Week of March 15, 2020

This is the memorable week in which most of the world went into isolation doe to the Coronavirus pandemic.  With all travel and meetings cancelled, it leaves me with more evening and weekend time in our Florida Garden.  MidMarch begins the warmer weather, with little risk for further frost, but still much of the growing season still ahead.  This means it is PRUNING season, to get the perennials, shrubs, and trees shaped up for the growing and blooming seasons.  The fruit trees had been pruned weeks ago.  Now was the time for the grasses and liriope to be cut back to allow fresh new blades to emerge.  The huge Philodendrons surrounding the house and lanai are thinned.  The fire bush and pentas are cut back to the ground.  The crepe myrtles are cut back drastically and almost immediately form buds.  The palm trees have old fronds removed.  Any dead or dying bushes are removed so they can be replaced.  In the end, it is an enormous amount of work.  Eric, the horticulturalist we’re hire for this special work, had our entire street frontage piled with pruning.  This will be followed by some fertilizer and hopefully spring rains to jump start the Florida Garden into another year of flowers and foliage.