Yummy tomatoes

I picked numerous cherry tomatoes from these 2 plants planted in my 4 foot square garden. I had a couple of stakes as you can see in the photo that they were tied to. However they outgrew the stakes and lay over onto the ground. My lawn care fellow has been very good not to mess up the tomato plants. I think he weed wacks close but hasn't damaged them and keeps the yard looking good.

I think when I replant the square I will not plant such tall plants. I didn't know that the zinnias were the giant ones. The smaller pom pom type would be prettier in this arrangement. I will probably plant future tomato plants at the back fence so the front yard doesn't look so messy with them all over the ground. It has been too hot for the green beans that I planted. They were leggy, thin, and didn't produce much of anything. Ugly actually. The cuumber plant got buggy and died. Lettuce didn't come up. Florida is very different when it comes to gardening. I may stick to flowers. I do better with those.

Mama and 4 baby ducks

This poor mama duck wanted to get through the back fence that seperates our mobile home park from the neighborhood behind us. I don't think she would like it if she is able to make it through. She keeps sticking her neck through the holes in the fence hoping the rest of her body will go through too and it doesn't happen. She is a long way from the canal where there is water and food for her babies. It is dark now and I see that she has settled down on the ground under my trees where the impatiens is planted. I was watering them and then sprinkled them to see what would happen. At first the little ones tried to hide and then the mama tried to drink the beads of water on her back and on the grass. Some puddles soon formed and the little ones got into the puddle and tried to swim. That was funny. But they were able to get better drinks. I tried to catch the mother to see if I could get them all down to the canal. She would let me get pretty close and as I would try to grab her she would slip away. You could tell that she was worrying herself to distraction walking back and forth by the fence trying to get through.

Square Foot Gardening

These are the flowers that I plan to put in my 4 Square Foot Garden. See the photos of my progress. Kerry helped me assemble the box, mix the compost, peat moss and perlite to put in the lined box.(lining is a weed blocker fabric which allows moisture to pass through) Hubby helped me drill holes so that I could get the cross pieces in place. These help to keep plantings separated. The theory is no weeds to battle, and you can grow about anything in only 6 inches of dirt. Plantings can be a mix of flowers and veggies. These flowers are marigolds and red vinca. A friend gave me 3 seedling tomato plants which I have now installed in their respective squares. It is probably too late for the tomato plants because it is going to get exceedingly hot. I have bush bean seeds, zinnia seeds, and coleus seeds that I will be planting also. When we get to the cooler growing season I will try some root crops like carrots, beets, onions, radishes, etc. Oh, I am going to put in some lettuce and spinach too.

Rose bush

See the new growth on the small red rose bush after I took all the old blossoms off. There are buds coming on. I look forward to watching this plant grow and produce flowers. The flowers are more old fashioned looking as opposed to a tea rose look. I do love the tea rose look with beautiful buds that explode into full beautiful roses. I am not sure I can grow those here. We shall see.

Progress

I think there is some degree of growth here. The rain has been wonderful for the impatiens. I think the pink ones which are on the outer edge have had their blossoms beaten off by the incredible downpours we have been having. It has rained day and night for at least 2 weeks now. We have been in a drought for so long that it really seems strange to be in a monsoon mode at present. What I remember about Florida was the brief afternoon shower between 2 and 4PM every day through the summer. And of course, the odd hurricane. That is not what this has been. We are not officially into the hurricane season yet, although not far from it. I think it is June 1- November 1.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is tomorrow. We are to honor those who have fought for our country and lost their lives and Veterans who have fought for our country, returned home and since have died. I recall it as a time when my parents would go to the local cemetery in Decatur, IL where most of our relatives who had passed away were buried. Mom would pick Iris, and Peonies if it had been warm enough for the Peonies to bloom in time. She might be able to include tulips and daffodils, perhaps narcissus, flowering almond as well. We would take a bucket of water, canning jars or coffee tins to use as vases. Dad would take coat hangers and make hooks that would bend over the makeshift vases and then press the hooks into the ground which helped to keep the flowers from being blown over by the wind. We would go to the grandparents graves first and then other aunts/uncles or great aunts/uncles. As we placed flowers we would remember things about those people. Things they liked to do, a funny story, places they had lived and so on. It helped us children to learn and understand a little more about our heritage. I liked those times with my mom and dad.

Now here in Florida we are unable to go to the cemeteries in IL but we have a little one that passed away here in 2007. A week or so ago I went to the little country cemetery where he is buried and placed an arrangement of spring flowers in the monument vase. Remembering......

The one who rules the Roost

This is the Rooster who rules the Roost of hens and chicks. Right now he has in his company only 2 hens without chicks. I couldn't get them in the picture with the Royal one. The 2 other hens still remain separate with their 13 chickens which are beginning to look more like hens themselves, they are growing so fast. This dude can be heard crowing any hour of the day or night. Midnight, 3 a.m., 4 a.m., etc. Wonder when he sleeps??