Society Garlic

I remember it vividly.

My divorce was final on the first day of Spring (over a decade ago). I was living in Destin at the time and had "re-located" to the east side of the area, known as SanDestin. I went to Walmart and bought a bicycle for $69.00 and spent my non-travel, non-working days riding my bike around the neighborhoods that were nestled between the Choctawhatchee Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.

While I am not, by any means, a bitter ex wife, my marriage was not a healthy place to be. It was not until I was out of it that I realized just how life had gradually transitioned into something that was not how I wanted to live. That Spring was the most gorgeous Spring that there has ever been. I remember commenting on it to a friend and their comment was "well, you must be happy". I was. I digress -but this brings me to the Society Garlic.

In the SanDestin area, I kept seeing these mounds of green spiky plants with clusters of star-shaped lavender flowers. While riding my bike around, I would stop and pick them from the resort's common grounds (being careful not to be spotted). They made excellent cut flowers that would keep for up to a week - allowing me to bring more of this most beautiful Spring into my home.

Two years later, I relocated to Northeast Florida in an effort to reduce some of my work related travel time. As I was looking for a new home, one of my top choices had this same plant in the front yard. This was the house that I ended up buying. I learned that the plant is "Society Garlic".

It supposedly gets it's name because it smells like garlic. I have never grown garlic, so I don't know what the plant smells like. However, I can tell you that, while it does have a distinct smell, it is not unpleasant at all and does not smell like the garlic that ends up on toast and spaghetti. The foliage looks kind of like chives and it spreads through bulb-like clumps. Except during our mild winters when it will sometimes turn brown, it looks great year-round and blooms from Spring through Fall. I have found it to be pest and disease resistant. And when I want more, I get the shovel and just dig out some of those clumps and replant it in a new location with great success! It remains one of my favorite plants and the flowers are still often cut and put in vases and bottles all over my house.

Beer Bottle Border

I think it all started with a conversation with my neighbor about my bottle tree. Anyway, she was telling me that she had seen flower bed borders in Italy that were created from wine bottles. The bottles were buried about half of the way, top down, into the ground along a garden edge to create the border.

Well, I just knew I had to take this idea and run with it. I love my wine, however I always drink the really fine wine that comes in a carton with the tap to prevent oxidation; therefore, I did not have a good source of wine bottles from which to work. However, I do like beer and I like it in a bottle; one of the greatest pleasures in the world is an ice cold beer after cutting the grass on a hot summer day.

Ironically, about this same time, my local recycling service quit collecting glass- so I just started saving the bottles that would otherwise have gone into my recycle bin. After a while, I figured it was time to proceed with this new project.

I had scouted out the perfect location - an area that ran parallel to my fence that separated some garden beds from my vegetable garden. I had stepping stones here already and I felt I needed a border to better define the area.

I got out my hole-diggers and dug a little trench about 5 inches deep and inserted the bottles top down. I then filled in the spaces between the bottles with the extra dirt. It took a couple of rains for the dirt to settle well in between the bottles, but I am pleased with the end result. I did not have enough bottle to do the entire area on my first run - but all the more reason to have another beer and save the bottle!

I usually drink either Corona Light (a clear bottle) or Amstel Light ( a brown bottle). I decided to just stick with the brown bottles for this project. Certainly, a nice imported beer gives my border a little more class! Really, I think green bottles would be prettiest.

Incidentally, when reading a book, African-American Gardens and Yards in the Rural South, I discovered that my idea is not so original. Blue and brown snuff bottles, brown Clorox bottles and soda bottles filled with colored liquid were used to line the walkways in African-American yards in the rural south.

Faith Based Gardening

My faith is very important to me and the very cornerstone of my peace and sanity. Gardening is also important to me (and my sanity). When I read this article, that combines the two, I felt compelled to pass it along. It presents new ideas and possibilities. Really, though, isn't all gardening based on faith?

A Bible Garden Is a Horticultural and Historical Challenge
By DEAN FOSDICKTHE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: Saturday, June 14, 2008 at 6:01 a.m.

People who grow gardens grow in faith, according to the Rev. Marsh Hudson-Knapp, which accounts in large part for the Bible garden he helped established adjacent to his church a quarter-century ago."A lot of people's spirituality is rooted in nature," said Hudson-Knapp, pastor of The First Congregational Church of Fair Haven, Vt. "There's always been a deep (biblical) connection with gardening. With each new season, life is bursting forth again."

