Happy New Year

Well, it has been a hell of a week! We had to take our little nine year old Chihuahua mix to the vet the day after Christmas. She had developed an infection of her uterus that was so bad that she ended up infected in her pancreasis, liver, and kidneys! We thought we were going to lose her for sure but the wonderful Vet, Dr. Trotter, in Prattville pulled her through and I finished the healing process with my homeopathics and herbal remedies. Now she is almost back to her old self. No, she was not a "breeder". My husband in his innocent ignorance, just couldn't stand the thought of her going through a painful surgery when she was younger....guess what? She ended up having to have a complete hysterectomy anyway! Hard lesson to learn, eh?

I have no desire to make any New Years Resolutions as one never sticks to them so why bother. I will be 60 on Groundhogs Day so I am just thankful to still be alive and kicking and will take what comes along with as much grace as I can and help those I am able with as much zeal as I can. You can't do more than that.

The economy has really struck us here in Alabama like many of the US. When I think of how inept our government is in handling the country, it sickens me to my stomach; and I mean this "literally", not figuratively. Crooks, sex addicts, demons....that is what is running this country right now.

Our country is now a Plutocracy and has been for quite a few generations. Of course not many people study up on governments and what each entails so the word would seem foreign to most folks. Look it up and learn!!!! You will see that I am right on this.

Gardening:

I guess I am going to expand the gardens this year in order to supply as much of our food stuff as possible. Even Db is hyped up on this project. He is not a big vege eater, but I am and will try and make sure to get as much growing as possible to help stretch the meager food budget we find for ourselves now. With food prices doubling in the past year, it has been very difficult for us. If I had the pasture land, I would definitely raise a couple of beef cows, but that is not an option here on our wetlands. I could raise a couple of pigs, but Db will not hear of it. Too bad. Since he was a butcher in his younger years, he could have even done the butchering....unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, Db is soft hearted as mush.

I will leave you here now from warm but overcast southern Alabama till next time. God's blessings on you and yours, Amen!

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!!

I hope that everyone is having a good Christmas day. I am thankful for much on this day and most of all that our Lord and Savior was "born" on this day. Yes, I know it is not the true date of his birth, but I really don't think he cares when we celebrate it, do you? He loves us all the same.

Although the economy is effecting us as well as many, many, people around the world, I am thankful that we have a roof over our heads and that soon Db will be moving his in-town shop out here to our homestead. The electric company surprised us with a hookup two days ago; we really didn't think they would get to us until after the New Year! Such a blessing!

The weather today is plenty warm, though overcast. It is near 80 and still. We have been getting plenty of rain of late and the pond is back up to it's normal level. I bet the fish are happy as fish can be. (big smile)

One of our good friends was out here this morning fishing off the dock-gazebo with our son, Chad while I was inside baking up a bunch of my world famous sugar cookies. Db was watching a movie with our daughter-in-law. I went outside to the dock to give Roger a Christmas container filled with my fresh baked cookies for he and his wife when all of a sudden we heard Chad yell out, or should we just say, "scream" and almost drop his fishing pole in the pond. One of our geese.........Mr. Goose Lee bit him on his butt!!!! LOL! We all got a good laugh out of that one watching him try and pull his baggie "grunge" jeans up and watch his pole while watching his back so that he didn't get bit again. Needless to say, he didn't last fishing much longer!

Well, it is 2:30 now and the kids went over to my daughter in laws families home for Christmas dinner and I am going to go take a hot bath with a good book before I have to take the Lasagna out of the oven and make the garlic bread with the homemade French bread I also made this morning.

Merry Christmas one and all! deb in Alabama

MY SHRUB PLANTING SECRET REVEALED!!!

I need to plant a hedge on the other side of our driveway across from Db's new shop. There is a chain link fence there and a neighbors house. There are way too many tree roots to dig holes for the plants but I found out a long time ago a different way to get plants started in inhospitable areas. Yes, it was an accident, but a happy accident.

What is this secret? Simple; just set the plants on top of the ground in their pots with the bottoms cut out.

I am going to do a combination of Leyland Cypress and other fast growing evergreen shrubs such as Thuja Green Giant for this stretch of about 200'. To plant all of one plant species or cultivar in an area is inviting problems with disease and insects hoards. I will be sprinkling some good compost and root stimulator in the area where the pots will sit in order to make the roots want to grow into the compost and down into the ground. The area is quite fertile as it is after decades of leaf drop so the bushes should be quite happy there.

Once the shrubs are rooted well into the ground in a couple of years I will cut off the pots and surround the root ball that is above the ground with a bunch of straw and leaves. Eventually, it will settle down into the surrounding ground and continue to grow on far past my lifetime.

Almost There...

I was quite surprised when the crew came out with-in two days to finish the construction of the shop. They built the paint booth and put the gutters on, finishing up with everything we had contracted for.

Now it is time to get the water run inside the shop and the electric and lights as well as a small deck for the compressors to sit on outside in the back of the shop. Db is thrilled so far.

A Common Question

People often ask me why we decided to place our manufactured home in the position we did. Actually, we didn't have any choice!

Our ten acre plot is mostly wetland woods. The county engineer told us where we could put the raised septic system and the home. In order to hook up the homes plumbing to the raised septic system, it had to be placed in the manner in which you see it.

Because our driveway is so long; (500') we decided to put in a circular turn-a-round out front. Did I want it this close to our home? NO! Does it have any good qulalities? YES, it is not as far to carry groceries.

In the center of the turn-a-round is a grove of five different species of Phyllostachys bamboo. P. nigra 'Henon', P. vivax, P. nigra 'Punctata', P. vivax , P. vivax 'Aureocaulis', P. aureosulcata.

Across the drivway bordering our neighbors chainlink fence is P. Aurea. I could not understand why the bamboo was not flourising as it is well known to do until I realized the electric company was sneaking in and spraying it right under the electric lines. Of course when I found out I was engraged and promised all kinds of retribution which have never come to fruition. They not only have kept the boo from flourising with this poison, they also totally killed a mixed shrub border that grew there. I have found that whatever they used must have been on the order of AGENT ORANGE because NOTHING will grow there now...not even weeds.

Mankind, in it's complete stupidity, will be the one to destroy it's own future as well as all animal and plant life here on earth. You can take THAT to the bank!

BAMBOO'S LOVING ARMS

This is one of the groves of bamboo that protects our home as well as our small guest cottage. It is Semiarundinaria fastuosa and is about 25' tall.

I have watched this boo literally bend to the ground and snap right back in hurricanes and tornadoes, breaking up the winds and protecting like the loving arms of a mother. It is a Godsend to mankind and needs to be used more for other than it's beauty.

SHOP IS COMPLETED...FINALLY!

Finally, at least the outside of the shop is done; well, almost. Still needs gutters which will be put on in a few more weeks. The inside is still needing the paint booth finished, electricity and lights. Db figures he can fit six cars inside but will not be doing as much as he used to since he is going into semi-retirement. Can any middle class in the US afford to totally retire anymore?

