Author Archives: theshrubqueen

The reason we Garden

This evening, my husband went to join his motorcycling friends for dinner. The purpose of their outing is more about riding the motorcycles than it is about dinner. I am all about dinner. I decided to keep our dog company as he had recently lost his companion. There was not much in the fridge for dinner and I wasn’t up for cooking. Chopping and assembling works for me.

After looking in the refrigerator, I went to look at the garden, where I had Romaine lettuce, radishes, Basil and Dill. I pulled up what appeared to be ripe garlic while digging around in the garden. I think I should paint a picture of this, a pure white bulb with a bit of cerise around the edges…

My Beautiful Garlic Clove

My Beautiful Garlic Clove

In my refrigerator I found leftover Rosemary Garlic Pork Roast, Grape Tomatoes, Baby Peppers, Carrots, Celery and Cremini Mushrooms. There was some Asiago Peppercorn salad dressing as well.

All Southern ladies should gasp and turn their heads now…I chopped the Romaine and everything else. (Southern ladies tear their lettuce, so sorry) added the leftover pork roast and some Helluva Good Cheese (sharp). The salad was dressed with Asiago Peppercorn and admired:

The Salad

The Salad

Dinner

Dinner

The Garlic will be saved for another day.

Memoirs of garden gloves

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After nearly two years of service I am retiring my leather gloves. I began life in my Florida garden with fabric gloves that were almost immediately destroyed by my enthusiastic removal of undesirable plants. The chain saw and I became well acquainted with the load of Brazilian Pepper in the backyard, 15-20 feet deep in some spots.

The next pair was cotton knit with plastic coated fingers and palms. Apparently whoever buys and stocks the gloves in this area has never actually tried to use these. These gloves, while waterproof, turn into a sweaty mess in about fifteen minutes. Gardening with garbage bags over your hands is a more pleasant experience. These were sent to the street with the garbage.

I have always liked split cowhide gloves and have been unable to find them in ladies sizes here. I finally found some small men’s leather gloves and they have stood strong for two years. It is evident that I am right handed by the darker shade of filth on that glove. The tip of the index finger finally gave way and was funneling sand into the glove instead of keeping it out. The color of these gloves is interesting as there is no actual dirt in my yard. It is all sand.

These gloves have seen and been responsible for a lot of change in my new garden. Primarily demolition and weeding. The Brazilian Pepper is mostly gone. I don’t think South Florida will ever be rid of this scourge, but I feel I have done my part. I have also gotten rid of some uglies, Schefflera arboricolas, yes the house plant. The previous owners had dotted these around the yard for no apparent reason. I kept cutting it back thinking that would help. It didn’t. Sometimes removal is the only answer.

These gloves have planted some good things. My Mango tree now has some tiny Mangoes and the Lime tree is bearing fruit. Herbs and vegetables are flourishing in raised beds.

Baby Mangoes

Baby Mangoes

Romaine Lettuce

Romaine Lettuce

 

With the help of my gloves I was able to grow the Romaine. (That is where the dirt came from – it had to be imported to grow the vegetables) And finally,

My First Homegrown Salad.

My First Homegrown Salad.

A Tale of Three Shrimps

Horticultural pursuits sometime follow Culinary pursuits. There are different types of Shrimp Plants as there are different types of Shrimp to eat. Shrimp Plants are a new favorite of mine. These plants seem to be pretty bulletproof and bloom nearly year round. The evil Lubber Grasshoppers like to eat them, but other than that they have been remarkably pest free.

I had not realized there were (at least) three different kinds. The one I have in a pot on my front porch, commonly called Yellow Shrimp Plant is Pachystachys lutea, a member of the Acanthus family. Sometimes the common name Lollipop Plant comes up, not sure why?  I have tried to propagate this, but it was a grave failure. The plants wilted as soon as I took the cuttings.  Online research tells me to try again in late Spring with softwood cuttings.