A Bible garden is not a theme recommended for the casual hobbyist. Cultivating every flower, shrub, food crop or fruit mentioned in the Scriptures is a daunting objective, especially if you're trying to be exacting about plant choice. More than 120 plants have been mentioned in the Bible, although that total is open to interpretation.
How do you determine, for example, exactly what kind of "burning bush" was cited in the story of Moses (Exodus 3:2). Or what is meant by such figurative imagery as "grains," "trees" or "sweet smelling plant?" "We decided not to be all that precise," Hudson-Knapp said in a telephone interview. "We use substitutes at times, especially where we can't duplicate the growing conditions of certain plants. That means going with the botanical cousins; the same genus, but a different species."

There are plants of the Bible and then there are plants of the Bible lands, said Lytton John Musselman, who chairs the Department of Biological Sciences at Old Dominion University and is author of "Figs, Dates, Laurel and Myrrh: Plants of the Bible and the Quran."

Read more.... http://www.theledger.com/article/20080614/NEWS/806140368/1326&title=A_Bible_Garden_Is_a_Horticultural_and_Historical_Challenge

The First Tomato

I've been watching it all week. Just yesterday evening, I told my sister that this was to be a very special weekend. I had my fresh white bread and mayonnaise ready. It was almost time.

The first bit of color had appeared on a tomato on one of my plants. It started as a pale pink and was gradually getting more red with each passing day. I decided to let it get really, really red and truly "vine-ripened" before indulging.

Home grown tomatoes were something I took for granted during my childhood. We had them at every meal during the summer. It wasn't until I had none for a while that I became aware of just how precious they are. The first sandwich from the first home grown tomato is always a special occasion. No bacon, no lettuce - not even a slice of Vidalia onion - I always want my first sandwich of the year to be pure, with nothing to drown out the true taste that never comes from the grocery store version.

I woke up early this Saturday morning and stepped out side with my cup of coffee. Still half asleep, I glanced over in the direction of my prize possession. I didn't see that little spot of red that I've been eyeing all week. Some leaves must be blocking my view, I assumed. I refilled my coffee cup and bravely walked closer. What was that on the ground? Did my tomato fall off of the vine overnight?
It was a worst-case scenario. I guess some of my little over-night visitors have been watching my first tomato with the same anticipation as I. You see, when I rest my head on my pillow and close my eyes at night, my back yard comes alive. I see the signs the following day - the trampled plants, the entrances to tunnels, the newly dug trenches, the broken limbs, the suddenly dirty water in my cats' bowl. I never think that much about it. I figure there are little creatures out there that need a place to play since they have been pushed out of their natural habitat.

But this morning, I felt like my little friends had over-stepped their boundaries and worn out their welcome. I felt violated. There it was, on the ground, a half eaten tomato. The little creep that did this did not even have the audacity to eat the entire thing or hide the evidence. It was just left there as if to send a message to me to let me know that it is not just my garden.

Homemade Insecticidal Soap

Speaking of treating whiteflies, I saved this "recipe" several years ago. It was provided by a Duval County, FL Master Gardener and published in my local paper. Not only does it save you money, it is an environmentally friendly option to harsh chemicals.

Homemade Insecticidal Soap

• 2 tablespoons concentrated dish detergent
• 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 gallon of water

Combine all ingredients and pour into spray bottle. Spray all parts of the plant, including the underside of leaves. Repeat in 5 to 7 days, then as necessary.

Do not use soap sprays on gardenias or shrubs with sensitive leaves. If in doubt, spray a small area and check back in three to four days for damage to the leaves.

What is that white stuff growing on my___________?

Just fill in the blank. This past weekend was my weekend for "white stuff" (of the plant kind).

Did it just appear overnight - or I have I been paying so little attention? I was working in my yard on Saturday. First I noticed it on my Firebush, then my firecracker plant, and then on my boxwood; then there was that stuff growing on my hibiscus and something else on my crepe myrtle. I have encountered these friends before but I thought I had discouraged them from visiting again. I suppose they were just hibernating all winter and waiting for the opportunity to come out of hiding as the days get warmer.

