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but there has been no frost on the punkin'.
I have brought some of the plants indoors plus some of the cuttings I potted. Will bring the rest of them in today and take a few more cuttings. Especially the Dicleptera (sp?). It is one of those plants that the hummingbirds like. The other plant is my neighbors Bat Face Cuphea. We have really enjoyed watching its little faces this summer.
The other cuttings I took were of the small Tibouchina, a pretty pink/white/green (Party Time) and purple alternanthera
(sp?), my wonderful blue Plumbago, a couple of different Begonias (angel and dragon wings), a cutting from a common begonia that has the little pink double blooms. A few angel trumpets, cuttings from the Cats Whiskers, the lipstick plant plus what else I can't remember.
Our church is having a rummage sale for a mission trip coming up soon. That led to more de-cluttering of closets, bookshelves, drawers and corners where dust collects. You all know those items that we move from shelf to shelf or from room to room? Wondering if we will like them better in a different spot? NOT! If you move them more than once a year they need to go out of your home. Those things that someone gave us as a token of their love? The love is what we need to keep close, not that little token. Take them away to a place for someone else to enjoy or move around in their own homes. De-cluttering your home takes away some of the dust, some of the mess and even de-clutters our minds and sometimes our souls. Try it, you will like it.
Speaking of clutter, have you looked inside your shed or building where your gardening items are stored? I have and it is not a pretty sight. I just toss and shove things all spring and summer while I am busy working the garden beds, now it is time to clear it all out. And that box, bag or pile of stuff you put aside thinking you can make some grand piece of yard art? Unless you are really creative, toss it out. Then give yourself a big pat on the back because you can at last see that you don't need to buy any more black pots for cuttings, or that trowel you love was not thrown out after all, that you do have a little bag of bird seed left and there is a can of paint for that old chair you were going to paint. Have fun, sing a little song, do a little dance and live life to the fullest.
One more thing before I go, I have started back to my water aerobics class as of this morning. Have not been in a couple of months. Boy am I glad I chose this morning to go. And this actually happened. Feel free to pass my sighting along.
Remember that Ray Stevens song "The Streak"? Well all us old ladies got 'incensed' this morning. I was just where my eye caught the door to the pool as it began to open. I looked up and there was this 20 something 'adonis' type young man 'buck naked' coming in with a towel in his hand. Just as he realized there were people in the pool, he paused a second, looked down at himself and quickly pulled that small towel around his fantastic body. He was headed to the hot tub, but took a couple more steps, realized we were staring at him with glazed looks, turned around and with a very red face, fled the scene. It was just too funny, you should have hear all us grannies (and a few granddaddies) hooting and hollowering. Since it is almost Halloween, I say he wins my vote for best costume. Hope your day goes as well as mine started. More to Come Later
Received more plants in the mail today and seed for several different Daturas. They will be beautiful next year.
Also received more rain and that has been wonderful. The temp only got to 68 or so and I was comfortable in my jeans and a light long sleeved knit shirt. It felt good.
Spent the day putting together a metal framed Futon. If you think you want to do that, my advice is Don't. I had so many interruptions all day it took forever. Then where the seat/back frames are put together, the holes did not line up on the last two sets of screws. That is such a bummer. But the job is done and it will be useful after all.
Can't wait to get back outside. I took pix of the cactus plants and the plants I potted up the other day, plus two of my reblooming iris are in bloom so took their pix as well. I have had enough of being indoors.
I remember as a very young wife the time I had my first front porch. My favorite thing was to keep it swept. Now I know it was because I was OUTDOORS. Wish I had known then how much it meant to be not to be cooped up in the house. Even when I had kids, I was happiest when I was outside with them. Even had a small garden at one point. Grew corn, green beans and popcorn!! The kids though that was funny.
Going to rest well tonight then start rearranging some furniture to accomodate the addition of the futon. I go through these spells of moving things around. I have my mother's hutch and it is full of dolls, part of her collection and part of mine. It is time to put them back in their boxes and get some of my glass pieces displayed instead.
More to Come Later
Shutting this baby down for the night. Looks like a good storm and MORE RAIN .
this music here --- I'm in Heaven, I'm in Heaven --- etc. More to Come Later
Rain and small storms came through during the night. The weather channel had 1.69 inches listed this morning so that means we got about an inch. It was wonderful just laying in bed listening to the rain come down and the thunder and lightening.
It is rumbling again just now in the distance, so we may get more during the afternoon. Most likely will wait until time for the children to get out of school. My house is just across the street from a middle school (5th and 6th grades). They did erect a cover over the main walkway from the school a few years ago and that helps.
Did some potting up of cuttings from GG friends yesterday, planted some bulbs from GG friends and started a small container of cactus plants from a friend here in town. I call that a good day. And I call all these members that love to share the best ever. Thanks to all of you.
