Florida Chit Chat #8 Spring is Coming

I thought mulch!!! I plan to put all that paper in the bottom of the raised bed that we are going to build

I get to go---need to kill a dog!!!! Way to much energy stored up.

Sandy

Gardenglory, you found some nice goodies at the plant show. I can't wait to see the copper beaded trees you found. That is a very unique looking petunia. I always stick a few petunias in my flower pots to add some color while waiting for the cut back plants to rebound again.
I have four poinsettias that still look pretty good from Christmas around the garden in their original pots. I agree they never last this long.

Boy did the storms do some damage here yesterday. Our friends that live in southeast Orlando around Avalon park lost a couple trees and some huge branches. Luckily none hit the house. She said is was pretty scary for a bit. We'll go over there tomorrow with the chain saw to help them clean up the mess.


All this rain is making the garden look so happy. My rain barrel runneth it over. ☺ Looks like another few cool nights though...yet again.

It is quite chilly out this AM!!!!

Hello Floridians!

I am a newbie to DG and just found the Floridian Gardening forum this morning. It's nice to be able to talk to people and ask for the advice of people who know the growing conditions we have to deal with down here.

I know I speak for myself...but I am over this "winter" and these chilly temps!

Shauna

Shauna - WELCOME! Tampa is a tough area to grow tropicals in - it's humid and hot and humid and cold - LOL!

Hi Kay,

Yeah, we seem to get it all here. Luckily this past winter was relatively mild and we only needed to cover the plants on a couple of occasions. My hibiscuses made it through the winter with no freeze damage!

I miss Tampa, altho people tell me the things I miss are not even there anymore. Its mostly food anyway ;-).
I grew orchids in tampa, but gainesville is just to cold a few weeks of the year, to make it much fun. I did slip this weekend and buy two. First ones in years , but I had to give them a try.
Always glad to have a new DG/FL friend.

I love Tampa..am one of those rare breeds that was born here.

I was born there as well...Tampa General
3 kids born at Womens Hospital. Dont know if its still there are not, across from St.Joesph's.

Lived in Lutz, when Bearass Ave. was outside of town ;-)

LOL, yes St. Josephs Womens is still there. I was born there and so was my son.

Since it is too COLD to plant anything I guess I'll be forced to go to HD & get mulch & pavers. Perfect weather for doing the heavy work. I see that JAX & N FL inland is under a frost watch for tonite!!!! We are usually a few deg warmer but will huddle all the potted plants back into the GH for the next 2 nites.

Isn't that the truth! Looks like things are possibly going to get slapped back again... I'm hoping not to wake up tommorrow morning and have burnt Spring buds and the Cannas which are now two and a half feet and beautiful flat to the ground again. We are supposed to likely be getting frost again too... Yuck {:-(
**************
Welcome Shauna!

You live far enough South that you will be fine I'm sure...

We hit the mid 40's last night and I didn't see any damage on my plants, but this cold weather makes it hard to work outside.

Well, it is 39 degrees here, right now - down to 35 tonight. It's supposed to be 5-10 degrees warmer than inland, but THIRTY FIVE degrees ON THE OCEAN, this late in the year, is ridiculous!!! I will cover all the tropicals AGAIN today!

The groundhog predicted an early spring...I think Punxsutawney Phil needs to be fired!

FYI........................HD has the 2 cu ft red mulch for $1/bag thru tomorrow.

Hi Shauna and welcome from another 9b zone gal. 47 this morning here, not too bad, but the wind...ugh.

Hi.

56 defrees here when I woke up this morning. Most of what I have in the ground is ok with that. But there is my mussaenda that doen't take kindly to cool weather. It sulks and drops all its leaves. It bounces back most times. When it doesn't, it's time to get another one .

