December's an in between month

December 17, 2007 - - almost the end of another year and its gone by SO quickly!


A few weeks ago I took some cutting from a red hibiscus plant planted long ago much to close to the house. Because of too much shade creeping in over the years, it seldom blooms. Doing dishes I noticed that there was a very tiny blossom from one of the cuttings. Not only was it about 2" instead of 4-5", but it was a beautiful shade of orange/peach instead of brilliant red. I never saw the spilled pollen before taking the picture.

It makes me think how often we miss the most important things because we're seeing only the big undetailed picture. I'm not one for New Year's Resolutions, although the beginning of a new year always makes me want to make big changes. One thing I'd like to change is noticing the details of the people I love. I'd like to make sure I notice and applaud even those small wonderful things.

I planted a package of Magellan Zinnias because of the raves on Garden Web, Florida. After so many years of failing to garden .. I thought about the seeds and harvest. If you never plant those seeds they are not going to give you any blooms. I have so many seed packets just waiting to contact earth and show what they can do. I continue to buy and not plant seeds fairly often. This year was a change. I planted many tomato seeds... and have only 4 living plants, but that's 4 MORE plants than I would have if the seeds remained in their packets.

We have two choices to get to the drugstore, grocery store, etc. Down the main roads or through the nearby park. When the weather is great for gardening but you know the frosts are coming, it gives you the perfect excuse to spend a bit of time at the park. There are always so many things to see, particularly at dinnertime when most of the fishermen have gone home. One is the "Common" Egret.. I love the way they can stretch their neck out, or tuck it in and look like two totally different birds. There was an egret and a Limpkin together this night. I loved how the reflections in the water and the background nearly made the bird disappear from sight. Wonderful camouflage.

I think I love some words. This otherwise rather plain looking bird is just that, plain. Giv ehim a wonderful name like Limpkin and he becomes interesting. He's mainly a wading bird, constantly stirring up meals as he walks along. The egret remains motionless over and over, apparently waiting for his meals to become 'careless'.




















One of the sweetest things in all the local lakes are the "marsh hens" or gallinules. They are constantly 'talking' among tghemseles. They seem to be very social animals and usually seem mesmerized by their own reflections. Wonderful addition to every shoreline.

Out and About

Still struggling with this camera. I look at others cameras and the wonderful sharp images and wonder why I can't achieve that. Others with the same camera are. Only a few on mine have so far. I'm still hoping its that thing about old dogs learning new tricks.... and I can. I'm finding that not only are gardeners really wonderful, friendly helpful people, but also photographers. Most are so willing to answer any questions you might ask. I think first you have to know enough to know which questions to ask. I've waited 3 years to choose which camera and now that I have it, apparently expect instant success. LOL

These are some of the most beautiful red roses I've ever seen. Most roses in Florida have to be grafted onto a floribunda type rootstock.. These are dark red with an incredible fragrance and will last 7 to 10 days inside in water. I love these roses and wish I knew the name of the variety.

Hibiscus, Turk's Cap. Someone said that most of the original homesteads in Florida had a bush of this variety. I love them especially when the sun shines up through the blossom. My daughter doesn't care for them and chops them down at every opportunity. They've rewarded her with covering themselves in blooms this year.
And another hibiscus. I think someone said this was called Fancy Lady.

This was such an odd site - hundreds of wood ibis lines up as though waiting for handouts at the back of a field.

Beautiful bird - a Sparrow Hawk. I think he was browsing for brunch as I watched him.

This is "Charmie" One of my daughter's horses. She has a mind of her own and is a bit stubborn, but beautiful.

Camping out for next day shopping
Originally uploaded by Linda2520

I can't believe people going shopping at the crack of dawn, let alone camping out as these people did the day before at Best Buy in town!

Trimming the Oaks

I love my birds!

Isn't he beautiful !!! Most of the birds in our tree are tiny, twittering little things such as the titmice and assorted migrating warblers. This one that was so striking is a Yellow Throated Warbler.

We have MANY mourning doves in the area. In spring we see flocks in the back part of the property, no doubt harvesting some of the unwanted insects in our lawn! I love how the sun picks up all the different colors in her feathers as she warmed up.

