Is nice to look back, take a look at these now and then.

When I first moved in my house 11 years ago I went crazy. I cut everything back, a bit too much. Now I just want to control the over growth. I like when I can't see my neighbors house. I feel like I'm not in the city.

Now.

Then.

Now.

Then.

Now.

Then.

HAPPY THANSGIVING TO ALL MY GARDENING FRIENDS.

Look what I did today!

I transplanted these Water Lilies next to a tiny patch of soil on the side my green house.


This is the entrance to the green house, I planted these Thorn of Christ from cuttings. They'll get plenty of sun here, I hope they'll take. I did not use root starter.

LOOK WHAT I DID AND FOUND IN MY GARDEN TODAY.

WOW.....WOW......WOW!!! LOOK AT ALL THESE BEAUTIES BLOOMING AT THE SAME TIME. WHAT A SIGHT. I JUST LOVE MY ORCHIDS.
I now can keep all my orchids in the green house, but once they bloom I put them all over, NEAR ME TO ENJOY, once I had a blooming Vanda with the sweetest soft scent. I kept this Vanda for almost a month on my night table next to my bed. What a treat!

These are in the back porch and during this time of year I practically live out there, I'll get to see them all the time.




This is why I don't always spike my orchids. I kind of like to let them do whatever they want. I know commercial growers have to, for transportation and visual purpose but, OH! not me. Look at this Dendrobium, she's got PERSONALITY!



My latest find, this cute little Zebra, I literally dove into a garbage can for. I can't believe my sister was throwing her away. Welcome Ms. Zebra, you're new to me!



I'm going to use these Petunias and Begonias in hanging baskets, I'm sooooooo looking forward to that on Sunday.




Today I planted my impatiens in the back garden, this is my usual timing for them. In the front garden however, I think I got a little ahead of myself, I planted them Nov. 1st. That's kind of early for me, but I could not wait. This year I'm doing all one color front and back, I picked a salmonberry color I just fell in love with.

I planted 2 trays in the front and 2 in the back. Every year I say I'm going to cut down on the amount of trays, but I always talk myself into one more tray.
It really IS a great bargain! 18 impatiens in a tray for about $10.00, you can't beat that. OMG the show they put on when fully mature. I use Osmocote now and some when I give them a hair cut in mid Feb. (I'll post on that later)

THIS IS MY IDEA OF FALL!!!

We grew up in Chicago, and the only time I truly miss it is this time of year. So in honor of my beloved Chi-town I had to post this beautiful picture.

Look at this WOW AWESOME sight. Here in Miami our leaves don't change colors, I buy them at the craft store Yikes, we do what we gotta do.

A PUBLIC THANK YOU!!! TO MUCH LEARNING.

Thank you Rusty from Miami at the DRAGONFLY GARDEN.

While blog hopping I found DRAGONFLY GARDEN by Rusty. I ran and told my hubby, he thought I won the lotto. Rusty is a creative gardener with tons of gardening know how and a beautiful garden. He's in my same area, Miami. We share the same gardening challenges. How lucky can a girl get? Yippeeee! THANK YOU for inspiring me to start my 1st gardening blog!!!! Check out his blog, he's great.
(I haven't figured out how to add a link to a post yet, sorry!)

The scent of life, thriving! The scent of my green house.

Juan Eberto Plasencia, better known as DAD, at the nursery with my aunt and uncle, relaxing probably telling stories and making jokes (notice the cigarett).

I feel the need to do a little more explaining about my green house. I've always heard the saying "time can heal anything" (and I did have some help from God). My family is Cuban and we have lots of sayings, this one is my favorite. Now, I get it!

My family had nurseries in the Horse Country area of Miami. My best memories about our family together as a whole was when we lived in the nursery. Those were great times! Even once I got married and moved into my own place. I would stop by the nursery EVERY DAY after work, before I went to my home. By the time I got there all the workers had gone for the day and my dad had taken his shower, he had on a clean white t-shirt and he smelled of Old Spice. He waited for me to show me the work that was done that day.
After our walk around all the green houses, we would sit in the front porch and wait for the sprinklers to go off.... Ahhhhhh, the sound of sprinklers. The daily walk was done before he watered, because I'm very afraid of frogs. Yes I'm a gardener afraid of frogs. HA! HA!

