Newbie

Ready for 'hair.' I haven't had luck with the small succulents because I can't tell what they need. Gonna try Ivy. Her headband gives me total life. Welcome to the jungle. 👏

Since the garden failed epically with dry, hot, unforgiving ground, I did herbs in pots. I don't know if I mentioned before, but here's progress:

I have huge bush of Basil. It smells so good - every time I water or rotate the pot, the smell knocks me out. Now it's going crazy - I'm going to harvest & freeze in a Ziploc. I was going to do the whole ice tray thing, but our freezer is small. My Italian bella BFF, Lisa, has promised me seeds of Italian Basil from the old country. Bring. It. On. :-)

I have Sage & Chives in a pot, too. The sage is getting really hardy. The chives are still under control. Since this was all a last minute thing, next year, I'll use much larger pots.

And lo and behold, the red and sweet banana peppers I saved & threw into a pot are sprouting. The pot isn't that big so the peppers will be small. I'm just thrilled to have 'em. The tomatoes, spinach and cukes died an early death. It got so hot so fast this year.

This is all I have to share 'garden' wise. My lettuce was okay, but it bolted early. I ate as much as I could. The cilantro didn't go well, either. It got really huge, but got bare & sprouted pretty little flowers. Hmmm... NOT how it looks in the store.

Live and learn, huh? I think next year I will get those pre-potted tomato plants that come all potted & staked for you. My sun is so limited with the huge trees. It's a blessing and a curse.:-)

Pictures by me.

Excellent Caladiums. Low maintenance.

 Remember me? I don't blame you if you don't.

With having fire-type heat this summer, and a garden plot that turned hard as cement, I had to let the gardening go. Everything I planted (cukes, spinach, tomatoes) died a quick & tragic death! Lol.

I do have a couple of pots of herbs though. The basil is out of control (I need to look into what to do with an over abundance of it), sage & chives share another pot. Sage is doing great; chives are puny.

The Red Gerbera Daisy

 Off the patio where I planted tiny coral bells, a huge bush of lemon balm sprouted, along with a huge leaf of something I don't recognize. The L.balm smells great and has sprouted super tiny white flowers. I've read where it can be put in tea. Worth a try.

With the rains for the past 2 days - everything got revived, but the grass is still a scream. It's like ugly yellow hay, hard & crunchy. We need rain consistently for a few days.

 I did a lot of pots this summer. They're everywhere, all different sizes and shapes. And nearly all terra cotta (pot snobbery). I'm proud of the color splashes I wanted. And I liked throwing different things in 1 pot & watch it blend.

Very Better Homes & Garden....:-)

Tons 'o fresh basil

A good blend

My 1st thriving Hibiscus tree. A bloom only for a day.

Lemon balm. Smells heavenly.

My 1st Million Belles.

A rescued Tuberose Begonia

Flowers seem intended for the solace of ordinary humanity.  ~John Ruskin

Pictures by: me

Update

Green & Red Bell Peppers & Slicing Cukes

Hey friends!

Picked up some more things for the garden. I haven't tilled, but time is going quick, so I'm going to just go out, dig what I can & get these plants in the grounds. I also bought some delicious smelling Basil, but that's going on the patio with the lettuce & cilantro. So, back in the garden, I'll have: tomatoes, cukes, & the peppers. I know I said I was kinda nervous about the new neighbors back near my garden, but things seems pretty tame now, so I'm gonna go for it. Everything will be fine.

I also picked up some Geraniums, Impatients for some pots. My Marigolds seems to have died??? What the hell? Those are the easiest things to grow. I don't know what went wrong, but I'm ripping them out & replacing them with Begonias. I'm so impatient - if things don't do what they're sposed to, I'm done (LOL!) I want constant color & dammit - that's what I'll have! Lol.

My Boston Ferns hanging on the porch look puny. What's the deal? I discovered this year that they need to be watered from the bottom up - watering from the top cause the water to just run right out the bottom. So I've been sitting them in a bucket & letting them soak up from the bottom. Then of course, I have to mist them daily. They're a lot of work, but I like the look. Just wish they would perk up.

