If your thermometer looks like Spring is dragging it’s feet, I have good news. This morning I took a little walk and saw many signs that Spring is about to burst forth and if it’s here, it will be coming there soon. I always love it when I see the first robins of Spring.
Being migratory, they don’t stay in Florida but often stop here on their way further north. This morning a whole flock of them were bouncing around as I made my way around the neighborhood. What a welcome sight as our winter has been colder than normal. (Yea, I know as soon as it turns hot they will be yelling about ‘global warming” but where are they when the thermometer drops?) I know it’s hard to see but that bird below the hose on this house is a robin. Unfortunately they were too shy for my camera to get a good shot but it’s there anyway.
Other things I noticed were people replanting palms the cold had killed and the first new leaves on crape myrtles among others. Spring is definitely coming and I am looking forward to some nice days in the garden before the summer heat sets in. Now I have to get the hibiscus trimmed back, the hedge clipped, etc. It sure feels good to be working in a T shirt!
Where ever you live, it’s time to plan for this year’s garden season. I’ve talked about careful placement of statues, fountains and benches in other posts but I want to remind you to consider the scent of your garden as well.
This morning, I was wandering through some gardening blogs and came across a listing of a top 10 listing of fragrant roses. My father always had roses growing in his garden in New York State. Mom often brought some cut flowers into the house as a centerpiece which helped all of us learn to value them. He also had a vegetable garden and grew amazing zucchinis, tomatoes, green beans and chard. I was too young to do more than follow him around and talk about what he was doing but that is where my gardening roots began.
I have tried roses in Florida and there are some nice ones that you can grow but we have to constantly fight black spot and mildew. Our humid summer weather means you can’t relax your guard so I don’t grow very many of them. Instead, I’ve found that I like to include such herbs as rosemary and basil. They are very easy to grow. The rosemary makes a little bush (kind of like a boxwood) and every time you brush against them or even water with the hose, they release a wonderful scent. It doesn’t hurt that they are always on hand when you are cooking as well. Saute a little chicken with rosemary and it has wonderful flavor. I like gardening that stimulates all of your senses without straining your budget.
If you decide to add herbs to your garden this year, please come back and share your experience. Basil, Rosemary and chives top my list as easy to care for and use. I tried oregano with limited success and mint hates our summer heat so it is seasonal at best. I’m still looking for new favorites.
February is a wonderful time to garden in Florida. It’s not hot and we can grow things like lettuce, broccoli and spinach that can’t take the heat.
After that extended nasty cold spell we had, it’s time to cut back the damage. Of course I wanted to do it right away but they say that the damaged areas protect the plant from more cold so I’ve been sitting on my hands and counting the days until I can clean up this mess. Over the next few weeks I will be cutting back the hibiscus and scheffs as well as that thorny bougainvillea. Things are going to look a little bare until the new growth comes in but will look great this summer.
On a sad note, even though I had covered my fountain it sustained a hit. I am going to have to epoxy it back together. If I had known the cold was going to last as long as it did, I would have taken it inside. Record cold is no joke. 
Hi, I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of my garden friends who have wondered why I haven’t been posting as often as I had been.
Things have gotten a bit sporatic because my husband became ill and died in October. As you can imagine, it threw my world into turmoil and blog posts were very low on my list of things that had to be done.
Posting here is fun for me and I have many more pictures and ideas to share. I love to walk with my camera and show you what other people have done. It is encouraging for those of us who are ever planning but not quite sure what it will look like when we are done. After all, the magazines are full of gorgeous gardens that far exceed the average man’s budget. What can we do in a limited economy that will leave us with the greatest satisfaction? That question can only be answered by getting to the heart of what we see in our imagination when we think “garden”.
If that sounds like something you can identify with, why not take a few minutes and join my blog. I welcome your experiences and you don’t have to have a big garden to share your heart. You can join the email list (top right column) or my RSS feed. You can even join this blog and begin contributing your own experiences. It’s like sitting in a shaded corner with some birds twittering overhead while the fountain burbles in the distance. Depending on the time of day, add a cup of coffee or some wine and let’s chat!
Sharing some Florida shade :0)
Glenna
Being migratory, they don’t stay in Florida but often stop here on their way further north. This morning a whole flock of them were bouncing around as I made my way around the neighborhood. What a welcome sight as our winter has been colder than normal. (Yea, I know as soon as it turns hot they will be yelling about ‘global warming” but where are they when the thermometer drops?) I know it’s hard to see but that bird below the hose on this house is a robin. Unfortunately they were too shy for my camera to get a good shot but it’s there anyway.
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