Sylvain

Here is the new thread Sandy ask for. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1304269/
NEW THREAD http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1304269/
Please come on over.
Sidney

Hi Everyone, welcome Shawna, I've been outside all morning putting all my plants back into the GH, seems like that's all I do lately, plus, I got all my empty pots ready to cover the big stuff I have in the ground already, sheets, and all my panel curtains I'm not using to cover up the raised beds I have. This is some weather, make's you wonder when it's going to end, I keep praying for spring to show her lovely face. Such a mild winter, and now we're getting hit with freeze warnings, again!
Q, Thanks for the tip on the HD mulch, sent DH to pick me up about 20-30 bags at that price. Than I can lay ground paper around my beds and mulch, and not have to weed whack that area. Nice !!
I was out in the green house and checked the temp, it's a warm 83 degrees, I guess I'll put a little space heater in there tonight. I have pepper seedlings starting to come up, and some other seedlings that don't like the cold. I think I saw a thread that shows David's GH that he uses a heater in, that gave me the idea, when the temps reach 100 degrees plus in there I use a fan to move the air and keep things cool, I can get the temps to 80 degrees by using the fan, I want to see how warm the heater keeps it tonight. I moved everything back in, I have a kids red wagon that I use to haul my plants in, otherwise, they'd still be outside, too many to move by hand. The stuff in the ground, I have enough empty pots from my container garden I had last year, so they'll be used to cover the big stuff, sheets for over the ground plants, my corn is just peeking out of the ground, about 1/4"-1/2", I read I can put plastic over the corn, I didn't read anywhere where it say's don't let it touch the plant, so I'm assuming that it should be OK, if not, someone let me know before tonight, if your reading this. I have two different patches of corn. I have some more in solo cups, to be transplanted in a week or two, but don't want to lose what's already been planted. My strawberry's should be fine, from my understanding they can with stand some frost for a few hours, here again, get back to me if you think I should cover them. Just moving back from Thailand, a year and a half ago, I don't have a collection of old sheets etc. to use as cover, but will put everything I do have on the rest of my stuff in the ground. I bought 4 very long panels of insulated curtains from a yard sale, than decided I didn't like them, they are now being used for ground cover, I think cheaper than what I would have paid for the stuff they're selling at lowes and HD. lol, I have to start watching for old sheets and what not at yard sales, but usually they sell for more than what I'd want to pay to use as ground cover. I'm out of big boxes, I use them to transfer soil from my compost, and mix in with garden soil, the boxes take a beating when I'm trying to stir the compost and soil with my shovel, the boxes start to fall apart, so they get shredded and go into the compost heap. Also used as cover for my compost. I am so Thankful Hubby built my GH as soon as he did, I remember telling him he didn't have to do it till next fall, but than I didn't realize we'd be having a late freeze. I even put shelves in it, and than told myself I should have waited on spending the money for them, and now, am glad I did. Next year, I'll have worked all the kinks out of my gardening, and will be ready for whatever weather God hands us. This year has been tough, starting for a blank canvas to what it is now. Everyday , for the last 3 months has been spent in my back yard getting things ready for the garden, and than planting it, just to have the frost come in and take it all away. I'll fight to save what I've done, and be glad when the garden finally show's me some beautiful vegetables for my efforts:) !
For everyone here in the Florida Garden Forum, I'm praying that we all come out of this with healthy plants and very little damage. Have a great Day, Jami

ps: I did post these picture's on another thread.should have done here to begin with ! Sorry about the double post.I'm not even sure where I posted it, I think on my own thread. OH well !

In these picture's I'm going to use the curtain panels to cover these beds, in the next picture is where I have my corn planted, the 2 rows to the left of the picture, I'm going to cover these to hills with plastic, I have some left over lumbar from the shed to hold the plastic in place because of the wind, and than the 3rd picture is of my lettuce, and romain lettuce, and a few cucumbers, not quite big enough yet, so this will be covered with some beach towels I have, Laying right on the plants, I hope this won't hurt them, I have no way to keep the towels off the plants, and than the 4th picture is the other patch of corn, here again, plastic to cover this crop. All my seedlings are in the GH, with some potted plants, some flowers plants, and flower seedlings.
I'll run an extension cord over the GH, from the garden shed, to plug in the small electric heater I have. That should maintain the temperature for the seedlings to be OK.

