Rollercoaster

Temperatures sputtering into the 50's for the next few nights.  Hopefully we'll get some sun during the days to offset the cooling. So far we have a grey morning sitting on top of us. I have a day off of work, which, because it's a weekday, will make driving to the 2 nurseries I'm planning to visit much easier. First to Living Color as they have a nice selection of healthy vines, then to Flamingo Road Nursery as they are having a 30% off sale on large pots. I'm taking the dog so I can't go to J Durkos.



Creme de la creme

I'm thinking of replacing a 22" plastic pot, now filled with a pretty orange bougie and a scrappy plumeria, with a 22" glazed ceramic in which I can plant a vine of sufficient strength to withstand the 4th storied elements-- as well as a shrub, maybe like the heirloom grafted gardenia that found itself in the back of my Prius recently, the flower of which will perfume a room with a heady, sweet fragrance for days.



Back from the nurseries.
 New french blue pot, xanadu in front of large stephanotis vine for the west handrail

The promised kiss of springtime

Very warm day today. Well into the 80's. The late pm cooled somewhat. Got outside by about 3pm to finally pot bamboo palm. I had a handsome square planter hanging around which I pressed into use. One large rhizome in the pot was hanging loose, so I planted it separately. It is against the east wall and has shelter from morning sun, overhead sun from the palm fronds and by 2 or so, the sun goes behind the roof of portico. Another experiment on what can be grown where. More later on this.

Soft evening cotton

Flamingo Road Nursery is having a 30% off sale on large pots, a lot of which are very handsome 25-30" big boys for $200. Didn't buy today, but I have Thursday off (my 51st birthday) and I'll go and celebrate.

The center handrail

Trade Winds of the Caribbean

The royal palms are waving in a very friendly manner toward today's gorgeous ocean breeze. This weather somehow has bougainvillea written all over it- smashing colors of the Caribbean. It's as if someone had set the climate control  to 'perfect'. I've had the good fortune of working the late shift x2 this week. I get to spend part of the morning doing one of my favorite things, using the hose. It's been sunny and warm after the precipitous drop into the 50's last week, the watering was not lost on anyone.

The nature of addiction

 Instant gratification. I bought 2 gal. sprayer and an economy box of MiracleGro granular plant food. 4 tbs went in the sprayer, not the 2 tbs. indicated in the instructions. Instant growth. 2tbs good, 4 is better. Of course it doesn't work this way in the garden. Too much food; leggy growth, oversized leaves, burnt roots, dead plant. I don't think I've killed them this time. But I'd do well to remember that patience and respect for process are the axioms of a respectable gardener.

I need to repot begonia 'Big Mac'. The plant currently sits about 1/2 down from lip of pot. The rhizomes are having a time of it.

Food for thought

A comment from yesterday:

" I notice you pay close attention to plant nutrition but I never see any post where you utilize foliar fertilizer applications. I have done extensive research (professional) on this subject and highly recommend its practice. When ever fertilizer is applied to the soil, it can tie up on both organic and inorganic molecules making it unavailable to the plant. Also, the plant has to have a prolific root system to absorb the fertilizer solution which many nursery grown plants do not or roots are compromised by soil born pests such as nematodes or fungus. When the soil is too or too dry, the root is restricted in nutrient uptake. When fertilizer is applied as a foliar spray, the nutrients are adsorbed within a few hours bypassing the problematic soil ecosystem. Use the high quality MiracleGro and a cheap hand sprayer or when watering, pour your fertilizer solution over the foliage. Use foliar as a supplement to your normal soil applications and I think you'll see a positive response" 

Thank you for the comment. I am looking forward to giving your suggestion a try. Any suggestions for a soil amendment for potted plants that would prolong soil health? 

Winter rain

Unseasonable winter rain. It's been coming down for 24hrs straight. Temperature dipping into 40's possible. The good news-- the bamboo seems to have responded to SuperThrive right nicely.

Feathery growth, looking quite refreshed in this winter rain

I can't resist posting one of my potted jungle. 

A lot of different leave textures here. The bamboo palm seems none the worse for a little sun.. 

