Itsy Bitsy Teany Tiny...

They all got to start from somewhere. This spanking brand new pine
cone from a potted Florida Sand Pine.

 I've had this Sand Pine now for about five years. This has a nice distinct
broad base of a trunk which is what caught my eye originally.

Only then to be told that these pines are sought out and lend themselves
to the art of Bonsai. For years now with that intention at the back of
my mind. This tree would serve quite nicely as a live Christmas tree
for outdoors. Festooned with some bright LED lights and to never
be mistaken for a Charlie Brown Christmas tree.

Otherwise a rather non descript of a genus can always reveal some
beauty.

Jamaican Cherry Tree - Muntingia calabura Finally Blooms

A month since my first discovery of this plant putting on some
flowers has just now opened. Seeing the bloom is where I can
see where some lazy someone would have called this a Strawberry
tree due to the resemblance in blooms.

Good thing some other
lazy person came up with another lazy resemblance. This time it
is it's fruit and that of a cherry. Otherwise I would have never found
the botanical name to this plant. I must of encountered four other
strawberry tree named plants. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for
common names and for good reason. Hoping that that common name
will lead us to that Latin name for when that common name fails
to pin it down otherwise.

One more time. Second time making up some Green Tomato Slaw.

The Cycle Continues

I was off to a great start this afternoon in preparing the next
generation of Tomato plants. While shoveling the remaining
compost from last season into a large pot and what do I see?

This green Anole, my Gardening Angel. These green Anoles used to
be the dominate lizard before being pushed out by the brown Anole.
So it isn't often I get to see one of these, but when I do, it brings a
big smile to my face and perhaps a blessing on what ever endeavor
that I may take on.

This ten gallon pot took nearly the rest of  last season's compost.

Along with some commercial organic fertilizer to get four Tomato

cuttings off to a good start. These cuttings have not rooted yet, so

I'm taking some risk and added some Spanish moss to shade them

and help them on their way. The Spanish moss should help with

keeping some needed moisture not only as a mulch for the soil

but hoping to trap some needed moisture around the plant cutting

it self.

Which brings me to my task at hand.

Time To Get Creative With Some Green Tomatoes

Nearly three pints of green cherry tomatoes from my potted Tomato
plant. At the risk of waiting for these to ripe and possibly losing some
in the process to rot. I didn't want to pass up an opportunity to create
something out of almost nothing. First thing that came to mind was a
slaw of some sorts.While trying to not fall in to that trap of trying to
sweeten it to make it palatable.

Wine vinegar and pestso to help mask the bitterness and the undesirable
green tomato flavor. Green olives to give it a direction that my mind
wanted to go. Some beans for protein and color, with some yellow
mustard when all else fails. Olive oil and a dash of salt and black pepper.

I was happy that it didn't taste awful. I let it marinate longer in the
refrigerator knowing that it couldn't get worse. While thinking that I
could next time substitute an almost regrettable splash of lime juice
with some fresh pink grapefruit, which will be my next
round. After all, you've seen how many green tomatoes I have.

Florida Earth Day Rain

Received two buckets of rain for my potted vegetables. Best Earth Day Rain ever!

Note the critter jumping for joy too!

So What's Buggin Me

It starts out a couple of days ago. I'm at my potted Tomato plants for
their scheduled, twice a day watering, most days. The last year's four
original tomato plants are on their third crop and looking ragged from
it. Producing a several pints of bite size cherry tomatoes and being
exposed the Florida elements take their toll.


I did take more cuttings even if it will be a close call on getting them
up and running before the sun gets really hot.


I managed to collect nearly a gallon of green tomatoes from this
now decapitated specimen lying horizontally across the back trunk
of my car. What do I find? You think this was an open diner for
our, never fails and first of the worst Florida bugs this year. The
Manduca quinquemaculata, also known as the Tomato Hornworm.


The first sign that something was a miss and dead giveaway.  Hey what
happened to the leaves?

I didn't have to look very far, in spite of their green attire. Not to suggest
that it was camouflage and perhaps this was a covert operation. It has no
qualms eating the brown dried bits either.

Plenty enough greens to go around. there were actually four to be
found. The most I've ever seen let alone on a collection of potted
Tomato plants.

This guy hasn't stopped chewing away, not realizing this could be it's
last mouthful of a free lunch. This guy is really big not to have been
seen before. Note it's red horned tail, hence the name.

I did pick them off with the hopes of leaving them for the birds to feast
on, by scattering them about on some concrete slab open to back yard.

                                                      Look at these posers.

A green jewel of a dump to be remember by to, real class that one.

About a half hour later I did hear a chorus of song birds, not sure if it
was a cat alert or a bug alert.

If it doesn't rain this afternoon I will have to do a quick glance over what
plants I have left to see if there are any more of these green monsters.

The last catch from this batch of Tomato plants.

Patience, Hope And Some Water

This Wart Fern cutting's longing to survive and
flourish and some consideration of it's needs,
goes a long way. 

This speck of green caught my eye while leaf
and dust blowing the carport yesterday afternoon.