Danielles Garden Blog

Turn an old iMac Into a Dog House

2012-04-04T20:56:00.001-04:00

My Mom recycled my old iMac into a dog bed for our Yorkie. She did such a great job and Tinsel loves her new home. Thanks!

How to Get Green Grass

2012-03-22T17:49:00.001-04:00

Everyone wants green grass. Here are a few steps you can take at home to get deep green grass.

Tinsel the Yorkie loves green grass.

Water consistently. More isn't better. It needs consistency.
Use a mower with sharp blades.
Fertilize only when needed in your garden zone.
Apply a nitrate and iron product for an instant green.
Go to your local garden supply store and ask what's recommended for your zone and type of grass.

Fragrant Plants for South Florida

2012-03-08T21:18:00.003-05:00

Want some fragrance in your South Florida garden? Here is a list of the best fragrant plants to use in South Florida.

Confederate Jasmine

Confederate Jasmine is a vine which will grow on a fence or trellis. It blooms for several months in late Spring here in South Florida. Train it in an espalier shape or let it climb naturally. Requires very little water once established.

Brugmansia (Angel Trumpet)

Brugmansia also called Angel Trumpet, produces a huge flower that hangs upside down and blooms all day and all night. It smells like a cross between soap and perfume, especially at night. If you know someone who has a brugmansia, ask them to break off a 6-12" section, strip leaves, and plant in soil. In a few months, new growth will emerge and you'll have a free Angel Trumpet. Heavily cut it back often for a bushier plant. Here in South Florida, low temps will kill the plant, but it always comes back in a month or two. The flowers are poisonous to pets and humans if consumed.

Gardenia

The gardenia blooms from Sprint to summer. They are pretty susceptible to bugs, so they require maintenance. Other than that, the blooms are amazing. Make sure to get a grafted gardenia and to give it rooms to grow up in full sunlight.

Night Blooming Jasmine

Many Floridians love night blooming jasmine. It's got a very strong sweet aroma that fills the air in the night. The plant is easy to care for and requires pruning to make it bushy.

Meyer Lemon Tree

I love adding citrus trees to a South Florida home. Oranges, limes, lemons, grapefruit, etc. all produce a wonderful aroma. Once the scented blossoms are gone, you can watch the fruit grow.

How to Dig a Well

2012-03-08T20:01:00.001-05:00

For the past 6 months, our irrigation system has been failing. We've had the irrigation guy out many times. He clears out sand that clogged the pipes and says you need a new well.

As a first time homeowner, I didn't know what that meant....a new well.

Well, now I understand.

Here's the truck that's been parked in the driveway for 2 days. It's an F450 with a giant auger built into it. It's already drilled down more than 120 feet. Not sure if I'm getting ripped off, but I'm told we need to drill down further to avoid a sulphur smell and iron deposits that will stain the house orange.

These photos were taken before work this morning. When I got home after work, the whole street had an opaque run off all over it and the grass surrounding the new well was flooded with sandy water.

I can only assume this guy knows what he's doing. John hired him at the recommendation of our irrigation guy.

Apparently getting a "new well" means getting a pipe that goes into the water table...beyond 120 feet. It's a metal pipe that draws water from the ground and send it to the irrigation pump. Our old PVC well had holes in it. The sandy soil kept getting into the pipe and thus into the sprinkler lines.

All this work should hopefully get our sprinklers working again which will get the lawn back to a nice deep green color instead of this light brown...

Night Blooming Jasmine in Florida

2012-03-04T16:10:00.001-05:00

Night blooming jasmine is loved by most Floridians. I personally don't care for the aroma, but I love other jasmines such as star and confederate. Night blooming jasmine (Cestrum Nocturnum) blooms in the summer and fills the entire area with a strong sweet aroma.

I planted the night blooming jasmine near the fence on the south side of the house. This way, it'll get light all day and the fence will support it's semi-climbing nature.