After all this being done, I'm keeping everything where it's at, till I know there isn't going to be no more cold. My back can't take all this moving every other week, I feel for someone who is much further ahead in their gardens, what they must be going through. To everyone, have a comfortable evening, stay warm !! Jami

Those flannel lined table cloths are also great plant covers. After any holiday you can get them at least 50% off.

You really do love to share a lot Jami. You know what you are doing and do it well. You do tend to write too lengthy of messages a lot though for me...

Great pictures. Youve sure put in alot more work than I have this year, thats for sure. Your going to be eating good this summer.

Gardenglory had the better words to say...

...and there will always be something to say tommorrow...

Jami keep talking away, us old timers love to read what is going on in everyone's garden, specially as I can not do much any more.

Sandy

Isnt that the truth. The less I can do, the more I like to read about what everyone else is doing. Gardening vicariously thru everyone elses energy. I wish my body could do just half as much as what my mind wants to do. I of course, love everyones pictures as well.
Ive been told I can talk the horns off a billy goat. ;-)

LOL

All my friends say I tend to talk a lot, but when your disabled, and aren't out in the public work force anymore, you tend to make up for it when your on a community chat forum, or when someone come's to visit. I've been disabled since 2007, and at 55 years of age, I should be out there working yet. Now, I pray each day when I wake up, to let me get through my day, and gardening is my therapy, I put a lot into it, and it's become my life, my job, and I look forward to it each and every day. I'll never sit on my couch and stare at my TV, that's not me YET! And because I am at home most of my time, and the garden is my only vise, I tend to talk about it, maybe more than other's do! That's all I have to chat about, except for my 3 dogs, my 5 grandchildren, my son's upcoming wedding, September 7th, If I'm chatting to much, I'm so very sorry!

BTW, everything is covered and I feel good that I won't lose to much,

TTYAL, jami

Jami you are fine, I am also disable and when I am around people I also talk to much.
I would love to hear all about your plans and your gardens. So Talk away!!!! the only reason I done on here is because my fingers do not want to type like they use to.

Sandy

Jami,
So glad you are able to garden and it is not a vise. The good Lord planned it from the very beginning for us to have gardens and some folks enjoy it more than others and we just happen to be plant happy. Being able to provide some food for the table is a great bonus. Can't beat fresh produce and going out into your garden and getting it--it doesn't come any fresher. When my 4 kids were little I used to can and freeze a lot of produce. Now if I have any extra from gardening I always can find someone that is glad to get it. I never let any go to waste. Two of my children are close by so I always call them first and then neighbors. Hopefully someday my little church will be able to have a large freezer as part of our food ministry and then I will certainly plant more. Right now we just have a bread room and it always is gladly received also. I have 13 grandchildren and 14 great grands but unfortunately most are very far away but at Christmas we have a really lively house which is the way I like it. We eat don't drink but are very merry

BTW,
Wren or anyone heard from Jeremy??? Last post I read said he had beaten the cancer which is wonderful. Guess it's time I gave him a call. I think he was at library last time he posted.

Weather has been kind of crazy. Will watch a forecast tonight. I don't watch much tv. Hope you all up further north don't loose a bunch of plants. After i read your post I brought my Hawaii sunset vine nto the house as its loaded with buds finally and I really don't want to loose it. My blue sky vine is already starting to climb and I think I had better move it as last summer it went up over the house and into a tree limb. I have another place where we have a wood arbor built which is very high up and will acomodate it. That was acquired from a RU I think from Jeremy. The yellow cestrum he gave me has spread and blooms all the time. If anyone coming to the RU would like some I would be happy to cut some cuttings off

Well heres hoping tonight doesn't anililate everyones hard work with your plants.