There is an assortment of woodpecks - a pileated woodpecker who somehow finds something interesting in the telephone pole at the end of the driveway every few days. This one is a little downy woodpecker - so similar to the hairy woodpecker. The Downy has a shorted bill, slightly smaller body and seems to have a lot more spots for markings on its side.

This male hairy woodpecker spends a lot of time in this particular tree. The picture isn't great, but I loved how he was balancing himself on the trunk with one wing.

This last little bird is a BlueGray Gnatcatcher. Sweet song and hardly ever still. It seems to be in the company of the black and white warblers - no pictures yet - nuthatches, wrens and some un-named warblers.

November 25, 2007
On August 3rd we hired some tree trimmers to thin out our 3 big oak trees. His wife was sick and so they left early promising to return and finish the next day. While they were there, Kim and I had a wonderful time sharing and seeing how many things we had in common, mainly our passion for the things of God.

When they did return, friends said they were long gone because we paid them at the time. In my heart I would look to God and trust that He would get those trees finished.

Yesterday they came back. I was overjoyed to see them again, not only because we had to have the trees finished before we put on a new roof, but also to know that I hadn't believed in them in vain. It felt like a gift from God to have them come back on their own. Trees are now well trimmed and now to start the roof. All I could think of was my grandmother telling us "good things come to those who wait" I think she forgot to add "expectantly". Several crisis had arisen in thier family and they were needed in Georgia until the time of his father's death 3 weeks ago. They had left instructions for someone else to finish the work, but apparently instructions weren't clear, because he never came.

If I had my choices, I would not thin out trees, "limb them up": - We have too many high wind storms and my husband was concerned about a hurricane rocking a tree onto the house. I love the shelter under the low hanging limbs of the old oaks. I don't care for those crazy little spiders that hang down waiting to scare you as you walk by. I told my husband as I looked at the loss of shade gardens... perhaps I'd just been waiting for more spaces for bright sun loving flowers.

This is the Spiny Orb Weaving Spider. - only as large as your small fingernails. It is said to incorporate tiny bits of silk into its webbing so that birds don't fly into it. I'm thankful, also. HATE running into spider webs hanging down!

I think I've used the tree trimming as an excuse not to garden more. I didn't want to put in plants that might be harmed by limbs coming down, or men dragging tree parts... and now there is no excuse. I find myself totally exposed now. No more low hanging branches for hiding. LOL. Probably a great thing for me as I tend to be one of those birds who stays out of sight. LOL.

I'll be able to see more of the migrating little flocks of birds that are a source of endless song during the fall, winter and spring here. These are just a few of the ones in the oak over our side porch. No doubt as I learn to use my camera I'll find lots more.

Happy Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. There are so many thing for which we can be grateful. sometimes it used to upset me that it took a special day for us to truly look and see how blessed we really are. Not I think its a good idea.. particularly for those going through things that seemingly overshadow their blessings. I'm thankful for each person who openly shares their gardens and bits of their life and affections through these blogs. I'm grateful for the flowers that dot my yard - for the always present hope that next year there will be more. They have a saying in Florida.. I've heard it several times on GardenWeb "First year they sleep, second year they creep and 3rd year they leap. It seems to be a tried and true saying because all the plants I've put in seem destined to peter out the first year, the second year they have a few false starts and the 3rd year they tend to outdo themselves.

Mikey loves to be outside with us. Although when he's disappeared to the other side of the house and comes back with that pseudo innocent look, we know he's thinking.. "what makes you think I've been eating dirt"There were very few squirrels last year compared to our first here. This year there have been two families of little ones racing through the oak over the side porch. This one was particularly cheeky this morning while we were out there.. snatching bits of spanish moss and branch tips, showering us with acorns as she prepared a new nest for the "winter".

Our lawn is alive with white peacock butterflies. They must have found some sort of weed to their liking in the grass, and they love the lavender lantana. Its outdone itself this year. Making a huge display for the neighbors. Since the fence faces south, the flowers do also.

I read several places about which plants would attract hummingbirds. Red flowers seemed to be the most recommended and salvia was one of them. I ahve yet to see a hummingbird and the butterflies pretty much ignore it. I'm hoping this is another of those 3 year charmers.

The cuban tree frogs have destroyed the majority of the little green Florida Tree Frogs. They are said to feed on the smaller frogs and little native lizards. Some say the only remedy is to kill them, but I don't have the heart for that. Ours seem to stay fairly small and no doubt eat a lot of insects.

