tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23345401949042388952024-02-18T21:45:25.568-08:00The Eclectic Garden"Where you have a plot of land, however small, plant a garden. Staying close to the soil is good for the soul."
~ Spencer W. KimballOCD Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138740940357818928noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334540194904238895.post-15765520214497134892009-05-21T10:53:00.000-07:002009-05-21T11:20:57.068-07:00Red Shield Hibiscus<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338339065667830418" style="WIDTH: 308px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO8eu-j-ITXAd8dj_TralMbP5CxuiOtsYXZB866B5OEremDYGO_ZDdgxHXvi2Jb4t5yjQq0Wb3gY1lLqjwCakeNUn6SRIixBB6Flg7-28wDqaZbwHB2dBRBEHON93XMgVLKLLXytav_IXZ/s320/hibiscus.JPG" border="0" />I first discovered this plant while visiting the local extension office of the Agricultural Center in St Johns County last fall. I had gone to id a tree growing along the woods, which turned out to be Chinese Tallow, but that's another post. I saw what I thought was a Japanese Maple growing near the parking lot. A volunteer working at chopping it down handed me a clipping and told me it was a hibiscus. I thought to myself "this is not a hibiscus" but didn't want to argue with the lady. Sure enough, as I later discovered after hours searching the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">internet</span>, it was a Red Shield Hibiscus <em>Hibiscus <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Acetosella</span> </em>sometimes referred to as Red Leaf, False Roselle, or African Rose Mallow. <div><br /><div>I had found a new obsession. I was able to root and keep the plant alive on my patio until we had several frosts. I took a new clipping and kept in in the kitchen window. I babied that plant all winter and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">miraculously</span> it survived. I was impatient though, I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">wanted</span> more, more, more. I searched the nurseries and most people had never heard of it. Just by chance I stopped in The Greenery and they had several! That is the large plant you see. My clipping is the small plant just to the right. </div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzi8iR670i0joCXDxkv284zywhBkzea4HynK-2BBSqeQfNJjgsSWiHb6x_ScNyMaY-sKeHqQ3Gcoc5wEry5y-eY_b4XSVxA4cPkw1714KzvKBUObAY4pB5We-tL1yy7oHo_PGXYW20tqJx/s1600-h/hibicus+seed.JPG"></a></div></div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie702UUTbQ04J5NXOWlKEp0qTrkJjRddbrqR42hZJ-oZwfhQ-eFW0HRODP27CqpHVXGE6hAcFjRnzM2VRiDbOknEeDwt-aReJoqQAr9BnBo_03QM65EYdSkhfrLLRGlk9NI0ciLCuvtLt2/s1600-h/hibiscus+seedling.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338339056413049618" style="WIDTH: 301px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 306px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie702UUTbQ04J5NXOWlKEp0qTrkJjRddbrqR42hZJ-oZwfhQ-eFW0HRODP27CqpHVXGE6hAcFjRnzM2VRiDbOknEeDwt-aReJoqQAr9BnBo_03QM65EYdSkhfrLLRGlk9NI0ciLCuvtLt2/s320/hibiscus+seedling.JPG" border="0" /></a>In the meantime I ordered seeds from Park Seed and have started seedlings to give away to friends and family. I'm usually not a seed person (I'm too impatient) but the seeds are large and easy to grow. This seedling is about 2 months old. It will turn the dark burgundy when it in direct sun. I've heard they can get 10' high and is treated as a perennial here and annual in colder climates.</div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzi8iR670i0joCXDxkv284zywhBkzea4HynK-2BBSqeQfNJjgsSWiHb6x_ScNyMaY-sKeHqQ3Gcoc5wEry5y-eY_b4XSVxA4cPkw1714KzvKBUObAY4pB5We-tL1yy7oHo_PGXYW20tqJx/s1600-h/hibicus+seed.JPG"></a></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div></div>OCD Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138740940357818928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334540194904238895.post-67839937129662186032009-05-20T15:45:00.000-07:002009-05-21T10:52:48.680-07:00Will It Ever Stop????<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTRvlyk6wfhZyX9th4XbjBBjnBs3_ZJgLlZZoxPRK5Dhyphenhyphen54FbddTNQ3tcsk83ttxCdQuaDEExiIaG1LY1Igao6h6_6JW5pfCPfDVh0F9V1mvVmDd0QBDHxX1KB63kU2TfhvlDjsj5dbXL/s1600-h/backyard+flood.