He would tell me plans for the growers and the clients that had placed orders, all kinds of great conversations took place, just between him and me. My wonderful dad at home, surrounded by 5 woman, we must have driven him nuts at times.
Our daily walk, the damp smell of the green houses and all that fertile growth around me, till this day, those are the fondest memories of my dad.

My saddest day was when, he was very sick and he wanted to sell the nursery. I remember my final walk around the green houses. I did that walk alone while my mom waited for me at the front gates and I said good buy to all the plants. My dad died a few month after the nursery was sold.
My uncle still has nurseries and I remember not being able to visit him at the nursery for many, many years. I thought I would never have the courage to smell the inside of a green house again, that particular sent that reminded me so very much of my dad. But, I did and yes it was VERY sad and I did it, again and again and again.

Today I'm very happy and blessed to have my very own green house and I can't wait till it gets that impregnated moist scent of things growing, of LIFE!!!
I have some great plans for my green house and who know, I have a very creative niece that loves to scrapbook with me. Maybe ??? I can pass to her the love for what grows in a green house.

MY NEW GREEN HOUSE, I'M SOOOO EXCITED! AND, MY GARDEN SOIL RECIPE??? YES THATS RIGHT, I HAVE A RECIPE FOR THE SOIL I USE.

I just love my green house, it's on the east side of the house and it gets plenty of sunshine. It's not very big, 12 x 10, but It's plenty big for me. I'm so happy, I just love, love, love it! Whooo Hooo!!! When my mom saw it she got very happy for me, because she knows what this little green house means to me. The hardest task for me was the measuring and cutting of the shade cloth. I was so nervous!!! Like when you're sewing ......meassure twice, cut once or is that carpentry? Oh well, that's what I did.


I thought we would be using some metal washers and screws to hold the shade cloth, but at HD they advised us on these metal plates with prongs. So easy, just hammer them in.


Since I have to control the water intake on the orchids. After interviewing a few orchid growers in the Homested area (farming city south of Miami), we decided to go with the fiberglass panels for the roof top. It worked out great.


I hope these hooks are not going to rip the shade cloth, we'll see.


This is the inside of the green house. I'm making do with the shelf in the corner. My neighbor was getting rid of it and for now it's OK. My husband ask me what I wanted for Christmas and I told him shelving tables for the green house. I could of said a new dress.



My version of eye candy, nothing gets me going like GOOD SOIL. I think my back yard has the worst soil in South Florida. So I have to mix my own. Every time I have to go and purchase soil, I think, that's kind of sad. What will happen when we can't get it from a bag? What will we do? I hope I never find out.
Well today was a happy day because I worked in my garden. My day started with my wonderful husband mixing some soil for me. I remember a time when I could pick a bag of soil like nothing. Well things have changed, my back is "shot" as my husband would say. I had a difficult time admitting to my self, that I have to take care of my back. I just can't do what I use to do before. Hubby to the rescue. MY HUSBAND IS NOT A GARDENER, BUT I COULD NOT GARDEN WITHOUT MY HUSBAND. He's great!!!
I would love to start to compost, I have to look into a compost tumbler. I don't have a lot or room and I wounder how big they are?


This is my recipe: One bag of good quality potting soil, one bag of organic compost, I use cow manure and two shovels full of Peat moss. This is the best mix for me, you have it all, if I'm using it for hanging baskets or in clay pots I then add a bit or Perlite. In the past for some major project in the front garden I got the soil by the yard. But, I like my mix best.

I always get the large block of Peat Moss, great bargain.

My blender LOL. He mixes all up in the wheel barrel. I'm sure there is an easier way to do this, but this is what works for me. I just wheel it around as I need it.

This metal galvanized tub like container came back to the states with me from Germany, over 16 years ago. Its had many functions in my garden. I've thought of turning it into a container for a small herb garden, but I just can't see myself drilling holes in it. For now It covers my open bag of Peat Moss. I love it.

Fall season, Miami style.

It's fall. But, in Miami I think of it as spring. Yes, spring because now is when I plant my vegetables and herbs. The weather today was great, coooool and dry. I love it!!!!!
I'm so behind, with all the garden work specially in the little area bed that I plant my vegetables and herbs. It's a very small area and I'm really selective as to how I use it. I feel so blessed and thankful that I have a spot for them.
I need to mix my dirt and still clean up a bit more. I'm going to go to HD tomorrow for some much needed supplies and maybe I can pick up a few of my favorite herbs.