Our daughter is cooking dinner tomorrow and she likes to do it ALL by herself. I've learned to love that! We share expenses and she gets to do the full dinner. Happy Thanksgiving to anyone who reads here and celebrates this day.

Red Letter Day !

This is an absolutely red letter, bannered day for me. Most of these pictures are because I finally have a new camera.

A few years ago my husband told me to pick out a camera to replace my Mavica l meg. I've loved the Mavica.. So easy to use and took great pictures as long as you didn't care about enlarging them. In seeing so many amazing pictures taken by others, it was obvious I needed a more capable camera. Somewhere between moving here, a few hurricanes and evacuation, I seem to have lost the ability to make decisions. Over time I narrowed the choice down to two cameras.. each having at least one attribute that I considered vital.. but not common to both.

One night after reading others blogs I could hear my grandson's words.. JUST PICK ONE. You don't like it, get another in a couple of years. lol. At my age I didn't feel justified in getting a camera I would choose. When do we become so silly?

When we sold one of our houses, I said "All I want is another Troy Bilt Tiller"... but it never happened. When first my parents and then my husband's parents passed on, I said. .. "All I want is another Troy Bilt"... A few years ago my husbands Godmother passed on and left us some money. Again, all I wanted was another tiller - however this time it was far more tentative since the years kept passing. I'm now at the place where I don't think I could man a tiller anymore. LOL!!! I don't want to be saying for years.. all I want is a better camera.... and so I looked online and picked one out that night. I've only had it for two days and already am so excited about its possibilities. Its a Panasonic FZ18 - and also has additional wide angle and telephoto lenses to add to the already wonderful zoom. Now I'm hoping that my older brain can focus enough to understand at least one function at a time. Fortunately there are two 'modes' which are strictly automatic and the camera takes care of all focus, lighting, etc. Just right for my first day.

I think having the camera answers my question as to which came first.. the photography or the gardens. My grandmother always had so many flower beds and I know she passed on that love to me - I always had flowers here and there - but now I find that being able to capture those blooms and see the intricate parts of blooms that I'd missed in the past is a wonderful reason to cultivate a garden. My grandfather, father, daughter and one grandson all loved photography, so perhaps its still a toss up.

Here's my baby - stuck on the side porch while I took pictures out front. We took out some rails in the back and put in a ramp so he can run up and down into the back yard - but not the front.

I only planted a few zinnias, but they are such a bright spot... and the butterflies do love them.

This Gulf Fritilary looks a lot worse for wear. I think they have been overtime feeding and laying eggs these last few weeks. There were a few months when there were so many of those huge bright yellow sulphur butterflies... then hundreds of the white peacock and now many of the "Gulf Frits" I found so many chrysalis belonging to the sulphur butterflies in the fence and rails of our side porch.

Aloe Bloom - not a particularly good photo here, but it was taken from so far away, cropped and uploaded. I think when it uploads it brings it back to a manageable size. I'm going to have to learn how to make my own choices as to size, etc.

Beautiful Rain

We've had such a bunch of beautiful rain lately. We have been in such a drought leaving the whole state so vulnerable to fires. At one time there were 250 active wildfires. Thank God for the rains. Along with the rains come the humidity, mosquitoes and happy, happy plants. I noticed that the ferns particularly seem to have taken a leap for the better. Many of the small plants I put in last year are thriving and growing larger.. especially one pentas which is covered with red blossoms. I planted the salvia, pentas, fireweed and 4 o'clocks in hope of enticing some hummingbirds to visit. I think perhaps my offering is entirely too small to be noticed.

I have a small bed between the porch and the side entrance and have tried many little things in there. Most things don't do well because it is SO shady. One of the things I tried were periwinkle. I love how white periwinkle just seem to glow in the dark. Several volunteers sprouted in the crack between the sidewalk and the little retaining beam.. I haven't had the heart to take them out and they now cover about half the walk. Love volunteers. It looks as though its time agin for the aloes to bloom. Wonderful, waxy looking little flowers. I love new things, but sometimes its the familiar that pop up again and again that brings the smile.

