Choice Morsels

I have a large container garden in front that I planted a large day lily in for a height several years ago. Overtime that day lily prospered and multiplied to the point it was taking over my container! In fact, I split that container just trying to get it out! I pulled out this huge ball of day lily roots, which you can see divided up and spread on the ground below: I learned recently that one blade stem with roots is called a "fan." There must be 50 fans in this clump. I'm working on transplanting them here and there as this is a very nice large, tall daylily with a pretty pinkish-orange flower and the greenery doesn't die back in winter. (Some day lilies do die back in winter then reappear in spring.) I purchased a new large container and to prevent the day lily from spreading too much, I potted it in a smaller pot to set within the larger one.  Also my Calla Lily bulbs have their own pot and the Million Bells, that wintered over, their own pot....

Today I was planting my "fall container garden" in these clay pots set into the ground. There are 3, though one isn't in view.  They were out in-ground next to the veggie bed in back, but we'll be re-working that space with raised garden frames later when weather is cooler, so I moved them here, where they'll be easy to take care of. The first one has Red Veined Sorrel planted in it; the second has Spinach and the third has Romaine---though the Romaine seed is older and I'm not sure it will come up. We'll see. I also planted radish seed in the ground around the front edge of each clay pot. I figured why not? Those seeds aren't doing anything else. The  container with the leafy greenery is a pot blueberry that's busy new branches for next years fruit.  This is what Red Veined Sorrel looks like. Young leaves can be used in salads and older leaves in stir-fries, soups, etc. But aside from it's food value, I thought it's just...

My friend, Jacqui, asked me how I manage caring for all my flower beds & garden.  There is always something that needs doing and,  in her case, she has a much larger yard with more extensive landscape she's trying to get established.  I replied, "I just focus on one project at a time." Especially in the summer Florida heat. I can't stay out all day like I could in the cool spring. I have to choose particular tasks on days I have allotted for working outside.  This past Monday, the single outdoor project of the day was hedging & shaping the large gardenia shrub out front. That took about 2 hours and I took a cool down break for 30 minutes somewhere in there. Today's single outdoor project was re-working a small section  of the back bed by thinning out the native day lilies from other locations and moving them to form a border there. I worked for about an hour, then went in for lunch. While I was inside, a summer thunderstorm suddenly popped up a...