March and April Planting Guide

 

The Ducks Enclosure Part 1

      Spent a great deal of time cleaning up the backyard. A lot of things have going on, the least of which being that the neighbors cut down one of my trees and jacked up my privacy hedge. So I ended up cleaning the weeds out of the back yard and removing most things that are inedible. 

     Anecdotally have been learning a lot about the other small animals that people enjoy having around, and have decided that ducks might be a great place to start. After the rabbits of course. I had wanted rats but not a whole lot of support or at least polite smiling from my friends and family. But learned that ducks can eat a lot of things that chickens can't, like bugs, caterpillars, water hyacinths and cat food. Supposedly they are very much omnivorous and can clean up leftovers like dogs can. Not really sure about all of that but have confirmed that even baby ducks like water hyacinth.

     I can't say that any one research point has given me good information about ducks. I listened to a bunch of podcasts and videos made by people who are doing their best to raise ducks given what little is out there. It's known that they eat fish plants and bugs. It's known that ducklings grow very quickly and if they are niacin deficient then they develop angel wing. Not a whole lot else is out there.

      Speaking of duck diet, I now am wondering how feasible it would be to breed cockroaches or palmetto bugs to feed them to ducks. Those things will eat anything .

     This is the cleared area in my backyard, some elephant grass as a mulch, and two tubs for the ducks to swim in. 

New Side Yard Garden

     After the neighbors put in their new plastic fence, I learned that I had a few more feet on that side of the yard. That would have been helpful to know before they cut down one of my while I was at work. 

     It took a lot of digging to remove the African Honeysuckle from that part of the yard. Months later I am still finding sprouts from buried canes that need to be ripped out.

     These gingers, taro, and the new moringa tree have all survived the winter and are well on their way to providing an excellent shade hedge.

     This picture was taken in December not long after the plants were put into the ground.
 

Planned Communities - Trophy Houses

     One of the things I have been noticing as I am driving around West Florida during the daytime is that there are a lot of communities that work hard to make themselves look better than other communities. There are matching houses with impersonal manicured yards and easements with florida friendly landscaping. Which are merely the same 10 plants, nonnatives, planted over and over again. 

     These communities look nice. Clean. Many have nicely sized sidewalks and golf courses to enjoy when the weather is nice. Some have tennis courts and pools, which are never being used even when the weather is good for it, which is most of the time. 

     They have their looks, but it can come with the downside. For example, one of the residents in one of these (nongated) communities told me that they have a prohibition against trick or treating. Of all the things to prohibit. And I am sure that all that lawn maintenance and manicuring must cost.

     As nice as these places are, I fear that they are disconnected from the Real Florida happening all around. I mean, say you are retiring to anywhere in the United States with a low cost of living, and you value things like golf courses, mowed lawns, and community pools. What the heck is the point of being in Florida if you are going to come here, cut down all the native trees, destroy habitat for native animals, and cover the entire neighborhood in fertilizer and pesticide? Why not live in the more energy efficient condominiums that often still have golf courses and pools attached?

     Meanwhile down the street, there are little houses tucked into bayous and overgrown yards requiring no additional chemicals. Huge native oak trees shade the homes and cars, providing habitat for animals and lowering air conditioning bills for the homes.

Bill Mollison's Videos

      I have permie in my heart. Here are some of the classic permaculture videos from one of the creators of permaculture, straight from vhs to you.

     I'm not going to lie, I have created no content for this post, but I created it because I don't want to lose these wisdom filled videos.

Bill Mollison's Videos

The cane method for planting canes

 

     According to one expert, barely covering the stalks of bamboo and other grasses will be enough to successfully propagate this black grass. Only time will tell.

January Planting Schedule

     The extension service IFAS says that January is a great time to plant Irish potatoes. Who knew?

Stromanthe

 

     I have to learn more about this plant. It's rather the most beautiful ginger ever or not really a ginger at all. I'm not sure if it's edible or if no one has ever tried to eat it. For all I know, it could be the world's most underused super food.

     This beauty is living at the Nature Coast Botanical Gardens.

Beautiful Edibles in the Front Yard

 

     While traveling around the neighborhood in my new role in healthcare, I happened upon a lovely place in Hernando Beach. Chatted with the owner, she told me that she had 🥭, figs, an many other edibles right there in front yard. She said she enjoyed lemongrass and cranberry 🌺, made into tea or in salad, respectively. I admired her Turks cap hibiscus, shampoo/pinecone ginger, ti plants, and cranberry hibiscus, which are a few of my favorite plants. She even told me that cranberry hibiscus roots easily from cuttings - I am going to have to try it! This photo is from her front yard from the porch, and it does her digs no justice.

Dark Jungle

     For the past few years, I have been working wicked long hours at the hospital and been too tired for much afterward. It was probably a good thing to channel my energy in that way, but for now I am pleased to be able to spend a few minutes here and there with my precious plants. This year I plan on saving all the cannas from the freezing cold. I have moved most of them to the back porch, which is going to be a new post Thanksgiving ritual. 

     It helps that I have been planting them in pots so I dont lose them in the soil, then lose them again to frost. I particularly enjoy the pot in pot method of gardening. I also practice lasagna gardening, as in, these plants are all grown in mulch with rabbit poo on top.

     I will be particularly pleased if the dwarf black taro and the purple leaved orange cannas survive. I also enjoy the bip pink cannas and thr yellow cannas. The red are almost too big for containers!

     If I am able to save enough, I might have a big enough yield to sell some next spring.