Who Knows What The Future Holds ???

I do!!!!!!!

For today's Share A Garden Sunday post,I thought I would share the backside of TheGreatWall,and our future plans for the gardens that surround "TheWall."

In these photos,wherever you see landscape timbers,they will be replaced with another GreatWall. Albeit,mini-me walls.........I hate

landscape timers.They rot,attract ants,I could go on and on,but I won't.

This garden goes around to the good side of the yard(more on the bad side,later) I love curved pathways!On one of the gardening programs on HGTV(I think),the host said,"When walking through a garden,one should always wonder what lies around the corner."

I love that thought!

This is part of our expanded shade garden.Notice the landscape timber in the background.

It's gonna be

gone!

This is one set of steps leading up to the pool area.In the lower left-hand corner,a landscape timber.

Outta here!

(And I need a birdbath for this garden.)

This is "The Path To Nowhere." I had extra pavers and no where to put them,so this is where they went.Actually,it has worked out fine,as they allow me access to fuss over the orchids and bromeliads,without stepping on plants.

Now,for the future...................

As I have been posting about all along:One side of our yard will be dug up by Hillborough county,this fall.So,I thought,

"Why not take the fellow garden bloggers on a tour?"

Shall we begin?

This is the future home of my potting shed.

Because I am tired of this.............

and this............

I need,and want,a proper area for repotting plants,growing cuttings,etc.As an added bonus,it would be a place to protect tender plants,if we should have another winter like the past two.

This is a view of the future Tropical Garden.The dining area of TheGreatWall overlooks this area,so it will be a wonderful place to sit and have dinner.I hope to achieve that look by using Florida native plants(and I shall be enlisting the help of Meems-whether she knows it or not- to achieve that look).

I really don't want to spend another cold winter(at least to us Floridians,it was cold!)covering and uncovering tender tropicals.

This is the future home of our new veggie garden.To the right,will be the potting shed,and the compost pile shall be moved to behind the shed.Jon will be building raised beds.We've found veggies grow much better in raised beds.

All of the cypress trees will be taken down(Can you say,"MULCH?"),the fence replaced with a brand new one,new topsoil and sod brought in,and at no cost to us(except for the taxes we already pay...).

How can you beat that deal?

Posted for Share A Garden Sunday,hosted by Artie,over at Color Outside The Lines.Thank you for hosting,Artie,and I am sooo glad we're back at it,again.



As an extra bonus feature,I thouht I'd include a photo I snapped,last nite,of a visitor to TheGreatWall.

Meet Mr.Bufo,an invasive species of toad.They have managed to decimate most of the native population of toads and frogs.They only eat protein,are poisonous to small animals,do not eat mosquitoes,and can be quite aggressive.A shovel to the head usually takes care of them........or you can always take a pitch fork to 'em,but they move fast,so you'd better aim good!


For size comparison,that's a plastic soup bowl-our cat's food dish.

Sunday Morning On The Great Wall.....

I was up very early this morning,strolling around TheGreatWall.Camera in hand,of course.

I could have taken pictures of the mess of a side yard,but,instead I thought I would focus on the high-lights of the garden.The plants that have done the best,in this wacky weather we have had this past year.Numerous freezes,followed by heat and drought,followed by the summer rains.

This is the second time this year,the Angel's Trumpet has bloomed.And this time,it is blooming even better.This is the Angel's Trumpet that was frozen to the ground,this past January.It has been a delight this year! I have removed the lower leaves,and I'm trying to give it more of a tree form.This seems to accentuate the flowers.

Thank the Lord for Caladiums! In the heat and humidity of the summer Florida garden,they truly shine.When everything else has either died from the heat,or rotted from the humidity and rain,Caladiums just save the day.The freezes seemed to have helped them,too.

The Bananas are thriving,too.I don't recall what type they are.I got the original plant from my Dad over 30 years ago.They aren't suited for eating,like a "Chiquita-type banana." They have a some-what bland taste.But they are delicious fried with some butter and brown sugar!They also make delicious Banana Bread!

One of our three Staghorn Ferns.This is the mother plant to the other two we have,one of which you can just make out in the upper right of the photo.It has gotten so large that it has to be hung with a heavy chain,and it took both Jon and Erich,the Younger,to hang it in one of our oak trees.Even then,they could only get it 3 feet up off the ground.So,there it shall stay,I guess,for all of Eternity.They have both refused to move it ever again..............wimps!

A visitor to the garden this Sunday morning........Uh-oh,best head in..........................Big storm a - brewin'

After the storm passed,back out I went(Camera in hand,again.You never know what you'll find in a garden.).

The Mandivillea........

It,too,seems to love summer time,in Florida.

There's trouble in paradise,though.

The storm managed to take down a branch from one our Bay Laurel trees. Bay leaves,anyone?

While checking on the bromelliads,I found this guy,just hanging out on a Sunday morning.

Perfect spot for a toad,don't you think?

Just another summery Sunday morning,on TheGreatWall.................





Posted for Share A Garden Sunday,hosted by Artie,over at Color Outside The Lines.