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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.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Early Tomatoes or Late Tomatoes?

The edible garden finally got some much needed attention this weekend. Every spring I'm reminded of how much time is required to do things right in this part of the garden. It can only be neglected for a short time and lack of attention will be evident. The start of April looks more like May. I'm guessing proliferation is due to our very warm February. Checking back to last year's records (just to be sure) reveals that truly every plant is ahead of schedule. There have been a couple of odd twists in this spring garden. With tomatoes and green beans that made it through all the freezes of winter we've had ripe tomatoes since late January and fresh green beans since February. That's odd. The first ripe tomatoes are ususally in May. In truth they were fall tomatoes. You see, they were covered and uncovered with drapes of freeze cloth many times in December when they should have been giving us fruit. That cold delayed their production until January. Odd. New plants of tomatoes and seeds of beans were planted for spring ~~ they are not ready to harvest. The snap peas (planted 11.10.10) are fizzling out now that the soil has heated up. Romaine lettuce is looking scraggly after the combination of all the rain last week and days of high temps . I'm culling most of it this week before it gets too hot and turns bitter. The last of the broccoli and cauliflower were eaten (such good stuff while it lasted) so I'll rip them out and plant my okra and eggplant in their stead. Everything got another dose of either Tomato Tone or Peruvian seabird guano fertilizer. I've been pleased with the results these organic mediums provide. With the heat comes more bugs ~~but so far they haven't been terrible. I know it will get worse as time (and heat) marches on. The fresh scents in the edible garden of herbs and vegetables are unquestionably delicious. Another pot of collard greens were cooked up just tonight~~ straight from the garden. Still supplying yummy goodness. Mammoth dill from seed ... it really is mammoth... and already flowering. And now the flowers of the confederate jasmine clambering over the length of the perimeter fencing is blooming. Early by a few weeks. Sweet, lemony fragrance is filling the air. Speaking of the perimeter. I've utilized 'Snow Princess' Alyssum and Sedum Florida-Friendly Gold as ground cover on the backside of the edibles . That chartreuse has a way of drawing the eye right to it. Thunbergia erecta King's Mantle was added this spring in place of the purple firespike that was yanked out. Also, just for fun, a Louis Philippe rose. The firespike was taking up way too much room. Harvesting a handful of whatever the mood calls for at the moment is often all that's needed. Other times a basketful is harvested... the beauty of having fresh vegetables at your fingertips. Gaillardia pulchella reseeded everywhere in the edibles this year. It is not easy to pull up perfectly good plants that are taking up too much ground. Soil is needed for edible species but flowers draw in the pollinators. Do you see the damselfly again to the left of the bee? Such a pretty and delicate thing. It is so rewarding just to walk through the garden and see all the life flitting about in streams of light. Such delightful sensory-goodness as the sun signals the critters to awaken each day. These are the critters we invite. We want them to visit and to take up residence. These are the critters I wish never would have found my garden. This colony is but a smattering of what I typically find each morning. Smashing ensues and I can only hope I'm finding the clusters as they hatch. Carrots were hiding under some tomatoes I pruned. Sweet Treat hybrid from Burpee. They were added to stir fry of squash, peas, broccoli, cauliflower and sweet onions last night. Large containers of oregano that doesn't melt in our heat has been a great performer for several years. Black and blue salvia is mixed in for color that comes back each spring. Yarrow in the foreground of the container has pushed out its first bud. Yay. This spot must be getting enough sun. I've mentioned previously how my yarrow is just a pretty fern-like green plant. But now! Flowers will join in the fun. There are never-ending surprises in this part of the garden. So much life! Always drawing me closer. Beckoning for a touch, a pinch, a nose-dive into a fragrance, a dead-head, a watering... it's a glorious place to be!

