When the rains come...

A wet wave of weather pushed through South and Central Florida last night, co mingling with the humid tropical air from the south. In a few short hours the heavens released the cool spring rains.

Of course.....I had planned on painting the house. Grrrrrrr Want to hear God laugh? Just tell 'm your plans.

This morning is absolutely still, bright blue sky and a comfortable 78 degrees. (and rising quickly)

Life now slides to the summer routine. Up early in the morning, coffee and pruners in hand, NPR in the background. A quick lap in the back to forage the ripe fruits and veggies. This morning it is a dwindling supply of mulberries from the Morus tree and the sweetest mini grape tomatoes that volunteered under the Calamondin tree. Today, the task is to reduce the Mulberry canopy for ease of collecting. The neighboring Carambola and Jackfruit are competing for the space. Each will have their day of spring pruning to prepare for storm season.

Other notes: The Jackfruit has a 8" fruit started and many more aborted. The Sugar Apple is dressed out in a full frock of new green leave. It is the one true ultra tropical in the yard, looking quite ragged when the northern wind blows. The Dutchman's Pipe Vine has completely covered the Ylang Ylang and Wild Lime, both struggling to reach the sunlight. The first Polydamas butterflies have been seen laying eggs on the Pipe Vine. Soon it will be eaten into submission for another year.

Gardening; Marathon Key Style

First, this is a wonderful breakfast/brunch/lunch stop in Marathon. A cozy atmosphere, free wifi, with excellent coffee and menu plus a very friendly waitstaff. 

Now, about the veggie garden... While a little mish-mash in style, this is an excellent example on how to conserve/contain organic soil in a harsh environment. Don't let the green fool you. The Keys "dirt" is every bit an empty as a desert. In fact, there is very little dirt, but limestone from an ancient reef.

This was the only compost I know of in the entire Keys, which is a shame. The bio-load is so minimal that any effort to compost would greatly improve any garden in Monroe County. While I loved seeing this one, I could not help but think of a couple of steps that would greatly improve both the look and efficacy. One - make the compost boxes out of "repurposed" wooden pallets. Four pallets, with wire mesh on the inside and several handles on the sides and maybe a loose pallet on top (to keep the critters out). This design would allow for easy movement and turn over. I also would crush the egg shells a bit more in the kitchen for faster conversion. Still, big time kudos for having the piles.