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338336599644413106" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTRvlyk6wfhZyX9th4XbjBBjnBs3_ZJgLlZZoxPRK5Dhyphenhyphen54FbddTNQ3tcsk83ttxCdQuaDEExiIaG1LY1Igao6h6_6JW5pfCPfDVh0F9V1mvVmDd0QBDHxX1KB63kU2TfhvlDjsj5dbXL/s320/backyard+flood.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>This is really getting old now. We are having a noreaster here in Florida and it has been raining nonstop since Sunday night. I had some buckets in the garden that were full this morning so I can say that is about a foot of rain. News reported 18" in some areas of the county. Was able to get out and stake up a couple plants in the rain today. My backyard slopes down to a wetland preserve which is now flooded. Thankfully the Faxahachee grass doesn't mind standing water!</div>OCD Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138740940357818928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334540194904238895.post-49210034988976662492009-05-20T12:32:00.000-07:002009-05-21T10:48:35.845-07:00Rain, Rain Go Away<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi71f6iclpCJPaUZWLELYlo50c01iPqf9NZmiJaOXq5GDiUradS44vSKXiFR1xYAYRR_3c3DfpLNO16ekFFL7Y8ywHDAmN269m5DsmyDw3-BBdhg-D-srXEhnYxNl-GpH1TSPWhdwaj2k92/s1600-h/treefrog.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338335441858190082" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi71f6iclpCJPaUZWLELYlo50c01iPqf9NZmiJaOXq5GDiUradS44vSKXiFR1xYAYRR_3c3DfpLNO16ekFFL7Y8ywHDAmN269m5DsmyDw3-BBdhg-D-srXEhnYxNl-GpH1TSPWhdwaj2k92/s200/treefrog.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I have been waiting for the rain to come for weeks now. We haven't had rainfall in almost a month, but over the last 3 days it hasn't stopped and I have accumulated over 12" based on the full buckets in the garden. After the rain finally STOPS I will be able to turn off the sprinklers and utilize rain water only probably until fall. A couple of plants need staking and it won't stop long enough for me to go out. The tree frogs will be singing tonight!</div>OCD Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138740940357818928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334540194904238895.post-72898018932528298972009-05-18T12:51:00.000-07:002009-05-19T16:02:54.304-07:00My Butterfly Garden<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-VCFVM96MDfaKCiC3vgjCDN9VJxv_LhMiyKoVkXyyPZKB2NyGzx1o1TMq9lxPtGkQeVPOb6UlnhqKqaLkiXPmB23ry74r_1IbRu1Y9KgXiROO0Sa40BEYSaJY2kHiieL_KBnhbzz9b5X0/s1600-h/may+11+2009+026.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337627206603740626" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-VCFVM96MDfaKCiC3vgjCDN9VJxv_LhMiyKoVkXyyPZKB2NyGzx1o1TMq9lxPtGkQeVPOb6UlnhqKqaLkiXPmB23ry74r_1IbRu1Y9KgXiROO0Sa40BEYSaJY2kHiieL_KBnhbzz9b5X0/s320/may+11+2009+026.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>My husband brought home eight railroad ties with some big vision. After lugging home the ties (over 100lbs a piece) and realizing he would need more, he changed his mind. I, in turn, got to use them for a butterfly garden for the kids. Okay, it's more for me, but it sounds better when I say it's for the kids. I planted a variety of plants and vegetables and all have done extremely well. I mixed about 60 bags soil, 20 bags compost, and 2 bales of peat moss in the planting bed. I even let the kids pick out some of the plants (which is hard because I am a little OCD) and this is the result. I have mint, onions, radishes, tomatoes, zinnas, milkweed, vinca, carolina jessimine, plumbago, lantana, gardenia, strawberries, rosemary, sunflowers, and my current obsession - red shield hibiscus.</div>OCD Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138740940357818928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334540194904238895.post-68779117049185053332009-05-17T13:02:00.000-07:002009-05-21T03:48:16.258-07:00Milkweed<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZ3bClcheuKcr7y6co478A48W2KNk20vNyaD94Ii6Kkb_WOUIJZASucOzJ03mkQChRBb-SFok99apTUU_9gzdy9vMhjz9lWXaF4cg1aSOOJH6-YCHPFnftbXRP1I7s28qMlhJWlaedXqd/s1600-h/Monarch+caterpillar.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337628970900406834" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZ3bClcheuKcr7y6co478A48W2KNk20vNyaD94Ii6Kkb_WOUIJZASucOzJ03mkQChRBb-SFok99apTUU_9gzdy9vMhjz9lWXaF4cg1aSOOJH6-YCHPFnftbXRP1I7s28qMlhJWlaedXqd/s320/Monarch+caterpillar.