Choleus basket

I treated the yard to this GORGEOUS hanging Choleus basket. I normally shy away from these cuz they're so expensive. But this beauty was marked down to $12 & the lady talked me into it for shade purposes. She said fertilize once a week w/MiracleGro & it will "take off." Sounds good to me.

Then "D" took a shepherd's hook & placed in the middle of the back of the yard & it looks awesome. I'm so blind when it comes to 'style'. I stick to the rules & put everything along the fence. When he brought it to the middle of the yard, it just popped! Breaks the yard up so it doesn't look so bare under the willow.

Okay - that's all I have for now. Will update once I get the plants in the ground. TO-DAY!! Please come back again :-)

Greetings! Today Son & I spent 3 hours outside attacking the yard. Three T-shirts under my sweat shirt on this sunny, cool (cold) day, but got the following missions accomplished:

• dumped dirt out of the terra cottas so they don't freeze & shatter.
  
• dumped the geraniums & pulled the impatients even though they still had strong color
• I left the zinnias (they're so "fall colored")
• I'm glad mom took the big green/purple choleus (I want my pot back, mom) She can keep them alive over the winter; I don't have that kind of luck
• saved a pot of dirt to put rosemary in when I dig it up in the morning. I'm sure it can keep growing in the kitchen over winter
• cut the grass one last time (impulse move)
• pulled down the HUMONGOUS ball of morning glory vine off the shrubs. I swept up enough seeds to reseed Texas. I dump the seeds back where they grew from. That's probably why the vines are almost like chain
• raked the back yard; son bagged 4 huge lawn/leaf bags
• put the swing's cushions away
  
• refilled the bird feeder & threw out stale bread for the squirrels (good & bad idea)
  
• swept the entire sidewalk, driveway & patio (a LOT of sweeping)
  
• felt good down in my soul :-)

Pictures by me :-)

"Small"

"Think big thoughts but relish small pleasures."

~H. Jackson Brown, Jr., Life's Little Instruction Book

Picture by Me: "pot snobbery at its smallest :o). And for the record, I own a copy of Life's Little Instruction Book & it is truly adorable. The simplest, smallest things..."

Pot Snobbery

Hi, friends!!!

I must share with you that I suffer from "P.S.S.", aka [flower] pot snobbery syndrome (LOL!) If you know me, you know the first thing I scour for @ garage sales, tag sales, etc., are terra cotta pots.

For as many t.c. pots that I have, I am proud to say I have NEVER purchased one from a store. My whole collection comes from years of yard & garage sales. Why pay so much for 'em @ the stores when I have never paid more than $4.00 tops?

The only time I 'settle' for plastic pots are when I use them to make my own hanging baskets, or if a plant I'm hanging came in the pot & won't be removed. Other than that, I'm strictly a "t.c." kinda girl.

I think years ago I got hooked on how the pots made my favorite flower (geranium) POP! The redness against the clay just amazed me. Now any plant/flower will do, but the geranium/clay is a mainstay. See how the pots are covered in "patina?" (the ashy, white stuff). That comes from years of use; the pots are very pourous. It cracks me up when I see articles in Better Home/Garden telling you how to "make" your own "patina" out of white wash. Umm.... cheaters! LOL!.

you must be careful w/the clay pots, i.e., DO NOT leave dirt in them over the winter, unless you bring them inside. I have found that when the pots freeze, then thaw in spring - they will shatter @ the slightest touch. So every fall, I dump the dirt, rinse the pots out, dry them & store them in the garage. when D organized the garage last year, he complained my pots looked plentiful as a store that took up one whole side of the garage.

I smiled with pride :-)

(note: see the light green & dark purple plant? that's the sweet potato plant I mentioned in previous post; the ones the bugs were eating for snack that I used the Ivory Soap on. See the white stuff? No fear - that's soap. Notice the old leaves and the new leaves. the bugs really don't come back)