Rose buds, garden, Roscoe

These buds are on one of my oldest rosebushes. The bush grew from a branch a fellow gardener gave me, from an old rose a friend in Alabama started after finding it near an abandoned house. It is "almost" blue when it blooms. At least as close as a rose can get to blue. I just stuck the branch in the ground and, 15 years later, it is still going strong.

Lady Banks rose

When we moved here in 1993, the back yard was a sad attempt at a Bermuda grass lawn, under shady trees. After a few years of replacing dead sod, I changed my plan. When a piece of grass died, I would dig it up and replace it with either a paver or a plant. Now there is no grass in my back yard and lots of lovely plants with pavers around them.

One of the first plants was this Lady Banks rose, a scentless climber that blooms once a year, in the Spring. In 15 years it has gotten huge and covers all of my arches and trellises. The March bloom is spectacular and gets bigger every year.

David and George

After my bi-weekly walks on the beach with my friend John, I often find one or both of these guys finishing their laps. It looks like work to me.

Sun feeder and Hickory trunk, garden.

This hickory tree sits next to the live oak near the Intracoastal. My two favorite trees on our lot.

Harley, Jacksonville Beach

My eye was caught by the catchy little message on the side of the engine. What a cheerful fella this guy must be.

Brussels sprouts

These are fresh sprouts from a friend's garden. They were wonderful sauteed and dressed with truffle oil.

Bike wheels, dock, Roscoe

While my son visited last month, he took his old bike apart and salvaged the good bits. It took him a couple of days to get the tires (old and rotten) off of these wheels.

First swim in the Intracoastal, Feb. 22nd, 2011

For any Northern readers of this blog, my apologies.

Mark Bittman's chickpea salad.

This salad is from a recipe from Mark Bittman's N.Y. Times online column. Simple ingredients, chickpeas from dry, red, yellow and green bell peppers, parsley (see below), olive oil and lemon juice, seasoned with salt and pepper. Wonderful.

First flush of growth, Live oak, Roscoe.

We have a Live oak down by the waterway that is huge and wonderful. I have had to trim it for years to make a tunnel to our dock. The first buds each year mean Spring is here.

French/Italian parsley, dock, Roscoe

This is one of about five Italian parsley plants around our garden that are from seeds we bought in Provence. These are actually 3rd generation plants from seeds collected each year. It is great parsley.

Oak leaves on dock, Roscoe

Hidden treasure.

I was walking down Roscoe and saw this little garage on an undeveloped lot. It looked familiar, and out of place in a little rural garage. I have blown it up in the post below.

Hidden treasure 2

Here is a close-up of the car in that garage. I don't know which model or year, but that prancing horse is unmistakeable.

Heavenly bamboo

Nandina, or Heavenly bamboo, is growing in 4 places on my small lot. I love it, as it seems well-behaved, has a lot of interest year round and stays put. Sadly it is on Florida's invasive species list. These berries will be eaten by birds and spread around. The leaves turn wonderful colors in the Spring and then green. There will be white flowers in April. Right now the leaves are turning.

Roscoe sign

This is just down the road from our house. Would you trespass here?

Intra Coastal Waterway, under our dock.

Winter branches, Roscoe.

Even in the dead of winter the trees and shrubs have color in them.

Chain link fence, Roscoe Blvd.

I'm back after four weeks of guests and distractions. This is a chain link fence down the road that has been taken over by local vines. Gardening in Florida seems to be about 75% weeding and 25% watering.