Florida Chit Chat #7 New Year for Fun!

That is true in all of FL, however a HOA can regulate where the pannels are put and not put and they can also make rules on where and when the clothesline can be used. They just cant ban it altogether, and they have to be 'reasonable' in there regulation of them.

I've been incommunicado for a while because my DG membership had expired, but I just renewed for another year. My Social Security disability was finally approved about a month ago, which provided about 18 months back pay from the date determined for disability of 2010, so there are currently a few extra dollars for discretionary spending (a rare occurrence in our household budget! LOL).

There was not much freeze damage to my garden last night, but the temperatures are expected to go even lower tonight (Sunday, 2/17). I FINALLY got my orchids and other potted freeze tender plants inside the house yesterday afternoon. The light drizzle of rain while I was doing this task was a nuisance, but I was glad for it since plants in the ground will survive a freeze better if they are well hydrated. I put 55 gal plastic cans over my ground orchids and that is usually sufficient to spare them from freezing. Some twinkle lights to cover the orchids inside the can would provide even more protection, but I was running short on time. I may add some lights for tonight's freeze. The Nun's Cap Orchids (Phaius tankervilliae) were already sending up flower spikes. The spikes, if not blasted by the freezes, will reach full blooming height of about 3 ft within a few months.

Glad to be back in touch with all my friends and neighbors here!

(photo: Lady Banks Yellow Rose (Rosa banksia 'Lutea') is really putting on a show this year!

Jeremy

Love that rose, and glad its still in your yard.
I had no idea that is why you hadnt been around. Glad to hear it tho, I had imagined a medical issue. Good your back up and running.

Looks like after tonight its really going to warm back up and be nice. Thats a good thing, Im nowhere done getting my yard spring and summer ready.

25 out, what a bummer. Banana, angel trumpets azealea flowers, all toast. When the stuff on the patio, under the screen and by the pool get froze, it was really cold. They can take down to about 27, but it surely got colder than that.

I put a flannel lined table cloth over my Trumpet since it had buds. Hopefully that worked.

Hi, all.

It's down to 49 here right now. I didn't cover anything last night. À la grâce de Dieu (It's in God's hands).

Jeremy, it's nice to know you're back among us. It's not the same around here without you.

Sydney, I'm sure you'll dance your way around your HOA's rule. We can't air-dry here. Uncouth people who had dared drape wet pool towels over the back of lawn chairs were fined. Beware those HOA commandos. We had a rule at the old condo whereby you were forbidden to feed the ducks. We also had peacock bass on the canal. I would sit by the water's edge and give them fish food. Well sure enough, a busybody told me not to feed the ducks. I answered :" There is not a duck on sight because I am feeding the fish. There's no rule against that, so get lost before I throw YOU on the canal.". Gail was mortified, but I'm used to that.

Y'all have a glorious day now, y'ear?

Sylvain

This message was edited Feb 18, 2013 9:50 AM

It was 37° at ten last night, 32° this morning for a good three hours. I covered some plants last night and brought in the orchids. This morning though is the first time walking around my garden after cold temps that I can smell that smell, you know rotten vegetation. Oh well it was a nice thought to think just one winter maybe we could go without freezing plant damage.

Torn between being so glad it didn't dip low enough for me to spend hours covering plants (except my succulent collection), and actually wanting it cold enough to help destroy all the pests we seem to have been plagued with at the end of last summer (the new Rugose spiraling whitefly, plus mealybugs, and so on). Some of the worst infestations I've seen in many, many years.

sunkissed - When I worked at the Jax Zoo & Gardens, one of the Hort managers there would also comment on how much he hated the smell of frostbit plants. I've never noticed the smell too much. I like to think of winter, not as the killing time, but a time or renewal and regeneration. Most everything I have in the ground will now bounce back after freezes, even if they are frozen to the root crown.

I did forget to bring my potted Eugenia shrub indoors the first night (I think it is Eugenia myrtifolia, but it is the type of plant often used in topiaries). It had all the leaves "fried" and dessicated by the freeze, but I did get it inside before the 2nd hard freeze night which was worst than the 1st night of freezing temperatures. I think the Eugenia will make a recovery, but they are really frost/freeze sensitive. Other plants in the garden seemed to do as expected, depending on their location.

