The Dirt in Gardening: A Walk in my Garden

Northerners sometimes have a difficult time recognizing that Florida has seasons. Seasonal changes are especially noticeable in central and north Florida. During the winter, some of the trees in my yard loose their leaves. These include a golden rain tree, crape myrtle and a southern red maple. Other plants go dormant and the grass can turn brown from cooler temperatures and lack of water. I don't have an irrigation system, so I pull hoses around and use soaker hoses too. I made an effort this winter to keep my new plantings watered, so they would grow to provide privacy in my back yard. I think my efforts are paying off.

A spring garden is so fun because it seems there's something new, daily, to discover. Lately, I've been watching the leaves reappear on the trees and the amaryllis sending up their flower stalks. The suranim cherries are abundant, I've harvested red cabbage, tomatoes, basil and rosemary. I'm still experimenting with a vegetable garden and hope to start a raised bed for late summer. I've had orchids blooming and the geraniums, pentas and shrimp plant, which grow as perennials in my garden, are looking more vibrant and blooming more abundantly. Soon my frangipani will bloom. The angel trumpet, which I started as a cutting from my former yard, is in full bloom.

It feels so good to be back in the yard, digging the dirt, mowing the lawn, fertilizing, turning the compost and raking the leaves onto the flower beds for mulch. My mornings are spent reading the paper and watching the bird feeders for the cardinals, wood peckers and painted buntings. The pool is warm enough now for swimming, which I indulge in after a few hours of gardening. On the evenings that I cook, I enjoy picking fresh herbs and maybe a tomato. I look forward to when the eggplants, cucumbers, zucchini and peppers I planted are ripe.

I hope you are enjoying Spring too!