Which Way Did It Go?...My Previous Post, I Mean!

From Alice In Wonderland!

A couple of days ago, I posted ~ oh, something about Dandelions, and it's not showing up on the reading list!!!  I can see it on my blog, tho.   I've tried to re-post, changed the title...but to no avail! 

I originally wrote the post last May, and Blogger lost it, save, the original photo and my first paragraph.  It was never retrieved, but the first of it was saved in my drafts.  So, I re-wrote and added new pictures and information.  I re-published on March 15, with no results.  Then, re-published on March 16...still not showing up...ugh! 

This is a test, to be sure!  To be, or not to be!

Have a wonderful week!

Thank you Yahoo Images for the picture!

Dandelions Galore...beckoning Spring!

Photo by Suzanne * February 20, 2011

As I was meandering thru the backyard one sunny February afternoon, scouting for anything unusual to photograph, I noticed some patches of dandelions (not unusual plants) to the far back of the yard.

I just recently discovered that the dandelion is a perennial-I mean, who considers that?  We just treat the dandelion as a pest and we're always out there digging them up.  But, I've always thought of the dandelion as a pretty yellow flower to be picked and brought inside to a enjoy.  After a short study, I learned that because of the jagged leaves at the base of the dandelion plant, it was given name in Old French of  "Dent-de-Lion", meaning "lion's tooth".  And the yellow blooms grow on long tubular stems, that leak a white, milky substance when broken.  Eventually, the flower becomes a white, fluffy head of tiny parachutes.  And it's fun to blow on them and watch them float into the air!!!  ACHOO!!!

See?  Even my grandson Shawn, gets the picture!  I taught him well...hehe.  He goes out back in search of the great fluffy globes of the 'Dent-de-Lion'.  Actually, this is how the Dandelion gets propagated...all of the children blow the seed 'willy-nilly', and, where they stop...

...well, you know the rest!

Grandson Shawn * March 2, 2012

photo by Mawmaw in Fort Worth, Texas

Now, you know I did a little digging and came up with several functions of the dandelion.  It seems that the greens are good in salads, although, they can be bitter!  Blagh!  Not for me!

Ahhh...yummm, here we go!!!

1) You can eat the flowers, or use them to make wine...hmmm!

2) Or, you can make Dandelion flower pickles?????

3) The blooms can be deep fried and used with other veggies in a stirfry dish.

Well, I don't know about the edible uses of the dandelion, but there are also various medicinal uses of this glorious pesty plant.

1) Dandelions are used as a diuretic, enabling the body to get rid of excess fluid, without relieving the body of potassium.  As a tonic, it strengthens the kidneys.

2) The plant sap contains latex and is used to remove warts and corns.

now, where in the world did this come from?

3) As a tonic, Dandelion is also used in treating joint pain, eczema, and liver conditions, such as hepatitis and jaundice.

'wicked, huh?'

And, now, my dear readers...we must ask ourselves:

* To dig, or not to dig?

* Do I ooze the sap from the stems of the Dandelion

and bottle it for use on my corns?

* Should I harvest the 'Lions Tooth' leaves for my salad?

* Or, may I stir fry the plant with my favorite veggies as a side dish?

It's up to you!!!

***
I'm so glad to see you all here...I think Spring has just about Sprung, and since we've sprung forward in time, I feel like I'm losing time somewhere.   But, I'm sure I'll catch up.

Here are a few Birthdays we'll be celebrating before 'March Madness'
blows into 'April Showers'!

Shemp Howard (The Three Stooges)  March 17, 1895

John Sebastian * March 17, 1944

Kurt Russell * March 17, 1951

Rob Lowe * March 17, 1964

OH!  And my friend Cindy * March 17, 19..

Happy Birthday!

Notice, I listed Birthdays occurring on March 17?  Why, you ask?

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Thank you:

Google

Yahoo images

wikipedia

http://allnature.com/

www,wildmanstevebrill.com

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/

Thank you, my Dandy little Lion blower, Shawn!

And, thank you my dear readers, far and near.  I am so glad you took the time to stop by MyTexasGardens for insight to the Dandelion...I know, I do look at them differently, and, do I 'salivate'?  NAH!!!

I just admire them for what they are!

Be safe...not too much green beer, you hear?

"You cannot forget, if you would,

Those golden kisses all over the cheeks of the meadow,

Queerly called dandelions."

~Henry Ward Beecher

Ahh......choo!

Floral Arrangement Day...give it up for beautiful blooms!

photo by Suzanne * October 15, 2011

Mineral Wells, TX

Tuesday, February 28, 2012, is National Floral Arrangement Day.

http://holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/February/floraldesignday.htm

Floral design day was created to honor Carl Rittner who  founded the Rittner's School of Floral Design in 1950.  Mr. Rittner was a pioneer of floral design, and, Massachusetts governor, William F. Weld, declared this special day in 1995.  I didn't know this!  But, hallelujah for floral design!  We all love flowers, and arrangements large and small...in vases, pots, and outdoors!  And, although, we appreciate flowers every day, our thanks goes out to Governor Weld for making it official!

