Behind the scenes......It's a Jungle out there

     It's summer in Florida! I have been watching the weather around the country...and I know we don't have it as hard as most....so I am thankful for the beautiful sunshine and plentiful rain...but as it pertains to gardening...well things just get a little out of hand around here when the heat and the tropical rains start. You can go away for a long weekend and find yourself literally in a jungle when you return home. Plants grow inches during the night, and vines like Passion Flower seem to grow feet and find themselves all over places they are not suppose to be! 

The Passion Vine scrambling over the Crape Myrtle

      We always take such pretty pictures of the nice areas of the garden...Today I wanted to share the behind the scenes looks...The things I see "EVERYTIME" I enter the garden. 

A pile of overgrown Vines that need to be cleaned up

 Look at the pile of Oak limbs that have been stacked in the fire pit!
What a mess!

And would you look at all these pavers.....will we ever get them out of there
so I can turn this area into a potting shed?
Not to mention the old truck back there:(

      These are all the flaws, that make the garden...just never close to done and ALWAYS in need of work. These areas just remind me to keep at it.  One small area at a time.....

     After all...with many small areas to maintain....one day a beautiful garden will present itself!

The main thing I want to share today is this......a garden is hard work ...and just because yours may not "appear" to look as great and inviting as some of those around the internet or the gardening magazines...rest assured...all things are not always as they appear......don't get discouraged.....every gardener sees her own garden, not through rose colored glasses but with a magnifying glass,.... it's true you can walk around the garden and take some beautiful photo shots of groupings that will encourage and inspire...but as the lazy gardener I am...at this time of the year...with the rains, the heat and humidity, along with the weeds, the children, and the desire to just play....things in the garden do get away from me, I admit it.....and my naturalistic garden becomes literally a jungle mid summer! 

This is the Pond filter area...still awaiting a deck over the barrels

      There are some areas of this garden at this very moment that even I get a bit nervous walking through....(that one included) I know we entice the wildlife in...and though I love how prolific this garden can be....sometimes the quick scurry of a snake will scare the dickens out of me!  

 This time of year is magical though....it seems everything is having babies! Enjoy a few pics of all the babies.... of late 

The Koi population has Doubled in the past two months.....

The Molly pond is at an over abundance!

My Two Grey Baby Cockatiels......another Mama is sitting on a clutch now!
These two have just recently fledged!

Even the hibiscus acetosella  is having babies

Unfortunately I missed the Red-Bellied Woodpeckers fledge...but I watched the tireless parents for a month as they kept up with the never ending feedings....Maybe I'll get a pic of one on a visit to the feeders...

So that is how summer goes in my garden...It's a mess and beautiful...all at the same time....It is frustrating and inspiring....but most of all it's mine...and I just love sitting out there with all that life going on!  So please...if it's not too hot...get out there and sow some seed!

Genesis 1:28

Then God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground."

It's January.... Need Inspiration???????

I have loved the weather so much this January... It just seems natural for me to head out coat and all to start on the big projects and  planning for the next season...I love flipping through some Spring and Summer pictures...to remember what bloomed well and when! Wanted to share some of my favorites with ya! Our Lot is just one acre and backs up to a wetland, so no one will live behind us....These first pictures are from the first year and the 3rd year..Ohhhh how things have changed....

The first structure to go in was the chicken coop, moved twice and It has since been upgraded a few times :) The back side yard can get wet during the summer, so we let nature take it's course...We placed a few Maples and cord grasses and wildflowers that first year and then let it go....

And Go it did.... That was just a few short months before The "Hurricanes" hit, all 4 of them...."Francis" flooded the entire backyard and left behind pine tree and wax myrtle seedlings everywhere...They have completely taken over the 20 feet right off the fence line...this area now is called "our woods" Crazy how amazing nature is!

The early meadow

This was our very first "born here" chick born Spring 2009

The Amaryllis at Easter

The strong and steady Zinnia in the heat of summer, they don't come much more vibrant than this!

I love me some Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia Rotundiflora)...a butterfly lover's must have!  

It is a very tall, back border plant....I have had it in my garden for 12 years now.....it started with one small seed head from Epcot during the flower show...sshhhhhhhhh.....our little secret ;)

 The always invasive but sooooo sweet smelling Honeysuckle. It now engulfs our new coop cages

 My favorite rose......"Sweet Vivian" and it does smell so sugary sweet!

 My mystery rose...One of my first roses obtained before I started keeping track of their names....Anyone want to give it a guess? I've always thought it might be "Granada" ..ANYONE?

 A beautiful salmon hibiscus

 This is redroot (Lachnanthes caroliana), it grows native around here in areas that are wet seasonally...I hope to make a small bog garden beside the butterfly balcony section dedicated to them....The swallowtails flock to them! If I can keep the Sandhill Cranes from eating them.....They think of it as their snack food...

 The Year the Aviary went in was Summer 2010...best year ever with the Susans!!! All volunteers...no planning that year...just spectacular Black Eyed Susan's blooming everywhere

Summer 2010....Oh how I'd love  that white "Iceberg" rose to be that lovely right now!

Rosa "Love"  Given to me from My Love :)  for Valentine's Day a few years back..

She is a sweet smelling Grandiflora Rose, Red with White on the backs of the petals.....

So that has definately gotten me inspired..How about You????....so while the weather is just right here in Florida, lets get out there and get to work planning our spring and summer gardens and if you are stuck in the house this time of the year then pull out those old gardening magazines and catalogs...and get ordering!

Please let me know  you are enjoying the Blog by leaving a quick hello in the comments...so I know you stopped by!  And please don't forget to spread some seed ;)  janine

You never know where you may find a friend :)

I got to share my garden with a new friend today! I listed a very nicely priced Child's toy that was gathering dust in my daughter's room on Craigslist in hopes that a little girl may get a really "big" surprise on Christmas morning.  Just after posting it....for a very nice price...ummm..did I mention that? Well I rechecked to see what others may be listing this item for, and needless to say I was underpriced....but that's not the point :) I came across a posting from a Mother looking for this item for her girls for Christmas....I quickly threw her an email and hoped she would contact me before anyone else, since it had already posted...To be honest..I would have just called her, had I reviewed the site to begin with...None the less, she called this morning and her and the family came out this afternoon! I had one text just a few minutes before her, and a bunch after.... but I just knew I needed to call this one back first...As it turned out...I met a lovely family, relocated to our county from Fort Lauderdale... The Mom was from Columbia and the Dad from Chile, they had 4 beautiful children, so polite and sweet....I couldn't have asked for a better home for the item :)

 As we talked, and talked, and the husbands talked and talked...we ended up out back, introducing the Chickens, the Koi and the birds to the kids....I would apologize for the mess, and she would just keep saying how it was perfect just the way it was....like being at home where she was raised....It's funny how we see all our own flaws, but others see things about us so differently!
 She seemed like just a beautiful person inside and out...and from such different parts of the world...we had so much in common.....the love of nature, the animals, the kids....They will be looking for a house out this way....I hope God leads them over here closer...would love to have them in the neighborhood... My daughter took their little girl on a tour of the yard as we talked..she picked flowers the whole way...and then Thanked my daughter, Elly, for letting her pick the pretty flowers in her yard..

All the time spent, is rewarded in moments just like that! There is nothing more beautiful than children feeding the fish for the first time, or a little girl clutching a fist full of flowers......... Enjoy whatever garden space you have.....it's like a universal language that everyone finds some peace and comfort in....  janine