I go out each day, fully intending to do something in the yard... walk around, perhaps water and go back inside. Now that I'm not 'working' and have ample time at home, my enthusiasm or energy has dwindled. When I look at some of the gardens in these 'blogs'... I'm content to enjoy "just looking" thinking that I might never have gardens anything like those. So many make me think of parks, they are so beautiful and so full. I was amazed at the recent pictures of Hillside Garden... in Germany. In the past I'd seen her photos of others gardens and individual flowers but had never seen the scope of her gardens. Simply lush and beautiful.

David

May 25, 2007

All Grandma's are very proud of their grandchildren. I'm no exception. This month we're celebrating the graduation of our youngest grandchild, David Michael. Beautiful strong name for a wonderful grandson. He is totally focused on improving the world through changes in computers. He's been an assistant to the Tech administrator at high school for the past 4 year and this year was Tech student of the year. Its amazed us that even the tech administrator has him come to his house to deal with his computer.

He works out computer problems in his mind as he walks. Everything I 'work out' has to be on paper not only so I can remember, but so I can actually figure it out. Last year he developed a program that will save many hours for the computers in schools. This year he has developed something that will help to clean and protect computers...

Most of all I love his heart. No matter where he is, school, home - when he hangs up from the phone he always says 'I love you'. What more could a grandma ask?

Students today are taught so much more than we were taugh when we were in school. As we watched hundreds of students recieve their diplomas, it was amazing to consider where they were all going once they left that stage.

Its a time of mixed feelings. His plans include moving to Norway to develope software etc. Its hard to find words that pay tribute to him, as I'm sure each Grandparent... or parent.. finds. He has wonderful crinkly eyes and deep dimples when he smiles. We scarecely recognized him with cap on at graduation since he has adopted the 'techie' beard and full hair. LOL.

David - this is for you and we are VERY proud grandparents wishing you much success in the future and blessings you can scarcely count.

All in the details

Sunday April 29, 2007

I was thinking today that when I look out the windows, there is nothing spectacular to catch your eye. Lots of green.. trees, grass, some plants, sky. I've often thought about how you see so much more through the eye of a camera than with your naked eye. What you see through that eye are the details.. the things that often get unnoticed. - These wild things from the yard are so small and yet so beautiful.

These flowers are no bigger than my fingernail.. hardly noticeable as you walk across the lawn.

A close up of a flower sometmes reveals things that I've never seen before.. the fine veining, the subtle color changes.. the fine hairs on some, the abundant pollen. I love the tiny wild flowers. So many of the wild flowers are small and seemingly insignificant, but when you look at them closely they are beautiful and complex. It seems as though that the way with our lives sometimes, also.

A tree full of oranges and blossoms smells incredible even from a distance. Close up you see how thick and almost waxy the petals of the bloom are - and how quickly after the bloom fades the tiny oranges begin.

The crepe myrtles are beautiful, reminding me of northern lilacs. Close up they have amazingly frilly petals and long graceful stamens.

We get up, go through the motions of the day, we sleep. Along the way, the details can make the difference between just another day and a day that feels ultimately satisfying..

I've been blessed to have grandchildren – now grown – who live fairly near me. I can look from a distance, or I can step in closer and see some of the fine details of their lives and who they really are. All 3 of my grandchildren have extraordinarily loving hearts. I see neighbors day to day and we seldom exchange more than a wave or hello. What lost opportunity. We don't need to know the details of others lives, but we miss out on the best when we don't get to know who people really are –

Is Spring really here?

I think Spring slipped through here in a hurry this year. We've been having upper 80's for temps already. Not nearly enough spring weather this year. It seems to have sapped my energy!

Its been fun visiting others blogs. I'm sorry to say that 'life' has taken most of my time and energy for quite a while.. I'd forgotten how relaxing it is to 'visit' someone else's garden, home and thoughts. As I read Daisy Lupin's http://catsinthekitchenflorainthegarden.blogspot.com/ entry about gardens and seeds etc, I was reminded of my grandparents.

Shopping was always special and they always referred to it as “going uptown”. From the house in the Berkshires... nearly on top of the mountain, it was definitely a downhill walk to the store, but it was always uptown. Since the population was only around 300 people at that time, it probably wasn't a reference to going to a fancy part of town. The bigger market in town had two aisles and a small meat counter in the back. Frozen foods were in two small freezers. It always amazed me that they had everything you could need in that one small store. There was another small store in town which catered more to the checker players, candy lovers and pipe smokers. The post office was also in that store. It belonged to my great grandfather many, many years ago.