Shop Is Moving Along

It's a shame the way Americans have no ambition to work at manual labor in this day and age. I imagine much of it comes from the terrible drug problems we have in this country. Too many young people have nothing on their minds but getting high or stoned on the many available illegal drugs out there. What a waste of a life!

It has been taking us forever to get our shop built because the contractor cannot get enough qualified help. Because of this almost ten days went by since this pic was taken and today when they finally started working on it again. Soon the rains will be here and then it will be difficult to get trucks in here with gravel for the parking and driveways. I hope they get a move on as it is supposed to start raining the next three days.

As far as gardening goes, I have planted one flat of pansies but need to buy more as it was not nearly enough. I usually plant hundreds of pansies every fall to give us a splash of color throughout the chiller months of the year . It brings such a lift to the spirits to walk out side in the morning and see the pansies smiling faces to greet you. Db, definitely appreciates them and compliments me on them every year.

I have been potting up tons of Agave's for the spring nursery sales. I only grow to sell that which I love myself. I see no reason to grow plants I'm not totally passionate about.

Well, I am pooped out and a nice, relaxing bath is calling me so later gator!...

PS: Ignore dates on my pics as I forget to change the camera's calendar setting when I remove the batteries for charging. OOOOOOOOOOOP's!!!!

PAPER WASPS

WASPS! The very name brings fear and shivers to some who are afraid of these small, soldiers of the garden. Such a shame!

I have a large back porch on the back of our home of about 30' X 18'. It has a high railing and lattice all around so that when our grands were little we didn't have to worry about them tumbling off on visits. Now the youngest is 8 and that is not a worry anymore, but I still love the look of it.

The roof of the porch is white coated aluminum and paper wasps love to use the corners as nesting spots from spring through fall and even beyond. (these wasps will hatch throughout winter during our frequent warm spells) I guess this season I have close to twenty nests all over the porch not counting what is under the porch. "ARE YOU NUTS?" you say? Naw! Just smart!

I grow many, many, plants on my porch every year as part of my nursery operation and for my own gardens and pots/baskets. The railing is a perfect place to place large flats of seedlings or cuttings as well as the floor itself. Because of all these young plants, insect damage would normally be a big problem, but not for me. Why? Because I allow the paper wasps to live in peace on my porch and their favorite diet is BUGS!

While other people are ordering Lady Bugs and every other insect eating bug out there at $$$, I am sitting back and letting the paper wasps take care of my plants. They do a better job of keeping my plants bug free than any insecticide could ever do and for free!

People ask me, "Well, aren't you afraid of getting stung?" NOPE! Those wasps are just busy taking care of business and have no interest in messing with me. I sit out there and talk with my daughter in GA once a week with nary a problem. I had my grands all summer and they would do crafts out there without the wasps bothering them in the slightest. I have taught the kids that if they don't bother the wasps then the wasps won't bother them. It's true! All they want to do is live in peace and do their thing. Too bad humans couldn't be so easy to get along with, eh? Later gator!

FALL

Fall may be here but the heat is still on here in southern Alabama. Hot and humid days in the mid to upper 80's but is still better than our usual mid to upper 90's. I just can't take the heat anymore due to health problems.

Db's shop is finally going up but it is a slow and frustrating process due to the contractors labor issues. Just like Db, he can't find any good help anymore. No one wants to do any physical labor in this day and age. Of course part of the problem is out there in the news every day and I won't go there in this blog. I do have another blog where I share my own personal political opinions, but not here.

I am in the process of moving tropicals inside now as once in awhile the temps drop to the mid 50's. Some of my tropicals are so tender that they would not be able to even take 50's, so I'm just doing the move now. It takes about a week to get them all situated inside for the winter. I basically do a "six months in-six months out" rotation even though many could stay out a couple more months.

I have started the fall/winter veges in pots that I grow outside. Leaf lettuce of all kinds, some root crops such as Turnips, radish, etc.. then other greens such as Mustard, Collards, Spinach, and of course Garlic.

My hot peppers are still producing and I am collecting them daily and putting them in a baggie in the freezer to use in my cooking throughout the fall/winter. There is nothing that will spice up a pot of soup, stew, or chili like a hot pepper of any kind. I grow Jalapenos, and Chili's, all in pots.

Db is getting the Annual Rye Grass seed today so that I can start sowing it as soon the rains come. It's useless to sow it before then as the birds will just eat it all before it gets a chance to germinate, (3-5 days) and at 25.00 for 50# bag... (usually around 500 lbs. total ) I do not want to see it used as bird food. I love the birds and grow many, many, plants here on our homestead for them as well as keep feeders filled with sunflowers so I don't feel guilty at all. :-)

I am going to try and write more in this blog from now on. I realized that I can use my MSN calendar to send myself a daily reminder to write about what's going on here at The Bamboo Jungle. Later gator!

The Summer

This has been another strange summer with mostly droughty conditions and now Tropical Storm Fay on top of us. Hopefully, before it's all said and done we will get the pond filled back up to the normal level. It didn't take long at all for it to drop to last years lowest level this summer. My poor fish!!!

The bamboo groves have kept us from getting any damage from the winds and we are happy and thankful for that. It takes these storms in stride; bending, weaving, and whipping about with nary a leaf drop.

It is hard to believe how fast this summer seemed to fly by. The end of August already? Goodness! Everything did quite well despite the drought with all the mulch I used.

Having my two grand kids for two months probably helped to make it fly by but now they are back home and in school along with their mama who is studying to be an RN. God bless them!

Memorial Day Weekend

Where has the time gone? I can't believe that I haven't kept up with this blog since January. I need a way to get reminders so that I can keep this up-to-date. If anyone knows of a reminder service for blog writers, please let me know.

We have gotten plenty of rain this spring so the jungle is growing by leaps and bounds. I need to get out there with my camera and start snapping some pics. If the darn battery door wasn't broken and required taping for each session, I would have hundreds by now. I need to buy a new camera but I am not financially able to do that right now.

My daughter, her best friend, and the grands are coming in tomorrow. I will be watching the grands for six weeks this summer while my daughter starts her nursing clinicals. She is making me very proud as a recently single mom with all her struggles, yet always staying forward looking and positive thinking. God bless her and the kids.

I sold some rare tropical plants this spring and am soon putting up some tropical fruit trees for sale. It has been a weird weather pattern causing me to actually move my plants back inside four times in late spring! Even last night, at nearly June, the outside temperature was only 58 at 4 A.M. !!! Unheard of in southern Alabama!!! It is saving us on the cost of air conditioning 24/7 so I shan't complain.

The Day lilies are starting to bloom. I think I grow more passionate about these easy to care for plants every year. The leaves stay nearly all winter long and they are no trouble at all. I wish I could say the same thing for my Bearded Iris that a friend in IL gave me some years ago. They bloomed wonderfully that first year that I had planted them in pots, but now that they are in the ground they just put out great leaves but no flowers. I think I am going to put them back into pots. There is no telling what is causing them not to bloom.