Shrimp Plant Pachystachys lutea

Shrimp Plant
Pachystachys lutea

I have another type of Shrimp Plant growing in my garden, the Red Shrimp Plant, Justicia brandegeana. This is sort of a passalong plant in Florida my neighbor gave me. A different genus, but still in the Acanthus family. These make good cut flowers and seem to reproduce effortlessly without taking over. Needs a bit of shade, but don’t we all. Butterflies and Hummingbirds like this plant and so do I.

Red Shrimp Plant

Red Shrimp Plant

Recently I found out there is an evil Shrimp Plant in South Florida, the Green Shrimp Plant. The Green Shrimp Plant is also known as Brown’s Blechum, Blechum pyramidatum. Blech, is right, this is an invasive in frost free zones. Oddly enough, another member of the Acanthus family, but the black sheep. If you live in an area that receives frost this can be a good addition to the Butterfly Garden. A host plant for Buckeye, White Peacock, Malachite and Painted Lady Butterflies those with less than 32 degree weather can enjoy this in peace. Beware further South.

Green Shrimp Plant

Green Shrimp Plant

What is confounding me is why these are called Shrimp Plants in the first place and why the Green Shrimp Plant clearly has blue flowers?

Another horticultural mystery to solve.

Not Really Freezing in South Florida

Yesterday the weather was looking ominous. A bitter wind blew out of the north. Dire predictions were made of freezing temperatures and horticultural mayhem.

I moved potted plants into the garage and wrapped new palms in sheets last night, went inside and hoped for the best.

This morning, I checked the low temperature recorded at the nearest weather station. It was 44 degrees Fahrenheit, 12 degrees shy of freezing. Granted, I am relatively close to the moderating influence of the Gulfstream. Nearby cities matched record lows from the 1950’s (34 and 36), it went below freezing in Vero Beach. Forty degrees is usually front page news in South Florida. It was in fact on the front page. At my house, the damage thus far, slightly burned Basil. I moved the Basil closer to the wall thinking it would keep it warmer, but it seems to have burned it.

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The supertropical Heliconias nearby have survived unscathed.

Happy Heliconia

Happy Heliconia

I think the wind probably damaged the Basil, the Heliconia is in a niche to avoid the wind. I had left the older foliage around the outside to provide insulation. I hope it doesn’t turn black tonight!

After seeing about the plants this morning, I went shopping at the WalMart. A gigantic low end retailer with great prices. The actual disaster from this cold snap was fashion. People tend to move down to Florida and bring whatever they bought 30, 40 or 50 years ago for cold weather gear and they drag it out for the rare event when it gets cold. I saw some men wearing Sears Roebuck Tobacco Brown Corduroy jackets my brothers had in the 60s. With faux lamb collars. Ay,yi,yi and genuine Members Only jackets in the original 1970’s colors .(Sky Blue with a sweatshirt under) The women just piled sweatshirts over their tropical gear or retrieved festively colored 1990’s vintage wind suits from the back of the closet.

I wasn’t really that cold.

Freezing in South Florida?

Cabbage Palm

It is a beautiful day here, cerulean blue sky with a few hawks flying in lazy circles. Take a stroll outside and feel the cold air blowing in from the frozen north- it feels like Chicago in the springtime (or maybe summer). Chicago, Illinois is known as the Windy City and is about 1300 miles north of here.

The concept of freezing weather in SoFla seems weird to me. A low of 35 degrees F is  predicted tonight. Nearly freezing. According to the National Climatic Data Center in 29 years there have been no freezing temperatures in Vero Beach, a bit north of me. In 48 years there have been no freezing temperatures in West Palm Beach, a bit south.

I felt a lot better about the weather forecast having looked up the climatic data, but I am concerned about a few plants that are really susceptible to frost. The primary one being the Rainbow Eucalyptus, notoriously intolerant of freezing temperatures, it has just grown tall enough to be seen over the roof of our garage and it is blooming. I am getting a mental image of a 30 foot tall tree limp, insides frozen to mush and bent in two. Hopefully not.

