OOPS! I did it again!

I did, I really did!

I messed with my HOA again!

I trimmed back the orchid tree pretty severely and they really enjoyed that. Made a point of saying so. But, I did it to get more sun to the veggie beds that are directly on the other side of that fence and to get more blooms, not for them.

It's been a couple weeks since then, and now I've gone and gotten the hornets nest all stirred up again. :-) Oh yes, I have. See, I might have built just a teeny, tiny retaining wall....

OK, maybe teeny tiny isn't QUITE the right description for it.

It's about 60 foot long and over a foot tall...Well, What do you expect? I had to do something this year to mess with it! This bed has been messing with my head on how to get it more productive and more edible since I started it and I finally figured out how to do it and get away with it. Make it match with the big one in the front. Of course now we have a GIANT RETAINING WALL ALL THE WAY AROUND OUR PROPERTY!!!!  (see first retaining wall) It looks really intimidating and slightly impressive if you don't know that it's (or is going to be by tomorrow) mulched to 3" deep to prevent the weed in there and has all the right types of bushes and things to keep from having to rip up and out plants every year.

I may also have plans to put some more edibles in there.  Possibly. OK, definitely.

Then again they haven't figured out yet that 16 of those bushes already ARE edible.

Tomorrow the cardboard and mulch is scheduled to go in. The guavas are beginning to bud out again so it's really important timing to retain that moisture!

In this side bed: Hong Kong Orchid White & Pink,  Majesty Palm, Pineapple guava(4) Strawberry guava(4) Sea grapes (4)  Gumichama (2) Brazilian Cherry (2) Hibiscus & Croton  - scheduled to enter within 4-6 weeks in seedling trays: Amaranth Greek giant, Amaranth Jacobs coat, Calalloo, Red Thai Roselle

SUCKERS! Just WAIT until they see me out there every week with my colanders collecting things and bringing them in. You know that is just going to make them itch to send me that $100 a day fine. What do you bet that they try to figure out what it is I am eating? *snicker* Good thing that the amaranth is so beautiful it is sold locally as Florida poinsettia and very expensive to boot - and the calalloo so prolific. They will never guess those- as for the Roselle it is truly a hibiscus so they can't do a darn thing about it but gawk and wonder why my husbands cholesterol is so low.

The next street over belongs to a different neighborhood and the neighbors over their actually came out of their way to come over and complement us on all of the work we put into the house and the changes that they see us making to it. She told me that not only does she see me working in the front yard and see the difference there, but hears us outside with the kids day to day and how I keep on them and discipline them, etc. She said it was a breathe of fresh air to know that some of the older generations' habits were still alive and well teaching and training children the way they were meant to be. With love and respect and care. Out with nature and not left to their own devices. What a wonderful compliment! To know that I am teaching my kids to grow up and be responsible people and to love not only the environment and gardening but each other as well. Some times I feel like I'm too strict or overbearing or whatever but I think that is just part of being responsible and protective - what we are meant to be to our children. (sorry side jig there)

Off to soak my poor fingers that have been worked to the bone now...Oh, and my head 'cuz I got hit in the head with a falling shovel and I don't think the explicatives I might use are proper for a family friendly blog so I won't tell the story here. Suffice to say one of my kids dropped a shovel (yes a full sized, no not a kiddy sized) shovel on my head and I have a lump there and it hurts, BAD but it was still soooo worth it.

'Till next time!

Barbie~