The Fall Vaggie Garden~~~~~~~~~~~~

I know,I know…

I really,really need to do something about this…..

I can’t believe I let it get this bad…

 

…..but I had an interruption….

 

It was Me!!!!!!

 

Emma!!!!

 

I turned just turned

….. three!!!!!

 

Can you believe it?

 

I used to look like this….

 

 

but this is me now….

 

I’m a big girl.

 

I go to school ….

 

….and everything…..

 

 

I got a swing set from my MeMe and Boppa

(They live in West Palm Beach,not at TheGreatWallofLutz)

I love the slide!

 

and I got bubbles!!!

 

 

 

 

and a cake!

with candles!!!

 

It was the best birthday ever!

 

 

Now,Gramma….

….you really need to think about that mess in your veggie garden…….

 

Just sayin’,Gramma…..

 

I’m working on it,Emma…..

 

Edited to add: Gramma,it’s “BaBa” not Boppa….

                         Sorry,Emma……………..

On Father’s Day……

I posted this a year ago when my Dad passed away.

On this Father’s Day,feeling kinda nostalgic,I thought I would repost it….

 

Saying Good Bye….

In a previous post I wrote about the passing of my Dad.

My gardening guru.

The man who taught me everything I know.

This past weekend,family and friends gathered to say a final good-bye.

On Friday,May 25th,on what would have been his 93rd birthday,we gathered at Ft. DeSoto Beach to spread his ashes.

At the North Beach…

The same spot he and my mother loved visiting.

We put his ashes in a sand pail and waded out as far as we could,with the little ones.

When no one could find the right words to say,

Emma took charge.

Almost as if to say,”Let Grandpa go home,big people!”

….she grabbed a fistful of ashes out of the pail and threw them into the wind.

And she kept doing that…

…until we all joined in.

It felt peaceful.

As if Dad was at peace,

… at home.

Later that evening,we all had dinner,

and told stories of Dad….

…and Kyle got to blow out the birthday candles for the both of them…

They kinda/sorta shared the same birthday….

I think he would have liked that….

Miss you Dad….

 

Still do…..

Sometimes the garden can wait…..

I admit it…..

I’ve gotten lazy,lately.

Well,it’s more like kinda overwhelmed with the state of the garden.

Actually,it’s more like closing my eyes and pretending it doesn’t exist…..

With all of the renovations on the HQ,it’s been shoved aside.

And,now,it’s gotten

 A LOT

out of control.

…can you say jungle?….

Soooo….

I keep putting things off.

….which doesn’t help….

But,when a certain little lady…

…and the big people,too.

Rightly so,she has an entourage that travels with her…a girl has to have her peeps,after all….

…comes to visit….

Somehow,I’d rather blow bubbles with Miss Emma than garden….

But,I did manage to pick some radishes and greens for a salad…

kale,leaf lettuce,Swiss Chard,,Romaine.Arugula,radishes

I really need to get back to the garden…..

Things I just don’t understand….

When I (with my first husband)  first moved to Florida,back in the early 70’s,my Dad warned us that gardening in Florida was not like gardening up North.

 

“It’s not the same.You’ll learn.”

 

We were young.

 

It was the 70’s.

 

We didn’t listen.

 

Who did?

 

He was of that generation,after all.

 

I grew Baby’s Breath,Carnations,Shasta Daisies.He grew 8 foot tomato plants.

What did Dad know?

He really was of that generation…

 

Ahhhh….but how quickly we I learned….

 

Move to a semi rural area.

 

Get a divorce.

 

Try gardening again.

 

Whoa…..

It’s a whole new world!

 

That northern schitt really doesn’t work down here!

 

The plants aren’t behaving like they should.

I know…

….I’ll try Florida natives….

 

They’ll behave…

…..not really…

.

Dad always told me gardening in Florida was just one big experiment.

“Give anything a try.”

”What do you have to lose?”

 

So,with that in mind,this year I have been gardening by the seat of my pants.

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

A year ago,at this time,TheTree went down.

Leaving the semi-shaded garden in total sun.

Then the old,cracked pool was taken out and rebuilt.

A screened lanai was added,for the most tender of tropicals and orchids.

 

But the garden itself was still left in total sun.

 

What will happen to the shade loving plants?

 

They adapted….

 

….that’s what….

 

A banana,that was bought for it’s foliage…

Was never,ever supposed to produce anything,but beautiful foliage….

is now doing this….

Camellias (both are natives) now have buds….

YellowTop,Flaveria linearis,another Florida native,became a bully in the garden.

So,contrary to popular opinion,in July,I whacked it back.

It was overgrowing everything.

It was even over taking,and choking out,the Jasmine…

 

Now,look at it….

The azaleas are blooming again….

What’s up with that?

 

But,already,there are signs of Autumn in the garden….

Bat Faced Cuphea is blooming.

 

I’ve had this one for over two years.I love it!

 

A little early,but in time for Halloween…

and Stoke’s Aster…

Hostas are still blooming…

Gerberas….

go Gators!!!!