The bamboo of which I am famous and for which I was nic-named many years ago is going fantastic this year....well, all but the Moso which got hit by a late freeze and killed all the beautiful, fat, tall, culms in front of my kitchen window. Db and I have decided that a thick, mulch is in order this winter to keep it from shooting so early. It is in front of my kitchen window and faces East so it gets early morning sun every day and I think the ground warms up to quickly. It started shooting on March 3rd. which is way too early.

The Semiarundinaria Fastuosa which is planted on the side of our guest cottage has taken off like a rocket this year and is doing just what I hoped it would. It's here, there, and everywhere! I can't say enough good things about this bamboo as far as beauty, fast spreading, the ability to hedge out unwanted views or for privacy issues. The leaves will go from top to bottom but you can trim them to any height you choose. I have some that I leave alone and some that I trim up in order to walk through or under. Check it out if you are in the market for a bamboo for privacy cause this is the winner hands down in my book.

We put a screened gazebo up on the dock some months back and that is where the girls and I will be relaxing when they come in Saturday. I have a southeast Asian theme going inside with hanging plants, potted plants, and candles. There are metal Tikki torches that surround the pond and it is a site to behold. We also have an oscillating fan on a stand, music, (Exotica Cd's) and a round table with a tablecloth made from Sari's. It is very relaxing and a favorite spot for my hubby and I to enjoy on Sundays or Saturday evenings when he gets home from his shop. It was all done very cheaply, but looks grand.

Well, I have a million more things to get done before tomorrow so I will end here for now. Have a blessed and safe Memorial Day weekend from all of us here at The Bamboo Jungle N Gardens....

Messed Up My Blog

I just noticed that my blog is all screwed up so will have to get into the template and fix it soon.

Rainy day so just staying inside on the comp. Later gator!

Winter Sowing

Now is a good time for me to start my winter sowing. The temps have finally dropped for awhile and I can get out there and begin to sow seeds under mulch or on top of the ground and my pots for winter sowing. I do this with only the seeds that are cold hardy like many different greens and lettuces, radishes, carrots...there are quite a few that you can do this with including tree and flower seeds.



I also like to begin taking hardwood cuttings about now for rooting. Some I will root right on the tree or shrub. I remove a ring of bark and place damp sphagnum moss around the wound then wrap with plastic wrap or foil. I leave this on till around mid March and then I remove and cut off the well-rooted branch which gets potted up in a quart container and set in a lightly shaded area outside away from winds. I especially like to do this with my blueberry plants. Can one ever have enough berries?



I will have to start publishing some of my favorite berry recipes here that are tried and true like my cobblers and muffins or my daughters killer blueberry/blackberry cheesecake that my husband actually has dreams about, it is sooooooo good!



Well, gotta run for now. Dr.'s appointment this morning. God bless all of you in the northern part of Alabama , Georgia and east who may be socked in this morning from the recent ice and snow. Later gator!

Cold January Day

A cold week ahead. I hate the cold but at least it is sunny so that helps. My daughter in N.E. GA is supposed to get snow on Wed/Thursday so she may have to stay home from college those days even if they don't close the schools. Her professors said just call but don't try and come in if you live on the mountain back roads....which she does.

Here I am planting more lettuces and spinach in pots. My son and I really can eat up the home grown greens! YUM! I am also getting pots planted up with herb seeds and will plant them out in raised beds this spring. Fresh herbs from your own garden taste so much better than the tastelss dried herbs from the supermarket. There really is no comparison.

Went to Super Walmart on Sunday and bought some Caladiums to plant out in pots for the greenhouse. That is one plant that you never have to worry about and just gives you consisitant color and beauty all season till nearly frost. For we here in the deep south..that is a L O N G time!

I also bought a bread maker but was surprised that there was only one to choose from and only one on the shelves. Are breadmakers now passe'? Is the thrill gone? I use my other breadmaker that my daughter gave me for Chrismas many years ago almost every day till I wore it out! I hope this one lasts a long time. I guess I over-use them, but there is nothing like homemade bread as well as making your own pizza dough with it. I can't knead anymore and found my Kitchenaid mixer does not do doughs as well as they make you believe they do soooooooooooo, thus the breadmachine.

We have company coming in next month so I am trying to get some deep cleaning done around here. Guess I best get to it again. Later gator!

END OF 2007

THIS YEAR SHALL NOT BE MISSED! It has been nothing but drought and misery for plants and animals alike...and I include we humans in the "animal" sense. Southern and western states fighting over water rights, farmers going bankrupt as they attempt to make it big with "bio-fuel" and instead watch as everything burned up in the fields. GREED! It will be your un-doing every time!!!

Every year brings new hope and this coming new year is no different. I am making plans for more raised beds for fruits and veges as well as planting the two big Trachy Palms that my hubby gave me for Christmas. Right now they are sitting in their pots outside, patiently waiting for their holes to be dug. I'm still debating as to where to plant them. Our place is laid out so strangely due to the necessity for a raised septic system and our overly long (90') manufactured home and then a 125'X50' retention/fish pond fifteen feet on the other side of the home, that I am in constant turmoil as to where to plant things. As the bamboo groves continue to expand and spread hither and yon, it will all soon be a "moot" point, anyway.

Db's shop has the foundation finished, but that is all for right now. I hope we can complete it before summer. I want to get the landscaping completed around the building before the heat sets in and I will have no energy or will to do it.

I won some succulent and cactus cuttings off of EBay the other day and really lucked up! Thirty cuttings (two of each species) which arrived last night when hubby brought in the mail. Since I had no mix to plant them in other than my tropical mix, I just wet some Sphagnum moss and stuck the cuttings in there until I can get some, hopefully this weekend. I'm really getting a passion for these now and have found myself becoming a collector....just what I need...another plant collection!!!!

Well, enough for this go-round. I hope you enjoy the picture of the Tree Dahlia bloom. Later gator!

End of a Season

It is the end of a season after tomorrow night. We should get our first frost and all the tropicals I keep outside year round will hit the dust. I will mulch them well and wave by till spring comes round once again.

The drought has been horrid! I can't even describe how bad it is to those who have never been in something like this 100 year happening. I'm lucky as I live on a wetland and even though it is much dryer than normal, the trees have been taking it all in stride. There roots will just go down further to seek the water they need to survive.

The pond is down by 3' but all the fish are surviving. The last rain storm brought it up about a foot once it was all said and done and I was very surprised. If we don't start getting some rain soon, though...it will start to go down again. We have only lost two fish through it all and both were due to Great Blue Herons trying to spear them and dropping them due to their size and weight.

I have started my winter garden and have garlic, lettuces, and spinach growing well. They are in pots out front and on the back porch for easy snipping while cooking. Just the thing for a sandwich or quick salad.

