Meyer Lemon Bloom in January in Florida

The meyer lemon is a bit off this season. It's blooming like crazy now...in February. Ususally, the fruit is ripe in mid-December. In 2009, it bloomed in September then dropped all it's blooms.

Here's the 2007 crop and the 2008 crop from this tree. So, if all goes well, I guess I'll have a May crop. We'll see.

How to Prepare Soil For a Vegetable Garden

I have just finished preparing the soil for the veggie garden. It was much easier than I thought it would be.

First, I raked the pine bark mulch up with a thick garden rake. The dead plants were cleaned up with the rake too. I didn't save the old pine bark because it looked horrible and had all kinds of debris mixed in. Next, I used a soil tiller to mix the existing sandy soil. Then I used a pointed shovel to really turn over the soil. Then, I spread compost all over the top and worked it in with the rake and shovel.

Next I planted some jalapeno seeds (because these are the only seeds I had which could be planted this time of year). Next, I'll get some baby seedlings from HD and top off with more pine bark. Lastly, I'll reposition the drip irrigation spikes and turn the timer back on.

More Garden Woes

I decided to trim up a few of the wild plants that I recently let go. This is a tropical hibiscus that has been infected by some type of insect. I cut off all the branches that are infected and I will spray the remaining branches with something mild...everytime I spray the hibiscus, the leaves drop off...this time I will be extra careful.

Clearing the Veggie Garden

I spent a few hours today getting the mulch cleared out of the veggie garden. I had to tape up the drip irrigation system so it did not get damaged by the rake. I am leaving the rosemary because it's doing sooo good. I used to suck at rosemary...before I learned the trick...

Rosemary down here in zone 9b needs to be pruned monthly. I trim off 3 inches from every branch. In the kitchen a little rosemary goes a long way, so I never use all the trimmings. I just throw them away. I used to feel bad about trimming and throwing away, but this is one plant that likes it.

The Broccoli Bloomed!

I tried to catch it, but I let it go a few days too long. I'll just cut this little boom off and steam up this broccoli

Palms Got Damaged in the Freeze

Just noticed two palms that got damaged in the freezes we had this January.

Beginning to Fix the Freeze Damage

I'm scared to replant anything because there might be another freeze. The coleus and bougainvillea are looking dreadful. Actually, the Coleus completely disintegrated. The boug will come back, but I think I'm changing it out for something else....it's just too temperamental.

The ground orchids did what they always do. I pulled out half of them to make room for new growth.


The fronds of the Christmas palms near the house are looking pretty bad. The red Mamey Crotons beneath them are gonners. Perhaps if I trimmed them back, they could be saved, but I doubt it...and it would take two years. Gonna replace the crotons.

The copperleaf croton under this palm did great. The mamey croton (shown here next to the bromiliad is a complete gonner.

The backyard is pretty bad too. The GOOD news is that now I replant some things that I've wanted to switch up anyway. I can get the soil in the garden repaired and ready to go for the spring crop.

January Garden is Bleak

The cold 30 degree weather the past few weeks has killed so many of our plants. The one thing shing like a superstar...broccoli.

The broccoli has one little yellow flower on the side. If I let this go another few days, the whole thing would burst into flowers.

Flower Arrangement From the Garden

Decided to check out the damage from the 30-32 degree nights we've recently had her in Palm City (South Florida).

The coleus died, bougainvillea and grapette orchids looks horrible. The mint looks bad too. The broccoli looks awesome, so do the roses, patchoulli, and avocado trees. The peach tree looks like it always does in January...pathetic...sick looking weepy leaves that are half fallen.

Here are thumbnails of the plants these flowers came from:

From danielle's garden blog

From danielle's garden blog

From danielle's garden blog

Christmas Palm Died

I have a triple Christmas Palm that has some kind of a problem. One year ago, I noticed the new growth was brown and dead. It took a year, but all the existing healthy fronds naturally fell off to reveal a dead top.

This photo shows the center tree with a pointy top...I didn't do anything to make it this way...this is just how it grew (um didn't grow). Our friend said he's seen this before but he doesn't know what happens to make just one tree die.

Christmas Cactus Blooms on Christmas

Wow...now that the busy Christmas season is over, I guess I can begin to focus on the [sad state of the] garden again.

I'll start off the new year with a comment about my new Christmas Cactus. Supposedly it blooms on Christmas Day. Mine bloomed a few days before. I'd be willing to bet that the growers force these plants to bloom a few weeks BEFORE Christmas. Retailers always sell more plants when they are in bloom. I personally never buy a blooming plant...I will buy a budding plant though.