 

 

I just figure,for once,I’ll listen to my Dad…

 

“The garden is going to go where it wants to go.

Just listen to it.

You don’t own it.

It owns you.”

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

 

and besides the garden,Miss Emma just turned two!

“I’m a big girl,now,Gramma!”

 

I know,Emma.I know……

Please stop growing up so fast…

Gratitude…

Everyday,I try to find at least one thing in my life I am grateful for,but this week,especially,is the time when we all look at our lives and give thinks for all of our blessings.

~ The garden ~

I am ever so grateful that when TheOak went over,it went in the direction it did.

 

It may have taken out the pool,the shade garden and left me with a barren desert,but,at least it didn’t destroy the house or any human -YardBoy had just been walking under there.They say things happen for a reason.Now,we are getting a new pool,and I have the chance to grow new plants.Ones I have never been able to grow,before,as there was just way too much shade and not enough sun.I look forward to starting anew.It’s exciting.

We have a new Sweet Gum tree …

…that will provide shade and beautiful,colorful foliage next Fall.

The plants that survived are now putting on a splendid show.

Just in time for Thanksgiving.

~ Home ~

No,my house isn’t a mansion.But it’s finally the way I want it to be…well,almost.A new kitchen would be nice…The roof is brand new.The pool is almost finished.It will be screened in,which will give me an area to display the orchids and bromeliads.

~ Family ~

I am grateful that both of my sons have grown into wonderful men.Both have strong,beautiful,loving women in their lives.And both complete this family.

We love them both to death.

…Kyle,Gina,and Emma…

‘nough said…

Though my Dad has rapidly deteriorated,this past few months,I am ever so grateful to be able to spend one more Thanksgiving with him.

Hopefully,Christmas,too.

There are many things I don’t have,and wish that I did,but they are just that.

Things.

This Thanksgiving,I realize just how much there is in my life to be grateful for.

Happy Thanksgiving

Everything I Ever Learned About Gardening.......

I learned from my soon-to-be 90 year old father. I learned some things about gardening from my mother,too.Like how to grow a new rose bush from just a cutting,how to keep ants off of peonies,how to grow an African Violet from just a leaf,and Lily-of-the-Valley is the bestest smelling flower ever.(The whole rose and African violet things never really sunk in-I can kill either of those plants just by looking at them.).Roses like it when you throw your old tea bags on them,and they love cut-up banana peels(that one works in Florida,too).Get rid of aphids by throwing dirty dishwater on them.But I think her favorite plant,next to the peonies,was the glads.She loved them.She even grew them after they moved to Florida.I have never been able to get into growing them-they remind me too much of funerals.Sorry,Mom.

But the most knowledge came from my dad.He was an executive with GTE/Sylvania,so I think gardening was his escape from the business world.During the summer(we lived up north, in Western New York),the minute he got home,he would head to his vegetable garden.In the winter,he headed to his greenhouse.My mother used to say,"Your father walks in the front door looking like the cover of Esquire,and walks out the back door looking like a farmer."

From him,I learned how to collect marigold,zinnia,and daisy seeds.How to compost("the correct way"-Heaven forbid it should be done wrong!).He grew huge zucchinni,and his tomatoes were the best!I can remember sitting in his garden,with my mother,holding a salt shaker and eating tomatoes fresh off the vine."Don't tell your father.We'll blame it on the birds."
From him,I learned strips of tin foil hanging off the tomato plants will keep blue jays and mockingbirds away.Or thread black string through the plants.That one confuses the birds.
"The only way you get rid of tomato horn worms is to pick 'em off,and smash 'em with a rock.Otherwise they'll kill your plant." I'm still working on that one.....

Over thirty-five years ago,they retired to St.Petersburg(I soon followed),and the gardening continued.He learned gardening in Florida was much different than gardening in Western New York.He brought his orchid collection with him,and discovered orchids love living outside,in Florida.He also discovered tropical fruit trees and plumeria(they would go to Hawaii every year,and he became enamored with them,and brought some cuttings back).Thus,my love and fascination with plumeria was born!
A few years back,after my mother passed away,the house and garden was too much for him to handle,so he willingly moved to an Assisted Living Facility,closer to us.I was lucky enough to get custody of the orchid collection.
And I had much learning to do.His first lesson; "Don't fuss so much!Stick 'em under your oak trees and leave 'em alone.They'll be fine.When they bloom,bring 'em up to enjoy 'em." It took me awhile,but it finally sunk in that he was right.I totally ignore them until they bloom(and they do bloom profusely),at which time they come up to the patio to visit us.When they are done blooming,back they go,under the oak trees.
These are his babies.......

Another one is on the side bar to your right.

He has become the go-to-guy for plumeria for myself and some friends who live in South Florida(some of his cuttings are now growing quite happily down there,and he is pleased as punch about that)."Will you people quit fussing over them!"

The one bit of advice that sticks with me,(hope you've figured this one out),"Quit fussing!Leave 'em alone.Stop smothering them." At least once a week,I call him with a gardening question,and I usually get that same answer.Or,I hear that I need to learn to have patience.......

I'm working on that one,Dad.