The designated flower for National Flower Arrangement Day is

none other than the Hollyhock!

'zebrina' * photo by suzanne

Here's my Hollyhock...didn't even know this Althea plant was family to the Hollyhock.  I love it when I can post my own stuff!  This is an extremely invasive plant-my photos are of only one plant, purchased in a 4" pot, for under $2.00.  Both of our neighbors on either side of us have inherited this plant from our yard...without asking!  There are more coming up now, and, I plan to dig them up to give away.  The 'zebrina' does produce lovely flowers, and quickly...they are fast growers, I guarantee it!

Here's a full view of this plant.

photo by suzanne

And, I came across a few floral storefronts I think are unique:

Regina Florist Co. Ltd.

Saskatchewan, Canada

Albert's Florist

San-Luis-Obispo, CA.

Cool, huh?  This one is in Hico, Texas!

So, jump on the bandwagon, find a flower, or several dozen flowers of ANY KIND...
...and arrange them! 

Thank you for stopping by, I'm always glad to see and hear from you! 

Be safe...and, SMILE!

And Thank You:

Karo for the lovely tulips

Google

Yahoo

Hi Mom!

http://gardendigest.com/

My Valentine gave me these beautiful Tulips!

...oh, yeah, and the wine too!

photo by suzanne

"I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers."

~Claude Monet

Bird's Eye View Of...what else? * Birds!

"Aww, Chickadee on a limb!"  Sweet!

Photo taken in Fort Worth, Texas

by Suzanne * February 6, 2012

So...how long has it been since I've been here?  A month or two, you say?  Well, I just wanted to give everyone a chance to take in my information on the 'Herb of the Year', 2012.  I saw it to be a nice surprise, since some of us only see herbs as Basil, Cilantro, etc.  And, of course, Herb himself!  I never considered the Rose to be a (an) herb, but, I was pleasantly surprised, since the Rose is so fragrant and desirable.  And, I've got my rose bushes pruned back, and leafing out for the first showing!

We've just been blowing and going since the holidays...cold weather, warm weather-the plants and beautiful creatures of nature don't know if they're coming or going!  And, we've been fortunate to have recorded some of nature's activities thus far.  Karo spotted a Chickadee outside our kitchen window one day...oh, we love Chickadees and always welcome them with open arms...or, to be exact, open seed bells!  So we ran out and got a couple of them to hang near our favorite kitchen window.  This window, much to our dismay doesn't offer a beautiful view...just the house next door.  But it's the closest quarters in which to view our favorite birds over coffee!

Carolina Chickadee * Photo by Suzanne * January 22, 2012

It was about 5 or 6 years ago that we first discovered these cute little birds outside our kitchen window.  We had hung a seed bell hoping to encourage the goldfinch we had seen flying in and out of the honeysuckle that grows on the fence.  Gradually, there appeared 6 to 8 of these chickadees at a time-very exciting!  But, for the last few years we haven't seen anymore...until January of our new year!  Chickadees are natives of Maine and Massachusetts. 

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolina_Chickadee

During the fall migration and winter, chickadees often flock together. Many other species of birds, including titmice, nuthatches, and warblers can often be found foraging in these flocks. Mixed flocks stay together because the chickadees call out whenever they find a good source of food. This calling out forms cohesion for the group, allowing the other birds to find food more efficiently.

These guys are busy little bees...I mean 'dees'.  And it's hard to distinguish between the male and female chickadee.  During my research, (of course) I learned that the male is only a little longer and perhaps wider than the female.  And, his white area is whiter, while his black areas are blacker...hmm!  I guess the male does all of the singing, actually the males compete for the females thru their singing.  Whoever sings the longest and prettiest, gets the 'gal'!  I did go to YouTube and listen to some chickadee sounds...so pretty, and I recognized them from sounds I've heard outside my window.

Here is a short video that Karo captured recently of a Chickadee feeding outside our window, then, going to work on his home...loved it!

Well, did y'all like it?  Notice I said 'Y'ALL'!  That's how I really talk, even tho I'm from Kansas.  We didn't say y'all, or even 'howdy' in Kansas.  But, just like the Chickadee adapting to our environment in Texas, so have I...Haha!

I do have some other birds in my library, but I don't want 'youse guys' to fall asleep whilst reading this, so, I'll have to save them for later.  But, I guess I could post a few pictures we have taken.  I was amazed to see these birds, and their behavior.  They share the seed, and even take turns.  We've watched the Cardinals share with the Tufted Titmouse, and also the Carolina Wren-now that's a pretty little bird with unusual markings.

