HOMEMADE HANGING BASKET

While looking at my growing pile of scrap welded wire material left over from making my plant cages I was struck with an inspiration . I decided to use the scrap pieces to form into a hanging basket for some Bromeliads I had saved.

I cut the welded wire scrap and formed a circle to give the basket a support cage. Then added scrap chicken wire to the inside to form the floor and sides. With more scrap wire I made the hanger itself with three prongs and attached it to the cage.

I tied three bromeliads plants in the basket with sisal twine Then filled the interior of the planter with Mango tree bark pulled off of a Mango stump in my yard.

All in all a good project that adds to the gestalt of my garden. I was able to realize several of my stated goals from my mission statement. I recycled the wire scrap that I would have thrown away from the planter cages project. I used the Mango tree stump bark as a medium to plant in thereby recycling it to productive use.

Aside from the original purchase of the wire mesh for my cage project I didn't have to go out and buy anything. The bromeliads were free a gift left by the birds several years ago.

Free, recycled and it actually looks good. ...sanddune.....

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FOR THE BIRDS

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Attracting wildlife to my urban garden is a goal I have been working toward . Besides just looking at my plants I get to watch the birds in my hedges and at my feeder. I have a loyal following of Doves, Blue jays, and other Local birds who are almost constantly arriving and departing.

They don't bother the plants to much except the Doves used to tramp my plants in the planter blocks to eat the food knocked in them from the bird feeder.

The birds like to hang out on the power line and in the bushes. I think that they help my garden to survive by eating bugs from around the plants. Between the birds and the lizards my bug problems are much less so I don't have to use chemical poison's.

We all try to enjoy the garden without conflict. Its like we have an uncommunicated mutual understanding. They will eat the bugs and I will provide them with a safe habitat. I give them food and they bring me occasional presents. What presents you ask? Here are just a few......

This wild bromelaid left on my pine tree by a grateful bird. . Now in bloom in a place of honor by my back porch...............................................

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Or this this Sunflower donated to the garden from their bird seed.

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My theory is that to become a better gardener you have to get back to nature. ....sanddune....

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EARTH DAY 2009 - PICTURE OF MY COCOLOBA UVIFERA

For Earth Day I took a pictures of my Cocoloba Uvifera I grew from seed scavenged at the beach.

This shrub is a native to the Caribbean and Florida .

Its common name is the SEA GRAPE.

It provides habitat for the birds and shades my ac unit from the morning sun.

One can use the grapes produced to make jelly or ferment them to make wine. Native birds love to eat them.

In the three years that my Sea Grapes have grown(two plants), mine have not produced any fruit (grapes). I read that only the female plant produces fruit and a male plant has to be present.

So I figure my two bushes are both female with no male or both male with no female. I plan to start some more beside these to get some grape production going on.

Plants native to your area are the way to go especially on EARTH DAY!!! ...sanddune...

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WORKING WITH NATURE

Because Odette (my Yorkshire Terrier) insists on running over my planting blocks and trampling the baby plants some changes are in order. She views the blocks as her private hunting reserve for lizards and stands on top of the blocks for the elevated view of the hunting terrain. Whenever I take my eye's off of her she is back in the rock garden bounding over the blocks in hot pursuit of another lizard who is trying to escape the maniac dog chasing them. She views the chase as great dog fun.





I like the lizards in the garden as a natural form of bug control. The bugs hunt my plants, the lizards hunt the bugs and Odette hunts the lizards. It all seems to work as nature intended except for my plants getting trampled.



So for the good of the general order and to make everyone happy I decided to make a capitol investment. I went to Home Depot and purchased some 14 guage welded wire fence.
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A fifty foot roll set me back $27.00 plus tax.

















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Then using my electrical pliers I began forming individual cages to slip over the planting blocks


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The cages have holes 2 inches by 4 inches . This is just big enough for my hand to slip inside to work with the plant. The lizards can escape inside and the cages keep Odette out of the blocks. I am in the process of making one cage for each block. Some I plan to make at different heights so the larger plants can grow inside the cage and up through the top.


















My first attempt at cage building. The cage fits right over the brick and the new plant is protected. The plant (in this case a Park's Hibrid Pearl Cucumber) can grow right up through the cage top and onto the stake.





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If I need to the cage can be covered with screen to cut the wind damage. It can also be covered with chicken wire to keep the birds out of my new plants.

I expect the cages will last many seasons and are really sturdy. Cool.

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Odette can still have her fun and my plants are safe in the caged blocks.





























Now if I can just keep her out of trouble until The rest of the cages are finished. ...sanddune....

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NOTE: WHAT DO YOU THINK? YOUR COMMENTS, IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME. THANKS.


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Saving Free Water for the Garden

Last time that I visited my Mom up in Jacksonville, Florida I made an interesting observation. She had several plastic dish pans set out to catch the rainwater. I ask her about the pans and she told me that there is nothing like rainwater to perk up your plants.

After returning back to Miramar the Sunday paper (Miami Herald) had an article about making a rain barrel.

Later while reading one of my gardening reference books (Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew) he suggested hand watering your plants with water warmed first by the sun.

If Mel and my Mom think it is that much of an advantage there has to be something to it. If my Mom who it seems can grow anything supports it. And if Mel a gardening legend says its so I have to start saving the rainwater for my plants instead of using the city water .

The city water is cold and has been treated with chemicals. Mel advises to set the water out in the sun and let it warm up naturally before giving it to your plants. The rain water is free , hasn't been treated with anything and is more better for the plants.

So this week I have been setting out two 5 gallon plastic buckets under the part of my back awning that cascades the most water during a rainstorm. This afternoon the rain I had been waiting for arrived and filled the buckets. I'm going to set the 5 gallon buckets in the sun to warm and now I have free water for next week for my new plantings. ...sanddune....

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NOTE: HOPE THIS IDEA WORKS FOR YOU. ALL COMMENTS, IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS ARE WELCOMED. THANKS.

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OLD SEEDS

Today is turning out to be a spectacular South Florida day with a clear azure blue sky and a warm tropical breeze blowing. The sun is out and it is just a day you want to plant something.

I started looking at my seeds saved from 2007 and 2008 and decided to start some for the garden. I had saved up a stack of plastic yogurt cups so today presented the perfect opportunity to put them to use.
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First thing was to cut out four drainage holes in the bottom of the empty yogurt cups.



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The dogs were close by during the production line of drain hole cutting. They give me weird looks as if to say,"what are you doing now"?


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Seed starting mix is now put in the cups and water added until the whole mixture is wet. The seeds are added and marked with homemade labels with the seed name and date started.


This morning we started :
4- Park's bell peppers Whopper improved hybrid.
2- Park's Pepper Thai Hot.
2-Burpee Zinnia Highlight
4- Evelyn's Yellow Beauty Marigold ( very old seeds from my Mom's Marigold plants )
2- Yellow Bush ( unknown seeds I had saved from the blooms of a apparently Yellow bush back
in 2007 and put in an envelope. I have no clue as to what they are but I did
mark the envelope Yellow Bush 06- 20-07).
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Now we just have to wait and see what sprouts if anything. ... sanddune...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------NOTE: COMMENTS , IDEAS OR SUGGESTIONS ARE ALWAYS APPRECIATED, THANKS.
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