I am now getting deep into Square Foot Gardening (TM) and bought some lumber to make my first 4'X4' raised bed. I will enclose some pics as soon as it is up and going, but that may not be until spring. I will probably just over-sow it with annual rye grass till spring with some pansies here and there for a spot of cheery color.

Speaking of pansies; I have four hanging baskets full and about ten more to plant up so I better get on the ball with them. How i would love to have the health and energy of youth! Ah, well....I must just take life as it comes and rejoice in my good days. Later gator!

DROUGHT AND SUCH

This has been the worst drought in over a hundred years for we here in most of Alabama. It has been devastating to the farmers, but of course you don't hear much of that on the National news...who cares, right? It's more important to talk of war and elections. You S.O.B.'s !!!

The shop is ready to be poured now. Just waiting on the cement guys to get out here. Hopefully today because it's supposed to rain tomorrow.

Db has changed the layout of the shop and will have only two garage doors on the outside plus one entrance door. It would require too much fill to have the other two doors on the side as that side is low and would have to be raised up by about 12 truckloads of fill dirt...mucho $$. He is going to put a garage door on the inside of the shop where the paint booth will be.

As far as any gardening goes, I have been potting up the Trachys I started this winter from seed. They are growing quickly and will be ready to pot up to gallons come February for the nursery.

I also dug and potted up some of the Alocasia 'Borneo Giants" I was growing in the ground around our home. They seem to be happy with the change and are taking off like a rocket! One of them by the front porch had toppled over and when I dug it up to see what was going on, I found the beginning of rot from the nibbling of a mouse or vole. I cut out all the rot, let it dry for a day and potted it up. It is now happy as a Lark and growing like mad in my master bath solarium where it will over-winter along with many more tropicals.

My Dahlia 'Imperialis,' also known as 'Tree Dahlias', are shooting up like weeds and should bloom come November if we don't get a frost. I am going to dig them after they are finished blooming so I can divide them. I want to pot some up for sale this spring either at the nursery or on EBAY.

I have a ton of work to do today so better get off and get going. I will endeavor to write in this blog more often in the future for anyone who happens to keep up with my musings. Later gator! deb @ The Bamboo Jungle N Gardens

More Shop Talk

The shops construction is under way. Since I last posted it was graded again, a special fill brought in and leveled. Next, the foundation forms will be built next week and the concrete poured. Db showed me a plan on paper last night and it will be very nice at 30' X 50' with four bays and an entrance door. Two in front and two on the long side facing the highway. What you see in this picture is my greenhouse and office/gift shop. We are having the buildings all painted green to blend in as we did with our guest cottage by the pond.

I am going to take some pictures today so I can keep a running pictorial journal for Db and later, present him with a collage of the process for his office wall. Speaking of offices, he will be moving his present office out here after the building is completed. It is similar to the one in this picture only smaller and he has had it for about 18 years. The one you see here is around 15 years old. As you can see they last and last if kept up like any building.

With all the outbuildings we have now, we have a "sort of" Compound and I will be landscaping it in such a way that all are connected with paths and small courtyard gardens. The courtyards will be enclosed by hedges, gates, arbors covered in the many wild vines that grow in abundance here with no help from me. Muscadines, Passion Flowers, Honeysuckle, Ivy...just to name a few.

We recently had to cut down a natural arbor that had been produced after one of the many hurricanes we experienced a few years ago. A tree had toppled part way over and Muscadines clamored over the Oak Tree and latched onto a Willow tree on the other side. Db loved it so much that he left it be and would prune it only enough to keep it passable by vehcles. It just killed me to see all the un-ripe fruit tumbling down to the driveway as he sawed and pulled away at what nature had made with no help from man. We will let it grow over again as soon as the big trucks are through with their comings and goings.

The drought and 100+ degree temps. have pretty much put gardening to a screeching halt, other than keeping everything watered sparingly...just enough to keep my rare plants alive. Praying constantly for rain and relief from the 100 yr. drought- record- breaker. Later gator....

Rainy Week Means Smiles Here!

We have had rain every day this week except for yesterday and that is good new! I guess the drought is over, but we still need much more before we can make it official.

I was fortunate enough to find someone on EBAY who lives in SC and sent me some Water Hyacinths. They have been outlawed in AL but this woman obviously was not aware of that as she sold me a big box of them. I hope they grow in my fish pond and help shade/cool the water. There were no roots on the plants and I am not familar with how they grow, but I assume they will root.

It is ridiculous how they will outlaw any plant that is beautiful, grows well and needs little assistance from mankind to keep free of insect and disease. Instead, they need to find a good use for the plants. Look at all the uses found for our nearly native Kudzu !!!! (by the way, I am a Kudzu fan from way back) If you wish to flame me on this in the comment section...don't bother; I've heard it all. I am not alone in my thoughts on this.

Some of the plants I grow that I have been flamed on are, Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus , Arundo Donax, Kudzu, Japanese Honeysuckle...just to name a few. I've been growing them for years and keeping them in check. It's not hard if you aren't the lazy type.

Well, since it is cooler today, I am off to pot up some more plants for the nursery. Have a ton of Trachys that need to move up as well as Papaya and Tapioca trees..later gator!

DOCK GAZEBO PROJECT

Db and I have been working on the dock gazebo for the past month and today we will finally put the screening in. When that is completed we will celebrate with a little champagne toast tomorrow night. I am trying to think of what to put inside the gazebo as it has four corner shelves and four hooks to hang "whatever" inside. With my penchant for a "tropical" theme, you just have to know that it will be exotic! Ha! Ha!

I will take a picture of it tomorrow night and post it here. This current picture is when Db began work on enlarging the dock to accommodate the gazebo's larger size. I will say one thing...it was definitely an experience with just we two putting it up!!! One time it almost fell on my head and bent a few of the metal hinges, but Db managed to straighten them out with his hands; then we ended up having to take one corner down in order to get the second roof on correctly. It's been an interesting journey; one of many in our twenty-two years together! Later gator...

Alabama Drought '07

The on-going drought here in some of the southern states is absolutely devastating! My fish pond is down by two feet and I worry about all the many stocked fish we have. So far no fish kill, but my dh tells me fish are dying in ponds in Montgomery now. I pray for a tropical storm or tropical depression daily...in fact off and on ALL DAY! Since I live on a wetland, it's not as bad as some have it, but I am starting to see leaf kill on some of the plants on higher ground.

We have a new puppy. His name is Little Boo and he is twelve weeks old now. He is a PekeaChi. Have no idea if that is a recognized breed now or not and really don't care. He is a doll. Am having no problems with house training him but am exhausted from going up and down the steps so many times a day to make sure he doesn't have any accidents. He is black and white and looks more Chi than Peke.

Our son left for Florida on Monday where he and a buddy have moved. He loves the ocean and this was always his dream so now that he is 21 he decided this was the right time. He wants to eventually become a police officer and has had to wait till he turned 21. He wants to make sure that he is happy there before he joins the police force, though. Only time will tell, but so far so good.