16 comments:

  1. I agree, *a glorious place to be*. Your gardens are wonderful, productive, as well as lovely to look at.

    FlowerLady

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  2. I am smashing more lubbers this year than last. It seems like an increase over last year but I may just be forgetting how many I squish. Thanks for the Sedum link. The popularity continues to grow. I used it to surround our raised vegetable garden in the holes in the concretes blocks and it is putting on a spectacular flower show right now. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=50233&id=100217636689685 We will have a new Lobularia this fall called Silver Stream that is more fragrant and a little less aggressive. I will get you some when I receive it.

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  3. The garden is lovely. You have put in a great deal of work and now reaping the rewards. I look forward toyour blog each week. Marla

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  4. Your gardens amaze me with every post. I can't imagine they are ever neglected. I despise those grasshoppers too!...we had a terrible thunderstorm last night, I see some tree limbs scattered throughout the yard...sigh

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  5. Lush and luscious, as usual. That basketful of veggies looks so yummy! You've been one busy gardener!

    How often do you add the Tomato Tone to the veggies?
    Someday, our veggie garden will be half as productive as yours. (sigh)

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  6. Beautiful pictures- has me longing for summer here in the cold north.

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  7. I'm only a recent follower, but I love mornings when I see you've posted! Thanks for all the lovely pictures and BAH to those lubbers! I haven't seen any yet (knock wood).

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  8. Hi Meems...You are right -- the garden is a glorious place to be, especially in spring. I guess those nasty old lubbers feel the same way. I've been out elimination them wherever I find them. Glad to see you will get some yarrow flowers this spring...they are very pretty and last quite a while. My lettuce has already bolted...as well as my collards which has never happened before. The storm last week knocked the tall flower spike over. It's storming again today but not anything like last week...fortunately. Enjoy these beautiful spring days.

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  9. I can understand you loving to be in your edible garden these days. It always looks so appealing with all the flowers and flying creatures. Add to that the great harvests and that part of your garden must be just about perfect.

    I had to laugh about your comment on the purple firespike. My more prominently displayed one was going to be moved at least when I spied ONE lone purple spike. How that one bud made it through the winter I don't know because I quit covering it after the first freezing night. But, it was enough to spare the bush for now.

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  10. Beautiful, and a taste of things to come for us in cold climates. I almost look at the lubbers photo and think "cool grasshopper", but I don't because I know that down there they are a terrible pest.

    Love the flowers mixed with the edibles, and some sort of Gaillardia should be required in every garden I think. =)

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  11. Meems, Your vegies look so yummy and your garden always looks beautiful.
    I have been killing my share of lubbers too. Have a great week. Janis

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  12. Love the damselfly photo!

    My confederate jsmine is only now starting to climb our new fence installed last spring, but my next door neighbors have an entire pergola draped with very mature, lush CJ and it smells divine. How nice of themm to share the beautiful fragrance by installing their pergoal so close to our deck!

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  13. That photo with the bee and damselfly is just beautiful. How marvelous that we share a mild climate in which we can enjoy fresh veggies in "winter". I have been harvesting tomatoes since late January and have about three months again of harvest before the summer heat takes over.

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  14. Hi Meems,
    Your veg garden looks like it has been really producing well for you. The Collard plants here in the Sandpit raised beds have also been producing beyond all expectations. Im going to have to freeze some of them for later use as they have been so prolific. Nothing better than fresh vegetables straight from the garden.

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  15. I love how you say this is my vegetable garden and it is full of flowers! :) You have the most beautiful garden I am not surprised that you are delighted to be out there.

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  16. Thank you all for taking a minute to hang out in my edible garden with me. It is truly full of life with all the buzzing pollinators and the sound of bird's wings and songs. There are so many tiny flying critters with incredibly adorable characteristics... I don't know the names of them.

    And welcome to new visitors (or commenters)Alan, and Mimi20, and Jamie. So nice to meet you all!

    Daisy,
    I use the tomato tone every other week (if I remember). In between I like to give them a dose of fish emulsion.

    Meems

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Have a blessed day,
Meems


September 2010

Back Garden: October 2010

Louise Philippe: Antique Rose

Tropical Pathway