Here's some photos from today:

1. Caulocattleya Haddie Notch 'Paradise' orchid. I brought it inside in bud on Feb. 4. I expected it to take longer to flower, but seemed to do well in the filtered light of the kitchen window.

2. Keiffer Pear (Prunus communis 'Keiffer') coming into flower. I planted this pear tree in memory of my brother, Wallace, and dropped a handful of his cremains in the planting hole. Wally's spirit seems to be adding strength and good growth as this pear tree does better than all my other fruit trees.

3. Cherokee Rose (Rosa laevigata) just started flowering. This rose is of Chinese origin, but has naturalized throughout the eastern U.S. The story I heard is that the American colonists brought the rose from Europe to serve as a deer break from their vegetable gardens -- the rose grows too high and dense (some branches reach 12 ft or more in length) for the deer to jump over it, and the thorns (some about 3/4 inch high) are too long and sharp for the deer to walk through it. I can certainly attest to that last part having found myself somehow entangled in the branches more than once and ripping my skin open when trying to get free. I don't mean to cast dispersions, but our dear friends north in the Georgia legislature have adopted this non-native species as the official State Flower of Georgia.

4. Eranthemum pulchellum - common name is Blue Sage, but it is not a sage (Salvia species). It would do better further south. This is the first year I've seen it flower due to the warmer than usual winter. I propagated it from pruned cuttings when I worked at the Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens. It roots fairly easily.

5. My Zone 10/11 Tropical Houseplant Garden came through the freezes with no damage, due to being located in a warm "microclimate" created by the canopy of a large old Live Oak, the eave of the workshop, and being against the wall of the workshop. These plants have survived here for several years with no significant winter damage, even during the severest winters.

Jeremy

Howdy, well get ready for a temp dive again next week's end. Down to 37º here in Okee on Saturday.
One of my vines that reappeared on the corner of the deck was affected by last weeks chill. If I post a picture, I'm sure Jeremy can ID it. Waiting for another Hibiscus bloom to send pictures. I think they are in transplant shock.
Planting Amaranth this afternoon or tomorrow. I got the Parrot one and the deep beet colored one.
If I knew how to set the dye, (possibly salt) I might try to make some.
I have 200 seeds of each and will plant up several for the RU.
They, like coleus, look terrific en mass, so I will bring several.
Can you give me any other request that I could donate my zone advantage to?
I have a 20# hanging basket of tom tom small tomatoes. The foliage is so thick I can't believe it. It has several blooms and lots of green tomatoes. I am so concerned about how to care for it. I'm sure it needs to sit in tub of water for awhile every morning. I'll do that.
Toy, I will check that out. Geeze, the folks here are quick to jump on anything. Park in the wrong place, go the wrong direction, go a bit too fast, they are on it. Had a friend complain about a fellas boxers drying on the back porch. LOL
Just passed my one year anniversary and can't tell all of you Angels that prayed for me and sent cards thank you enough.
Now our Lock is due to open on March 9th.
On that date I will be selling jewelry at the Speckled Perch Festival here in Okeechobee.
Sidney

This message was edited Feb 26, 2013 1:44 PM

I have report that says 27 for the low here next saturday, the other 32. 32 Im good 27 is not going to be good. I have way to much new growth killed from last week. Still pouting about all the azeala blooms turning brown.

This message was edited Feb 26, 2013 1:46 PM

Yard in Jax is toast! LOL. Have some perennials that will come back. Will whack back all of the Duranta and weeds. Several vines need to come down. I am going back to Jax around the 11th or 12th and then up to NC for my son's BD.
I'll try to give the front bed a good knock back. It can then emerge again, more controlled.
I love S Fl to spend much time in Jax... And only for love in NC. ;)

This message was edited Feb 26, 2013 1:48 PM

Did I just hear thunder....could it really be true??? Rain on the way!!! We are beyond dry. I think that had alot to do with my freeze loss last week.

