The Maple Hill Hop 21

Welcome back to 

The Maple Hill Hop,

where we share what's happening outside our doors.

This week's Hop finds us visiting a fellow gardener.
Eileen lives in nearby Lake Wales
and nurtures an amazing garden in a suburban neighborhood.

Looks like a typical Florida home, right?

This Green Thumb is far from typical.
I love how she repurposes throughout her garden.
These are colorful plastic coffee cans hosting onions.

Her creative use of wine bottles to edge the front bed is brilliant!

Don't you just love how it adds flow and a bit of whimsy?
The sparkle from the bottles glistening in the sun is a real eye-catcher.

Several front beds contain edibles as well as ornamental beauties.

Asparagus and marigolds share space, among others.

The backyard is composed of several smaller gardens.
As well as furnishing food for herself and others,
Eileen provides the appropriate host and nectar plants
for butterflies in her backyard.

A number of fruit trees provide a centerpiece for surrounding crops.
Apple, avocado and citrus are among the varieties tended here.
Circular plantings echo the fluidity of the front yard bed.

This fig tree is ready for spring!
Eileen employs the direct compost method.
She digs a hole and over the course of a few days
adds food scraps, then fills it in with soil.

Tomatoes can be found in a number of areas.
Again, check out the repurposed container here.
She amusingly calls herself a "scrapper".

It's understandable why Eileen prefers to stay close to home.
Who would want to leave this paradise?

This pineapple will no doubt be savored,
as it has taken a couple of years to develop fruit.
They are SO worth the wait!

Each pot's contents is designated by a tag.
No surprises about what's been sown.

Peppers just yearning to be stuffed.
Eileen believes in sharing her bounty
and often contributes her excess to friends and neighbors.
Gardeners are truly a generous lot.

You can tell that each part of this garden is loved.

Light-weight plastic mesh is used to deter critters
(including her cat) from traipsing on edibles.
Here she is growing onions.

The backyard boasts a care-free ground cover.
This is mimosa which is drought-tolerant and Florida-friendly.
Perennial peanut is another undemanding creeper
used in place of a conventional lawn.
The bonus is that the flowers on the perennial peanut are edible!

mimosa

These sweet pink pom-poms spring up 
through the lush, verdant undergrowth.

What a wonderful way to spend a bit of time.
It's always a treat to discover how others use their ingenuity in the garden.
Eileen has carved out an oasis in suburbia.
Here, she cultivates food, flora and friendship.
What a wonderful combination.

"Hopes are planted in friendship's garden 
where dreams blossom into priceless treasures."
-Source Unknown

An InLinkz Link-up