Is It A Charlie Brown Tree? ;-)

I think the idea of Green Thumb Sunday is to show what's actually blooming. You might check in at As the Garden Grows. If you decide to show what's blooming on Sundays, create your post and leave a comment on their latest posting. The biggest green (formerly living) thing in the house is our new tree!


It was growing on the south side of the house (approx. 2 feet from the foundation) and getting way too big for it's britches, if you know what I mean! Anyway, I used a handsaw Tuesday around lunch time and cut the top 4/5 off ... tah, dah ... our Christmas tree!

Nearly decorated.

Light and airy. Would you venture "ethereal?"

Well... maybe not. ha!

Probably more like a "Charlie Brown Tree."

I had some very lightweight red "roping" left from last year.
But I didn't have enough.
Guess I'll look for something else.


This last photo is what our neighbors see when they drive home.

I know... I still have to put up the roping and outdoor lights...

Maybe Monday. ;-)

A Moment's Pause... Getting Ready for Christmas?

Looking forward to a Merry Christmas? Usually Christmas holds a surprise in wait for almost everyone, it seems.

Check out the video below... ;-)

Garden Lily had visited me earlier and been inspired

by the Youtube video on the Miniscule Ladybug and Mosquitos
that I'd posted earlier... as I'd been inspired by Meg and Randy.

Reminds me of my post "Fly Get's the Upper Hand!" of March 21, 2009. (Go ahead! Click on this last link!) I took a few liberties with my parody on the poem by Mary Howitt.

Happy December!

We Need Your Advice!

A friend of mine and I have been painting a whimsical mural
on a wall of our Church Nursery.

Here's the latest post... just click on the photo.


My question is...

if we don't cover the paint with something clear and scrub-able, the mural will wash off the wall!

What you YOU advise that we do??

Nothing shady here... just a little "shaky!" ;-)

Chortle, Chuckle, Gasp! Ha! Too Much Fun!

Perhaps you'll remember my Gardener Gladys and/or Susan Scare-the-crow (you can search for either one of my garden helpers at the top of this blog). In the photo below, you'll see Susan. She hangs around in the raised-bed flower gardens all summer... consequently, she's earned a her retirement. The fellow/gal on her right will possibly be her replacement. I'm working on creating two new heads, at this time.

This head hasn't changed since the first session...

... but I've been working on the second head a lot! Pucker up! ha!

I have some ambitious gardening friends (we have our own little garden club), that thought they'd like to try making a "---" Scare-the-birds, too. So, here we are! We've had two sessions... and will have another in January. Check it out. It's a hoot! ::-))

"Thoroughly Moderne Mona" (in the purple) visited our first session. Mona was created a couple of years ago for a local contest in creating a Mona Lisa look-alike. She remains in my home, but I'm really not sure what to do with her!

This is Nancee's accomplishment after her first session ... ... and this is what her "---" Scare-the-birds looks like after two sessions!

June's "Grinch" is the result of two sessions... we laugh, but it will be fine!

Bekkie's nearing the end of her second session...

This is Carrie's face at the end of session one ...

...and here she is at the end of session two!

Cindee's only had one session. I hope she's able to join us in January!!
(I see real potential, don't you??)

We're having a fun time! For some of us, it's hard to envision the finished product. Quite honestly, as they evolve they sometimes just take on a life of their own! And Actually - that's most of the fun, as far as I'm concerned! :-)

In the meantime, we're chortling, chuckling, gasping, laughing, and having WAY too much fun! :-)

Narcissus papyraceus

Regarding the word, Narcissus, **there are two derivations of the name. 1) A youth of Greek mythology called Narcissus, who, in at least one of many variations of the tale, became so obsessed with his own reflection that, as he kneeled and gazed into a pool of water, he fell into the water and drowned. In some variations, he died of starvation and thirst from sitting so long by the edge of the pool, gazing at his reflection. In both versions, the Narcissus plant first sprang from where he died. 2) The other derivation is that the plant is named after its narcotic properties (narkao, to numb in Greek).

(Not such a great photo... but you'll like the one below better!)

Narcissus papyraceus (from papyrus and aceus ; meaning paper like), commonly known as Paperwhite, is a perennial bulbous plant native to the Mediterranean region. The white flowers are borne in bunches and are strongly fragrant. It is frequently grown as a house plant, often forced to flower at Christmas.

Paperwhites are part of the Narcissus genus which is typically associated with daffodils.

**All the above information was borrowed from Wikipedia.

My parents treated me with this Paperwhite Narcissus for Thanksgiving.