Then decided to make a list of what type seeds I have. Good Golly, didn't know I had that many different kind. Maybe not a lot of each flower but enough I think to start the Seed Box come January. Might just coerce my daughter into participating. She did sign up on GG and sends me a note once in a while. She works from home and is on the computer a lot so I know she doesn't like to spend her 'free time' just looking around. She has some different plants than I do so she would be an asset to our little venture.
Did some housecleaning today. I truly think is it more strenous than working in the garden. At least when you get a garden bed ready, it stays pretty for a lot longer than a house does after you have scrubbed and dusted.
Time to break and get us some vittles. Glad Granny Clampet isn't here to cook for us!! DH watches a lot of Beverly Hillbillies and I do at least have to listen to them.
More To Come Later
It was Senior Day at our Eastern Carolina Fair! Hot, Dry and Dusty as all get out. Even the animals looked like they could care less. I enjoy seeing all the different animals, but at the same time I know that is no life for any animal, to be hauled around and then stared at by humans. The chickens, pigeons, rabbits and pigs are local so I don't worry that they don't have a life outside the fair.
Senior Day is a day that many nursing homes bring out their elderly patients so they can get out for a bit and see the sights. It is good to see the interaction of the caregivers to their charges. Lots of daycares bring their little ones to see the animals, eat cotton candy and get a free lunch as well. Some are excited, some just cry because they are tired or when the petting zoo animals come too close, but they still have a good time.
My husband and I enjoy walking through the exhibition hall. It is small compared to the state fair hall, but nice none the less. This year I helped our Master Gardeners judge the flower contest and the 4-H tomato contest. The 4-H tomatoes did not grow well due to the rotten weather. But there were still some children that were successful. They all recieve ribbons and we are to pick the best in each category.
The Flower/Plant contest was interesting. Gave me an idea of what would do well in a contest. Too many ferns that all look alike (except for a friends whose fern was gorgeous) (I did not put my two cents worth in that one) Some plants/flowers were just jerked up out of the ground and stuck in a pot. Since you don't know who entered them, it could have been a child, so you try not to be too judgemental. Just stick on a ribbon and go to the next one.
There were some spectacular plants: Mules Ear, A Pencil Cactus, the one that won Best of Show was a cactus named (Stapelia Noblis (sta-PEL-ee-a) or - Hairy Giant Starfish FlowerCarrion Flower", It was a bud when we did the judging and today it was open. Thankfully I did not get the benefit of its scent. Then there were the houseplants. I fell in love with two African Violets I had never seen before. They had varigated leaves. I left a note at the booth of the Garden Club members that had entered them that I would like a cutting. Don't know if I will hear from anyone or not. All in all it was a fun thing.
The booth for our Extension Agency is always nice. Our agent, Tony, has such good vision. He uses cinderblocks, sheets of plywood, flat slate rocks and a black plastic liner to build a waterfall. It is about 10/12 feet long and 3/4 feet high. Around the sides he and his MG helpers put potting soil and then lay sod on it. They keep it watered all week. They decorate with ferns mostly. At the end of the waterfall is a 'garden spot' which turned out real nice this year. If you look at the pictures you will see Swamp Sunflowers there. They grow 6 to 10 feet tall and spread everywhere. I have a friend that really likes them, but I would not want to have to keep them under control.
After a couple of hours in the heat and dust, my husband and I sat and waited until it was time to receive our free lunch. It consisted of a 'light' bar-b-que sandwich, a little hostess cake, an apple and a bag of peanuts and a drink. Not to shabby.
Now we are waiting for the expected rain coming toward us from lower Georgia. People here are losing plants and trees because of the lack of rain. Talked with a friend today that said she has lost two Dogwoods. Now folks, if the dogwoods begin to die out, it is drought time for sure. There are tall evergreen trees ( I cannot remember the names) that have been along the roads in several places here in town for many years and lots of those have died. This is the worst year I have seen yet. And to think it is like this all over the, shall I say Continent? not just the US. If it is not dry, then there is too much water. No in between is there?
Tomorrow is another day and if it is raining, I will be forced to clean house at least a little bit. If not I will be bringing the plants in and taking some cuttings. Then on Monday it will be time to get that LAST load of mulch. After that I will finish cleaning out the big flower bed and putting it down for the winter. In a way it is good to have a little better weather because normally these outside chores would have needed to be completed by now.
More to Come Later
in my garden today! My neighbor came over and helped empty another load of mulch this morning. Looks like we will need TWO more loads to finish off the area between our houses. We dug out 4 big Smilax tubers while we were getting the site ready. Smilax is a big problem to garden lovers here is SC. They have enormous tubers anywhere from two feet to 6 feet and so hard to dig out. They vine into the trees over any building and hang on with strong tendrils. The stems are very thorny, some with briar like effects and other like gigantic rose thorns. They do hurt if you grab one unexpectantly. They almost make a bruise if the thorn is big enough. A friend took a picture of one he dug out, said he thought it looked like a body. OOOOHHHH shades of Halloween.
