Quite a rainy season

As I mentioned in my last post, I've been hiding inside from the heat this summer. While doing so, it's been raining a little more than usual, but after a dry spring, I was more that OK with that.

I had no idea how much the gardens were sprouting. Now that we're getting hints of cool air, I ventured outside to see how everyone faired.

They did fine. In fact, the Jungle Growth out there is making me afraid they are plotting to take over the world. Don't cry Miracle Grow on me, these suckers are all organic.

So here's the front bed last spring. It had been a hard "winter" and frost had bitten the garden badly.

Wow, I think it's recovered.

A wider look at the front yard this spring was kind of embarassing. We had bottles thrown into the yard a couple times a week by jerk neighbor kids.

Now I'm pretty sure the hibicus will kick the jerk neighbor kids butts if they throw anything.

I really wondered if these would all make it when I planted in the backyard last spring.

They took off, filled out, kicked butt.

The back fence this March. Dear little plants, specifically umbrella, phiolodendron and hibicus. All fast growers. They have been recruited to block the windows of the neighbors, who I imagine are nosey but who, in reality, couldn't care less as I run around the house half naked, looking for a pair of pants in the dryer that don't make my butt big.

Also the back fence in March.

The back fence today.

This is the poor little Chenille plant that almost kicked it this summer because the tag said full sun. It's not a full sun plant. In fact, given partial shade, this thing has gone from 18 inches tall to 5 feet in finve months. Also going to take over the world. Look at the cool red thingies.

I'm afraid I don't have anything more philospohical to say than, "Holy Crap."

Are you ready to gardahhhhhhn?

OK, it's not "are you ready to rumble", but I still have the theme song stuck in my head.

Because I'm in Florida. Zone 9b to be exact. And it's freaking hot here in the summer. Hot enough that many plants go dormant. Impatients are toast. Even the Vinca are dying off. Forget growing any veggies beyond rosemary (does that count as a veggie?) and okra.

It is frustrating when you hear from gardeners in other places. My gardening podcasts and websites are all about harvests and the bounty of summer. While I sit inside and wait out the heat from the air conditioning.

But we've come to the end of all that. It's Labor Day weekend. It's going to be cooling off soon. And I can run outside and get my hands dirty. Can't wait.

Now my whining should not be taken to mean that everything has turned into desert. Just the opposite. We've gotten more of our summer rains than usual this year, meaning the tough plants - hibicus, umbrella plants, porters weed - have gone nuts. Lots of water and sunshine have meant lots of growth everywhere you look. You can practically watch the lawn grow. It's exciting to see that I planted all these plants and they're taking off while I'm not looking. My backyard is getting jungle-like. Which is just what I'm looking for.

Pictures coming soon! Next ==> Welcome to the Jungle!

News Break

Gardener Guy Update

The Gardener Guy finally has his site up and running. Get the latest on Paul James at www.gardenerguy.com!

Job Update

I finally have a job. The good news: Funding. The bad news: I have dirt under my fingernails and can't figure out how to get them clean for Monday morning.

Unending Rain Update

Oh thank God, it relaxed and we're back to afternoon showers per rainy season parameters. We can delay construction of the ark.

Potato Update

When they say mound the dirt around the base of the plants, they mean it. I left the Yukons in the ground till they fell over and died. Then I pulled them up. Did you know the little potatoes are right at the surface (hence the mounding)? Did you know if you plant potatoes too late in the season, you only get the tiniest potatoes ever? It all went into the composter, the last vestiges of Veggie Patch 2009. Trying again in the fall. I hear you can plant tomatoes in September. Yum!

Garden Center Update

There's a new guy at the big box garden center down the street. He talks really loudly about plants with anyone who cares to listen. I imagine he is a huge help to the customers looking for gardening advice. But, like a nerd at a star trek convention, I only wanted to challenge him to a geek off, garden style. "Shade plant, you call that a shade plant? My umbrella plant is twice the shade plant of that bromeliad." 