Night blooming jasmine

Saturday Chores and Garden Blooms

2012-03-04T08:07:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was Saturday...I wanted to get some chores done then go play in the garden. Work first then fun!

I was so happy to get the garage cleaned up finally.
Then I moved on to wash the car...

After washing the car went so well, I decided to wash the house and driveway with the pressure washer.
Of course, the pressure washer had been sitting dormant since last year, so after a few minutes, it shut itself off and I had to get out the manual.

I cleaned the air filter and changed the oil. Not sure why it had 3 times as much oil as it needs...maybe that was the reason it was shutting off.

Regardless, I started with the driveway, did the front of the house, then moved around to the side yard.

Along the way, I took a few pressure washing breaks to get out the Rustaid sprayer. I love watching Rustaid work. It takes off the rust from the irrigation in about 3-5 seconds...it reminds me of some Mr.Wizard experiment.

I washed the compost bin...I need to start using it more.

Then I moved on to power wash the mailbox. I figured while I was at it, I'd wash the neighbor's mailbox too.

Since chipped paint washed off during power washing, I decided I'd prime and pain the mailboxes. They look pretty good. I usually need to do this every 3 years anyway.

After the power washing was done, I fertilized all the palms...about a cup at the base of each palm. I like using Vigoro.

About 4pm, I was feeling like these plants...drained of all energy. It registered 88 today. Not sure what the heat index was. Usually, these plants' leaves are spread up...the heat got them down though.

About 6pm, I took off the work gloves and put on the gardening gloves. I did some weeding, yanked all kinds of aloe pups, and noticed this! The amaryllis are emerging!

In 2011, they bloomed on March 14.
In 2010, they bloomed on April 12.
In 2009, they bloomed on April 29

I looks like they will likely bloom this year in April.

Then I looked directly up at the peaches. They look good. I've been talking a lot about them since this is the tree's last year to perform. If the peaches are once again infested, I'm yanking the tree.

The aloe all over the yard is in bloom right now. The blueberries (to the right of the aloe) are beginning to flower as well. the young broccoli plants to the left of the aloe will be growing much larger over the next month.

Here's a beautiful double hibiscus plant that I propagated from a large mature plant. The flowers turned out identical since the plant is a clone.

Here are the meyer lemon blossoms which will burst any day now. I can't wait for all the bees and the amazing aroma citrus blossoms produce. That being said, the star jasmine just put out it's first few blooms. I loooove the aroma of star jasmine.

Does Aloe Vera Bloom? Yes.

2012-02-24T07:55:00.002-05:00

My aloe vera usually blooms in February down here in zone 10. This winter had been unusually mild, so the aloe and peach tree are just finishing up their bloom.

Aloe vera blooms. The plant is potted on the hot patio and gets only infrequent rain. Despite those conditions, it still blooms.

Aloe (above)

The white bird of paradise is just huge these days. Too bad the blooms are always so sappy. I would love to bring them into the house.

These photos were taken with my new Cannon 60D camera fitted with a 18-135 cannon lens. I'm so happy about the new camera. Lemme know if you want a good deal on my lightly used Canon Rebel XTI. Better yet, bid on it on eBay here.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130655907079&clk_rvr_id=320660863375&mfe=sidebarpri#ht_500wt_1203

Here's the new camera I just got...

Gooey Butter Cake

2012-02-20T17:24:00.000-05:00

It's been a year since I saw Paula Deen at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. In her honor, I just had to make a Gooey Butter Cake.

I recommend her recipe. I add some powdered sugar on top, and I'm tempted to add peach preserves next time.

Gooey Butter Cake

Ingredients

Cake:
1 18 1/4-ounce package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 16-ounce box powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar and mix well. Spread over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey.

Here's an alternate recipe that my friend Lauren uses. Her gooey butter cake is amazing too!

