I've been posting all my gardening goings on to the Florida Gardening Friends group on FB, but I've decided to start a garden diary right here. I'll put a link to them on the sidebar, in case anyone is interested in reading them all.
Community Garden Plot
First, as you may or may not know, I have a small community garden plot now. It's in the McCrorie Community Garden in the historic district of Gainesville. I really love it there. I didn't want to get a big plot, because I'm moving somewhere else in August, and I don't know where yet, so I figured I'd grow what I could here in the yard, and put the rest there for the time being.
It's turned out that there was a rather large four o'clock plant growing in the plot, which had put out quite a few seedlings. The garden manager didn't like having the plant there, so I dug it up, but didn't get quite deep enough, so I'm afraid it wasn't replantable. I have, however, been digging up the babies and replanting them here at the house. They'll probably all get mowed down eventually, but they'll be pretty this summer when people are coming by to see the house before I move.
I planted my okra seedlings there yesterday, and today I planted a few yellow squash and just a very few Contender bush beans. I'm not too crazy about beans, and generally just plant them to fix nitrogen in the soil.
Seedlings Galore!
I planted way too many seeds this year, being excited for the first year I actually had a place to play in the dirt. Due to the cold snap, my tomato seedlings didn't grow fast enough, so I had to toss a lot of them out. I'm still going to try to grow a few, but doubt they will do anything much before it gets too hot.On an upnote, I just transplanted 18 Everglades seedlings into six-packs, which WILL do well this year. I planted grape tomatos yesterday, just by squeezing a few seeds out of one from the store. I'm not really crazy about grape tomatoes, but they are good in salads. I'm going to try to find a Husky Cherry Red. Now those are great cherry tomatoes! I might also try for a yellow pear, since they are good garden candy, but maybe not. I don't want to dig up too much of the yard, and I'm short on 5-gallon buckets.
I only got two cayenne seedlings out of all the seeds I planted. I thought about replanting, but two will be fine for this year. Only also go two seedlings from the Yolo Yellow Sweet Peppers that a friend gave me, but I have a lot of California Wonder bell peppers, and a fellow community garden member gave me a red bell pepper today, so I'm set on peppers, I think. I'll put those at the community garden since the soil is much better there, and I want as big a yield as I can get.
Garden Freebies!
Remember all those plants and seeds I "rescued" last year? I think the baby giant elephant ear died. I put it into the ground, and it hasn't come back up yet, so I'm not hopeful. I should have kept it in a pot for another year, but live and learn.I planted all three of the elderberries in the yard, but depending on where I move to, I may dig one up and take it with me.
The seeds from the four o'clocks I rescued came up. Only two of the white ones survived, but more are coming up. I have no idea what color (I think fuschia), and don't know the color of the ones from the community garden either, but they're all pretty.
Unfortunately, the Amazon Lily seedlings did not survive and the coral bean seeds haven't sprouted yet, but they're still there. I hear it takes up to six months for them to sprout.
The passion flower plant is struggling, and I don't know what to do except leave it be and hope it starts to take off. The little redbud seedling I thought was dead is putting out new leaves, right next to the passion vine, so maybe it will be something for the passion vine to grow on one day. Unfortunately, I won't get to see it, since I'm leaving. If I move to a place with a yard, I may try to dig them up and take them with me.
No sign yet of the wood rose seeds I tossed along the back fence, but I haven't seen any others coming up where I got those, so maybe later.
I also was gifted some amaryllis and canna bulbs from the community garden. the cannas are red-leaved with red flowers. Don't know about the amaryllis. Someone trimmed the giant prickly pear the other day, so I'm going to grab a few pads from the compost pile tomorrow.
Also got some cuttings from spearmint and tropical safe that had escaped their boundaries and were growing in the common areas.
Raiding the Abandoned Lots
I'm always looking for freebies when I walk around the neighborhood. There are so many abandoned lots around here with so many plants on them. They are just lots where houses were torn down, and most are never cared for, so I've been raiding them to get plants from the old homesteads.
So far, I've gotten cast iron plant, miniature wandering jew, green wandering jew and purple queen. I'm going to get cuttings from the azaleas and camellias in May, and maybe an elderberry -- again, depends on where I end up.
I got Musical Notes clerodendrum cuttings, rooted them and planted them in the yard, but they aren't looking too happy. I may have to get a seedling to replace it, but I'll give it time.
I found some loquat seedlings in the abandoned lot next door and put one in the yard and two in pots. There are gladiolus coming up there too, so I may go "rescue" some of those and keep them in pots. There is a crinum lily growing along the sidewalk on an abandoned lot, but I don't know if it would be cool to go dig that up. I'd like to, just because it keeps getting mowed down.
Well, that is enough for now. I'll post when progress when something new happens.
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