It's very fragrant - as fragrant as it is beautiful.

As long as Mr. Shady stays out of the dining room, he'll be just fine. Otherwise he sneezes!

Amazed I Am!

I took these photos April 1, 2009. As they'd not yet seen the light of day, here they are. :-)

Amazed, I am!
Amazed, I be!
No one's as much amazed as me!

Kate, at High Altitude Gardening, has just paid me a very special compliment by way of the following award. I am (practically) speechless! ha. I am to pass along this award to 15 garden bloggers that I've just discovered.

Kate's blog is also one You should visit! :-) I enjoy visiting her, as she lives in Utah (quite an environmental contrast) and enjoys a number of diverse interests.


I'm going to presume this disallows me to award those garden bloggers I've followed over the past 1 1/2 years, but I am going to include a few that I've followed for a period of time, at least.
Scroll down to the bottom of this post to visit the gardeners I've chosen for this award.


We've just finished our Thanksgiving celebrations, but I've not finished with giving thanks. During most of the year, I try to remain mindful of my many blessings:
1) the blessing of being able to raise two children, and now the blessing of grandchildren;
2) the blessings of a home that offers warmth in the Winter, coolness in the Summer (love those trees!), and safety from the elements;
3) the blessings of having enough food to eat (that coupled with the knowledge that there are many that don't, leads to blessing #4);
4) the blessings of having some excess that I can share... perhaps it's in the form of money, food, service, time, or emotional or physical support...
5) the blessings of useful abilities;
6) the blessings of a wonderful family;
7) the blessings of friends;
8) the blessings of being able to expound here, as I would in a journal;
9) the blessings of the natural world, the plant and animal life;
10) the blessings of ... Oh, boy! There's so much more ...

The following lists the 15 Gardeners you might like to visit (please pardon me if you've already received this award, or usually choose not to accept awards... I want to give you the "shout out" and link, at least!)


1) Our Backyard Life - Chad and Brandy are always very good to post a Photo Friday, which is often whimsical and always interesting!
2) A Gardener in Progress - Catherine has such beautiful photos and interesting posts about life in the Pacific Northwest.
3) BG_Garden - Bren provides many interesting posts. Most recently, she's providing posts on a great theme: Holiday Green Tour '09. You'll enjoy these posts, too.
4) Randy and Meg's Garden Paradise - Randy and Meg have received this award nomination from someone else, but perhaps you might not have seen the recognition? Now you have! Go visit them - especially if you enjoy learning about and seeing wonderful close-up photographs of a variety of animals! My interests include dragonflies, butterflies, flowers... take a look at their label collection! :-)
5) Olson's TRADGARD/Garden in Sweden - Karin lives in Sweden. Would you like to view a variety of gardens and flowers in other countries? She gives us glimpses of gardens in her travels, as well as her own garden interests.
6) Garden Bytes from the Big Apple - Ellen and Ellen present gardening as you would find it in New York City. They have much to offer, as they are authors as well as gardeners in this interesting setting.
7) A Corner Garden - Sue is a gardener in Nebraska. NE shares Iowa's western border. Sue and I share Zone 5b gardening conditions. She endured some city enforced garden reconstruction this summer, but everything came out so well!
8) Garden Endeavors - Patsi is a fun gardener to visit. I've followed her for awhile, but I wanted to make sure you visit her, too!
9) Kasey's Korner - If you enjoy beautiful photographs, I would recommend visiting Kathleen. She's a generous gardener, interested in photographing the many birds that visit as well as her flowers.
10) Best in Bloom Today - For beautiful photos that look like a colorful collage (but aren't), visit Lynn in New Jersey!
11) Troutbirder - For interesting stories, comments, photographs, history and tours, visit Troutbirder. He and his wife live in Minnesota and you might just enjoy a visit here from time-to-time!
12) VW Garden - for a lovely treat, visit VW who gardens in Washington State. Lovely photos and thoughtful posts.
13) Prairie Rose's Garden - Rose describes herself as a beginning gardener. I believe you would enjoy visiting her. She's posting through the alphabet... something she's inspired me to think about doing.
14) Garden Faerie's Musings - Many of you might already know Monica. She lives and gardens in Michigan and has a wonderfully fun personality! If you haven't yet visited, hurry over.
15) Nutty Gnome - If you haven't visited this blog, you're in for a treat. Do you want to know what it takes to make a garden pond, a garden tea house, etc., etc.? Visit Nutty Gnome and her husband (Himself) as they garden in their UK garden!
16) Northern Shade - I've followed Northern Shade for awhile... I consider her my garden soul-mate as we have so much in common (shady gardens). However, she's way up north in Alberta, Canada...