Lauren's Gooey Butter Cake Recipe

1 package butter recipe yellow cake mix
1 stick softened butter
1 egg
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
16 oz. confectioner's sugar
chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350. In electric mixer (it's easiest), mix cake mix, butter and 1 egg very well. Grease foil pans and divide batter in half into each round. Press down with spatula. Then whip cream cheese, and add 2 eggs and sugar. Pour on top of batter in both pans. Bake 35-40 minutes until slightly golden brown. The middle will still be a bit gooey. Sprinkle with chopped pecans and powdered sugar. Enjoy!!

White bird of paradise fresh after 2 weeks

2012-02-19T17:32:00.001-05:00

White Bird of Paradise in the house

The white bird of paradise fronds still look great after two weeks.

UPDATE: they still look great after 4 weeks too!

UF Sun Peach Tree Bugs

2012-02-19T14:09:00.001-05:00

For the past three years, I've had bugs in our UF Sun Peaches.
This year, I've been treating aggressively with horrible pesticides, as a last resort. I am going to have to cut down the tree next year if this problem persists. The tree has the last remaining blooms right now. At my recent trip to the Martin county Extension office, Bob urged me not to use malathion unless I have extensive experience in applying pesticides.

Bob recommends a relatively new Baer product called Baer Fruit, Citrus and Vegetable Inset Control.

Bob said he likes this product a lot and because a systemic and not topic, I can't damage surrounding plants with overspray.

I'm headed to the store to get this product. The label says that I cannot apply the product until after the plant flowers and I am to apply it only once per year. Based upon the size of my tree, I'm supposed to add 2.5 ounces of product to a gallon of water then apply to the base of the trunk. Then, I add another gallon of regular water to the base of the trunk.

Yellow Spots on Avocado Leaf

2012-02-19T13:05:00.000-05:00

My second question to the local extension office was about this avocado plant. I wanted to know if the yellow spots on the leaves were pests or a disease. He didn't really commit to a diagnosis. He just said I had to get this avocado on a fertilization regimen and take another look in several months. He wants me to fertilize it from Feb to Sept and then reevaluate.

I am supposed to fertilize 3 pounds around the drip line in mid Feb, end of April, and early Sept.

Eureka Lemon Fertilization Schedule

2012-02-19T12:53:00.000-05:00

I recently went to the local extension office because I'm having some problems with my garden. First on my list of issues is this eureka lemon. The leaves are yellowing in a non-symmetric fashion and some of the leaves are curling up. The back of the leaves have brown spots.

I actually cut off a whole section of the plant and dropped it off at the office. I was happy to hear back in a few days from Bob. He didn't mention anything about citrus canker, so I was thrilled. Everyone down her in S Florida seems to have citrus canker.

He said it might have Citrus Greening (Huanglongbing or yellow dragon disease).

He recommended that I get the tree on a good fertilization regimen and then after a few months, I'll be able to tell what's wrong. If it has greening, it will look the same in September. If it was underfertilized, it will look great by September.

Here's his recommended fertilization for citrus in my region:

3 lbs of citrus fertilizer around drip line in mid Feb

3 lbs of citrus fertilizer around drip line at end of April

3 lbs of citrus fertilizer around drip line in early Sept

ArtiGras 2012 EcoArt

2012-02-18T16:27:00.000-05:00

We had so much fun yesterday at ArtiGras 2012 in Abacoa (Jupiter, Fl). Here's Matthew helping to create a small animal habitat that local artist Jesse Etelson told us about. Apparently, our ancestors used to create structures like away from their homes so that small animals would flock to the habitat instead of the homesite. Etelson also created a bird and bee habitat.

"Green" or "living" walls are increasingly being used to shield buildings from sun exposure, reducing interior temperatures and cooling needs. Here's me and Matthew in front of a green wall created by McCann.

ArtiGras served up a deliciuos signature cocktail called the pArti Punch...it had Sobieski Vodka, cranberry, orange, and pinapple juice...it was so good.