Rainbow Eucalyptus

Rainbow Eucalyptus

I am in the process of madly moving all the potted plants into the garage. Gotta go put a sheet over my new palms. Then all I can do it wait until tomorrow.

 

 

Love Vine – Cassytha filiformis

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Love Vine tendril

Love Vine tendril

Love Vine, a perfect Valentine’s Day plant.

I am taking a Florida Native Plants class and this is a new plant to me. It is very common in Florida Scrub habitat. The book describes it as a parasitic vine that looks like yellow spaghetti.

Not sure why that reminds anyone of love, being smothered in yellow spaghetti.

Love is like being wrapped in a warm blanket of pasta, maybe?

Happy Valentine’s Day to all.

Amy

Fallout from Botanica

South Florida is rife with Garden fairs during the winter. This past weekend I went to Botanica in Port St. Lucie. Port St. Lucie is not what I would consider a garden spot, but for some reason they have a great botanical garden run by a very enthusiastic group of volunteers.

Botanica was held at the McKee Botanical Garden. At other times of the year they have a propagation area that sells rooted cuttings from their gardens. It is fun to meet fellow plant nerds and pick up a few Bromeliad cuttings.  Not this time, I pulled into the parking lot and realized this was a bigger event than a few cuttings. At least 4o vendors and a food court. I was in trouble. I had been to the bank.

I walked through most of one side and was not really tempted then through the propagation area. The prices had doubled since last summer, so I was again not tempted. Then I got to the other side of the lake..

The three for 10 dollar Bromeliads! One of the issues with buying Bromeliads in this manner is the sellers tend to have no idea what kind of Bromeliad they have. The seller advised me the larger one had blue flowers and was adaptable to light. Which really means do not plant in full sun or you will charco-broil the plant and be out three bucks. The others I am pretty sure are some sort of Fireball Neoregelia, I have some similar ones in the garden. Now potted, they have joined their friends from my last foray in plant shopping at Gardenfest.

My Growing Collection

My Growing Collection

The Palm Man, I believe he was called, grows Palms in his backyard nearby. The Palms were beautiful and so were the prices. I succumbed, and bought two Palms.

One of my favorite interior Palms, a Lady Palm – I can now grow these outside, so I bought one.

Lady Palm

Lady Palm

This is a Rhaphis excelsa, native to Southeast Asia Rainforests and highly shade tolerant. I have just the spot.

My next purchase was a Florida Thatch Palm, a new plant to me. One of the three palms native to Florida, this is a Thrinax radiata. Tolerant of sand, sea and alkaline soils. All things I have in abundance. Again, I have just the spot.

Florida Thatch Palm

Florida Thatch Palm

I did not quite violate my ‘never get a cart’ rule. Two nice young men from Junior ROTC showed up with a cart and met me at my car.

I have some planting to do this weekend, lest these palms turn into potted plants and spare parts for future use.

Proper Attire for H***strip Gardening

I learned a new term this week: Hellstrip. Hellstrip refers to the baking hot area between the street and sidewalk or driveway. A book has been published about these gardens and there is a Facebook page. Hellstrip has hit social media! Usually narrow and not easily watered these areas require some special consideration and are difficult for gardeners to conquer.

I had not realized I even had a HELLSTRIP and the truth is I kind of like it. When my husband and I bought our house there was a Jacaranda in the strip that could literally be seen through. The top of the tree had been blown out and the crotch had rotted to the point you could catch glimpses of the house through the trunk from the street. Fearing an unstructurally sound tree, I had the Jacaranda removed. What grew under the tree might kindly be referred to as sand spurs.

The sand spurs took a bit of work to get rid of as nothing really kills them except removal and they reseed heavily. Gallons of vinegar later and with the construction of a new driveway, I had a blank palette.

With a bit of research and observation I determined the plant list and began to install.

First, a native and very drought tolerant tree, The Gumbo Limbo. Gumbo Limbos are wonderful Shade Trees but pretty basic. Then to the underplantings, I searched native beach plants and looked for extremely tolerant passalongs, here is what I found:

The Sunflowers and Muhly Grass are native, the rest are imports that are very drought tolerant. Worst comes to worst, I can make some tequila from the Agave..

