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"Possibility and promise greet me each day as I walk out into my garden. My vigor is renewed when I breathe in the earthiness and feel the dirt between my fingers. My garden is a peaceful spot to refresh my soul." Meems






Welcome to my Central Florida Garden Blog where we garden combining Florida natives, Florida-Friendly plants, and tropicals.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

the grass withers and the flowers fade...

can it get any hotter? all plant life is wilting and suffering (not to mention- i am too). my lawn woes seem never ending. after fertilizing in june and a few weeks later in july applying a granular insecticide --by the end of july my lawn was in distress. it went from lush & green after fertilizing (which only lasted a few weeks) to sparse & light green after my sod web worm episode and slow recovery. i keep reminding myself it is this difficult every summer due to the unpredictable rain patterns and drastic heat. but that doesn't make it any easier to stay on top of the problems.



now i realize there are bigger issues going on in the world but this is a garden blog so please pardon my trivial pursuits.
i've been trying to determine what i could do to help the situation. i knew i couldn't use a typical fertilizer because it is too hot and it could burn the grass. saturday after the usual weekly tidying up i got the idea to spread 4 bags of milorganite on the lawn in an attempt to give it a midsummer boost. it's a first time experiment. i used to use milorganite all the time - not on the lawn but as a general shrub & plant fertilizer. somehow i hadn't used it in years. the great thing about it is that it won't burn the lawn and it doesn't have to be watered in immediately - but the rain does activate it.

we got our first really good rain in seven days tonight. these are the small things in life that make me very thankful. i'll be looking for greener grass in a few days.

here are some other random photos i took this weekend:

crepe myrtle still blooming



coleus getting tall and leggy- i staked up several of these and also made cuttings and put some in the ground. if they get enough water they will root and make new plants.

just for fun--i lay on the ground to take this photo of some of my tree cover

7 comments:

  1. Loved your crepe myrtle pic and the one from the ground, looking up. What a great metaphor for life...if you're lying on the ground---look up!

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  2. I just love shots like that tree cover one! I can't remember being this hot since I was a kid. We were visiting relatives in SC. Just sitting in the shade, we were drenched. My planter out front deserately needs clearing out, but it's not gonna happen anytime soon. Even the lantanas are starting to droop.

    Have a JESUS-filled day! ^i^

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  3. Hot! Hot! Hot! and we are not talking Matt Mc! This is August in the reclaimed swampland of Florida, where only the foolhardy and the tourists venture outdoors mid-day! This is the time of year for A/C activities in the cool haven of home. Can you believe the pre-season football games have started in this climate of hot oven temps? It is a wonder those guys survive in all that heavy gear, but then, that is part of the Romanisc appeal of the game.

    The pic of your shade trees was great! In this unrelenting heat, it must be refreshing to lay down on the cool, green grass and look up towards your leafy boughs of heavenly covering, and just contemplate the wonder of your backyard retreat. Don't sweat the small stuff like withering grass! Everything has it's best season, and this is the worst of times for keeping growing things from wilting! Still, your crepe myrtles are gorgeous, and some plants actually thrive in the summertime, like coleus. All in all, you maintain a lovely garden year around! Relax & enjoy!

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  4. I put my vote in for your great picture under the trees...I love it!

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  5. mlm: like your take on the metaphor

    sophie: thanks. all my lantana are in pots and they are requiring daily water with this heat.

    sg: thanks. hubby and i were just feeling very sorry for those boys starting practice last week.

    princess: thanks! it does seem to be a clear winner.

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  6. Love the coleus (beautiful colors) and the tree pic (really neat). I'll be interested to hear how the milorganite does. Do keep us posted!

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  7. susan: thanks... and i will post an update on my lawn woes :-)

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Have a blessed day,
Meems


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