Look what I did!

Yup, I'm a big dork. I know this but I still do it. I still go outside to look at it. Stare at it through the window. I told you, big dork.

I planted a bunch of plants last week. I am now overly proud of myself for it. Happens like that sometimes. Even if the planting is half-assed and could use further work. I still get overly proud. I go stare at it. Maybe spot a weed or two. Immediately rush out in my bathrobe to pull it.

Last week, in the midst of rains and thunder, I planted phase 3 and 4 of my backyard garden. This is the tiny backyard that is shaded and beautiful to work in. It was fun and I completely exhausted myself doing it.

I was surprised by the opportunity, but we had $200 worth of Home Depot stuff that needed to be returned after a bathroom renovation. Last year. Those people will take back anything, God bless them. And so, I ran out and got a bunch of store credit with the Depot. Which they had back in their coffers by that afternoon.

I planted several umbrellas trees along a path between my sun porch and the fence. The neighbors built an addition on the other side of the fence, way too close to our house, and their windows (not shown, but just above the fenceline) peek creepily into ours.  Or at least that's the feeling you get (in reality, they've never given me a reason to think they're peeping; we put on a pretty boring show in any case). The umbrella plants should grow tall enough to cover the windows in the next year. Those little suckers are amazingly fast growing. The challenge will be to keep them in check when the time comes.

Walking down the path, this is what went in the corner. Of course I found a place for some hibiscus! I'm a little crazy for them. They're all over the front yard. This is their debut in the back. It's a little shady, but the creepy-windows neighbors have one and it's about 6' tall, so I figure these will be fine.

Recognize the plant in the corner? About a week after I noted on this blog that I'd like to find a Chenille Plant, this one popped up at Lowe's for half price. Yippee! The tag also said full sun, which I tried. This little sucker got very dramatic very quickly, all droopy leaves. I thought about letting it go (this was in the middle of the drought of May 09, after all) but as a last ditch effort I planted it in a pot and stuck it under the shade of the house. Where it flourished. A-Ha! It's a shade plant. I'm not sure why Lowe's  lied to me but they did. This corner is chock full of shade and the Chenille Plant is loving it.

Turning right and continuing down the path you'll see these Vinca, which will soon be busting at the seams with foliage and flowers. I love those things. For a long time I didn't know what they were 

called, so I called them the "hell-yeah plants" because they grew wherever I put them. While this is shade, they flourish in my full sun front yard, just like the tag says they don't. I don't get it, but I love them.

You can also spot two Porter Weed plants flanking some Indian Hawthorne and Red Coleus. Here's a closer picture of that vignette.

The porter week should get pretty tall. They like shady areas and are prone to throwing out seedlings after a year or so. I just planted a couple of volunteers from another Porter Weed in another section of the backyard the other day. Tag from the garden center says they are thirsty, but I disagree. 

That leads me to the Dead End, aka Phase 5.  It's only about 8' deep, but the trunk you see there is a ficus. Never plant a ficus in an area like this, it's done nothing but attract creepy things and the roots make it a pain to dig around. Also they say these are the first to go in a hurricane. And yes, it's right next to the stupid house.

This has always been a bit of a nightmare area for me, all snakes and spiders. But I recently had to man-up about it after some kittens were born back there. If the kittens don't mind the tiny, completely harmless racers back there, I shouldn't. They made me feel like a candy. Which, of course, I am.

So I've cleaned it out and have slowly been adding plants. There's a volunteer ivy back there, a Monstera on the right and several Philodendron and Ferns in the corner. Eventually I see this area being filled in with similar lush green plants, turning maintenance-free except for some occasional raking and neatening up. Then I can just leave it to the snakes and spiders again.

I'm going to go out and stare at it some more...

Where's the ark?

OMG, it's raining again. 

My gutters are stuffed with leaves. I've been waiting for them to dry out so I can unstuff them without getting all muddy. I had no idea that the last 24 hour period without rain was going to be the last day ever without dripping humidity.