Cabbage

Not everything in the garden is perfect.  I was unsuccessful at growing broccoli this year as the mama rabbit kept eating the plants to the ground.   Then Niza kitty decided to play monkey see, monkey do.  After watching me sow seeds, she would come back and dig up the ground.  But this was not enough…she decided to befriend an armadillo who visits us every night and digs up the yard also.  He’s so comfortable in our yard he has built not 1 but 2 homes in the grove right next to our fence.

It’s a miracle this cabbage plant has survived and if it continues to do well at this rate I’ll be able to harvest it for my annual St Patrick boiled dinner.  Warning: If you do grow cabbage, you will never buy it again at the store.  The difference in taste is that big.

Time to buy fertilizer

It’s time to check and see if you have enough fertilizer and compost.  Once these orange blossom buds pop open, it’s time to amend the soil.

Orange Blossom Bud

Spring is right around the corner…

For the seasons at the Creek are marked, not by the calendar, but by fruits and flowers and birds.

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Cross Creek 1942

Pink Azelea

Carrots

Carrots are devine… You get a dozen for a dime… It’s maaaa-gic! – Bugs Bunny, Rabbit Every Monday, 1951

My favorite cartoon character is Bugs Bunny. What’s not to love: he’s smart, cute and he eats crunchy carrots.  I even named my first rabbit Bugs.

So carrots became one of my favorite veggies when I was a kid.  Sweet and colorful…too bad we always had them cooked.  I didn’t get to taste their crunchy goodness until I was an adult.  But now not only do I get to eat them raw, I grow them myself and boy what a difference.  They are so sweet, they should come with a Nutrition Fact label on them.  I’m sure all the healthy goodness will cancel out the very small amount of sugar :)

Florida soil is great for growing carrots.  They seem to have no trouble streching down into the sand.  The trick is to get them started.

I personally don’t do the row thing.  I just sprinkle the seeds evenly over the area in the garden where I want them to grow.  The seeds are very tiny so I don’t cover them with dirt.  The soil requires several sprays a day to keep the delicate sprouts from drying up, but once they have about 2-3 stems about 2-3″ tall I know I’ll be getting a reward.  Yes Bugs, it’s like magic!

Time Travel

Last Sunday I had the opportunity to travel back in time thanks to the Alafia River Rendezvous in Homeland, Florida.  The event is a pre 1840 representation of how fur trappers would gather once a year to trade.  This event is hosted annually by the Florida Frontiersmen.

For those of us who like period costumes, handmade crafts and the simplicity of days past, this is an event not to miss.  Be prepared to dress for the weather.  Closed shoes are a must.  The ground doesn’t have a lot of grass this time of the year and it can get pretty dirty.  I suggest sneakers as the camp is large and you will do a lot of walking.  I spent 2 hours at the site and didn’t even see half of the exhibit.  This year the weather was perfect and the skies provided a beautiful backdrop for pictures.

When you first arrive, you are greated with folk music and then you realize you have just stepped into the 19th century.

There is a market where you can eat buffalo burgers, elk chili and brunswick stew.  Artisans show their work and some even give demonstrations.

Here is the camp’s seamstress.  She’s known as the go to person for “time period” fashion advice.  Her shop has something for everyone.

This is Laura Sylvester, a retired teacher from Kentucky who turned her love of history and textiles into lovely hand printed fabric.

The fiber shop offered many yarns, threads and free weaving demonstrations.

I can’t wait for next year’s rendezvous. Now I know better to get there early so I have enough time to see all the sites. Who knows, maybe I’ll have my own period costume and can fit in with the crowd :)