I always try my best to make an educated guess in identifying plant problems, although there are many with similar characteristics and symptoms

I am quite sure that the stuff' on my fire bush, firecracker and boxwood is all from the same family. It looks like someone took a cotton ball, pulled away some of the cotton, wet it and glued it onto the woody part of the plants. At first, it looks like a fungus of some kind. If you poke at it with a twig, you will see a little white alien looking creature start crawling away. My best educated guess tells me this is a planthopper. Technically, they are suppose to hop away, but mine just crawled. Surprisingly, they are not too harmful to your plants. You can blast them away with a water hose. I usually try to cut away the parts that are heavily infected. I think it makes me feel better, just in case I misdiagnosed.

The creatures that invaded my hibiscus are a different story. My plant has something on the backside of the leaves that looks like thin wispy sections of that white polyester fiber used to stuff pillow cushions. A closer inspection reveals a white spiral pattern which are eggs. When I shake the plant, "white flies" fly away. This is (appropriately name) the giant white fly. They damage plants by sucking the sap and leaving behind a sticky liquid that can promote black sooty mold. Again, I cut away the infected branches. I plan to watch it and if necessary treat it with an all purpose insecticide. A more gentle treatment is to wash it away with a heavy stream of water and/or treat it with an insecticidal soap.

The white stuff growing on my crape myrtle is not from an insect, but from a fungus. It is powdery mildew and is quite common on some varieties of crape myrtle. Patches of white to grayish powdery growth occur on the surfaces of leaves, flowers and new shoots. Infected parts of the plant are usually distorted and stunted. This fungus thrives in high humidity and mild daytime conditions. It seems I aways see this late spring or early summer. My standard treatment is the same as with other fungi and insects. I cut away the infected branches and try to avoid using chemicals unless absolutely necessary.

The Five Year Plan

Years ago , I remember reading that it takes about five years for your plants to become established and for you to get a good idea of the outcome of your landscaping efforts. A little later, someone told me once you get everything kind of where you want it, you lose interest in it all and then it becomes just 'yard work'.

In regard to the first observation: If this is true, then I am on a continuous, forever rotating five year plan. I move plants and garden boundaries like I use to move around furniture in my house. Things die, things get too big, a once sunny location becomes shady, your neighbor prunes their tree and all of a sudden you have full-sun again. The list goes on and on. I like it that way. It is an evolution. Everyday is full of surprises and I've just made up my mind to have fun along the way.

In regard to the second observation: this may be true for some, but definitely not for me. My love of being outside and playing in my yard continues to grow and I hope it never goes away.

And on the fourth day.....

a dear old friend of mine came to visit. I think he felt a little sorry for me and my lack of knowledge and experience, but strong desire to create something beautiful in my outside surroundings.

Bless his heart, he ordered a truck load of cypress mulch and then distributed it in every area that resembled a garden bed. He put it in thick, over 6 inches deep, further discouraging the weeds that were recently removed. It was so thick that I can still see remnants of it today, nine years later.

Today, I primarily use pine straw and oak leaves as mulch. However, the cypress was excellent as a base and also good in preventing weeds from reappearing.

Much concern has been expressed over the harvesting of cypress forests to provide mulch. In the southeast, pine straw and oak leaves are abundant, inexpensive and many times free! My neighbor's pine tree drops plenty of needles into my yard. I am amazed at the bags full of pine straw sitting on curbs waiting for disposal. It is attractive and provides excellent nutrients, especially for acid loving plants such as azaleas and hydrangeas.

The synthetic and artificially colored mulches make me want to barf.......why not just plant plastic flowers along with them?

And on Day Three........

My daddy (a farmer) and step-mother (a gardener) came for a visit. When they left, my entire front lawn was covered in weeds and limbs that had previously resided in my back yard.

I was so thankful to have their help. For one thing, there was a bed of something if my front yard. It was a leafy green plant with an orange center. It was not my first choice, but it was really kind of attractive. I found out it was a weed so out it went.

In my back yard, growing around and through anything that was already there, were the most obnoxious, tough and mean looking weeds. I don't know what any of them are called, except for Virginia Creeper which was also plentiful. They were so thick that I was too intimidated to begin to tackle them by myself. I think, really, I was a little fearful of what might come climbing out. We spent much of the day and into the evening cleaning it all out. The result exceeded my "yard trash allowance" so I had to call for a special pickup so it would not kill the grass on my front lawn.

Once this chore was done, I had a better idea of (or the lack of ) what I had to work with. It was probably at this time that my addiction to Round-up began.