I have to take more picture of my back yard and you will see. I made some mistakes, we've covered with cement most of the back yard area. We have no lawn in the back, this is really good news for my husband. But, it leaves me with not many spots to actually garden on. I can do a lot in containers, I have some experience from my balcony days.

This is the path from the green house to the pool. This is an older picture because this little path is tiled now, but it looks some what the same. Not really, LOOK I just notice the size of the coconut trees, so little.


This is a look from the one end of the pool to the path, in the distance. The rambling hedge between the two coconut trees conceal the pool pump. You can't even tell, I love it!!!

My friend Daisy's soooooo cute garden.

You've heard of writers block, I sometimes get gardeners block.When I find a certain spot or an area I'm not happy with and I can't think of what to do???? Well that's a gardeners block. My solution, Daisy's garden. Talk about motivation, I just want to run home and get my hands dirty.

My always evolving garden. These are before and after projects of my back yard. I could live out here! Well, in South Florida only in the winter time.

This is our little outside, in the open, breakfast table. This cute little set, I found in a garage sale some time ago, sooooooo cheap. But, I’m painting it black; it’s on my Nov. to do list. This is the back of our enclosed car port; it faces south into the back yard. This Traveler’s Palm loves it here!(I think this is a giant white birds of paradise) OMG the blooms.
The miniatrue Ixoras, red, planted as a little care free hedge along the wall conceals an electrical pipe that powers the water pump.
The Bromeliads were given to me (about 10 of them) by my sister Dolly, they where in a hanging basket. This species of Bromeliads (don’t know the name) are a maintenance free, heaven sent ground cover. In full sun they are bright burgundy red and in the shaded areas they turn light greenish. I have tons in the back and in the front.

ANYONE IS WELCOME TO HAVE SOME!

NOW.


You can see the Traveler’s Palm (white birds of paradise?)peaking in the back. The variegated Liriopes are cuddling some stepping stones that lead to my favorite part of the back yard. My potting are. I’ll show you later. The mature tree in the distance is a Bottle Cork tree.

THEN.


This is the path that leads to the new green house my hubby made me. The path was paved with Mexican tiles that I love. I wish we could afford to do the whole back yard and around the pool.
This spot has not changed much, I did get rid of the mulch because of a drainage problems. Whenever it rained you couldn't find the mulch, it floated away. I was thinking all pebbles???

NOW.




I don’t know what happened to my Cuban Oregano. It was a gift from my father-in-law, I love bumping into it and releasing that beautiful sent. It's funny, looking back I don’t know what happened to certain plants???
The stepping stones lead to the well hidden pool pump, so necessary. Love it!

THEN.


This is my quite bench. It’s set right in front of the link fence that divides our property on the south (back of the yard). I just love this spot, I love looking at the yard from this angle, it’s so peaceful back there and the kids love it. They call it the path to the secret garden.

NOW.


The Areca palms are clean here, I think I like them better now, full and somewhat messy, but notice there is much less light. I have two major challenges in my garden; the soil and the lighting. I love the Red Sisters (I think that’s what they are called) I did cut them back. I wish I didn't.

THEN.

It's about time I started a garden blog. But I draw the line with books on tape. There is something about the sound and the smell of the paper as you turn a book page. I have always kept garden journals for the benefit of my seasonal planting, soil information and suppliers; you know all that goooood stuff.
I have a favorite garden journal, it's falling apart, it's old and dirty and I love it. Even when I lived in an apartment and my garden was my balcony, I kept a journal and I still have it. But, I'm new to blogging......So here I gooooooooooo!!!!!


WELCOME TO MY BLOG!!!

I thought I'd welcome you with these lovely pictures of this cute kitty cat. She kind of adopted us, after her family had to move due to these challenging times. I still can't understand how any one can leave a pet behind, but who am I to judge?
She comes every afternoon and we feed her, after my husband's thorough research of the best cat food.
I'm very allergic to cats, so when I give her some love I have to cover my mouth with a wet cloth and put a sock over my hand and then I can pet her. She loves it, because there is nothing quite like the human touch. Isn't she a beauty, I think she knows it - she poses.