Regards, Bonnie

You all are so kind, I'm not a newbie here, just was on a sabbatical for awhile, and never felt like I was going overboard on the chat, as everyone else like's to read what's being said on here, so do I! I learn a lot, and I also enjoy the stories people share, it make's one's day 's go quicker, when that's all they have to look forward too. Anyway, I shall be me, and continue to be myself! Thanks, Jami

Bonnie, I got an email, a couple of weeks ago, from Jeremy - things seem to be going o.k. with him.

Please come over to continue conversation or discussion. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1304269/
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1304269/
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1304269/
Thanks,
Sidney

We do this so those on dial up can keep up.

This message was edited Mar 26, 2013 9:04 PM

Thanks for sharing that you are currently disabled Jami, but fortunately not so badly that you cannot work in your gardens...

I'm sorry if I offended you and understand more now...

Heck, look at it this way,........I helped skyrocket your Florida Gardening forum popularity!

Keep up the good works...
In this post on one of my threads you said you were now as "Healthy as a Horse" and I had no idea you were disabled.
*****************

jamibad
Flagler Beach, FL
(Zone 9b)

March 18, 2013
09:56 PM

Post #9454146


Quote


here's my pond my hubby and I built at the old home we lived in before moving here! I wish I could have moved it, but when we left this house we went to Thailand for a year, was supposed to be 5 years, but I got sick, and had to come back to the USA to get fully well, which I am, thank God, but some days I miss being there, and I really miss things we sold before we moved there, as we couldn't take them with us. Here's my pond, and a few picture's of us in Thailand, ( I know I'm out of thread on this, but I just had to post something of Thailand:) ) This was a beautiful country, we managed to have about 13 months there, before I ended up in the international hospital for 10 days, after surgery, stomach problems, couldn't eat after I got out, constantly sick, so my hubby packed us up, and flew us home. It did take 3 months or so for him to make the decision as I was constantly fighting him over it, I wanted to stay, but he was very fearful for my health, so... here we are, I guess you could say he made the right decision, as I'm as healthy as a horse, as you can see when looking at my gardens, I really wanted to build a garden there, but at the time, we were still in the tourist mode, so never got a chance to settle down and start building a life there. I had a maid, we had gardeners, and if we wanted the maid would cook for us. There was so much to see and do, that I never had a chance to live like we do here at home, which is weird, we went there to live. Anyway, I have nothing but good things to say about being there, wish we could go back, but now, I have a new life, and am "living " again! ( if that makes sense?)

Read more: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1301348/#ixzz2OjgIsFnB