And on the second day.....

I planted shrubs. Okay, it wasn't really the second day, but it was my second major task.

Aside from my ugly house, I had an ugly fence that bordered the south and much of the west side of my yard. It provided privacy, but there it was .....just grass and a very weathered fence, staring at me whenever I walked out of my door.

My house came with several geometrically shaped shrubs which I determined to be Waxleaf Ligustrum (Japanese Privet). This plant is very common in this area and I assume was the foundation shrub of the decade when this neighborhood was developed. While this wasn't my choice for my front yard, I had other priorities. I decided to live with and maintain them for a while as I tackled bigger projects.

I had noticed that these same shrubs could also be pruned to be interesting looking trees. There were a couple in my back yard in the "natural fence" that bordered the rest of my lot's west boundary. They were also abundant at a golf club that always looks picture perfect. They were evergreen, had twisted, gnarly trunks and a nice canopy. I made the decision to plant them along the fence on my south side.

There was grass already growing in this bed of shrubs that I was about to create. Remember, at this time I had lived in condos all of my adult life. I did not have much of a collection of garden tools. I think at the time, I had a hoe, a shovel and a weed-eater. What I lacked in tools, I made up for in stress.

I was having had a very good year with the corporate-America job that I had at the time. I was loading several new accounts as I was buying, moving and getting settled into my new home. With these new loads came an abundance of situations that were not going too well and were beyond my control. These were not problems that I could just lay aside for the weekend.

What I could do is vent that frustration at the task at hand. I physically removed every bit of grass, with a hoe and by hand, for an area that was about 4 feet by 6o feet.

I planted my ligustrums - probably a little too close together, but that again stems from my desire to hide the ugly. I have to say, overall, they have been pest and disease free. They've had a moderate to slow growth rate (my neighbor's oak grew faster and provided a little too much shade). In the first few years, I had to prune the bottom two-thirds pretty regularly so they would grow into 'trees' and not shrubs. Maintaining the 'tree shape' has numerous advantages: (1) I do not have to prune hedges (2) they do not look so predictable (3) they take up much less space. Space is important when you have a small yard and big ideas.

They are far from mature but they do provide a much more pleasant backdrop for my southern border and for the plants now underneath them.

In the beginnning..........

I moved into my house in July of 1999, after living in condominiums all of my adult life and with very, very little gardening experience. The yard was a blank slate. My lot had one tree that was of any size, a Live Oak I'm guessing to be about 12 years old at the time, and it was in the back.

I began pouring over every bit of information I could get my hands on. I referenced books, magazines, TV shows, websites, family and friends. There was one consistent piece of advice for getting started: Begin with a plan. If you have a plan, you will save time and money.

Plan? Yeah, right. I can be detailed oriented at times but that side of my brain did not work when thinking about my landscape. There were too many unknown variables and too much that was out of my control. I could not map out a plan when I didn't know what would grow, how fast it would grow, what plants were available at what price, what kind of winter we would have in a few months....and on and on and on. I had a long list of excuses.

I did have one initial priority and that was to plant some trees. First of all, I love trees; the established vegetation was what attracted me to my neighborhood in the first place. Secondly, while I love my little house, it is ugly. I envisioned big, green trees with gnarly trunks that would hide the front of my house. I reasoned that trees, especially the ones in my budget, would take years to grow to any significant size so the sooner I got them in the ground, the sooner I could pull into my driveway without thinking about my lack of street appeal.

I research and researched trees. I compared fast growers to slow growers, and also took into consideration their wind tolerance since I do live in Florida and we do get tropical storms. I then went tree shopping. Based on research and availability, I settled on a Live Oak (the state tree of my native state of Georgia and very hearty in this area), two red maples (somewhat fast growers) and a Palatka Holly (also a reasonably fast grower and happy in my zone). Since I didn't have access to a pickup truck, I loaded them into my BMW and drove across town with several feet of tree tops sticking out of my car window.

I got home, got a glass of wine so I could think, and planned the placement of the trees to maximize growing space and coverage of my ugly house. You've likely heard the saying, "Don't plant a $100 tree in a $10 hole". Well I erred on the side of caution; I planted $20 trees in million dollar holes. I remember my new neighbor commenting on my impressive holes, as I am sure she was quietly laughing to herself.

