Summer in the garden

Well we are mid summer in the Fort Lauderdale garden.  We have 6 months of hot sticky wet weather and 6 months of warm dry weather in South Florida.  We had 27 inches of rain since June, and the mosquitoes are out in full force.  The bees, butterflies and birds have been very active.  The photo below is of our state butterfly, the zebra longwing.

To stay cool, I have been drinking iced tea with mint, iced coffee and coconut water.

The royal poinciana trees are in full bloom, and they are always a joy to behold. Here is an article and slide show of the trees.
Grand Dame of trees the royal poinciana

YouTube asked its contributors to make an introduction to their channel, so I completed this last weekend.  My food and garden channel is taking off!  Thank you for subscribing and viewing the videos.

Two weekends ago was the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden  Mango Festival.  I was asked to write an article there for Examiner.com, and I wrote two.  Here they are!

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden features a mango festival featuring the mangoes of Mexico

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden features a mango brunch

I have been so busy picking mangoes and starfruit, pruning, weeding and planting lately in my backyard garden.  At my horticultural therapy business, I have been picking up new accounts and coming up with new activities for the older ones.  In the summer the heat is too strong for the seniors so we do more indoor activities.  I have been very remiss in writing my book though, so much going on!

Thank you for visiting my blog and I enjoy reading yours as well.  It is fun following each other on the social networks, looking forward to seeing you there as well.  

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Election Results: Re landscaping an established garden

There comes a time in every garden when you have to have an election, and vote in new plants and remove incumbents that have worn out their welcome.  Some plants in the garden have outgrown their usefulness and have to go.  New plants get voted in to enliven and invigorate the garden.

Shrubs I started from cuttings from other areas of the garden were planted in my side yard by the street, voted in due to their beautiful foliage and ability to fill in  blank spaces between two Tabubia street trees.  Within several years, their original promises were indeed fulfilled and they looked marvelous.  However the maintenance to keep them properly pruned became overwhelming.  They were up for reelection  and they were voted out of office.  The short video below is how they were forced out.

Certain plants looked great in three gallon pots at the nursery and got voted in.  I have a lovely fishtail palm that I used as a screen to block the view of the street and home across the street.  Over time as other plants grew up and matured, the sprinkler became partially blocked and the fishtail was not getting enough water.  The tips of the leaves always were browning and affected the aesthetics of the palm.  Over the years it became too tall and was inching its way up to the power lines.  It was voted out of office via chainsaw.  Video below demonstrates the process.

Beautiful new plants were needed to fill in all the empty spaces of the plants removed.  Voted in were bromeliads.  I planted a single bromeliad in a pot and  itmultiplied and needed to be divided anyway.  They would unify the area and add a  bit of formality to the jungle.  Another plant got voted in, a wonderful phildondron native to Brazil.  This plant is wonderful and I also use it for hydroponics class in nursing homes.  This is how it was done.

Whatever you feel about the election and who wins and who loses, mother nature takes care of us all and we need to all get along in the garden of Eden.  Thank you for visiting my blog and see you again soon.

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How to film your own YouTube videos

My YouTube garden/food/lifestyle channel is a fun project I started in December 2011.  Since I work all week long, weekends are devoted to filming. So far I have done all the shoots in my garden and house. I have about 35 segments filmed and ready for viewing on my channel.  Click on colored sentences to see some videos.

A great deal of planning goes into each segment.  The topics need to be researched for accuracy.  The script has to be short and to the point. I like the videos to be entertaining and fast paced.  Supplies need to be on hand and ready for the shoot.  The lighting has to be perfect.  When using a chain saw, pruning, and cooking, you do not have the opportunity for numerous takes.  Barking dogs, airplanes, people talking in the neighborhood, high winds, loud automobiles all interfere with the sound quality. How to grow and slice a Carambola, or starfruit

It is important to smile, be relaxed, speak clearly, and with confidence.  Try not to flub the lines. Stay focused and on topic.  Keep the videos short and do not ramble on.  Make sure to frame the shot so the audience can see you clearly and follow what you are doing on camera.
How to re pot an orchid.

Find a reliable camera person.  Retakes may be from a cameraman's foot being in the shot, a finger in front of the view, a sneeze, a sniffle, or an audible prompt from a cameraman.  A cameraman's shadow can ruin a shot.  There are many variables that can cause retakes.



Sometimes a mistake can add to the spontaneity. Once, when I was chopping onions, they flew off the cutting board and onto the floor.  I kept it in the scene.  Sometimes an unexpected critter in the garden could change the scene.  Do you keep on going or do a retake?  It is your call. How to prune a hedge



You also can monetize your site with google ads.  Follow the prompts and read the rules.  They can cut off your ads at any time and disable your account without giving you a warning or a reason.  You can appeal but they still do not give reasons.

For my kitchen cooking segments, to see the stove the cameraman had to stand outside the kitchen door on a step stool and shoot from there. Chicken, spinach, mushrooms and wine recipe

Good luck. And please follow me on:

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Robert's YouTube garden/food/fitness channel Subscribe for free to my new video channel on YouTube