It’s that time of year again–time to get going with another season of veggie gardening to supplement my heavy vegetable addiction. Actually, it’s BEEN that time of year since November when winter failed to turn up. My Brazilian oval orange eggplant which produced only one measly fruit all last year due to a persistent hornworm infestation of all my tomato, pepper, and eggplant plants is now covered by pendulous bright orange fruits the size of premium Christmas ornaments.

Yes, that’s right.

Eggplants in February.

I’m behind on my planning, but I learned a lot last year about veggie gardening in Florida–what works, what doesn’t, and just how much I LOATHE tomato hornworms.

This year I am nixing the decorative wall of moonflower and morning glory vines because, just imagine, gypsy moths (the mamas and papas of those nasty plant-destroying hornworms) are attracted to said flowers. UGH. No wonder all my nearby tomato and pepper plants were chewed down to stumps. My garden was like a Stop ‘N’ Go for hornworm breeding. I am also giving up on berries of any sort. They just don’t like the Florida summers, and I could use the space for things that DO thrive.

Here is what I plan to put in this year:
- Transplant second Emperor lychee tree (currently in large pot) in the ground after removing strawberries
- Papaya tree from seed
- Peppers: habenero, pimiento, Thai giant, jalapeno, Bulgarian carrot, red hot cherry, Thai nippon taka, early Sunsation, California Wonder, Beauty Bell, probably some others…
- Tomatoes: Green zebra, purple calabash, yellow pear, Roma
- Greens: pak choi, Malabar spinach, green onions, mesclun mix, loose leaf lettuce mix, Swiss chard
- Peas/Beans: Sugar snap peas, snow peas, and soy/edamame
- Eggplant: Fairy Tale hybrid, Pingtung long, Rosa Bianca
- Other: Sweetpotatoes…lots and lots. Nothing else survives in the summer.
- Transplant daylilies and angel’s trumpets currently in containers into the ground somewhere.

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TODAY’S WORKOUT

Chest/Back with Trainer
- BB Flat Bench Press (12 @ 95 lbs, 10 @ 105 lbs, 8 @ 105 lbs)
- BB Incline Bench Press (12 @ 65 lbs, 10 @ 75 lbs, 8 @ 80 lbs)
- DB Row (4×12 @ 25 lbs)
- Close Grip Seated Cable Row (4×12 @ 85, 70, 70 lbs)

TTW7 Workout A
A1) BB Romanian Deadlift (3×8 @ 95, 105, 115 lbs)
A2) DB Flat Chest Press (3×8 @ 35, 35, 40 lbs)
B1) DB Row (3×8 @ 30, 30, 35 lbs)
B2) Elevated (Kneeling) Push-ups (3×8 per side)

TTW7 Core A

- Cardio: Plyo X DVD after work