Winter on The Hill

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. 

Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

May his legacy live on.

************

Farm School is taking the week off, 

so we thought we'd share some of the unique flora on The Hill.

It was a cold Sunday morning.

Temperatures registered at about 47 degrees when we started our tour.

We did a quick check on the garden.

It is fully loaded right now.

This area hosts broccoli, brussels sprouts, collards, eggplant, leeks, lettuce,

radishes, snap peas, spinach and a variety of herbs.

The second garden area is filled with pots containing beets, two types of kale,

papaya, Roma tomatoes, scallions, Swiss chard and newly transplanted Celebrity tomatoes.

 We picked a few peas for my weekly order.

This is the first time I was able to harvest my own lettuce.

 Faye showed me just how to do it with the utmost care.

Now, on to the property tour.

 The pineapples are covered with metal trash cans that rest on this rebar during cold spells.

Looks like the birds have gotten to this loquat.

kumquat

The powderpuff offers a bold splash of color to the winter garden.

 The seedpods are absolutely stunning.

These camelias are another beauty that grace the grounds.

 You can learn more about azaleas here.

bougainvillea

This particular hibiscus is called "Florida Sunset".

Here's another type of hibiscus, not sure of the name.

Something is tunneling underneath the ground and leaving these mounds on the property.

Whatever they are, thankfully, they don't disturb the garden.

Here's what's known as the "sausage" tree.

The long vines conjure up visions of Tarzan.

This is what hangs down from the vines.

That's one big sausage!

 (Nope, they don't eat it.)

This night-blooming Ceres displays white blossoms

resembling a water lily.

It blooms from 10 pm until dawn.

 Isn't it amazing how something so fierce-looking

can harbor such a delicate flower?

Faye and Lynn have so many lovely specimens.

The Hill is a treasure trove of winter life in Central Florida.

I'm thankful that we took the time to discover just how extraordinary it is.

Want to learn more about Farm School?

Start here.