Babylon Backyard:Master Gardener Practices

In a wee three weeks time I will graduate from the Florida Master Gardener Program, Broward County. To gain our official certification, in addition to our 150 classroom hours, we must complete 75 more hours volunteering for approved garden/park/horticultural projects. I'm not sure yet what I'll choose (we must do 40 hours at the University of Florida-Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences (IFAS) center itself, but I was itching to ply my newfound skills by creating a Florida Friendly magical Babylonian Backyard. I would like to specialize in creating 'small space' gardens for individuals who live in townhomes or condos. Where better to practice than on my space? Here's how the garden is evolving:

This is the south facing back fence which must double as my bike storage. I found a small trellis at Lowe's that could easily 'slip' in between the staggered planks of my fence. The hanging baskets came from our local nursery, NuTurf, and are lined with pressed coconut coir liners, which are natural, organic, and environmentally safe, making them light yet providing a sustainable planting bed. To the right I planted Pandora Vine, Pandorea jasminoides, as a privacy feature. You can see the building behind my yard will now be beautifully obscured! To the left I've planted a hanging herb garden.

L to R: Sage, basil, cilantro, arugula, basil, sage.

Along the back fence my acacia palms are beginning to fill in nicely, providing a privacy barrier as well as wonderful structure with their pinnate leaves. Between them, alternating and nestled against the fence are Purple fountain grasses to provide rhythm, color and shape.

Toward the north side, directly in front of the Sable Palm, which is nearly 50' tall, I have set my lovely bubbling waterfall, now surrounded by butterfly plants: milkweed for laying eggs and feeding larvae, and a butterfly weed to provide nectar. A passion vine under the hanging herb garden basket is also a butterfly 'magnet'!

Allowing a walkway, I've selected potted palms and Hamelin, drawf fountain grasses to hide my neighbor's air conditioning unit and provide more depth and rhythm to my green fence.

Uplighting at night provides wonderful shadows and shapes.

This garden is a magical place for me to meditate, to muse, to heal, to enjoy the small, quiet moments. Now I can actually use my herbs to cook and create sage smudge sticks for friends to use. I typically have my breakfast and lunch there, and I do my writing and consulting work in the early morning hours. Designing this space feeds my creativity; being in it feeds my soul. Like my life, it is a work in progress. Best of all, you don't need a lot of space to this yourself, merely a lot of inspiration!

Mothers, Moving, Minnesota

It has been seven years since Martijn and I moved from Minneapolis to Maastricht for what was supposed to be a few years of study, work and family reunion. But my beloved husband was not destined to return to the US. He discovered a small lump which grew into the cancer that reclaimed him to that place from where we all come and all go. How symbolic that his family, mother, Geri, step-father, Marcel, brother, Janus came to stay with me for a fortnight in Florida almost three years since Martijn's death. It was a poignant visit since Geri has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. I tried my best to make their visit safe and sound in the brutal tropical sun and mostly succeeded. It was highly symbolic that they choose to fly Ft. Lauderdale-Minneapolis-Amsterdam and that after seven years, I had to finally fetch the belongings Martijn and I had left anticipating a US return. So, together I flew with his family heading to goodbyes and hellos. I bid his family goodbye at the airport, rented a car and began a bittersweet journey of collecting boxes ripe with memories of our life in the Twin Cities. With friends at each location offering succor and support I have made this a mission of endings and beginnings. I thank everyone for their love.

After two and a half weeks of adventures, my Dutch family heads back to the Netherlands. Marcel, Janus and Geri at the Ft. Lauderdale airport. I accompany them to Minneapolis where I begin the task of gathering the possessions Martijn and I left behind seven years ago.

First stop at Suzanne and Rich's. From our former home on Lake Minnetonka I head to our final Twin Cities home in the Seward neighborhood.

Next stop at Monica and John's who themselves are leaving Seward. My day was fraught with symbolism.

My lovely host, the Lady Diane

Last stop after two more along the way at a non-descript storage facility in St. Paul until I am able to sort and sift and make decisions.

The evening featured a gathering of 16 friends at Moscow on the Hill in historic St. Paul. Here are Kelson, dik and Carmen enjoying the feast.

The wonderful Carney family, Jules and Pat, host Heinz, Diane and me for the orphan's Mother's Day Brunch!

My "son" Daniel pays me a wonderful Mother's Day visit at Diane's who is hosting me this trip!