Here is my new, favorite growing medium: Hydro Fiber Foliage Mix (HFFM) made by Jolly Gardener. I grow flowers and vegetable in the ground and in pots. But this year I am using a new soil-less growing medium that is a blend of Canadian peat, pine bark, perlite, and hydrofiber. This fiber is specially processed…
Cypress Knee Fairy House
The arches in this cypress knee look just like an entryway to an imaginary woodland. So I embellished it to complete the scene.
Chili Chicken Corn Cheese Casserole
An abundance of ‘New Mex Big Jim’ peppers motivated me to make this casserole. The original recipe is called Chicken Poblano Casserole but there is so much more to it. This is one of those dishes that takes hours to make and only minutes to eat. The eleven layers combine to make a savory, sweet,…
Tea by the Sea
The inspiration came from my sister in law who collects tea pots and appreciates shells. So, for her birthday I made this fairy house.
Stumped: Twisted Trees
Hurricane Irma left her mark on South Florida. Five months ago her 90 to 150 mile per hour winds destroyed tens of thousands of trees but here are some interesting survivors in Fort Myers and Naples. (Roll over each photo for the caption.)
January Color
January 1, 2018. A walk around the garden today shows lots of color.
One Man, One Day, One Stump.
Dear Big Game Hunters: You are puny, spineless amateurs. You think taking a big trip and shooting a big animal with a big gun is big fun. Any brainless baboon with a bazooka can take down an elephant. But it takes genuine brawn, cunning, and backbone to bag this challenging trophy: A tree stump. You…
Little Bridge
Thanks for the leaders of the American Heritage Girls in Ft. Myers for asking me to contribute something toward their meetings. Here is a ceremonial bridge that the girls will cross over to help them remember their creed. I made the decking from recycled pallet lumber. I found a couple of nice, old oak ones…
The Landscape Show Redux.
As a vendor/exhibitor, we were very happy with the attendance at the 2017 Landscape Show in Orlando last week. Originally scheduled for September, the show was blown off course by hurricane Irma. Many vendors were not able to reschedule their participation but, despite fewer booths, there were plenty of attendees.
Mourning After Irma
Like a drunken lumberjack, the powerful eye of Hurricane Irma roared down our street. The destruction to the landscape was unprecedented. We have endured hurricanes that brushed us with similar paths; Andrew in 1992, Jeanne, Frances and Charley in 2004. Each time they knocked out power for over a week. Trees leaned and weak branches…
Cedar Table
Wood inspires me. I bought this slab of Southern Red Cedar from a mill in Waldo, Florida last year and recently put it to use. We needed a small table next to our recliner where we could rest a cup of coffee and a book. First I searched for a table with four legs at…
