Fruits of our labor...

Well, it's time for the second bloom of my patio Meyer lemon. The scent is heavenly and I look forward to a lot of lemons this fall.

Meyer Lemon Blossom

The Mango tree that I put in the ground is full of blooms and I'll keep updating to see how much fruit this little tree will give me and when the fruit is ripe. This is my first Mango so wish me luck!

Mango Blossom

"Underneath the Mango tree me honey and me can watch for the moon..."

Yes, Honey Ryder! I finally put the Mango tree, kindly gifted to me by my neighbors over two years ago, into the ground. It patiently waited in the back corner of my yard for me to get my butt in gear and finally plant it so it can grow and flourish (I hope). I've never grown a Mango tree so I was a bit apprehensive to place it where it had lived happily in it's pot. I thought it may be a bit close to the property line and hang over into the neighbor's yard, but after a bit of research, I found that it's size could be contained with selective "tipping" of the branches. I'll keep updating so I can record the size and fruit that this tree will hopefully produce since I have two other seedlings started about two years ago (by my nephew). I'm probably going to just repot them for now since they share a pot and are getting a bit crowded. 

Mango tree planted in partial shade

Privacy Hedge Options

I planted a row of Red Tips (Photinia) about 8 years ago. They've struggled in the spot they were planted and I finally made the decision to dig them up and replace them with something else. After a few hours of exhausting work, the shrubs are out but I'm left with a blank fence row. I'm leaning towards planting Podocarpus in their place. I have used Sweet Vibernum in the past and it grows quickly but tends to get "leggy". I'd like something with a more trim and compact look to it with smaller leaves.

Shape up that St. Augustine Lawn

I finally got out to Lowes and bought fertilizer and insecticide. I chose Scotts Bonus S for feeding and weed control and Spectracide to kill the grubs and surface pests like fleas and ticks. In the past I used Scotts Bonus S Max which took care of both feeding and pests but it's since been taken off the shelves. I'm not sure what the issue was, but I sure do miss doing it all in one pass instead of making two trips through the lawn. We had our annual "beautiful day" in early February and then a small cold snap but this should be it for the year. No freeze to kill off anything this year. Sometimes it's good to have a little freeze to get things that are getting a bit overzealous in the yard back to a manageable size but no such luck this year. So, I guess I'll have to take the Shell ginger down a bit and pull out more of the Macho fern to get them back into their beds.

Plumeria

Kalanchoe

I do have a few things still blooming which is a beautiful thing to see in the morning. The Bougainvillea and Plumeria are still blooming as is a Kalanchoe cutting that my neighbor sent over a few years ago. I also have to re-pot a Ginger plant that started from a piece of ginger I bought at Publix for a recipe. There was a small piece left so I pushed it into a pot. It's amazing how fast it's grown! I'll stick to leaving it in a pot since I've had luck with it and the Meyer lemon tree.

Spring Garden Clean-up

I'm starting this blog as a diary for myself to keep track of what I've planted, when I've planted, what fertilizer I've used and what has worked. I'm a central Florida native and love gardening and home improvement on a budget. I'm hoping that this will inspire me to get my garden and my home whipped into shape. 

Today I weeded out the dandelions and began the arduous process of pulling out old and overgrown foundation plants. I'm looking forward to adding some new additions. New colors, new shapes, and heights. I'm keeping fairy roses, crepe myrtles, macho fern, St. Christopher lilies, Lily of the Nile, purple princess flower (tibouchina) and English ivy. I have to get three mango trees into the ground this month and remove a few more trees that I placed in the wrong area for their height. 

February is also the month that I fertilize my St. Augustine lawn. I'm not sure what brand I will use this feeding but I will post any observations that I make after use and what the brand used is. Dollar weed is an ongoing issue that I address at this time of the year. I use Ortho Weed B Gone for Southern Lawns and it usually works within a few days. The dollar weed will turn yellow, curl up, and eventually turn brown and die.