Leaving my final garden

last year

It's been almost seven years since I left South Florida, but I know many of you were part of the 19-year gardening experiment I ran in Boca Raton. Well, long story short, tomorrow morning we move into a condo. Fourth floor, no maintenance, no garden except for my house plants. Giving up the house and landscape I've been tinkering with in Northern Virginia for a year and a half is such a relief that I'm lost for words to accurately describe my joy.

For everyone who visited my tropical paradise in Boca Raton, swapped plants, and feasted on our barbecue, it's good to know that some of you are still gardening in Florida and keeping the dream alive. I wish you continued success. Gardening becomes part of your life and when you finally slice that little chunk off and accept that you've lost the desire to grow plants and maintain a landscape, I hope you'll be as relieved as I am now.

Wishing you sunny weather, lots of rain, and healthy plants!

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bea (zone 9a -Jax area)

last year

Hubs and I have tossed around the idea of moving to a condo since I came down with heart disease and he is my full tim caregiver. But…nah…no way we would be ok living so close to other people. Instead we dismantled all our flower beds and found new homes fot e plants and found homes for about 1/4 of my orchids. When the time fomes we will hire a guy to mow and we have a great handyman to do everything else that hubs and I used to do.

For us it beats giving up our house and acre yard.

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Comments (6)

carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10
last year
Wishing you all the best going forward, Ricky!
fawnridge (Ricky) thanked carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10
JoanM
last year
Congrats Ricky!

My DH asked me the other day if this was our forever house. I laughed so hard. 2 acres in Florida is probably a young persons game. I can sense the time where it is more work than fun is not too far off in my future.

What will you do with all your free time? LOL
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sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish)
last year
Congrats on your new condo. I am glad you are happy. One can only do what they feel up to. Your physical & mental well being matter the most. Gardening outside, especially in the summer, is physically a lot of work.

Houseplants are a huge craze now lol. I dont have a lot of light inside my house now (windows shaded by deep porches) so I hang houseplants outside near the eaves of the porch roof most of the year.
gardener123
last year
Sounds liberating! Have fun finding some happy houseplants!
DunedinDan
11 months ago
Never attended but enjoyed your discussions here on GardenWeb over the past 20 years! Condo sounding pretty good this time of year as we try to control the massive growth of all we planted Good luck!