The Secret Garden Of SOG City

The heat pump people were here all day yesterday helping us get rid of a wad of our discretionary dollars. Without AC it was cooler in the yard than in the house, so I took advantage of the time to take a few pictures, harvest some tomatoes, and kill a few of the thousands of little shit-asses that try to eat up everything I plant.

This warmer than usual spring has wreaked havoc on the vegetables. They don't know whether to flip or fly. That is to say, fruit-up or go to seed. The collards are doing great. The mustard greens crashed and burned already. The loose leaf lettuce is still perking along, as are the green onions.

Even though gardening in Central Florida is a challenge, the rewards are great when you can chow down on homegrown vegetables and save a few bucks at Publix.

The SOG City Hacienda

I have discovered the hard way that tomatoes do better in pots. The collards and borage dig the dirt.

It can be more than a little unnerving when all three feet of Stretch sneaks up behind you and stands there with his huge pecker pointed in your general direction.

Over twenty years ago I read an article that stated many Oriental cultures look askance at us and our practice of tilling the land, adding fertilizer, sowing seeds, and then when the crop is mature we mow it down, bag it up, and throw it away.

One of the first things I did when I got back from the Persian Gulf War was to kill off the lawn, shit-can the mower, and mulch both the front and back yards. My next move entailed planting flowers, vegetables, fruit trees, and colorful ornamentals. Going green was one of the best decisions I ever made.

Now, while the mowers are fuming around the neighborhood, I just kick back in the shade and toss back a couple of ice cold brewskis.

Life is good in the garden.