I saw a colleague shooting the festivities for a local magazine. Cool.

My Mom and I got a handmade artisan bread knife. I can't wait to use it. We sampled it onsite and I swear it's the best knife I've ever used. (and I'm a Henkles snob)

Frigid Weather in Orlando

2012-02-12T19:26:00.000-05:00

We drove up to Orlando yesterday to celebrate our 6th anniversary! Of course we had the coldest weather of the season...check out the icicles on the podocarpus hedges here in Florida! We stayed at the Omni at Champions Gate which is a few miles west of Disney World.
We had all kinds of freeze watches and warnings. Not quite sure the difference between a hard and soft freeze and warning...

South Florida Toad, Snake, Lizard

2012-02-02T13:06:00.001-05:00

I 've just had too much nature for one day...the frog and snake skin scared me, so I came in for some water, and found this lizard on the counter looking at my dirty dishes. I hate it when the weather is so nice that we keep the house open. (?)
We have two kinds of toads here in South Florida. One is very poisonous to dogs and one is not. Over the years, I've seen 3-4 friend's dogs fall victim to these toads. As if the sight of this toad wasn't bad enough, he was hiding under a snake skin...gross!

Back to the toad. Here's a great article about how to tell the difference between the bad toad and the good toad.

The Giant Toad (a.k.a. Marine Toad or Cane Toad) is the largest of the frogs and toads found in Florida. The giant toad is not native to the United States. It was originally released in the U.S. in sugar cane fields to help control “white grubs,” larvae of pest Scarabaeidae. B. marinusbecame established in southern Florida as result of accidental release of about 100 specimens from the stock of a pet dealer at Miami airport in 1955, and by subsequent releases by pet dealers in the 1960s (Krakauer, 1968). Giant Toads are a highly predacious exotic species that will eat all types of native frogs and toads. This species is skilled at locating all types of food, they have even been known to eat pet food.

CAUTION: When this non-native species is threatened or handled, it secretes a highly toxic milky substance from its large parotoid glands at the back of its head, behind the ears. This secretion can burn your eyes, may irritate your skin, and can kill cats and dogs if they ingest the secretion.
Below, I posted photos of the two toads side by side (courtesy UF Wildlife Extension). Even with this directions, I still don't know which frig I've just encountered. If I had to guess, I'd say it's the good toad. The dog is staying in the house with me until Dad can fling him over the fence with a shovel.

My New Mauritius Lychee Tree

2012-01-28T15:23:00.002-05:00

For Christmas, my brother got me a Lychee tree. We finally planted it (in a not-so optimal location). We have very limited room in the yard for trees.

Since this is our first lychee tree, I had to do some research. I started by figuring out where it should be planted based upon its expected height, sun, and water requirements. Then I looked up some info about the different types of lychee tree. I guess there are two main varities here in South Florida. Since Joey got mine from a local grower called Lychee Farms, I figured this was perfect for our area.

The second most common commercially produced lychee in South Florida is the Mauritius variety. The first is Brewster and the third is Hak ip Lychee.
Mauritius fruit typically ripens several weeks earlier than the Brewster and is easily distinguished from it's counterpart by the pinkish green skin coloration characteristic of ripe fruit.
The flavor of Mauritius fruit is distinctly different and spicier than the Brewster and is quite delicious.
Another favorable characteristic of the Mauritius is the higher percentage of small ("chicken tongue") seeds within a given batch of fruit, although the Mauritius lychee tends to be smaller than the Brewster.
The sub-acid sweet aril of ripe Mauritius fruit is slightly tart and as the fruit ages on the tree the flesh becomes firmer and less juicy.
Overripe Mauritius fruit develop a noticeable membrane around the flesh and the skin of the fruit frequently gets fungal discoloration.
Once you have developed a familiarity with lychee trees it is fairly easy to distinguish a Mauritius from a Brewster and a Ha Kip.
The Mauritius has a somewhat lateral habit of growth whereas the Brewster develops a hemispherical shape as it ages.
Wildlife is always a problem around fruit groves and lychee fruit are enjoyed by a wide variety of native animals. This wouldn't be so bad except that Mauritius trees have branches that are significantly weaker than Brewsters and an attack by foraging raccoons can leave a mass of broken branches. High winds, such as hurricanes, can inflict considerable damage on Mauritius trees.
The Mauritius variety of lychee was named after the African island of Mauritius, east of Madagascar, where the seedling originated.