This message was edited Mar 27, 2013 4:40 AM

This message was edited Mar 27, 2013 5:32 AM

This message was edited Mar 27, 2013 5:48 AM

David, nothing for nothing, I'm very glad I'm healthy! When you put it into words, healthy can be a good thing, as my blood work show's I'm healthy, BUT, I have a titanium plate in my cervical spine, I have degenerate bone disease, I had major surgery in 2007, almost lost my right arm from nerve damage because of a pinched nerve caused by a deteriorating disc. I'm plated for C-3 to C-7. Now my lower back is giving me problems, No one in there right mind would hire me if I wanted to work, which I can't. My garden is my therapy, and when I can get up each and every morning and go out and work in it, I feel Great! My DH helps, I have some friends who come over and help, I am healthy as a horse, I just had a doctors appt. 2 days ago to review my blood work, as I was having problems with my liver, from medicines I took during the healing process from the surgery, my blood work came back Normal, the first time in 2 years. My bout with sickness in Thailand came from a parasite I picked up over there. I had to come home to get well. I spent a year after my cervical surgery in a hard neck brace, than went to a soft brace for another 6 months, I slept in a recliner, I had no life at that time because I was limited to what I could do, I than had 2 more surgery's to repair the damage in my hands, that was caused by the cervical disc's pinching nerve's, My hands still give me problems, I drop things, I get a burning sensation in my finger tips, this isn't always happening, but it does happen. Than when I went to Thailand, we moved there because of the warmer weather year around, as my bone's hurt from the cold, but when I picked up the parasite, I couldn't eat, started losing a lot of weight,( like I have it to lose, which I don't) another 6 months of being ill, after a point you start feeling like life isn't worth living because your always sick or in pain. Well, I'm 100 time's better now, the cold still get's me down, but when I say I'm healthy, to me I am! I really shouldn't have to explain myself, but since your wondering, there you have it. I don't know what caused you to react to me the way you did, I haven't done anything or said anything to disrespect you, so why all this drama? Working in the garden helps me to sleep at night. I get very tired from the air, and it helps me to sleep at night when the pain of laying on my sides causes my arms to burn, when laying on my back, my legs hurt, so the garden is my savior, I fall into bed so tired, that I can get at least 6 hours of straight sleep, before waking up full of pain. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. There are days I can't work in the garden, but it doesn't interfere with anyone or anything on those days. If I held a job, I'd be fired within a month, for calling off due to my health issue's. Why should someone who's disabled not be able to work in a garden? Anyway, If you chose to ignore me from here on out, so be it, I don't hold grudges, You get what you give,and, If you look back at some later post, not always on the garden threads, try mosaic art, frugal living, and trash to treasure, you'll find some of my later threads. At that time I didn't have a garden, Last year was the first, and it was a container garden. I've been a paying member of DG since 2009, You didn't promote me in anyway, I promoted myself, thank you!

Now... Since I got that out of the way, How is everyone ? Did you make it through the cold last night? I did, and my garden did just fine. I had the heater on in the GH, thanks to David saying he had one in his, I never would have thought of that, so Thank you for that little bit of information David, it helped in there tremendously, when I looked in the temperature was holding steady at 60 degrees. This morning when I went out to open up, it was a toasty 65 degrees in the GH, everything else was under blankets, towels, what ever I could get my hands on. When I finally got everything uncovered, things looked normal. Now I'm hoping the cold leaves us and spring shows her pretty face. I hope everyone made out just as well.

Have a blessed and sparkling day! Jami

Jami,

Just came home for lunch and got your message.

I respect you much, and thank you for the education, and truly wish you the most positive today and healthy tommorrows. God bless you.

Sincerely, and Happy Gardening,

David.

David, Thank You, No harm meant:) !

Yes Jami,

There was no harm meant at all. I wonder how those TV sitcom neighbors/family/roomate shows, make everything work out by the end of a 30 minute episode,...when one character blurbs something 'off the top of their head' at each other!...Ha! ( "The Golden Girls" were pros at it!...

I was so controlled be early instructors in the 'School of Communications' days to;......."Now David. You did not get a good grade on this paper because,...while you write well, yet you tend to get off the subject and ramble!"

I fight myself to these days personally, to not do that (and fail a lot still Ha!) and was likely projecting a tad of that in that communication with you.

I will be looking forward to many more pictures of your gardens developing through this season,...and I completely meant what I said in some thread somewhere,...when I said,...We should be neighbors!

We both share artistic and gardening talents. If I had said what I blurbed to you over the fence as neighbors and you had seen my face at the time,....we would have laughed at each other together,....and one of us would have said to the other,......"So watcha' up to tommorrow?"

So,........."Watcha' up to tommorrow?!" {:-)

I love your pictures! (of course I love mine too......Ha!) Sharing is fun, and I try to remind myself all the time,..pictures are the best and tell it all. I'm Looking forward to your new thread entries!

(I try to avoid D-mail as much as possible. The reason is,....I would rather share fairly my comments and thoughts openly in forums, to avoid the feeling that I am taking sides and forgetting another unfairly. Open communication tends to make groups more cohesive for me.)

David

Love a happy ending, kudos to those involved. Words are so flat on the screen, sometimes its hard for those words to come across as they were meant.
Just a glorious weather day.