Now that I have a completely empty nest, I find myself in a bit of a slump. I am so used to taking care of others that I feel lost. You would think with all the critters I have to care for that I wouldn't feel this way, but you can't cook for your critters and find yummy recipes to try out just for them. Well, I do make my own healthy puppy and kitty snacks) I'm sure this will pass as I have sent off two daughters into the world over a decade ago and I survived, but then again Chad-E was just a little guy then and I had my hands full.

I bought that tonic that is supposed to be so great for plants with all the vitamins/minerals/hormones. Well, guess what? It's not what it is cracked up to be at all. I have noticed absolutely no difference in any of my plants since I started using it. My own secret plant tonic does, though, so I will just continue to use it instead.

The banana plants are taking off like a rocket with these super hot days and I am keeping them well-watered so they keep it up. I must remember to water the Butia palm that Db and Chad-E gave me for Mothers Day. It's out back by the chicken coup and clothes line and I tend to forget it when I get busy out there. These 100 degree days are murder though, and I can't forget!!!

Well, It's 6:20 and I want to get out in the gardens before it gets too hot so I will quit here for now. Later gator!

Where has time gone....?

I can't believe how fast time is slipping away from me. It is so depressing to get on this computer with my slow modem. The internet is so far advancing and not considering the hell we folks on slow modems have to go through just to read our email, let alone try and surf anything on the web!

I live out in the country on a main Hwy. that is fast growing with homes for the rich. You would think that they would get DSL out here. The more the area grows, the harder it is to use the internet as the phone lines (old as it is) just get too much traffic on them. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Can't something be done about this? No, not interested in Satellite. Have heard nothing but complaints about it from folks around here.

Well, as far as the gardens go, the drought is bound to take it's toll eventually if we don't receive some blessed rain soon. The sport fishing pond is down by two feet and losing more water every day that passes with no rain or measurable rain. My water bill jumed twenty dollars last month from having to water despite using as much mulch as I can get my hands on. Guess I will have to go out into the woods with a tarp and start raking up leaves for more mulch. Unfortunately, I need to make more borders around the beds/trees in order to keep them contained or else the night wildlife just rakes it out everywhere by morning in their search for bugs.

Db has been working on the dock since the water is down. We bought a really attractive screen room at Lowes last month and had to enlarge the dock by about six inches all the way around for it to fit. We did that Sunday so now all we have to do is paint the new boards and then put the screen house up. That will be a wonderful place to get away from the nasty mosquitoes that drive us in every night.

I stopped selling plants and still have a goodly amount of Tapioca, Papaya, and some Tree Tomatoes left (Tamarillos) Guess I will pot them up to one gallons for next year and raise the price a few dollars then. Too hot to continue shipping, unfortunately. I could put up some more Yucca trunk cuttings. They would make it through the heat with no problems.

The area was cleared for the shop this morning. The gentleman was out there for about three hours bush hogging and grading. It will really be nice to have Db back here on the homestead, just like the good old days. He is really excited and has drawn more layouts for the shop building than I can count! My job will be to landscape it all, which I, too, am looking forward to.:-)

Enough for this go-round. I need to get out there and take photos of the progress from start to finish and now is as good a time as any. Later gator!

Winters Back!

I really couldn't believe the weather forecast the other day...50's for highs and clear down in the twenties for lows???? It's April for God's sake!

I have been bringing plants in from outside the past two days trying to save as many as possible from the coming freezes. April 5th !!!

I can't even imagine what this is going to do to all the trees and flowering shrubs and vines that are in full swing here. It can only be devastating and will take weeks for the plants to recover. My boo is shooting so I can't even imagine what that will do to the tender shoots and leaves! I am just sick at heart over this.

I really don't see how they can scream "Global Warming" because after all my decades on this earth...I see more of a new "Ice Age" than "Global Warming".

March Days

Spring is so beautiful here in southern Alabama that I have no problem waking up each day in a good mood and ready to greet the day.

The first thing I do is to grab my first cup of coffee of the morning and take it out to the dock where I watch the birds flying back and forth in there frenzy to make nests to raise their young.

As I sit awhile longer, the Catfish let me know that they are hungry so I put my almost finished cup of coffee and go to the storage building to get them some fish chow. Boy, are they hungry! They jump up like a trained porpoise in their desire to get as much of the food that they can. The competition is stiff as they swim en mass like so many sharks in the ocean. Finally the feeding frenzy ends as they eat the last floating pellet and they once again go down into their dark world at the bottom of the pond.

I get up and walk around the pond, which is 125' long by 50' wide looking for signs of Bluets, of the genus Houstonia (or Hedyotis), of the madder family, esp. H. caerulea, a low-growing plant having four-petaled blue , pink, violet, and white flowers. the first spring flower at our place. I spot some and am thrilled as if it were for the first time. Of course it is not as we have lived here over a decade.

My geese are in the mating mode so they squawk and yell if I get too close to a nesting mama. I carry a bamboo pole to avoid attacks by the one mean goose I have. He is so mean that I won't even name him. If I could find a home for he and his mate, I would. Mr. and Mrs. Goose-Lee are all I really want anyway.

Now I go in to start my day. I will check my email, then hang out some laundry then straighten up the kitchen and make some breakfast for the guys...the sun is streaming in the kitchen window as it dances on the surface of the pond and makes such lovely sparkling designs on my ceiling...God bless another day!

Spring in the South!

It is spring in the deep south now that mid-February is here and the excitement grows as seed starting begins and the signs of spring begin to come alive outside.

The first thing I look for are the Red Maples flowering way on the tops of the trees. You can see a faint red glow as you are walking or driving around and then you know that the race is on!

Every day there is something new popping out or up. I begin to look for the tiny Bluetes that blanket the ground around the fish pond all spring. Blue, pink, violet, and white sparkles to usher in springs arrival.

My geese are mating now and I have the first egg of the season to prove it. I'm swamped with more eggs than I can possibly make into artistic creations so may start selling the extras for a little extra feed money. Let them earn their keep! Ha! Ha!

I wish you all a wonderful up-coming spring no matter what part of the country/world you live in. It's just a heartbeat away! Later gator!

NOVEMBER MEANS RYE GRASS PLANTING!

It is getting dull looking outside now so it is time to give the place that winter time "boost" with a large shot of annual rye grass seed. There is nothing like the bright, primary green color that this grass gives to a yard in the deep south. Even the Highway department uses it on the sides of the state highways and interstates. Much safer than dry grass which can catch fire from a cars passengers throwing lit cigarettes out their car windows.

Yesterday, right before the rain started, I went out and began spreading the first 100 lbs. Of annual rye grass seed around the pond and driveway. I also sow it in all my pots that aren't already filled with colorful pansies. We will be sowing four hundred more pounds before we are finished. It's cheap and the bang you get for your buck on this stuff is well worth it. Winter flies by when you have a green lawn and colorful flowers blooming throughout. One year we skipped sowing the annual rye grass and pansies due to other issues that were more important at the time and winter seemed to never end. NEVER AGAIN!