As time went on, I learned that new trees need to be staked or else they grow sideways. I experimented with a number of different devices designed for this purpose. Most garden stores carry an assortment and you can make your own. I think they all required constant readjustments.

Nine years later, they are all doing quite nicely. In hind sight, I would allow for a little more room for my Live Oak and Holly since I have to frequently prune the limbs away from my house. I have since learned that Maple trees, or the roots of maple trees, are shallow and can cause problems if they are too near your driveway. This has not been a problem yet, but something that could surface in the future. All in all, it wasn't too bad of a job for a rookie.

Do as I Say, Not as I Do

This was a favorite expression of my Mother's - and one that I like when it's coming from me.

Below are a few hints from my lessons learned. I am sure this list will continue to grow as I recall past experiences and continue to learn (the hard way).

1. Don't just buy what looks pretty in the garden center. Take a piece of paper and pen with you. Write down the name of the plant. Go home and research it. It will still be there when you go back.
2. If you buy a plant and learn that it can be "invasive", plant it in a pot - not the ground. Otherwise, one morning you will wake up and realize it has taken over your entire yard.
3. If someone offers to share their plants with you and then proceeds to pull out big clumps of them, graciously accept and then plant them in a pot. (see Hint # 2)
4. Don't be a pessimist. Plan for your plant or tree to get as big as stated on the product description that comes with it. Otherwise, you will spend the rest of your life pruning limbs from the sides and top of your house.
5. Just because the plants look great in the garden center, it does not mean that they will grow where you live or, even if it does, that it is the time of the year to plant them. Do not plant impatiens in Florida in September. Do not plant petunias in Florida in April. Do not plant lavender at any time - it's just too humid.
6. Reference local resources. Most newspapers publish an annual garden calendar and weekly gardening section. These will provide information that is specific to your location and will prevent you from planting petunias in April.
7. If a plant looks unhappy, first determine if it is getting enough water, is diseased or is infected with insects. If not, move it. It obviously needs something it is not getting.
8. Experiment with the unknown. You might be pleased. Otherwise, the plant will die and you will forget it was ever there. Or, you can always pull out big clumps and share with your neighbors.
9. If you want it to rain, water.
10. Try to tackle disease or insect problems early on - otherwise they will tackle you.
11. Things that attract birds (seed, water) also attract squirrels, raccoons and possums.
12. You will see snakes. Learn about them and make an agreement with them to stay out of your way in exchange for keeping their head attached to their body.
13. Unless you are in a hurry or have absolutely no friends, there are some plants you should never have to buy. In my area, these include: liriope, yarrow, sago palms, society garlic, African iris, Mexican petunia, salvia, Boston fern, elephant ears, Mexican bush sage.
14. If you have no idea where to start, take a walk or ride your bike around the neighborhood and take note of what grows well. If you see someone out working in their yard, ask them what they have planted. Most gardeners are proud and happy to share their knowledge - a maybe even a few plants. (See #3 - be appreciative but leery if they are too happy to share).
15. On the same note, if you plant something and it is "too happy", watch it for a year of two before you divide it spread it all over your yard.
16. If you do spread it all over your yard, you can always pull up big clumps and share with your friends.
17. Round-up is your friend. I wish I had bought stock. I could probably go organic if not for my addiction to Round-up.
18. Google is also your friend. The wealth of information that is available at your fingertips is priceless.
19. When you buy a plant, save the little plastic ID tag that comes with it. Date it. Throw it in a drawer. A year from now, when the plant is struggling or going berserk, you will want to know what it is so you can research appropriate needs or propagation techniques .
20. Share -whether it be fruits, vegetables, cut flowers or off-springs of what you have growing.
21. Take time to appreciate the fruits of your labor. It's not as easy as it sounds. Too often I take a walk and take mental note of just what needs to be done. Then I take a step back and look at what progress has been made and how beautiful it all is.

My Bottle Tree

I can't remember where I first saw or heard of the “bottle tree”. I know it was about six or seven years ago. I am thinking it was a story in Southern Living magazine featuring Felder Rushing. I was fascinated and just knew that I had to have one.

I did a little bit of research at the time. The practice was most common for African Americans in the deep south. It is thought to have originated as an ancient African custom going back as far as ninth century Congo when natives hung hand-blown glass on trees to ward off evil. I personally do not remember them in the rural community in which I was raised. I think they were more popular in the Mississippi Delta region and perhaps along the Carolina Coast. Blue bottles are best for attracting and entrapping the evil spirits. Milk of Magnesia bottles were commonly used, likely because that was what was most abundant. The limbs on the tree should “point toward heaven”. Crepe Myrtle trees were often used.

