Unexpected corners of beauty

I walk at least a mile around my neighborhood nearly every night.  While the walk is for exercise, I get to enjoy the landscapes of all the homes enroute, watching growth of trees, flowers blooming and any changes the neighbors have made.  Over the course of 30 years, our once-new community has morphed into a settled and mature community,
landscape wise. 

Last week, I walked up a street I hadn't trod for a few years since it's an out of the way cul-de-sac.  As I approached the corner, a cloud of orange and salmon floated over the tops of two trees.  Another look up the street revealed a few more.  What produced this unique sight?  They are Golden Rain trees, also known as flame gold.  You can see them at the top of this column and also at right.  They produce small yellow flowers in the spring and summer and then, in the fall, sport "fruits" commonly called Chinese Lanterns.  These papery husks are held above the green foliage and retain their pink-red color
for many months.

So for a few more weeks, we get to enjoy the fall beauty of these trees.  And I'll go back to looking for more corners of unexpected beauty.

More later....

Out with the old again

After much thought about the condition of the magnolia and repeated tests for any greenness in the stems, I concluded it was dead.  That decision then begged the question, what do I do with it -- replace it or fill the hole?  I decided to try again and yesterday visited my favorite nursery in Brevard.  A half hour later my car was filled with a six- or seven-foot Little Gem magnolia and 2-cubic-foot bag of planting soil. For those who live in states with rich soil, we in Florida (especially near the coast) need to add enrichments to the sand when planting anything.

I put off planting until this morning.  Considering the size of the root ball, I had to enlarge the space I previously allotted for a smaller tree, which meant considerable digging. I had used a dolly to move the tree from my driveway to the site of the planting, but now I needed to maneuver it carefully with gloved hands.  

The first task was removing the plastic pot.  Banging the sides of the pot, which I do with smaller plants, wouldn't work (I tried) so I found a length of thin metal that I was able to wedge down the sides and loosen the roots and soil.  After laying the tree on its side, I gave several hard pulls.  Finally, the root ball seemed to nudge.  I then moved to the bottom end and pulled on the pot.  Another hard jerk and the pot gave way, sliding easily off.  I loosened the roots on the bottom and sides and rolled it toward and into the hole.  Success!  My tree was upright and barely damaged.

I filled the hole in stages, pressing down the soil and watering each level to ensure no air pockets and a solid base.  I hope the tree continues to look as good as it does now, seen in the photo.  There are several flower buds on the tree, so I might get some blooms while the weather stays warm.

The large pile of dirt I removed didn't go to waste as I used it to fill depressions and gullies which my lawn service creates with its huge mower. 

I previously mentioned that I'd done some severe pruning on my rose bushes.  They looked so bare and unappealing for a week or two, but I can now report they are sporting new foliage and a few buds, so they are thriving.  Yea!

I will have more photos next time taken on my walks around the neighborhood.  Fall-blooming trees are at their peak right now.

More later....

More than weeding

On a beautiful Florida fall morning, I was greeted with a cardinal's song in the trees outside.  I'm thoroughly familiar with the many songs and calls of the cardinal because when our family lived in Westfield, N.J., cardinals built a nest in a cedar tree next to our porch.  That nest was inhabited for many years and the music of the red birds was a constant delight. 

This was my morning for weeding the backyard gardens and, due to the cooler temperatures, I was able to wait until 8:30 (after breakfast this time) to start.

This year I have been pleasantly surprised that the mulches appear to have been working in cutting down the quantity of weeds.  So I didn't have to spend too much time at the task.

A benefit of the weeding -- other than ridding the gardens of unwanted herbage -- was identifying any plants that might need replacing and any areas to which I can add more flowers or bushes.  My dwarf powder puff bushes have done so well, I decided I can another against the fence and put two more in a garden on the north side of the pool fence.  I already have dwarf bougainvillea growing there on one end.  I think the powder puff will do well in the rest of the space.

I'm also pondering the idea of more hardscape in the form of concrete pads.  There already is a slab outside the screen door on the north side with a short stretch of grass between it and the arbor.  The grass has been overrun with crabgrass which I have been pulling up.  I think extending the slab would be beneficial for the coming and going through the door, especially pushing a wheelbarrow. 

I am also planning on laying a path of concrete or stone from the driveway to the garden gate to make pulling our new huge trash container easier.  It's a job that will have to be done in stages, during the cooler weather. 

In Florida, outdoor garden work rarely ends.

Ciao for now.