If you live below the Mason-Dixon line...Give annual rye grass a try. It's very inexpensive and well worth the short time it takes to sow and germinate. (must faster germination than perennial grass seed) 3-5 days and you're on your way to a beautiful lawn. You can keep it cut if you like, but we just let it grow till it falls over on itself. It is like walking on satin and you have that wonderful "new mown grass" scent all winter.

Some more reasons for planting annual rye grass is it is a wonderful cover crop and will decompose as soon as the hot weather begins, adding tilth and nutrients to your soils. Great to use in fallow raised or flat beds, flower pots and baskets that you don't intend to plant over the winter. Give it a try! Later gator...

Garden Junk Art

This is a pic of 'The Bomb' that Db has been working on for months and is finally placed in the antique WW2 bomb carrier that was given to him from one of his long time customers.

Db has decided to make this a memorial to my father, a WW2 vet with many honors as well as all the other WW2 vets that served. It sits in a jungle of five different species of bamboo and is being allowed to grow up and through the piece.

We have finally found a special marker in white for writing on this art piece and will send another pic when it is complete.

I hope that others will take a lesson from this and use their own imaginations to produce other art pieces for the other wars this country has been involved with. We need to honor all the soldiers who fight for this country as well as other countries freedoms. Use your imagination and run with it. Db did.

Fall In The Deep South

Now that the weather has cooled down to the 80's it is once again pleasant to work outside. I have been moving some of the Agave americana into the greenhouse and also started a compost bin in there to help with the heat needs at night. Sure can't afford to heat it anymore!

The leaves are still on the trees here. It is always a hit or miss as to whether we will have a pretty fall or they will just turn brown and fall off. Too far south.

Chad-E's friends came over on Monday to do some fishing in the pond and caught enough catfish for a nice meal. I love to watch these young men sit on the dock, patiently waiting for a "bite" and then to reel the monsters in. Sometimes if it's an extra large "cat" or bass it will actually take their poles right out of their hands and they are seldom seen again!

The Great Blue Heron is back. He stayed at the pond all day yesterday and I watched him out the kitchen window from time to time. He and the King Fisher apparently have a few ponds they visit. When the Heron is here I can always tell as the African Gray Geese will swim in strange patterns in the center of the pond over and over again. They share the pond with the wild birds, grudgingly, I think.

I am hoping to buy some flats of Pansies this weekend for the winter garden. Just doesn't seem right not to have their smiling faces all over the place along with the emerald green annual rye grass we sow by the hundreds of pounds each late fall. It makes for a beautiful and quick winter. I make sure I have pots of pansies visible through every window in our home.

The picture is looking through a grove of my bamboo towards Db's latest "yard art". An authentic WW2 bomb carrier with a "faux" bomb loaded. (made from an old, non-working compressor he had laying around) I will be doing a blog on that with more pictures, soon.

That's it for this go-round...later gator!

Brugmansia-Angel Trumpets Are In Bloom

I have been putting off taking pictures of the gardens since my cameras battery compartment door is broken and taping it up is a hassle and a royal pain in the neck! I broke down and accomplished the feat this morning since some terrific storms went through last night and everything was glistening with rain drops at sunrise. Just too beautiful to pass up! This Brug was started from a cutting over the winter and placed out this spring. Sat there forever during the drought since I was busy with a full house and couldn't remember to water as I should have...after the drought ended it took off like a rocket and you see the results.

The Bamboo Jungle: Mosaic And Garden Junk Art

One Sunday while Db and I were walking around Lowes, we came upon this Styrofoam planter. Hmmmmm, we both thought, this would make a great lamp for over our picnic table in our kitchen.

Once we arrived home I immediately began the painting of the raised areas on the planter. I was really exhausted after walking around the store that morning so I set everything up on my bed on a tray and worked for the next two hours carefully painting the bamboo design as well as the bottom and top and inside of the pot. Db drilled the holes in the pot and I glued violet cellophane squares over the holes on the inside to give it a different look. I love the southeast Asian "feel" in my gardens and thought this would fit right in. On to the next project!

What a Summer!

What a spring and summer this has been! Daughter's husband lost his business after months of trying to hang on to it and I ended up with my daughter and young grands living here from mid May till almost the middle of August! We managed to keep from killing each other and actually had a lot of fun over the weeks that ensued. You learn a lot about your child when you live with them after adulthood has set in. I could see parts of me in her as well as parts of her father...Those were NOT the good parts! Ha! Ha!

This mingling of age groups allowed me to get to know my grands better and to let them get to know me past the twice a year, three day visits. I taught them how to start seeds and cuttings and how to transplant them to larger and larger pots. How important the right amount of sun and water were to each individual species and to see the joy on their faces when their Zinnias bloomed.

Art is also a big part of mine as well as my daughters life. We are both selling artists so paint and clay came into the picture on almost a daily basis. My daughter made comical heads of each of us as a keepsake that were surprisingly life-like and very colorful. I am going to make cloth bodies for these heads and turn them into dolls over the winter.


The drought ended shortly before my daughter moved back to N.E. Georgia where she was starting college to finish up her RN degree and the kids to a new school year. We had many a good time sitting out on the back porch with either coffee, an herbal iced tea, or an ice cold Corona talking about gardening, cooking, and life in general. We came to know each other on a new level and I think this time together taught us a lot about each other and our rolls as mother/daughter. I learned to keep my mouth shut on things that she needed to find out for herself and she learned that others could reprimand her children with the same love that she did in her own home.

I think every mother and grown daughter should live together for a few months once in their lives. It teaches you so much about each other and forms a bond that will last forever. It's one of those cases of "that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger" type deals....Later gator!

Drought In Alabama

The pond is down a foot and I've stopped feeding the fish so they will stay deep. There is always plenty to eat this time of year in the form of insects and vegetation. Once we get some decent rains and the pond goes back up I will begin their feeding schedule.

Speaking of which, I sure wish we had gotten the rain the East coast did with Alberto. Db is buying more hay for me use on the plants and raised beds so I don't have to water as often as I am. The heat is eating up the mulch material at an alarming rate. I am going to lay down old magazines and newspapers before I put the hay down to help conserve moisture even more after I give everything a good, long, drink.

The Agave pups I planted are doing great. They, being succulents do not mind the drought at all and in fact are relishing the hot sun. Too bad my tropical plants are not that happy. Even the banana plants are not happy that are planted out in open sun. The ozone layer has been so destroyed that even sun-loving plants can be burned by afternoon sun so I am setting up temporary shade structures on the south/west sides of the most vulnerable. This winter I will move them all to semi-shade.

The paper wasps are happily building nests in every nook and crany on the back porch but they leave me alone and I leave them alone. They are good for catching bugs as well as pollination of certain plants so we have learned to live together quite happily over the years. It astounds people that I live so closely with all of nature, but that is the Native American in me, I guess.