Probably, the most well known reference to bottle trees comes from Eudora Welty in her short story “Livvie”, about a young African American woman. Livvie "knew that there could be a spell put in trees, and she was familiar from the time she was born with the way bottle trees kept evil spirits from coming into the house -- by luring them inside the colored bottles, where they cannot get out again." More recent appearances of bottle trees have been in the movies “Ray” and in the yard of the character played by Cicely Tyson in “Because of Winn Dixie”.

My first bottle tree was made from a limb that I needed to remove from a tree in my yard. It was somewhat symmetrical with upward pointing branches. I used hole diggers to plant it a couple feet in the ground and then started decorating with the bottles I had collected. It lasted a couple of years. My second tree came from a volunteer oak that I cut and buried in the original hole. I've had it for a few years, but I lost the top portion earlier this year during a wind storm. I've also seen bottle trees created from treated wood - something like a fence post with nails or dowels inserted to serve as branches. While I don't think these are as authentic, they are attractive and will certainly have a longer life span.

A few points:

• If you are using a cut tree or limb, it will not last forever. You can probably get a few years of life from your tree.


• If the bottles are not evenly dispersed on the tree, over time you will see it begin to bend and favor the more heavily weighted side.


• If your bottles do not 'point toward heaven', they will collect water – creating more weight on the limbs and also creating cute little condos for mosquitos.


• Blue bottles are best. You can find old Milk of Magnesia bottles on ebay and in antique shops. I've seen sports drinks, imported water and white wine in blue bottles. Since I mostly drink red wine, I have been know to give a bottle of Riesling as a gift and then ask for the empty bottle back! My dear family has even given me empty blue bottles for my birthday, much to my delight!

They must really work. I haven't had any evil spirits lurking around my house!

From the kitchen

No, I'm not sharing a favorite recipe. Anyone that has ever eaten my cooking is thankful. While I'm not an accomplished chef, I detest fast food, junk food and TV dinners. After years of being a road warrior, I prefer to eat in rather than eat out. Since my Mama lives too far away for me to pop in at supper time, I somehow manage to do okay in the kitchen - at least I can eat it.

This past winter, after cooking some beef stew, I saved the carrot tops. I tucked them into my garden in some of the more bare spots left from my unsuccessful attempt at growing lettuce and brussel sprouts. (I don't really think they are genetically designed to live happily in Coastal Zone 9). A few weeks later, I saw green peeping through and fortunately remembered the carrots before I hit them with Round-up. Now, I have one carrot plant this is almost as tall as I and several more that are trying to catch up with it.

I made one unsuccessful attempt at growing carrots before. I am not really sure when to harvest -if there is indeed anything to harvest (which I can't know without pulling them up out of the ground). I've decided to let them be until the foliage begins to deteriorate - and then see just what is growing under there. If anyone has, any advice, I welcome it!

One addiction I have learned to overcome is planting the seed from avocados. I absolutely love avocados and I like to plant what I love to eat. I didn't think any of them would survive. We get a hard freeze every couple of years -and it is usually enough to erode any progress any seed has every made. However, I went through a spell where I had avocado trees all over the place. Now, one must be at least 20 feet tall. A few didn't survive, but I have three trees in all. I quit planting the seed. My yard is not that big. I have yet to have any blooms or fruit, but I remain optimistic. Even if they never produce, there is a satisfaction that comes from seeing the results of minimal effort and my kitchen recycling.

My next goal is to start recycling my leftovers into a compost pile - or a worm farm, something I want to investigate and learn a little more about.

Chinch Bugs

It's funny. It's the same questions and same advise year after year. I read countless articles where people are looking for help to care for their lawns and to spot potential problems. Year after year, I take notes so I too can be prepared.

A few years ago, I obviously had a problem with my lawn in my front yard (the part that the Home Owner's Association, aka HOA, inspects). Was it a fungus? Was it chinch bugs? How was I to know for sure?

