Brainstorm

Thanks to a bug in my ear, from the concierge over at Itinerary of Marlette and Guisseppe, I have a great idea for all those Christmas present idea requests that are starting to come in.

Plants.

We love plants. Fruit trees, flowering shrubs, shade trees, you name it, if it's tropical or subtropical, we love it. The best part about tropical gardening is that you can't hardly kill the stuff. Find the right spot for the plant and you're all set.

That's the kind of gardener I am. Just don't get me any orchids, please. Oh, some people have tried to assure me that they are easy, I did have one native species that stayed healthy for almost five years, but I'm an orchid killer, and in the end, that one's not going to make it either, because they all require even minimal care.

Daughter G once requested a chenille plant for her birthday, deciding after a visit to the Edison and Ford Winter Estates that was her all-time favorite plant. I am happy to say that after being transplanted twice, it is now thriving out on the island.

I'm making a list and checking it twice...

Gumbo Limbo
Mango
Live Oak
Hibiscus
Paurotis Palm
Bottle Palm
Coconut Palm
Key Lime
Grapefruit
Giant White Bird of Paradise
Passion Vine
Lignum Vitae

That should get them started.

Here's a great site for information on Florida plants. I tried to link to individual plant photos but it defaults back to the main page, so you'll have to look them up yourself.

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Our read-aloud, Treasure Island, has been on hiatus, so tonight I will make a conscious effort to pick it up and get through a few more chapters. The closest we came to any literature this week was the Quixote brand chorizo sausages G threw in to the pot of gumbo he made last night.