Then later my neighbor brought me a present. We have a really nice Farmers Market here and she has been talking to one of the vendors. He has given her a number of clay type pots that were cracked or the bottoms were out and she has put them in her garden. Well today she brought me one from his booth. Will take some pictures of her pots and mine too. By next year when the plants/flowers are in full swing, no one will ever know they are cracked.
Finished putting out my pansies today. I have always put out a few and this year since I was cleaning and transplanting the corner of my biggest bed, I decided to do a larager area and use two flats. Added three snapdragons also. Trying to hold down the dollar spending while standing in a football field of flowers is very hard to do. But I checked myself this year. (so far)
So Monday we go trucking for mulch again. Glad it is cooler as the ole truck's air conditioner is out. And the windsheild wipers have to be "plucked" from the outside to get them jump started. I love that ole truck, it still runs and keeps on running. Thank goodness.
More to Come Later
in the garden, my yard cart, the neighbors wheelbarrow and most importantly, My wonderful husband. He did the raking the mulch into the cart then while I trudged across the yard (yet one more time) to dump that load he filled the wheelbarrow. That made one more truckload of mulch finished. We even put air in the wheelbarrows tire, It was pretty flat.
It will be time to do two more loads of mulch maybe Fri/Sat or next week. Depends on how long it takes to recover from the past two tasks and whether my neighbor can help us unload next time. Those will go into the area between our houses. Another neighbor volunteered her DH to install my new pool. Things are looking up. Now if my friend the handyman will come before the end of the month to do the carpentry work I will be in good shape and the yard will look good for the fall and winter. To say nothing of next spring.
Going to take some pix and post them this coming weekend. Before and After pictures always make me feel good.
More to Come Later
and another started today. Hauled another big load of mulch to the new bed at the back of our yard. It will hold Iris and some different plants than the other beds. The re-blooming iris will go in there. One plant is re-blooming, a beautiful purple one. The others don't have signs of buds yet and it is late in the year. They may need digging so they will all go to the new bed.
Put weed/grass killer on the last spot to receive mulch, the load that is patiently waiting in the back of the little work horse. Don't know what I would do without that little truck. I think the recycle guys know us by name.
Found a great buy at Lowe's last week. It is a little 'rock pool'. Looks like a rock pool for sure. The water will trickle down the rock base into a rock pool then over a small bed of loose rocks and be recycled. It was $120 and on sale it was $39 dollars. Now if I couldn't pass it up, just think my surprise when I found this same rock pool at the Master Gardener booth at the Farmers Market this weekend. Seems our fearless leader found the same great buy. I loved being able to see what it would look like after installation. He had brought plants from home and made it look fantastic. Some of my plants already have a designated place around this little beauty.
Do you remember the little cat that found its way into my yard, then on to a neighbors yard and then dissappeared? We knew someone on the other street had had a party and our hope was that someone there had taken him home. That is exactly what happened. The party was in the home of another MG that I know and she told us a professor and his wife took the kitten home with them. It spent most of the party in the ladies lap. So we all had a laugh and I had an end to my story of the little kitten that wouldn't give up until he found just the right person to live with. The End!
Today is Columbus Day!! To refresh your memory (and mine) I did a web search and found this site. Cut and Paste and remember the days of our beginnings.
http://wilstar.com/holiday
s/columbus.htm
More to Come Later
At least the back yard corner is cleared and waiting for me to cart lots and lots of mulch tomorrow. It looks so nice without all the undergrowth. Do believe I will be able to place a Hydrangea back there.
In a small town near me, Bishopville, there is a black man by the name of Pearl Fryer. In 1984 he decided he wanted to win the 'Yard of the Week' award that was presented by a local garden club. For some reason he decided to trim the bushes in his yard. Thus began something that has become phenomonal. A Topiary Garden that is known nationwide and unless I heard wrong he has even been to Europe.
It is sculpture in its rarest form, artistry unlike any of any time. He uses nothing but his mind, spirit and soul to form his art. It is pure nature. He has spoken to students in high schools and at Coker college, a small liberal arts school near here, buses come from all over the nation to visit his home. Yes, his home, that is where his gardens began and that is where they will stay.
A documentary film of his life as a Topiary Artist has been made and is showing in our town. It was scheduled for one week and has been held over for this week as well. It was so well directed. It was the best film I have seen in many years. Simple, direct and right into the heart of this humble man. In parts there was laughter, in parts understanding of where Pearl and all of us come from, in parts a touch upon the heart of the one taking in the life of a simple family man. Part brought tears to my eyes. I have been blessed by the spirit of a man that I must meet.
Do visit Pearl's website, It will not be the same as viewing the film, but you will get the idea.
http://www.fryarstopiaries
.com/
More to Come Later
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