I tried the old coffee-can and soapy water trick (if you don' know what I am talking about, see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/lh036). I didn't see anything float to the top of the suds, except for a few roaches and beetles. I concluded, my problem must be fungus related - so I treated it appropriately. A few weeks later, I noticed no improvement. Therefore, I concluded that my first conclusion was incorrect and the problem must really indeed be chinch bugs - and again, treated it appropriately. Time went on and there still were no improvements. By now I had two pretty big sections of brown grass. I knew it was a matter of time before I received the dreaded letter from the HOA.

I got a glass of wine to properly access the situation and think through my options. It is just against my religion to buy sod. I like grass and I think it is attractive. However, with the maintenance it requires, to me it just doesn't provide as much return on my investment as other planting materials. I refilled my glass of wine and got my sketch book and drew out two garden beds that somewhat harmonized with each other and the layout of my front yard. Of course, they also completely covered the chinch bug infested areas of my lawn.

I spent the weekend drawing out my beds with my edger, and then removing what was left of the grass. I bought a few plants and divided some others to get something going to authenticate these 'beds' as areas that were not intended to have grass. As with any gardening project, unless you spend big bucks and buy mature plants, it take some time to become established. It's been several years now. It's coming along quite nicely, although it still on my "five year plan" and has a ways to go before I am completely satisfied.

My letter from the HOA came the following Monday. I was thankful that I had beat them to it!

For anyone looking for a more conventional approach to treating chinch bugs, the link I referenced above has good information.

I might be a redneck

Don’t worry about what your neighbors think,

they are going to talk about you any way

--Felder Rushing

I love this quote and it is so true!

I live in the un-prestigious section of a somewhat prestigious golfing community. There are many advantages to having a Home Owners Association (HOA) to monitor grounds and the appearances of the houses in our community. On the other hand, they leave little room for imperfections and individual creativity!

I am so lucky that I have a tiny front yard where I can maintain appearances - and a backyard that is not overly visible from the street or to my neighbors. I'm just not sure that the HOA would appreciate my beer-bottle border, my gourd bird houses and my bottle tree. My backyard is my playground. If the grass dies, so be it. I just help it along and carve out a new area for more plants. My front yard is where I do my yard work. My back yard is where I garden.

Gardening vs.Yard Work

Just how do we distinguish the difference? Where do we draw the line?

When I was growing up, a "garden" was always for vegetables. One might have a "flower bed" for aesthetic purposes, but the garden was the productive part of the yard. Just this morning, my Daddy asked me had I planted anything in my garden. I knew what he was asking. ( I answered incorrectly in the past). He was strictly referring to vegetables.

So if my garden is where my vegetables are planted, what do I call the other defined areas of my yard? And what do I call all the work that I do in those other areas? Sometimes, to me, the word 'gardening' sounds a little too snooty and elevates my yard to a status that I am not sure that it deserves (yet). On the other hand, 'yard work' sounds too much like a list of chores that I just need to check off of my to-do list. Clearly, the ongoing maintenance like mowing, edging and such are the least pleasurable chores, but I really enjoy it all. (If nothing else, an ice cold beer never tastes as good as it does after pushing a mower on a hot summer day).

My conclusion is that gardening is when you enjoy what you are doing. Yard work is when you are just doing what needs to be done.

Rain Down On Me

As I am winding up this week, we received a nice little rain shower. It was a welcomed and pleasant surprise. This morning, the forecast called for an 80% of heavy rain. When I looked at the radar, there it was - a band of dark green moving across the Gulf Coast region and headed in our direction. But, as happens so frequently and sometimes to our advantage, the fronts often fall apart before they reach Northeast Florida.

By this afternoon, the forecast was for only a few scattered showers.Our region, as is much of the country, continues to suffer drought conditions. There are fires popping up all over the region. Watering restrictions - even water restrictions - are now commonplace throughout the country.At the same time, how many times do I see neighbors watering their lawn when we have a very good change of rain within 24 hours? I even see the sprinklers going during and right after rain. It just does not make sense to me.I grew up in a farming community and I so well remember everybody having a rain gauge. They were always a promotional give-away.

When livelihoods take a gamble on the climate, it was important to keep track of what Mother Nature poured upon us. This was a time well before irrigation and the best forecast came from the Old Farmers Almanac.I see many advertisements and articles attempting to educate the population on how much water a lawn needs and how often. It is often to the benefit of your plants and your lawn to let them get a little dry between their showers.....not to mention, it conserves our most valuable resource that we so often take for granted.Perhaps it is not a bad idea to bring back those rain gauges.