'Going to town' was always an event. We normally walked over to the library – (my Aunt Jo was the librarian at the time), perhaps a walk up the hill to the cemetary to check on passed relatives.. and a peek into the windows of the Episcopal church that could only have a minister once a month. On the way back to the house we always stopped to drop pebbles into the Farmington River which crossed under the road. The background orchestra was always bees, droning grasshoppers, birds, the wind in the pines and an occasional car. Everything that a summer's day ought to have.

When I was little I could stand at the top of our driveway and oversee the town – the river, church, houses – but in later years the trees in between had grown so tall that the entire vista was blocked. I have photos taken by my grandfather before the town had paved roads. Fascinating history found in those photos. The town was settled soon after settlers first landed in Massachusetts, but everyone was driven out by Indians at one time. The big house on property across the road was filled with Indian baskets and blankets no doubt done during that time in history. My only regret is that I didn't appreciate the living history all around me at the time. Many older people who lived during the 1800's with so many stories to tell with an audience not nearly large enough or appreciative enough.

I wonder why usually we don't appreciate things of the past until we are coming to the end of our lives when there isn't time enough left to truly appreciate those who went before.

Spring Flowers

Someone sent this to me this morning and I wanted to share it with anyone who happened to visit here. Its a wonderful way to 'plant a garden' without having to till or weed!!!

http://www.procreo.jp/labo/flower_garden.swf

Thinking Capacities

Sure signs of spring !! These trees - seen with an old cracker house - dot the streets of Lakeland. We don't have forcythia (which I dearly miss!) but these trees have such a cheerful impact, they make up for them.







The 4'o'clocks are always wonderful, especially in early spring. We had so many of them where we last lived and here have a problem getting them to flourish. I would continually cut them back near our side door and they would spring back and cover themselves in blooms over and over. When I wanted to replace them with another plant, we pulled all the tubers we could find and yet they came back more vigorous than ever. It makes me think that perhaps that's how we are supposed to be. When life provides challenges, pick up that seed you have left, allow for some good weather and time and know that your life garden will again flourish.

This last picture is one one of my favirite Florida things - cows every where and a sure sign of spring is their heightened 'interest' in one another. LOL... These live near one of my daughters on the other side of Lakeland.

We still have many genuine 'cowboys' and they do have a token cattle herd through the center of town once a year. In spite of the huge population in Florida there is still so much undeveloped land filled with sod farms and cattle.


Thank you, Kerri for the "Thinking" Award. As I read your post, I was so surprised - delighted... Reading good posts always makes me think - I think its the same with a good book, or a daily devotion - they always stir us to think.

A few years ago I was wondering if my 'thinking' days were over. (smile) We had 3 hurricanes pass over us with the eye and had to evacuate twice. Until that time my paperwork was pretty much in order. AFTER that I couldn't find a thing and would joke that I thought my mind had blown away with the hurricanes. Probably the fibromyalgia "fibro fog" had something to do with it, along with adjusting thyroid medicine, but I'm happy to say the thinking capacity didn't disappear altogether.

How much we take for granted until we think we've lost it! One daughter is now handling the final stages of our corporate and personal tax returns. Until last year I used to do them for others. She two two courses with H & R Block - so I feel 'safe' in turning that responsibility over to her. I still had to gather and put into order all the information and hand her the final figures - and was amazed at how quickly I was able to do that. Sometimes we have to face a challenge to know where we are able to stand.

I've also had to handle some very difficult things for my husband recently and it makes me smile inside to realize that I'm not as old as I was feeling for quite a few months. Things still have the power to delight me in a child like way - Its been a wonderful discovery. I've also had three grandchildren.. one 18, one 23, and the other 25.. stay with us at different times on and off during the last few months. Its been wonderful and apparently helped me realize I'm not quite ready for the rocking chair. HOOORay!!!

Each year I've told my husband that I thought we ought to have a small vegetable garden again. He usually says nothing, knowing that I'll forget in time and he won't need to prepare the bed. I did notice that a new neighbor has a small garden tractor and might ask if he's for hire. Being from the north, its difficult to get the seasons right for planting in the south. So much is planted in the fall for winter gardens here - and when my system is ready for planting, its usually too late. Plants don't do well during the summer heat here. Watermelons, cucumbers, squash fare well as far as the heat goes, but the summer heat and humidity bring far too many bug problems.

