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.