Spring Time, Mudpies and Cornbread
February in southwest FL is like springtime in northern states. And I mean anywhere north of central to south FL. This is the time when the real garden chores and landscaping take place. It is a glorious time of year; albeit it has been a bit chillier than I care for. Being a sun lover, I prefer 75-80 degrees. Yesterday I started the day with three layers of clothing and by late morning I had stripped down to just one layer. It was a beautiful day outside. The birds sang, the sun was shining, there was just enough breeze in the air to fill the lungs with fresh air but not leave you feeling like you were inside of a Florida humidifier, which is how it feels all summer long. In the summertime it is 80 degrees at 6 AM and feels like a sauna. Forget fixing your hair or ever feeling clean again, because every time you walk outside there is a constant extra layer of sweat that beads up on your skin. That is why we love winter and spring time, even if it is a bit more chilly than normal. Living with 95 degrees and 110% humidity for 4-5 months straight makes Floridians long for cooler temperatures, we just are not built for anything below 55 for prolonged periods of time, hence the three layers of clothing.
I had to try out my new seed box yesterday. It is darling. It reminds me of a vintage lunch box like the ones I carried as a child. I had a metal Strawberry Shortcake lunch box with a matching thermos. My seed box is bigger, but the carrying handles and compartments takes me back to my childhood where time was endless, and we were all innocent. My childhood is where I first remember loving plants and gardening. My dad had a large vegetable garden in our backyard. He grew tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, and watermelon. The western Kentucky soil is perfect for growing vegetables. I remember eating cucumbers off the vine and using my short and small hoe to break up the soil, although, I am sure I made more of a mess than I was helpful. I suppose my dad was afraid I would spoil the fruits of his labor, so he sectioned off a corner of his garden and allowed me about a four-by-four square to play in. I do not remember pretending to grow vegetables, but I do remember pouring water into that clay soil creating a giant mud pit. My cousin, Judith, and I decided one summer afternoon to spread mud over our entire bodies from neck to ankles. The Kentucky summer heat suddenly baked the our body mask into dried mud over the entirety of our small bodies. This would have been funny; however, that day my parents had the water turned off to work on the plumbing so using the water hose to rinse off was not an option and my mother was not going to allow me to step foot inside her home. We both had to walk one hundred yards to my cousin’s house to be rinsed off outside with the water hose, which seemed like an eternity before we could even think about going inside to clean off. Judith and I found amusement and entertainment from our attempt to become mud people, our mothers I am not so sure reciprocated our thoughtful entertainment. The water supply to our garden may have been removed for the rest of the summer.
I do not remember playing in that corner of my dad’s garden again the next summer or ever, but I suppose I have always loved playing in the dirt. My husband said he does not know a woman who could get so dirty and be so content with dirt. Research tells us soil has a natural antidepressant, which may be why I love it so much.
Yesterday, I finished planting my seeds. I planted Phlox, Lupine, Snapdragons, Strawflower and so much more. I may end up with the craziest garden in a few months, but the likelihood of even 40% of these coming up and flowering is slim. This is an experiment to create a true flower garden with flowers normally not grown here. If these flower seeds do germinate and flower, they will be short lived and die off just in time for our heat to arrive around the middle of May. I carried my new seed box around with the alphabetized seed packets to areas where I thought the seeds would look good. Time will tell us. This morning came a nice, long, and steady rain just in time to settle in my newly planted seeds.
I had four visitors to my home nursery yesterday as well. Two were here for plants to take back north and two were locals ready to plant native Florida pollinating plants. I get excited when locals are as enthusiastic about helping our pollinators as much as I am. Springtime brings back our beloved pollinators and sometimes a rare hummingbird sighting. It really is why people move to FL. Spring is glorious everywhere, but here is a time to reset and start fresh with our gardens. It is the time we get to enjoy it most.
This coming weekend I will be hosting a plant sale and garden tour here at the home nursery. It is a lot of work, but I enjoy every minute of talking to people about plants. Once the sale is over, I will be pruning back the roses, stripping them bare of leaves, and sprinkling my next experiment, cornmeal, around the base of the plant. Supposedly, cornmeal helps combat black spot. I am going to try. If it does not work at least, I can make cornbread.