Raining like cats and dogs here! In fact my dogs don't EVEN want to make that "last call" tonight! I guess we'll have to wait for a little bit of a let up!

This message was edited Feb 26, 2013 1:42 PM

It rained some here. It was just enough to wet the leaves so you couldnt sweep them off the patio, dog brought mud in not sand. All the crap that oak trees make is everywhere. No different than any other February. I love the trees, and all the wild life that comes with them, but if Im every lucky enough to get to pick another spot, it wont have oak trees around the house, you can take that to the bank!!!!;-)

We have had rain on & off since ~8PM last evening. I can hear the plants slurping it up.

This message was edited Feb 26, 2013 1:49 PM

Great to here from you, Sidney!

The rain was much appreciated here last night. The occasional spritzes of drizzles weren't doing much to keep the plants happy. I managed to move all my orchids out of the dining room onto the front porch last night so they could get a good soaking. The greenhouse got stuffed with summer junk and what with the cancer treatments and the city code compliance hassles, I never got the greenhouse cleared out for winter to house the orchids. I got them into the dining room a few hours before the 20s F freezes last week. In the relocation last night, I found one Cattleya orchid with two big buds that should pop open in a few weeks. Always a thrill when they reward my (minimal) efforts with fantastic flowers!

Jeremy

This message was edited Feb 26, 2013 1:43 PM

It is always nice to hear from you, Jeremy. Congrats on the orchid buds. Orchids... the ideal autopilot plants, wouldn't you say?

DavidofDeLand, nothing we share on this thread is personal and confidential. We talk of our joys, sorrows, apprehensions, excitement, success and failures openly. Everyone is welcome to chime in. For private messages, Dmail serves our purposes admirably. So go ahead and join in to your heart's content.

Take care, my friends.
Sylvain

This message was edited Feb 26, 2013 1:41 PM

Hi Jeremy, the last freeze did trim back plants for me, and luckily only plants I would have trimmed back anyway. I should have taken cuttings of one plant my Russelia sarmentosa, it was damaged pretty good and I had some good stalks on it. Still kicking myself over that one. These darn freezes keep coming in on the weekends and we are so busy or gone on weekends. Your orchids are very nice by the way.

Looks like some cold nights again, and we're going to be camping near you gardenglory. The temps say down to 27 Sat. -Sun. Ouch...glad I have a motorhome. We'd cancel but this has been planned for my husband's 60th bday for almost 6 months and lots of family and friends are coming, and looking forward to it. Good think I love to cook, already have lots of soups and stews planned. I hate being away from my garden when temps dip so low....pretty bad when you want to stay home just to take care of your garden. ☺

My Aunt's orchid that I inherited, been in full bloom for the past month.

Camping, wow. Were do you go?

That orchid is just beyond stunning.

Hi, all.

I have been growing mussaendas since I got here 4 years ago. We love them. They can't stand the cool nights. We have lost 3 specimens so far. We got 2 cool nights, a week or so ago. Everything seemed all right with our current mussaenda until it dropped all its leaves within 3 hours, 2 days ago.

But there is hope yet: new buds are already growing on the bare trunks. It's not dead, it's only playing drama queen. I hate that. I don't have much space, so the motto here is: grow or be replaced.

Take care, all
Sylvain

Sunkissed, you need to put the pic of the Orchid over in the Orchid forum. I "work" at mine & have nothing near that stunning.

Next week, a friend & I are renting a tiller & her son is going to till new gardens for us!!!!!! I was beginning to think I'd have to be out there with a shovel to turn the area and it would take me "weeks". And I just bet I can even get him to haul some top soil & mulch for me.

Woo hoo it's been raining here all morning. We sure can use it. Colder weather predicted for here this weekend but who knows.

Bonnie

What an absolutely spledibulous day it was outside today. Sun, light breeze, 70 deg. Finished cleaning out the front & side beds. Discovered my Bottle Brush Tree has tripled in size and is full of blooms & buds. I do believe I need a few more. Trimmed back the Bougainvillea and Lantana. Cleaned off the back stoop and dragged 3 trash cans of cuttings & weeds down to the curb.