I had the grandkids plant some Zinnia's in pots before they left for FL to visit their grandfather and they will be so excited to see them up and growing. They love gardening as does their mama and that makes me very happy. They will all be coming back in on Monday for another week here before they move into their new home in N.GA and my daughter starts college to finish up her nursing degree.

Well, db and I are going grocery shopping tonight and he should be home from the shop any minute so I will stop here for now...later gator!

The Bamboo Jungle

The Bamboo Jungle This week is almost behind us. Really don't know where it went. Planted the Agave Americana after they arrived. The person I bought them from on ebay advertised 10 babies but instead sent me 26! How wonderful and generous is that??

The heat is on again and TheWeatherChannel.com doesn't seem to be able to get the next five day forecast correct for anything! Yesterday morning they said the temps would be in the 90's then a couple hours later they changed it to the 80's and now this morning they are back to the 90's !!! And we are supposed to take their word for our forecasts??? Flipping a coin would be just as accurate!

Speaking of TheWeatherChannel.com, what's with these girls (women) with the stick bodies? Don't they eat? Some of the gentlemen forecasters don't look like they are starving to death, but the women look like they are at deaths door! Also, did you ever here of brunettes??? Yes, the African American ladies have dark hair, but all the white ladies are either blonde or quickly turning blonde on that network. Me thinks a producer there is into blondies! ;-)

Back to gardening talk. One thing you need to watch out for at this time of year in the deep south, especially, is underground bee and wasp nests as well as those in the trees and tall shrubs. We have some kind of nest on our property up by the highway and these critters swarm every vehicle as soon as they turn in to go down the long, winding driveway to our home. Yesterday my son was attacked and it was like something out of a horror film! Luckily, whatever we have doesn't sting, but they can swarm all over you with-in seconds and that is what happened to him as he pulled his little Carmaro into the home stretch. He was banging on the front door (locked) and screaming to get in but my visiting daughter and I were back in my room on the computer and watching tv with lot's of fans going and didn't here him. He finally used his key and came in to tell us of his horrendous adventure with the "killer" bees. NOT! Being the commedian that he is, he had us rolling on the floor in tears before his story was even half over. Hmmmmm, I must remember to roll up my window the next time Db and I venture out to the store....Later gator!

Where Am I ???

Sunday: I went out at 6AM to feed the barnyard fowl and found a nip in the air. So unusual for south Alabama in June. I am not going to complain as the 90's are hard to take and these 80's since the storms pushed through has been very nice. It's just not normal for we here in the deep south.

I won some Agave on Ebay from a seller in Florida that I have been wanting to try. Agave Americana or The Century Plant as it is also known. I've never tried growing it here but since I seem to grow other succulents and cactus with no problem when I place them in an amended bed, I am sure it will be a success. There is a house about a mile from here with a huge Agave Americana in their front yard and it is quite impressive. You can't stop but crane your neck to look at it when you pass by. Thank God I don't drive anymore!

I always love adding to the jungle. It changes from season to season and year to year and I think that is what a good garden should do. Some plants will fair well and others you know just aren't meant to be in your situation. You keep what you can and say goodbye to the others, who have usually passed away by then.

Since today is Sunday, it will be spent gardening by Db and I and the day is a wasting at 8 AM so....Later gator!

The Heat is ON!

The heat and humidity arrived about a week ago. Way late for southern Alabama. Now it is like walking out into a sauna...how well I remember the feeling.

There is one or two good things about the southern climate. The first is the humidity doesn't age one's skin and keeps one's hair from drying out and the other is the lowland tropical plants LOVE growing here for a good 9-10 months of the year.

The Colocasia around the pond and out front are huge already and some have to be watered daily where they get hit by some afternoon sun. I have planted some castor beans around them so soon they will have some protection.

The Ozone layer is so destroyed that even sun loving plants now have a difficult time with full sun. I have found that I need to plant all the Musa and Ensete bananas in partial shade now so that they don't get direct sun from 11:00 on. Otherwise their leaves scortch.

My latest aquistions in the plant kingdom are one of Brians Petasites (purple) which is a new hybrid. He and I are both hybridizers although this one I believe he got from China some years ago. I highly recommend Brians Botanicals on Ebay for those who love the tropical and 'tropical look' plants.

One of my favorite plants to hybridize is Ricinus (Castor Bean) I have some seeds left of my latest hybridization that I call, 'Blue Lightening'. The new leaves come out a metallic Blue later turning to a lime green with red veins. The trunks and branches are a metallic violet. Since there are always new leaves coming out at the top it is a real stunner in the garden. If interested you can email me at: bamboochik@msn.com or TheBambooJungle@msn.com Seeds are 10 for 4.99 and plants are 1 quart for 8.99

Will write more later on the gardens latest additions and successes. Later gator!

THIS IS MAY?????

This has to be the coldest May I can remember...And I have lived in Alabama for many decades. Low 70's during the day and low 50's at night? Crazy!

Yesterday I spent fertilizing all the bamboo groves. I usually do not use chemicals, but I didn't have enough of my Bunny-Worm compost to do the job this time. It sells out faster than they (my bunnies and worms) can make it! LOL! It really does the job and is so good for Mother Earth. I was saddened to use the 13-13-13, but the groves were not fertilized in February so I had to get something down. Their shooting season was very disappointing this spring.

I'm starting more Lotus seeds for containers and getting more Castor Bean plants out in the ground or large containers. I am growing the New Zealand Purple along with all my others this year and am very excited by their coloring and vigor. I think they will end up being fantastic for my hybridiation program. I have been hybridizing Ricinus for many years. Some I use cross pollinization and some I nuke the seeds with my microwave. To do this I tape seeds all over the front of my microwaves door and leave them there for about a month or more. By doing this, I get some crazy hybrids that you can find nowhere else on earth! Some experiments have produced Metallic Blue new leaves which change to lime green with red veins that are absolutely stunning. The stalk and branches were a metallic bright pink! No one could figure out what these plants were. I sold out in a heart beat once people saw pictures of the plants or saw them in my gardens.

I have also gotten some pretty strange variegations of the leaves. Blue splotches mixed in with green or red was another stunner. Each season is always a new surprise for both me and my new and loyal customers alike!

My grown son and hubby surprised me on Mothers Day with mushy cards filled with what every wife and mother loves....$$$ Db said, "Well, Miss Debbi, where do you want to go spend your loot, Lowes?" (he knows me so well!)

I am not thrilled with our Lowes store here in Prattville, AL. The buyer has no imagination and there is seldom anything new or exciting in the garden section but I did find a gallon Japanese Painted Holly Fern and a gallon Old Fashioned Holly Hock before I left so it wasn't a total waste. I also bought a light fixture for over my kitchen sink which I have wanted for awhile. Now you will think we are running a whore house since I didn't realize that the red shade would be quite as "red" as it is. LOL! Changing to a frosted bulb may help so I will try that.