This information comes courtesy Lycheesonline.com.

Here is the new tree after we watered it.

I'm so looking forward to a lychee martini!

Too much Rosemary

2012-01-08T17:41:00.000-05:00

I have way too much rosemary and I just don't know what to do with it.

Here's the two rosemary bushes on the north side of the house. I prune them with electric sheers every other month and they just keep growing! There's a drip irrigation system on the base of the plants that's on a twice daily timer for 2 minutes.

Mystery Plant

2012-01-08T17:37:00.000-05:00

I've never seen a plant like this! It's a mystery and I can't figure out what this could be.

It was likely dropped here by a bird or carried by a squirrel. It's certainly awfully small to have already flowered. Usually plants have to get large and mature to flower (that means it might be a weed).

It's really cute and whatever it is, I'm letting it grow a bit more. If you have any ideas, let me know...I'm in zone 10 in S. Florida.

Red Shouldered Hawk in Palm City

2012-01-02T10:23:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I noticed a red shouldered hawk sitting on the fence. These photos were taken through a screen porch wall, so that's why they are grainy.

He (or she) was definitely the largest rsh I've seen here in my yard. As soon as he thought I was too close, he took off.If you're interested in reacdin up about these birds, check out this link. Make sure you click on the "typical voice." If you have a dog, watch his reaction. My yorkie flipped when I hit the button. :)

Selling miracle fruit on ebay

2011-12-18T10:01:00.000-05:00

Every time i blog about miracle fruit, i get dozens of comments about selling them. so here they are...on ebay...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Miracle-Fruit-Fresh-Seeds-/130618914916?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e697e7864#ht_500wt_1203

So Many Miracle Fruit!!!

2011-12-17T13:41:00.000-05:00

Our Miracle fruit bush is loaded with berries right now!

More Container Plants at Johns Hopkins Hospital

2011-09-17T10:49:00.000-04:00

I've been up at Johns Hopkins again recently for my bothers spine issues. I snapped this shot at the main entrance while I was getting some air. These are giant planters and I just love that they use tall, upright plants in the center, then lower plants, then hanging plants on the edges. I also like how they used contrasting colors and contrasting textures.

I wish it wasnt so hot in South FL. I usually do this exact set up in two planters in front of the house. The sweet potato vines wilt each day though down in FL.

Gardens at Universal Studios

2011-09-05T17:49:00.000-04:00

We were in Orlando this weekend at the [pet-friendly] Royal Pacific Resort. It was a nice time and I was happy to snap this photo

Planted Straight Eight Cucumber

2011-08-28T17:26:00.000-04:00

Today I planted this.

Sprinkler Repair Day

2011-08-28T14:22:00.000-04:00

John spent a few minutes today repairing a broken sprinkler head. This is something we have to do down here in FL all the time.

It's very easy to do this...it's just not any fun.

How to Replace a sprinkler Head
You dig all around the sprinkler head about 8-12 inches deep and 5-6 inches wide. Then you turn the spinkler head counterclockwise until it comes off. Then you put on the new sprinkler head by turning it clockwise until tight.

You could always avoid having to replace the head by fixing it. They are pretty basic...nothing is electronic and it's not rocket science. It's just so much easier to just replace the head.

Note: You want to make sure to replace the old head with the same type of head. Don't upgrade or downgrade...when the irrigation company installed the system, they spread out the heads into different zones to make the system balanced. You can't overload or underload any of the zones.