Whew! I know I added an extra... and I could have continued. However, I want each of you that I've nominated for this award to accept the award... you may save and place it (if you like) on your blog. If you're inspired, you may do this same exercise: pass this award to 15 new blogging acquaintances you've made, admire, and would like to share with the rest of us! (You might want to let each of them know they've received this award!) If not, just accept the award. You deserve it! :-)


Perhaps you'll meet some new friends this way.
Have a great weekend!!

Have You Tried Growing African Violets?

Do you have a moment?

Let's talk about African Violets.
:-)

Does hearing the words "African Violets" make your skin clammy? Your heart palpitate? Are you Nervous about whether you can grow these plants? Don't be.

Well, I'm not sure I can control or remedy all that, but I do have a few tips you might consider... especially if you've admired the flowers for their color variety or the shape and size of their delicate petals.

(My plant)

The Plant You Purchase: You'll find a great variety of plants in discount and grocery stores for a better price than you'd pay in a nursery. (I've purchased nearly all my plants this way.) The only thing I would recommend in this instance is to take a very good look at the leaves of the plant. Watch for little white webs and/or little bugs... If everything looks good, bring the plant home!

(Mom's plant)

Propagating Your Own Plant: Most African Violets can be propagated by leaf cuttings. First, fill a small, clean pot with the lightweight potting soil described below. Using a clean, sharp knife, cut the stem of a leaf close to the plant. Make a narrow hole in the soil, and place the leaf stem in this hole. Water the soil from below, in the pot tray and or outer pot (in the case of a two-part pot), and keep the soil lightly moist.

(My plant)

The Soil: The first thing you'll want to do is re-pot the plant when you get home. Be prepared with a special Violet mix. If this is not possible, purchase a soil-less mix and add perlite to a level of one- or two- parts to one part of the mix.

(Mom's plant)

Potting Your Plant: My experience is that my plants don't need to change pots very often. When you do, add a few stones to the bottom of the pot before adding your soil mix. You will want a nice deep water tray for your pot to sit in. You can put decorative stones in the tray for the pot to sit on.

(My plant)

Another alternative is the use of the two-part pots. A small, straight-sided pot nestles inside a larger, rounded pot. The outer pot holds the water. The bottom of the interior pot is unglazed, which allows moisture to past through the pot to the soil.

(Mom's plant)

Watering Your Plant: What I read is that most regular African Violets won't need a pot larger than one 4 inches in diameter. If my plants are in a regular pot with a tray, I add the water to the tray. Adding water to the two-part pot is obvious... ;-) In either instance, allow the soil to be dry for three or four days or so before again adding water. Violets don't like their roots to be soggy, so don't allow the plant roots to sit in soggy soil. (I guess I'm talking about a "light hand" with regard to watering this plant.)

I add a very weak solution of plant fertilizer with the water most of the time; especially if the plant is blooming.

(My plant)

Temperature, Light and Humidity: I've always heard that East and/or North Windows and temperatures between 60-65 degrees (at night) and 80 degrees (in the daytime) Fahrenheit are the most highly suited for African Violets. To convert temperatures from Fahrenheit to Celsius, Click Here.

However, I have my violets in a large West window. The light is filtered by a corrugated fabric shade.

I've just read (and experienced) that a plant that gets too much light grows the top leaves tightly together. If a plant doesn't get enough light, supposedly the leaves will lift up towards the light. You should experiment with location.

(Mom's plant)

If your home is dry, add pebbles to the watering tray to provide for humidity through evaporation.

Other Care Issues: African violets don't like a pot with mineral buildup on the top rim (and the bottom should be cleaned periodically, too). I've had the stems of outer leaves rot if they touch dirty pot rims. A quick, thorough wash of the rim might alleviate problems.

If you decide to use a used pot for your violet, wash and clean it well with hot water and maybe a bit of bleach.

An experiment I've been trying is adding decorative wooden fibers or spaghnum moss on the top of the soil, to keep the leaves away from the pot's rim.

(Mom's plant)

P.S. I'm not an expert, but these tips have served me well. My plants bloom fairly often. My mom's plants are always healthier and bloom better than mine. The main difference I've noticed is that her plants are in a sunroom porch with light from South, North and West windows. However, every window is covered by the corrugated fabric window shades.

Are you ready to go shopping? ;-)