Waiting on the results

It's been difficult of late to write new posts; work is tiring, the winter days have cut into my working light, and  plant growth has been much slower compared to the overheated growth of summer. I suppose if one keeps the writing very simple and keenly appreciative of the infinitesimals of life- posts can remain living themselves..  It's necessary to list some newly introduced plants or arrangements of plants the success of which i am waiting with somewhat bated breath:
1. Lady Palm-- will it survive increased, sun and sharp cutback of new growth when it was planted ?
2. Bamboo Palm -- although tucked away and protected somewhat, it's an under-story palm not a 4th story terrace palm.
3.Bougainvillea planting in large planters.. seemingly (way) over-potted, will they grow into the rich potting soil which extends 8" of which lies below the bottom of the root balls. Should I have added sand to the mix? more vermiculite? Probably. Too late the misanthrope.

Going to work, more later. Have a fabulous day. Remember, use your imagination for God surely will. Never under estimate a god. Who is the saint of curiosity? What god is attributed with thinking outside of the box? Whoever, they probably had servants-- it always makes things look much easier  than they really are.

The radiator

Warm day. Squarely into the 80's, watching news of the northern blizzard grateful to be only 30-40 miles west of the center of the gulf stream as it wraps it way around the horn of Florida. Haven't had a lot of time to dig in like a pig into the garden. There are things to be done; pot the bamboo palm, clear out purple bougie from small square planter (or not, let it grow back from obscene pruning). Swept up today in preparation for a possible visit by a neighbor I've spoken to while walking the dog. He has 3 terraces and says he's unable to find wind tolerant plants etc. Designing a terrace garden from scratch with a few grand to spend would be a fabulous project. I'd love to submit my plans for planting all 3 terraces. Anyway, back to earth, the Vietnamese gardenia was getting gangly with branches crossing over each other. I hadn't pruned it when I first bought it, usually best to cut all branches except 4 or 5 main branches that look like that they will provide a nice ball of foliage. I cut back today, it will be fine.  Dinner time. More later.

The beginning of a large radiator passes through this gauntlet. Even during the pleistocene period, when FL's land mass was much larger, the straights were a deep cut around the eastern end of the peninsula. Hungry minds see below.

 The Strait as Conduit

The Strait's primary hydrographic feature, the Florida Current, creates the conduit, channeling back to the North Atlantic much of the water volume lost to the Southern Hemisphere via the deep thermohaline conveyor. Though only a short segment of the North Atlantic Gyre, its enormous mass transport, a mean of 30 Sverdrups (Sv), funneled through such a narrow channel, makes it the spigot of the Gulf Stream. A Sverdrup is a measure of volume transport equal to 1 million cubic meters (of water) per second. Mariners have used this powerful current for centuries to carry ships northward from the trade wind belt and Spanish Main to the prevailing westerlies for the return trip to Europe. Biologically, the one-way flow creates a continuous enough environment so that many bottom-dwelling organisms have ranges extending from northern South America to southern Florida.

Hence, USDA agricultural zone 10b, Bermuda shorts, the English rose,

The clear blue days of winter

Sweet days of late. Sunny 70's, into the mid 60's in the eves. Several residents in bloom; bower vine, Vietnamese gardenia, bougainvillea-- purple, magenta and orange; the orange bougie is really showing off a bit. I like color, I don't give a damn whether they match or not (almost). Living color is good for the soul. The begonias are coming into bloom as well: U402, Arte Hodes PHOE "Red", b Alba and my newest aquisition begonia 'Big Mac'. They should be flowering well into March with luck.
The blood orange has been getting watered more regularly. Mature, and grown tighter in the pot, itsucks up moisture pretty quickly. With a bucket or two water every other,  I'm rewarded with shiny new growth-- and the continued maturation of a half dozen oranges! Need some more plants like sanchezia for the handrail planters which are planted with vines. Something bright and full is needed to cover the base of the climbers. The sun will bleach the color out of the sanchezia's leaves. In  my last back yard (in terra) I used it in a large border in a shady area.It provided nice color and regular blooms.

Setting things to right

Newly planted (22"w x 22"d x 17"h) square planter -- plenty of room for white and orange bougainvillea, sanchesia and lucky wart fern to grow  in for a good while.  I used a high quality potting soil.., but,  for some reason, I think a sandier mix would be more appropriate for the long term growth of the bougies capillarial (real word?) root structure.  It might keep the hairlike roots aerated. Just a hunch. I've been meaning to find a good forum for the growing of bougainvillea.. 

b. Big Macs purchased at nursery at the end of my street.