thanks Budgielover for letting me know about this site, a nice surprise! just renewed at DG... but a girl can't have TOO many wonderful gardening sites, especially Florida specific ones!

Plant Native! and Eat More Veggies!

Welcome back Maura

Hey Maura, nice looking uhhhh zucchini? I have some kind of squash plant growing out of my compost bin. It's blooming so looks like fruit will set. It will be my compost surprise.

Don't you love it when things sprout from the compost pile. I've heard you'd be surprised what grows at the dump. LOL

LOL @ Jan and the dump!

Molly, I also have some kind of squash/melon thing growing in my compost. It'll be interesting to see what develops. A few weeks ago, before I stopped to think about what I was doing, I tossed in some dead zinnia blooms and now there are a number of the monstrous things popping up. The zinnia "trees" in the garden get trimmed back at least twice a week, and they're still taking over the beds. Yes, I'm saving seeds, but I'll have to give them out with a warning label attached.

Well, you can always send some my way. I love zinnias.

Sure thing, Jan!

Oh Man Norma, I would love to have some of those montrous zinnias you are growing, warning or not. Here's the monster growing in/from my compost.


Have 2 days off in a row and yesterday we spent a lot of time working out in the yard. In between jumping into a bit of a cloudy pool. Got some stuff mowed around the pathways and all the dogs yard is done.

I charged up a couple batteries for the weed wacker and within minutes the nylon string broke out. This wacker is not a self feeding string etc. It has always had just one stout string and this time it broke. Last year the wacker stem broke, but I managed to hold it any way. The batteries are worn and don't last long. Now I must face the facts.....need to loosen the wallet and get another one. Cause I tell ya, using a pair of scissors to trim back long grass and stuff just don't hack it.

I gotta show you these. I have had caladiums growing here since I set down on this plot. But they are all kind small and pathetic. Ya gotta give them their due though, they always come back, every year. I was down at the Gardners Edge ( the old Harmony Gardens site?) and they had bulbs on sale. Advertising they will come up next year.....well I knew better and here they are!!!!

I spent most of this morning watering the gardens until all was happy.....it' raining now. No doubt the plants will be happier yet.

I have decided to re-do the large pond. The liner in it now has a bad leak, no doubt caused by my own dogs running a muck. Stopped at the Archer Farm Supply and they have a 9 foot round plastic water trough. They will deliver for 20 bucks. Will go on Monday and pay for it and get it brought out. I only have 4-6 inches of water in the pond now, so this is serious. I bought 3 tropical lilies in a co-op and one, Bob Tricket is a hog. I'm telling you, when I got these lilies, they were just barely strings and good old "Bob" has grow so much his pot bottom is round and he won't sit up straight. Plus everything else in there is growing like crazy.

I have a customer up in High Springs who has a large natural pond. Was thinking of taking some of the over flow to her.......that is if no one here wants some. Norma, have you got that pond set up yet?

Here's one of my water cardinals

Norma does grow the best zinnias doesn't she? I planted some of what were supposed to be the big ones but they looked like mini's next to them.

Molly, no, the pond is not open for business yet. Once Charlie dug the initial hole for it, the construction on his barn got going and he hasn't worked on the pond since. As of this past weekend, construction reached the 95% completion stage so we're backing off for a month or so while we try to find some more money.
I'm hoping we can start putting the liner down pretty soon.

Molly I am going to be down your way on the 17th. Will have a dental appointment at 2am but plan on going to the gardens first. What will you be doing??
Sandy