A Lychee by Any Other Name...

We have one lychee tree. I only discovered it was a lychee after learning a bit from a dear neighbor. It hadn't produced fruit before, probably because of my inappropriate pruning.
But this year, I was ready. I waited and yes, it fruited. One fruit in the whole tree. (Pictured here.)
But this is my question South Florida friends: What other names are there for these fruits?  Have you heard of them called Soapberries?

The summer garden

This is my first year with a summer garden in SoFla. I'm pretty excited about the prospect of eating from the garden year round. About a week ago, I bought a few plants from one of the vendors at Fairchild. Each is supposed to do well during the hottest part of the year. I've planted some herbs (e.g. basil), cranberry hibiscus, winged bean, hot peppers, everglades tomatoes, malabar spinach and sweet potatoes. I'll let you know how it goes. :)

What are Loquats.

 Loquats are also known as Chinese pears. I learned this from Nathaniel, native of Miami, neighbor of the West Grove and friend to Erica and Kristy in the Urban Resurrection Community.  Nathaniel was nice enough to barbeque/smoke a delicious meal for a college group of DOOR participants from Reinhardt College.
 Once I figured out they weren't Kumquats, I described them to Nathaniel who knew them as Chinese Pears. I finally checked the wikipedia article for confirmation.
  Most trees around town are kept much smaller. But like so much in my yard, it was already planted and growing a little wild. They make me extra happy when they ripen. It was this time a few years ago, we moved into this wonderful place. The kids climbed the trees and ate enough to make me worry they'd get a stomach ache. (How mommish of me.)
 I'll bet they are all over Miami and most folks don't know the fruits are delicious. But almond trees grow here as well, and most folks don't know it either.  So much to learn. 

The Variety of March in Miami

 In addition to Pina Nina growing every day, there are bananas coming along. What I had mistaken for kumquats, simply because I guessed, are really loquats. The three trees have a large crop this year. Tomatoes, potatoes, basil, mint, spinach, watermelon and sage are all doing well. The grape vine has burst into bright green.  I still struggle with oregano and cilantro. For some reason, I just haven't been able to convince them to germinate well in three tries.  And I sadly buried the habenero. Looks like a soil problem took it from the bottom up. The tropical climate of Miami has so much going for it, but I think the humidity lends itself to strange molds and mildews. I'm going to try 'solarizing' that particular bunch of soil before mixing it with compost and trying something else. 

Baby Pina

It's a baby pineapple being born!
I think this plant has been gestating for 3 years. It was the top from a willing participant in my gardening experiments.

 Slice the top off, remove extra juicy bits. Let it sit to dry out a little. I think I sat mine next to the sink for 3-4 days. Then plant it into the ground and water.

Three years later, viola'.   Although I read it would only be two years. Oh well. Since this one, I've started 6-7 others.

Look what God grew!

I've been on a kick of posting photos of warm & sunny So. Florida on to Facebook. Last month I had the honor of attending the youth worker Extravaganza in Kansas City and the APCE Conference in ABQ. In both cases those locations received record snow falls and low temps the day I arrived.

All that travel just made me love this place more. Giant spinach leaves growing in January. Potatoes growing from the peels I threw out after Christmas dinner. Pineapples making little baby pineapples from a top sliced off the grocery store fruit (after 3 years of waiting!)

When it gets cold in SoFla

From time to time the temperatures really drop...even in sunny South Florida. Tonight is one of those nights with temperatures expected to get down into the 30s...there is even a frost watch.

So, if you find yourself in such a situation regardless of where you live, be sure to cover your plants. Tomatoes, melon, cukes, lettuce and herbs are particularly suseptible to the cold. Old sheets and towels work best but you can also use a bucket or old tire, if needed. Try to stay away from plastic or tarp, if you can. Even though they provide some protection (and are better than nothing, they don't do a very good job keeping the cold out. For some added protection spray down your plants before you go to bed or, if you have a drip irrigation system, you can mist them overnight. Any ice that forms on the plant will provide some insulation and protection.