Mister Surly chose us. He’s a gorgeous emerald eyed black pussycat who displays the unique talent of simultaneously purring and hissing when he is patted. We have colonies of cats that visit but Mister Surly came to stay. I hope to see him this afternoon but he will probably put it off as long as possible because cats hate change even more that we do and the front yard is a mess.
Landscaping in key west is challenging. Hardpan is way too flattering for the soil here. We live on a busy street in Key West – a main artery actually – and have no back yard at all so we decided to make the most of what we have. First we built a big pink deck so we could relax outside and even hold small parties. Then we built a fence and trellis so the deck didn’t become a stage. . . (actually I kind of miss waving to the neighbors, joggers and early morning cyclists and I like to think that they miss me.) Anyhow, I am entering the third phase of fixing up the yard and the hole digging has begun for the new palms and native trees that should be safely ensconced within the week, just in time for hurricane season.
Where’s the picture of Mister Surly – to show the girls?
Looking forward to the next installment 🙂
If encouraged to post pictures of cats, the quality of this site may deteriorate into a furry lovefest. You’ve been warned . . .
Is the soil white cause its coral, or is it white cause it’s salty (but then nothing would grow except the magnifient mangrove tree!) or is it white cause it’s bleached by the sun? Also, that hole’s not very deep. Is that as deep as it goes?
The soil in my yard is all of that plus nutrient and moisture depleted. The palms and other plants will definitely help. And as for the hole – I guess the angle was off because it was almost 3 feet deep – which btw also accounts for the illusion of my having a delicate foot!
so what do you do to amend the soil and how deep is the water table?
We use jungle mix which is a high grade planting soil composed of cypress bark various mulches and all manner of organic materials. This is found at Mama’s Rock and Soil http://www.callyourmama.net As for the water table – from what I have been able to make out, it is at about 5 feet, but I am willing to be corrected – however painful and annoying that may be.