After careful consideration I have come to the conclusion that the thing that has grown the most over the Summer months here at the Sandpit is Tirods. Now that September is here looking around the garden it is full up with Tirods.What is a Tirods you ask. Well it is defined in the Sandpit slang dictionary as Things I Really Oughta Do Someday. And my garden after the summer is full of them!
Unfortunately here the Summer heat and Tropical humidity make a great excuse for goofing off when it comes to garden maintenance. During such times staying in the air conditioning and thinking up more Tirods seems a prudent choice.
Now that it is September and the temperatures are moderating a bit it is time to get back to work whittling down the list of Tirods compiled over the summer.
They say that if you do something everyday for thirty days it becomes a habit. Who are they you ask . I have no idea who they are but back to the point. August had 31 days in it and I was able to consistently goof off for the whole month. That means that I am one day over the habit limit. Goofing off has become a habit to me now so to break my new addiction will undoubtedly be painful. It's always something.
Anyway back to more pleasant things. There is some exciting news from the Sandpit. My Swampbush specimen has bloomed. I abducted this bush back in May of 09 from a tidal swamp in North Florida along the St Johns River. I have no clue as to what it is but I remember some of the mature bushes in the swamp had white flowers.It was an experiment to see if the Swampbush would grow in my eco system here. Apparently it has adapted and survived to the climate change and has set it's blooms.
It is a good looking Swampbush as far as Swampbushes go and it appeals to me. So there!
And on the America Beautyberry front my two grown from seed plants have berries and they are actually turning purple like they are supposed to.
I got the seeds from a gardener up in Tampa or thereabouts from an seed exchange by mail.Now I know that the American Beautyberry is just a kind of Mulberry bush which lots of folks consider pests. But I like it and planted in the Sandpit bird corner the two bushes look good.
The birds like it also as I saw a Mockingbird getting some of the berrys and trying them out. The Mockingbird usually prefers my Lantana plant berrys with the occasional Everglades Tomato on the side. But now he has a choice of berrys for lunch .
As for my 2010 Summer favorite I have to give the award this year to the Ruella plants. These guys never fail to be amazing with their Summertime blooms.
I have two containers of the plants that I keep by my back porch. They will be covered in purple blooms each morning which drop off every afternoon around 3 pm. The next day they start over again full of new blooms for the day.During the Summer these plants really work overtime to put on a new show everyday.
I think that they are also called Mexican dropflower plants or Mexican Petunias.
And to wrap it up I couldn't resist adding this guys picture. He is making a picture perfect three point landing on the Mexican Sunflower that would make any pilot proud. Check out that landing flair. Now that's what I call technique.!
And that's the fresh poop from the pit. Here's hoping that you too don't find Your garden overgrown with Tirods from over the Summer.
--SANDDUNE--
