Pineapple

In October 2010 I purchased a pineapple plant sold at a plant sale for the UCF Arboretum at the University of Central Florida.

For over two years I have managed to not kill off this plant (unlike past pineapple plant attempts, which I thought I blogged about but apparently never did).

But the plant just sat there in the yard and did nothing.

When we returned back from our lovely two week trip in the United Kingdom (more details later) I was excited to find that the pineapple plant was actually producing, well, a pineapple.

The more I garden, the more I am finding that plants do better when I leave them alone. Survival of the fittest backyard garden style.

Tomato time

I purchased this tomato plant from Palmer’s Garden & Goods sometime last fall. I realized that the sun pattern changes in the winter and this garden gets very little sun. Fortunately this tomato plant hung in there. Now it is happy and getting its sun; and we are getting our tomatoes. I only had to spray for caterpillars once so far.

Below are seedlings for the next generation of tomatoes. I am not sure they will be ready in time to beat the summer heat. Only time will tell.

Seeds

This dill is getting ready to give us a crap load of seeds. I am not big on storing seeds but perhaps I need to do it this time.

What is for dinner?

Freshly picked tomato and broccoli.

Tetanus?

I ran across this article today which I though was of interest to gardeners.

I have been backyard gardening for many years (past few years more seriously) and never thought about tetanus.
I am the type of person who gets vaccinations only if it is absolutely necessary.
I don’t get flu shots. The only year I got a flu shot was the year I got a terrible nasty flu (Yes I know research says that the shot does not cause an infection). I had to get hepatitis and some other vaccinations because I really wanted to travel to Brazil and they were required. I had a tetanus shot about 13 years ago but only because I almost chopped my thumb off with a knife.
It never occurred to me that digging in my own back yard would require such a thing.

“almost one-third of reported tetanus cases come from gardening or farming injuries”

http://www.vna.org/myh_tetanus_gardening.aspx

Even the CDC recommends it.

I will consider getting the shot it I start another large project but for now I will just go on relying on my luck.