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I planted one milkweed plant because they say it attracts the monarch butterfly. Never had any luck, but felt if I planted a butterfly garden you gotta include milkweek right? A few weeks later I noticed 3 juicy monarch catepillars munching on the leaves. They were there for several days and then gone suddenly. A few days later my husband noticed a funny thing on the juniper along the woods and sure enough it was the cocoon. I checked it each day and as soon as it starting changing color I clipped the branch and put in my daughter's pop up butterfly house. So far it hasn't hatched, but I'll post when it does. </div>OCD Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138740940357818928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334540194904238895.post-33666219402078233742009-05-09T12:38:00.000-07:002009-05-21T03:50:08.480-07:00How my garden growsI live in a new development so I struggle with the lack of fullness from my plants. I have been trying to keep a picture diary so that I can look back to see how much these plants grow from year to year. It is only after looking at these pics that I can really appreciate how far they have come. These recent pictures are of a backyard bed that I planted in Jan 2007 consisting of azaleas, junipers, and a crape myrtle re<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs044CRFZkVz1G9PeYOgID3M-vxsR8lo7pJGswbssUJtdr0e_a9f-eSpIyH-M_JR9oOpPMwdkPFTh9uMx4-t97MnL3TNPdYgdHicc_U9aWg4Zk64l1P7bI2hQFtOVnGdgd9nm0hjL3CHEF/s1600-h/april+2007+024.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337624275145066866" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 176px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 134px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs044CRFZkVz1G9PeYOgID3M-vxsR8lo7pJGswbssUJtdr0e_a9f-eSpIyH-M_JR9oOpPMwdkPFTh9uMx4-t97MnL3TNPdYgdHicc_U9aWg4Zk64l1P7bI2hQFtOVnGdgd9nm0hjL3CHEF/s320/april+2007+024.JPG" border="0" /></a>scued<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFTN0G-_0yoKeXR9LbYpKWhmC462dsNwiwgMniIoAs5n2AfUwDVXIouuHQOyAahB2aQebhtPDz8_Dq2CssWPPrfLW0-XYo4xpuG6i6wH1oMG9ZSeg_E15Lc6TWNiyzVH2WsHOg2ZK-Hd39/s1600-h/may+11+2009+051.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337624280538108162" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 194px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 135px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFTN0G-_0yoKeXR9LbYpKWhmC462dsNwiwgMniIoAs5n2AfUwDVXIouuHQOyAahB2aQebhtPDz8_Dq2CssWPPrfLW0-XYo4xpuG6i6wH1oMG9ZSeg_E15Lc6TWNiyzVH2WsHOg2ZK-Hd39/s320/may+11+2009+051.JPG" border="0" /></a> from the front yard.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />These are of the front walk way area, recent and May 2006. The two crape myrtles were moved to the backyard and a washingtonian palm added. The beds include chinese fringe, holly, lantana, lirope, and agapanthus.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ7hRxWMOUDhHLIbtudr_g4VBaBX9Xw7nI9iLDasSZP6RcoKZBLbU2swbRtnP3VmVhq6v3aNS3SzrbHnIjdGEFWWi6FpZVLFoY49gy0nHsi8Icv45xB3LTVhid-EK5G8vOxz8LME42ULnW/s1600-h/house_0113.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337633360433084786" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 194px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 138px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ7hRxWMOUDhHLIbtudr_g4VBaBX9Xw7nI9iLDasSZP6RcoKZBLbU2swbRtnP3VmVhq6v3aNS3SzrbHnIjdGEFWWi6FpZVLFoY49gy0nHsi8Icv45xB3LTVhid-EK5G8vOxz8LME42ULnW/s320/house_0113.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLeG4gP8wQX0Znn-yWckjXtZqFmuZbAHyaOxR6cHrHL_9Bx8XGp3MfUwMzLpqaTSsCxVEiMaWgvcKZ-9uFuvpIeks_VUiaTU21GJz_kl39KUIgwK2dYMm7mDvzz9_hlX0nHoOs5DEpWOX7/s1600-h/may+11+2009+001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337634852494958610" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 187px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 140px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLeG4gP8wQX0Znn-yWckjXtZqFmuZbAHyaOxR6cHrHL_9Bx8XGp3MfUwMzLpqaTSsCxVEiMaWgvcKZ-9uFuvpIeks_VUiaTU21GJz_kl39KUIgwK2dYMm7mDvzz9_hlX0nHoOs5DEpWOX7/s320/may+11+2009+001.JPG" border="0" /></a>OCD Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138740940357818928noreply@blogger.com0