Florida Gardening: I'm still here! Just been even busier than usual!, 1 by JaxFlaGardener

JaxFlaGardener wrote:
And this 3 ft x 5 ft oil painting of the dreaded and prohibited, yet very beautiful, water hyacinth flower is based on a photo from an elderly friend of mine in Holly Hill that was once curator of the Dayton Ohio Museum of Natural History. I've used his photos for several of my paintings over the years.

I donated this painting in early November to a new local charity, "Patrons of the Hearts", aimed at bringing in children from underdeveloped countries for heart surgery treatment at our local Wolfson Childrens Hospital. You can find out more about the charity and its efforts at http://www.patronsofthehearts.com.

My painting brought a winning bid of $1,000 and the event raised about $40,000 for what I think is a very worthy cause.

And my gardening news is that the orchids and other tropicals that can't survive our Zone 8b winters are happily stored in my new permanent structure greenhouse made by tearing off part of the metal awning from my carport, covering it with plastic panels, and boxing in the sides with glass from old, salvaged sliding glass doors. I did all the work myself and am happy with the results. The garage has been transformed into my art studio with the eastern wall wood rot eliminated and a new roof made from translucent plastic panels for good light for painting. The art studio is also a great new addition for winter storage of my 12 ft fish tail palm, ficus, and huge potted white bird of paradise plants (which have not yet bloomed for me, but grow profusely -- they probably need more consistent applications of fertilizer). The yard has gone mostly to neck high invasion of Bidens alba 'radiata' (Spanish Needles) and other less pesky weeds that went unchecked and unpulled when I had to shift my focus from gardening to painting and other tasks. I found time recently to line the front walkway with blue and white pansies which help my soul survive the winter months by providing some flowers that last through the freezes.

I've found it necessary to go back to a part-time job in order to keep the bills paid and am now working at the same restaurant where Christina has been working for several years. It looks as though I've finally found an acceptable offer on refinancing the house and simultaneously getting a clean slate on the credit card balances that have accrued steadily as my gardening addiction flourished over the past three years that I've owned this house. I'm expecting that deal to close within the next few weeks -- which would be a great Christmas present! But the refinancing requires an appraisal of the property which means every "spare" moment of the next few weeks will be spent hurriedly finishing remodeling projects that were left without being completed when other incidents and interests demanded my attention.

And this, I suppose, is how most of us spend "retirement"??!!! LOL

Jeremy


I trust all is well with all of you and that we can get together soon for another raid on the plant nurseries!!