Dune Sunflower Helianthus debilis

Dune Sunflower
Helianthus debilis

Painted Fingernail Bromeliad

Painted Fingernail
Bromeliad

Blue Agave

Blue Agave

Martin Bromeliad

Martin Bromeliad

Muhly Grass

Muhly Grass

The composition might seem a bit weird, but I have color year round and throw some water around every now and again. All the plants are doing well, with no irrigation whatsoever and growing in the poorest excuse for soil I have ever encountered.

Now, the question, the attire for Hellstrip Gardening, I propose this:

Animal Print Bustiers

Animal Print Bustiers

Maybe worn with Combat boots? I’ve been meaning to get a tattoo, maybe of my favorite Bromeliad….

 

Fallout from Gardenfest

Last year one of my fellow Floridian garden bloggers, Karen from small house/ BIG GARDEN invited me up to Gardenfest in Vero Beach. Gardenfest is held in a beautiful park on the banks of the Indian River, shaded by old growth Live Oaks. This park reminds me of the Lowcountry of the Carolinas in the US, with lesser Oaks. Spanish Moss is still oozing off of all the trees providing ambience for buying plants. Of course I went and of course I bought some plants. Last year, an Nam Doc Mai Mango and Leafless Bird of Paradise.

Mango Flowers

Mango Flowers

 

The Mango is now blooming, so I am hoping for an actual edible Mango this summer. What is interesting about the Mango flower is it seems you have this 12″ long panicle that eventually might produce one Mango on the other side of the tree. It should be interesting to watch, to say the least. Still waiting on color from that Bird of Paradise but the plant has such an interesting texture I will forgive it the flowers.

The Leafless Bird of Paradise with no leaves or flowers!

The Leafless Bird of Paradise with no leaves or flowers!

This year I succumbed to the siren song of the Bromeliads, the Burgundy and Pink ones – who cares if they bloom? The foliage is spectacular enough.

Neoregelia 'Galaxy'

Neoregelia ‘Galaxy’

Billbergia "Hallelujah"

Billbergia “Hallelujah”

My thoughts are Hallelujah I bought a Galaxy and a Jacobinia as well.

The Jacobinia is a new plant to me, I have been looking for one. This is supposed to be a small shrub, I have seen it called Brazilian Plume and apparently it is related to the Shrimp Plants as is comes up as Justicia when researching it. I have not decided what to with it yet. I have to say a shade container with some of these plants comes to mind…

Jacobinia

Jacobinia

Heartbroken

My Girl

My Girl

This morning about 5 a.m. my ancient Greyhound, My Girl, woke me. I got up to let her out as this has been going on for a while. Life with a 14 year old dog. I turned on the light and looked at her and was horrified to see her face swollen nearly twice its normal size. Quickly gave her a Benadryl and some pain medication and waited to see if it helped. It didn’t.

About this time my husband got up and I asked him to put her in the car while I took Charles out (our other Greyhound) We bundled her into my Jeep and took her to the Emergency Vet. I had been feeling this was coming as she had been declining for the past 6 months or so. I woke up the other morning from a dream about my other Greyhounds waiting for her at the end of a bridge on a beautiful Zoysia lawn. So, I knew this was coming. You are just never ready.

The Vet, a gracious lady, asked us to think about things she enjoyed doing and if she could still do them. The answer was truthfully no. She didn’t know why her face had swollen up, but it didn’t really matter because it was time to let her go. So, we sat with her for a bit and then the vet put her down (very gently, she seemed to just drift away) while we petted her and talked to her. I am sure my other dogs were waiting for her at the end of the Rainbow Bridge on a beautiful lawn.

My Girl was a part of our lives for 10 years, Farewell, Dear Friend. My heart is truly broken.

My Girl, at the beach in Summer

My Girl, at the beach in Summer