How many live in Florida?

[MermaidsMom]

I am having a sad day thinking about my flowers dying in a few months here in the north! What is the gardening like in Florida, or even other southern states? I would seriously consider moving to be able to garden year round.

 

[Tulirose]

You're right, MM! It's just not fair. We want a longer growing season too up here in NY. It would give me more time to get my act together in getting the garden together. I always seem to be behind the times. I never cut back my rhododendrums this season and now it's too late. And I just finally got those plants that were sitting on my deck since June into the ground.

 

[Snowwark]

You finally got them planted, Tulirose?

I'm glad you mentioned Florida gardeners, MermaidsMom! We haven't heard from Marlasmom or dredelsol, two of our Florida buds. I hope they were spared the worst of Charley's fury.

With our growing season in the north being so brief, it makes it that much more cherished and special. How did that sound...lol...

 

[Mamu]

Yes I think I'll cherish the shorter growing season! Is it really that short December, January February!

I'll take the green grass and nine months of growing any day over the oppressive heat and humidity of the Florida growing season.

I barely garden in August because of the 3-H's. Can you image month after month of August weather.

 

[drdelsol]

It's not that great. I mean you have to mow in November and those darn plants just keep growing and growing so you have to prune them etc.

Seriously, there is good and bad to every region. We are envious of those colorful bulbs that don't work here. In the summer you can't plant too much unless you really keep after the watering or new stuff will be dead in two days. For me this time of year is trying to keep up with the weeds. My yard is pretty bad this year. We just had a child so I neglected the yard for house updates. Luckily I have a big fence in back hiding things. On the positive side, I picked two pineapples, a couple of avocados a mango and some starfruit this week. So that I will rub it in a little

Charley took out half my macadamia nut tree, but that was about it. Some of my relatives didn't fair too well as far as property damage, but everyone is ok. My tree didn't have the preferred growth habit and ended up splitting. The squirrels are in mourning. My neighbors big magnolia came down but not on top of anything.

 

[Snowwark]

You had a baby this year, Drdelsol?!! How wonderful, congratulations!!!

I'm glad you're okay, and that your relatives are too....trees can be replanted...

After what you guys have been through, I think you're allowed to rub it in, quite a bit!! Avocados, mangos, pineapples and starfruit..wow. Although I've never tried starfruit, it all sounds yummy, and very....tropical!!

I hope Marlasmom is okay!!

 

[Tulirose]

Yeah. I should be happy with what I have. Story of my life, always thinking someone else has something better.

I like having the change of seasons and here on L.I. our winters are usually pretty mild. (Winter is NOT my favorite season). But I never thought about mowing lawns in November and Florida doesn't have the nice type of grass that we have up here. Ours is softer.... gentler.... kinder... (oh wait, I'm thinking about something else....)

Congrats on the new baby, Drdelsol. Sorry that you lost your tree but glad that you and your family are safe.

 

[marlasmom]

My sister pointed out that gardening at home is a seasonal thing. Here it's all year and it gets wearying. If I don't weed for 2 weeks the yard is overrun.

We had more than half a large garbage can full of water pour through one of the air conditioning vents and some water came in under the kitchen window. Our fence (a very sturdy 8 footer) is bowed on two sides but other than that no damage. We lost power for 3 days and that was just gruesome. Nothing like it being 97 outside and NO AIR CONDITIONING. It's back on now though and we were able to buy gas yesterday. The pool is cleaning up from not having the filter run for 3 days. The oleander at the back of the yard which is about 14 feet tall was beaten down quite a bit - but no damage to the damn bottle brush trees. (I was hoping.) I had to throw away several hundred dollars of food from the refrigerator and freezer. What really killed me was the elaborate, time-consuming appetizers I had made and squirreled away. See if you would come visit me I would have used them and not had to throw them away so it's all your fault.

 

[chessie]

drdelsol and marlasmom, glad to hear that Charley left you with no great damage. I lived in south Florida years ago and even those tropical storms can be very scary.


drdelsol, congrats on the new baby. We're expecting a new grandbaby in the next few weeks.


Gardening in South Florida was sometimes a bit scary. Those little plants that I grew back home as house plants became giant trees in no time. I often felt like I was in an old B horror movie like maybe "The Plant that ate Chicago."


Our yard was always beautiful. It's hard to make a mistake. If you do you just replant and in no time your're fine. Having tropical fruits at my doorstep was a real luxury but they have lousy tomatoes, sooo there's the trade off.

 

[Snowwark]

Marlasmom! I'm sorry about your fence and oleander, and the spoilt food, but I'm glad to hear that you were spared any major damage to yourself and your home!!

Lots of babies on the way! What nice news, Chessie!!