter!

The tree root ball and the rest of the tree are due to be removed Thursday.

The pool will have to be demo’d and replaced

(waterfall…?… all the family is kicking in with suggestions already…),

so plantings need to be removed,

again…

More retaining walls?

Guess there is gonna be a total reworking of TheGreatWall…

Interestingly enough,this blog was started to keep family and friends up to date with the renovations,here…

Well,here we go again!

It’s gonna be one Hell of a ride!

 

 

Oh Schitt!!!

I’d say,”Oh!Crap!”

But at the moment crap just doesn’t seem quite appropriate,enough….

What happened at TheGreatWall,today….

Yep----the huge Florida Live Oak decided to rake a tumble,and take part of the swimming pool with it….

 

Sit back and enjoy…..?

 

		Tree Down!!! VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Phone  call already in to the insurance company.

 

……Guess it’s time to rework the shade garden……

The Fall Veggie Garden~~~

Now,that I’m over my case of lazy-itis

(or ADD),

this weekend it was time to get a start on the fall veggie garden.

Between the rain showers,

and the heat,

and the humidity,

two beds were uncovered

 (three beds were left for next weekend),

and planted with beans,peas,lettuce (Mesclun and a Lettuce Mix-one row of each),and radishes.

Also,planted was a Heirloom tomato(a heat tolerant Brandywine)

and a red bell pepper.

Because,the seedlings are not ready to go into the ground,I went ahead and bought them already started.

…Gotta get a head start…

Plus,I’m missing homegrown tomatoes!

Next weekend,carrots,collards,turnips,and squash will be planted.

Hopefully,the tomatoes I started from seed will be ready.

I,also,ordered garlic

(gonna give garlic a try,against my Dad’s advice.”I’ve never had luck with it.I don’t think it grows well in Florida,but you go ahead and try it,if you want to.”….)

and shallots.

I finally got around to moving the huge Staghorn Fern that fell down.

It took me over an hour to drag it to the back!

Let me tell ya-it was heavy!

No,I didn’t saw it up-just because I didn’t have any energy left-

But,I probably will.

And start a whole lot of new ones from this one.

But,it left me with a blank space.

…Dontcha just love blank spaces in the garden?…

For now,a container was moved to that area.

It doesn’t do much to fill it in,

but

it’s better than nothing….

And the Yellow Top,flaveria linearis,that I bought here, is getting ready to bloom!

 

This week,is Miss Emma’s first birthday!

She certainly has come a l-o-n-g way…

… from this….

to this….

 

Soooo,this week will be spent bringing some Autumn to Her Garden…

I’m thinking I some Angel’s Tears

 ---appropriate,dontcha think?---

will be added,

and some Gerberas….

red/garnet-for FSU---for her Momma

yellow-for USF---for me

orange-for UF---for her Uncle Erich

 

…..Gotta give her choices…..

 

…a girl must have choices,right?…

When ADD Strikes…..

good intentions go out the window….

I had all good intentions of taking a cover off of one the raised beds,

and maybe planting a row or two of seeds…

Seriously,

I really,really meant to.

No…

really,I did.

Honest.

But,then I noticed this…

Dang-I never noticed how big that Staghorn had gotten,’til I tried to pick it up.

It fell?

It was hanging from the big oak by a heavy chain.

I really should do something about that….

cut it up?

Wait!!

they’re willing to pose…

gotta go get the camera!

Oooo—the Garlic Chives are blooming…

Look at this,will ya?

Those mums I stuck in the old palm trunk are getting ready to bloom…

…forgot about those…

and the Pine Cone Gingers are looking really good…

Oh!

and look at this Gerbera….

and the Blackberry Lilies are blooming…

Look at the Purple Fountain Grass,in the late afternoon sun!

That will make a nice photo..

 

…Oh what the heck…

I’ll do the seeds tomorrow…

 

It’s too hot,right now,anyways…

and,besides,I have other stuff to do….

 

See what happens,

when ADD strikes a gardener?

and it’s ok if the garden is less than perfect,right?

Sometimes,the best laid plans….

Go out the window.

Originally,the plan was to plant the fall vegetable garden next weekend.Seeds were bought.Tomatoes have been started and are ready to go in.

The covered beds have heated up well –maintained a consistent temperature of 107*- and are ready.

But then,Mother Nature threw we Florida gardeners,this curve ball….

If we get to vote….

,me…I’m voting for the purple line ….

Figures…

the plumeria are all covered in buds….

…I guess the veggie garden will have to wait another week…

So,today was spent cleaning up overgrown,weedy flower beds…

And cutting up brush,etc.

But then the chain saw died!

dah-um!!!

So,this week will be spent buying a new chain saw,filling up the extra propane tanks and gas tanks,and buying water…

Gardening in Florida,during hurricane season.

Ya,

kinda,sorta,

gotta love it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dad is hanging in there.He gets angry and can be difficult to deal with.His TV went out,and I had to buy him a new one.After numerous instructions and phone calls,too numerous to count,he,finally,has it down.Sometimes,I think the onset of senile dementia is worse than the dementia,itself.He is aware of what it happening,and isn’t dealing with it well.To see someone,that used to be so aware of life,sink into that long good-bye is not easy.

But,on a brighter note.I got the call.”Can you babysit,while we go on a date night?”

Are you kidding me?

What time should I be there?

Miss Emma,after dinner,with smidgens of squash still on her face…

and cooking breakfast,for me and Gina…

 

Sometimes,

….life is good….

C is for….

Canna….

Cleome….

Pardon the interruption,but they wanted to pose…

…Now,back to regular blogging…

Coneflower…

Cuphea…

and

Cleaning.

It has been so hot and humid,lately,Mother Nature must’ve wanted me to

Clean and organize.

So,off to IKEA I went.

I truly believe Mother Nature loves IKEA,

…but that’s just how I think…

Time to reorganize the headquarters of TheGreatWall…

…Oooops,shoulda painted first….in the Fall?…

A new desk,new file Cabinet(old file cabinet relegated to the closet),files have been tossed,drawers Cleaned,

Crap thrown out….

(we all have crap we need to throw out,right?)

What

 C’s

do you have?

And on a sad note,my Dad has had another fall.After a day in the ER,CAT scans,etc.,it was determined he had just sprained his back,but at 92,you just don’t bounce back.and he hasn’t.He has gotten incredibly frail in the two weeks,and seems to have given up.I have come to dread the phone calls….

I still have questions about gardening…