Each year I try a few more things - this year I'm just starting a 'mesclun garden".. Assorted small lettuces... in a tray. I can move it to follow the shade and hope for a long relationship with wonderful salads. My yellow pear tomato plant has just started to flourish on the front porch - and is hoping for some assorted companions soon.

Thank you again, Kerri. Peace that passes understanding seems to surround me, even during times when I'm not feeling terribly peaceful. I consider it one of the gifts that comes with walking with Him... available to anyone who desires it. I'm going to need a few days to choose 5 - and probably a few more days to figure out this new blogger thing. This morning I have only 2 entries in blogger and the archives have disappeared - and I haven't yet figured out how to 'paste' into the blogger anything like the "Thinking Award". LOL !!! I haven't been reading too many blogs lately - and so must go catch up on some to choose.

Respite

April 1, 2007 April Fool's Day...

'Misti' this first picture is for you. Its from the 'vegetable garden room' at Hollis Gardens. This is the kale we grew in Maine.. Curly Kale. No matter how beautiful, no one in my family grew to love its taste. In the background was red chard.. along a bit further was a strip with reds, oranges and yellow stemmed chard.


A whippoorwill was singing first thing this morning. Its been a long time since we've heard them. Down here their song is only two notes.. Poor Will.. and so that's what they are called. Up north, its three notes.. Whip poor will.. The song was always comforting when, as children, we had to go to bed. We were told to listen and we'd find our friend there with us as we went to sleep.

The weather has been absolutely beautiful lately - nice breeze, cool air and sometimes too warm sun. Hollis Gardens is always a refreshing oasis... Today was no exception. There was one family there with 4 little girls, all dressed in swishy, swingy long pink dresses. They looked like junior bridesmaids posing for a proud, but a bit frustrated Dad. There was no label, but I believe the 4' plant with lavender flowers was a verbena bonariensis. Amazing flower! These little girls looked like a patch of brightly colored flowers themselves.

There were 7 or 8 huge staghorn ferns hanging on one of the old live oak trees. These trees live for a few hundred years and grow very slowly,, their branches almost gracefully reaching out.

I'm still feeling very frustrated with my Mavica camera. I've loved it for quite a few years, but am now quite disappointed in the quality of pictures since its less than l mega pixel. There are so many beautiful images to be captured, just waiting for me to make a decision and order a new camera. Sometimes the events of life so fill the days that things like choosing a new camera take the back burner. Perhaps it takes a few days like today with weather just begging to be enjoyed with camera in hand that will push me to order a new one. I took nearly 60 pictures today - just enjoying the variety of flowers offered.

Hollis Gardens always has unusual varieties of plants among the common, easy to grow plants. This one was particularly unusual. Its called Gomphocarpus Physocarpus.. Its common name was "hairy balls"... It was quite a large open and airy shrub covered with pale green translucent 'balls' approximately3" across, along with clusters of white and lavender flowers.



Last year there was a peach tree filled with hundreds of lucious looking peaches. This year the peach tree looks a bit haggard, but I recognized another fruit tree nearly ready for picking - the loquot. I'd never tasted them before eating at a nearly Chinese Restaurant. Absolutely delicious and nearly maintenance free.




One section of this garden is for butterfly plants. There was one huge patch of a very frangrant dark red flower head made up of many tiny florets. Upon smelling I would say it was a form of the old fashion Sweet William found up north. Amazing fragrance! Along the winding path was a section of the common nasturtium. I'd say there was nothing common about them.. One patch was a particularly brilliant carmine with the flowers held well above the leaves. There was also an anise hyssop.. about 3-4 feet tall and delicious licorice smelling foliage. One of those 'gotta haves'. This pink flower is a passiflora.. passies, I guess they call them on the Garden Web.

When I came to 'my' blogger, they had switched me to the 'new' version. I'm not sure what to expect, but did find that they only had a posting from last summer in 'archives'. I guess I'll be investigating to see how to use it. Kerri, thanks for the offer of help - I may well need it after seeing what a struggle it gave 'Alice'.

I hope each one in the colder areas are daydreaming about their summer gardens and those in the warmer areas are watching those tomatoes form and plants bursting into bloom.