I feel so much better when the gardens look tended. And I think the neighbors are happier!!!

I had just kinda cleaned up the yard, and of course the storm the other day has littered the yard again with limbs and branches. I still have dead stuff I need to prune, but was waiting until after the 30 forcasted for the weekend. Im replanting the front bed...again. I do it every spring just cant get it right.

The Cypress are budding!

Must be Spring. I have all the beginning of the gardening season aches & pains this AM. And still so much remains to do.

Sunkissed -- your heirloom orchid is spectacular!

Lours - always great to hear from you, too. I hope your health concerns are getting as nearly resolved as mine are now.

Qwilter - when renting the tiller, you may want to find one of the smaller Mantis-type tillers or a rear-tine tiller. I rented a tiller once and the net result of my investment was that I was dragged around the yard by the dern thing. It tore up more of the lawn than it did the planting area because (even with considerably more strength in those days some 20 yrs ago) I couldn't control the large front-tine tiller. I have a Mantis tiller but it is in a state of serious disrepair at this point due to me 1. having someone work on it several years ago that claimed to be a small engine repair expert, but they messed it up badly, and 2. my own attempt at repair which left the parts scattered hither and yon. I will probably need to take it to an authorized dealer to get it running again. It really works great for me when it is running and provides all the tilling action I need in my sandy-soil garden.

DavidofDeland - I hope we haven't lost you as a participant in our rambling conversations. I notice all your posts have been deleted.

My latest life experience learned with some considerable discomfort: Eating raw bread dough can lead to a nasty yeast infection. Who knew? The infection expressed itself, using the gentility of the medical terms, as pruitus ani; but I think it is a more apt description to allude to Johnny Cash and his song, "Burning Ring of Fire." LOL I saw my primary care doctor yesterday and he provided me with prescription strength Monistat. I happened to have a regularly scheduled appointment for blood lab work at my HIV/AIDS specialist's clinic today and the nurse drawing my blood managed to get me into the schedule as an urgent care/walk in patient. The infectious disease doc today agreed with me that an anti-fungal prescription pill to augment the cream was a good idea. I feel much more confident now that I will be able to knock out the yeast infection with two lines of attack.

Another life experience as a result of the yeast infection: The pharmacy cashier yesterday commented on how good I smelled. I now know, patchouly oil can mask even the most foul of odors. LOL

Jeremy

O dear, wonder what happened to David. It was so great to have a new person.

David, I was so looking forward to visiting your home nursery and purchasing some plants.
Sidney

I do not understand what is going on with DavidofDeland, he seems to feel that we have not been "kind" to him.
I am sorry he feels that way but I have not notice anyone being unkind.

Sandy

New thread come on over
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1300595/

Wren,
After viewing the few comments on the efforts of those who send in albums of theirs on 'Garden Showcase';.... and being new here since mid January and thinking the 'Showcase' was a cool thing;...........actually looked at every new persons pictures and wanted them to know someone was looking and commented because it was fun to see their efforts grand or small. The lack of others comments and lack of interest in others garden pictures on the 'Showcase' was interesting to me. The comment by one member under "comments" on that forum insulting me for complimenting and taking the time to let others know I looked at their pictures made me think?... What would you think Wren? Then I started noticing on other forums how not just me,...but how many others have been sidestepped by groups of certain friends? Is this why you have started a new thread?...? It's O.K. Now that I have a clearer image of the workings and am paid up for a year,...I will be poking in from time to time and believe I try to be fair and am a good friend to have. I do love plants! Forgive me?

You sound like a Trooper Jeremy. I wish you health and a beautiful Spring...and thank you for sharing...
and I still think it would be great for Qwilter to stop in and see the place when she stops by the Quilt store on 17. Just D-mail me first and we'll talk about it on the phone. That is the same for you Sugarweed and anyone else who wants to stop by.........................As long as it is after mid April... (Of course I would want everything looking its best.......Ha!)