Today will be spent working on the mosaic I am doing on the floor in the third bedroom before my grands get here for the summer break. I'm almost done and will be able to start the grouting soon. If I have the energy, the rest of the day will be spent working outside getting more things planted out. Later gator!

RAIN RAIN HAS COME IN MAY

It is raining outside. Well, you didn't expect it to rain inside, did you??? (smile)
We need this rain so you will not see me complaining about it here even though we need to go to the grocery store. Big deal, you say? Yes, it is for us. I am in my late 50's and Db is in his early 60's so the long walk from the Jeep to the five or six steps up to our front door is tiring with a lot of grocery bags. WoW! I'm exhausted just writing about it! ;-)

Today I was going to work on the third bedrooms floor, but I doubt getting to it till tomorrow. My grandkids are coming for a month and I need to finish laying the ceramic tile mosaic I started some months ago. Db and I don't always think ahead as to time and energy on our projects. Actually, I am almost finished so one more day will not hurt.

Yesterday I watered and fertilized pots and baskets with manure tea; that took about an hour or more. I hang a lot of baskets in trees so I have to walk all over the place with watering can in hand. My hose wand gave out last year and I have yet to replace it. Watering a couple of acres filled with flowers and vines is beautiful to look at but is also a lot of work. I won't complain about it too much until the temperature reaches 95 with equal humidity come next month.

I managed to work on my blog a bit this morning around 5 AM so my readers can sign up for changes. Pretty good idea. I am signed up to a few myself and find it a great way to start my day by reading of other gardeners joys and woes.
We're all in this together...trying to make a little piece of paradise here on earth that we can take pleasure in.

I was watching a program on Tokyo last night before I went to sleep. I had recorded it and just had not the time to watch it until then. How crowded that city is. Supposedly, the most crowded on earth, yet little crime. Strange. I couldn't live in a big city but I guess if you are born and live in one all your life you adjust. Me, I need open spaces, fresh air and wildlife around me. I grew up around farms and have lived the majority of my life on homesteads of my own. I would not cope well in a city or even a town. Thank God for my little place here.

Guess I will get off since I hear thunder coming closer and closer. Don't need to lose my modem again.

God bless and keep you and yours till next time.

A COOL MAY MORNING???

I really could not believe how cool this morning was. I don't call waking up to 50 degrees on May 7th in southern Alabama "normal" in the least!

Is it just me, or does it seem as if the weather is going topsy-turvy everywhere? Climatic changes are a normal occurance in nature, but this fast? Boy, Revelations is certainly showing it's truth!

I have planted some Lotus, both seeds and rhizomes from last years water gardens and they seem happy enough. Maybe I will even get some flowers this year, who knows!

The bamboo shooting on the cold hardies was not a good one this spring. The weird winter/spring temperatures really did a number on them. The hot then cold was not condusive to a good shooting season. A shame!

This morning I planted up three Colocasia species that I ordered from a tried and true supplier of water plants. You really get what you pay for with http://www.tricker.com/ .

Spring? Try SUMMER!!!

Sunday, the only day that Db and I have to work on our place together. We work awhile, rest awhile...at our ages you have to take it slow and easy like the famous tortoise. What does it matter as long as you get the work done?

Spring in the deep south starts in February some time and by April it looks and feels like summer. I know that the next few months are spring for most of the country, but we are way past that. My Daffs are blooming in January for heavens sake!

The Lotus is up in the pots and now I have decided to see if I can find someone to trade for some Sacred Lotus seed or rhizomes. I have some young of the native species Lotus (Nelumbo) which I started from seeds this spring that are growing by leaps and bounds in the heat and humidity, and I have another cultivar that I got on a trade for an Ensete banana plant, but I will be danged if I can remember the cultivars name. Thanks to the hurricanes that came through here last year I was not able to get a bloom, but I think it is a pink variety. Before I end this article I will describe how to start Lotus from seed so anyone can have success.

I really hope that the hurricane season is a very slow and dull one. We really can't take three more clean-ups. I do thank the dear Lord for sparing our home, but the damage to plants and trees was devastating and took a long time to clean up. God bless us one and all.

The new chicks are getting bigger day by day. Soon I will be able to let them out to to free-range. I have mostly Polish with the crazy feathers on their heads. They are a small breed and look more like exotic birds than homestead type chickens. I do have some of the normal types, too.

The two pairs of geese are laying eggs on a continual basis. I took one and made a lovely jewely "box" for my son's girlfriend's birthday last week. It turned out lovely and I even made the base which most egg artists do not do. I had to use my imagination as I needed something to sit the egg on so I took an empty roll from paper towels and cut it to about two and a half inches and then covered it in my own paper mache mash. After that was dry I covered the whole thing in ceramic tile mastic inside and out and allowed that to thoroughly dry for about three days in the sun. Next I took some pink/white stained glass and broke it into tiny shards and used more mastic to mosaic the base. I didn't grout the piece as I liked the way it turned out as is. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the finished "jewel". I have five more eggs to blow and decorate so will take some then.

Last but not least; as promised, here are the directions for germinating and growing Lotus from seed:

1- File one side of the Lotus seed till you just start to see pale yellow to white. Do not go too deep. It only has to be a small dot of white in order for the Lotus seed to take in water.

2- Soak seed in hot water, changing daily, till a sprout appears.

3- Carefully move seed to a yogurt or similar container 1/3 filled with garden loam, heavy in clay and fill to top with warm water. The seeds will reach down and root themselves into the loam/clay mixture so don't worry about covering the seed.

4- At first the small leaves will float on the water like a water Lilly pad, but as it grows and you move it up to larger containers, it will begin to get leaves that stand above the water.

5- I start my seeds in April and move to their permanent home outside in a 30 gallon Tupperware or some other attractive pot as soon as they sprout and the weathers heat has settled in for the season.

6- Feed with some good fertilizer tabs made especially for water plants as directed on the package and you should have lot's of leaves and by next year flowers. Place your pot/pots in direct sun. Lotus require heat and bright light to do well.

Till next time...Later gator!

Mosaic And Garden Junk Art

My S.O. and I are considered "out there" by most people who know us. We are both artists, seniors, and happy doing our own thing. If that means building a facsimile bomb on an authentic WW2 bomb carrier out of an old air compressor, or mosaicing our home inside and out with ceramic tile, stained glass, stones, shells, broken dishes and whatever else seems to "fit" into the theme, then so-be-it! We are who we are and we don't apologize for it.

Most folks that know us for any length of time think that we are "neat" and proud to call themselves our friends. We are fun to be around, good conversationalist, and well-read. We can speak to anyone on almost any subject with intelligence and are always willing to learn something new.

After 21 years together we know each other well and can relate to the others moods and whims. No matter what kind of project we are working on next, whether it is a collaboration or an individual work of art, it's bound to be unique and interesting. I only wish everyone could have the kind of relationship that we have. The world would be a far better place for sure. Blessings!