Brad's Tropical Paradise

It's December, and it's the time of the year when people remind you to cover your plants in Phoenix. And if you're wondering what to do, relax, it's easy. And chances are you don't have to cover any plants at all in your garden, only the tender tropicals. A plant that I have here at the Tropical Paradise that's cold-sensitive is my natal plum. It will only get into the thirties tonight, and that isn't fatal to the plant, but it can discolor the leaves. So I'll be covering it when the sun goes down. So no, you don't cover your plants while the sun is shining. In fact, that's very bad for them, so if the sun is still shining and you've covered them, go out and uncover them. I'll wait. There you go, just leave the frost cloth, or old bed sheets, or a beach towel, nearby and when the sun goes down cover the plant.  That's really all you have to do. And when the sun comes up in the morning, uncover it. Speaking for myself, I jus...

I got an ivy geranium from a friend of mine for Christmas. And today I'll planting it, but not in the ground! If you're familiar with geraniums, you may be surprised at how different an ivy geranium is. First of all, the leaves are very glossy, and most importantly, it trails, like a vine. So it's best to plant it in a pot that will allow it to show off what it does, which is hang down. I just planted this one, and as it grows it will cover the pot, and trail down. I will "fuss" with it to keep it looking its best, which just means a gentle trim here, a pinch there. It will live on my patio so it isn't as if I have to really go out of my way to look after it. Ivy geranium. I removed a kind of sad-looking plant that had been in this pot, set it aside, and scooped out enough soil to accommodate the geranium. Before I dropped the plant in, I added some dry slow-release fertilizer, and some polymer moisture crystals. They aren't absolutely necess...

I've known some wealthy people who can really show it off. And it's fun to see the big houses, fancy cars, that sort of thing. And yeah, I gotta admit to being a little jealous, and definitely impressed by displays of wealth. Or rather, displays of prosperity, of success, and a desire to share that with friends. I didn't grow up poor, but I've lived in some poor neighborhoods. I know what it looks like to live in a world where tiny apartments are filled up with lots of people to just cover the rent, cars are patched together as best they can be to keep running, standing in the cold waiting for the bus, living on rice because meat is too expensive. And I gotta tell you, poverty sucks. But every once in a while I would see a flower, maybe in a pot. And to most people, it's seen as a "woman's touch", but to me it's so much more. It's that tiny bit of beauty that seeks to go beyond just getting by, and being poor. It's a display of wealt...