~Birds of a Feather, Flock Together

photo by Karo * February 16, 2012

There they are!  Aren't they cute?  I mean, he's looking Karo smack, dab, in the eye!  So, you can see the detail on these birds feathers...looks like scalloping on their tails and wings. The bird in front appears to have bushy white eyebrows, like, say, Larry Hagman?

  ...sorry, just kidding!

photo by Karo* February 10, 2012

And here we have the 'Tufted Titmouse'.  They say it got it's name because of it's face resembling that of a mouse.  There are about 4 of them we've seen coming to our bell.  Two at a time...and they share with the chickadees and wrens.  I saw a video on YouTube where they were eating out of the hands of a young woman.  They are sweeties indeed!

Our little menagerie consists of the Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Tufted Titmouse, and a few others that I hope to mention at a later date. 

And thanking my resources:

Karo

Google

Yahoo

wikipedia

all about birds

and, of course, my birdseye view!

***

I'm so glad you stopped by and meandered...thank you all for your kind comments, and, also, for your great blog posts.  It's an amazing experience, conversing every few days, once a week, or, once a month with folks who share the same, yet different interests.  Many of you have unbelievable talents that I don't possess, but, that I share an interest in. 

Hey!  So, that makes us even!!!

"Be as a bird perched on a frail branch

 that she feels bending beneath her,

still she sings away all the same,

knowing she has wings."

~Victor Hugo

Whitney Houston

August 9, 1963 ~ February 11, 2012

'til next time mes amis! ♥

 

Herb of the Year for 2012...a beautiful surprise!

A cute cartoon...I just couldn't help myself!

Ok, ok...settle down now!  We're having too much fun.  Nothing like ringing in the new year with a little laughter, eh? 

I think we'll all agree that herbs are wonderful plants, whether they're used for cooking, medicinal purposes, or just for the enjoyment of raising them and basking in their aromic presences.  I like to grow some herbs, Cilantro, Rosemary, Oregano and Chamomile.  I don't have the best luck with Cilantro, because once I start snipping it off, it dies on me.  Then, one year it just came up on it's own, and grew to about 4 feet-wow!  But, it wasn't good...and, I had to cut it down with an axe!  So now, I buy it at the store for $.50 a bundle...works for me!

Rosemary and Chamomile are my favorites for fragrances.  As you water them early in the morning, or early in the evening, the fragrance really drifts out to you, and in August, it smells like Christmas!  You can kick a rosemary plant around and abuse it all you want...it can take it.  Rosemary is a drought tolerant plant that LOVES Texas.  I lost my last one to the rain a few years ago-too much water!  Rosemary is also used in my area to adorn the front steps of a porch, and just for shrubs!  And, it can grow very large.  The Rosemary will put on pale pink or orchid blooms in the late spring, or sometimes in the early fall.  I have missed it so much, I got one for Christmas this year, clipped to perfection resembling a Christmas tree, and I adorned it with tiny white dove and a red streaming ribbon at the top.  I plan to plant it outside in early spring...sure hope it makes it inside that long!

Hey!  Who's this?

Meet my Mom, Alma Jones!

She is the Vice President and Senior Advisor of

The Kansas City Herb Grow Study Group

Last spring mom was featured in the Kansas City Star newspaper representing her Herb Study Group.  Mom has been a member of this group for, what...5 or 6 or more years?  The article is rather lengthy, and I couldn't seem to get all of it on here.  Anyway, she helps maintain the herb garden at Loose Park in Kansas City, Missouri. Other functions she performs include co-ordinating field trips for the meetings...they meet once a month, taking reservations for various field trips throughout the year, and assisting with new member applications.

The International Herb Association has christened The Rose as The Herb of the year for 2012.   Who'd have thought?  We know that most roses are wonderfully fragrant and very pleasing to the eye.  Next to diamonds, I believe they are a woman's best friend!  But did we ever think of them as edible, or suitable for medicinal use?  NOooo...

1) Rose Hips:  they are found to be rich in Vitamin C, and used in teas and syrups for healing, and...well, possess gentle laxative and diuretic effects.  Rose petals are also used to relieve cold symptoms, runny nose, and sore throat.

2)  According to   http://www.herb2000.com/ Rose petals are effective in the relief of congestion in the female reproductive system...uh, uh, and in alleviating PMS!  (There, I said it!)

3) Oils can be extracted from the petals of various roses to make lotions.  Also, you can throw rose petals in with your bubblebath, or dry them out for use in potpourri!

And, so, my gracious readers, in light of all of this information, and all that our precious 'rosa' has accomplished, I am pleased that the rose has been so annointed with the 2012 title. 

In late 2010, my mother asked me to design the 2011 membership flyer for The Greater Kansas City Herb Study group.  The herb of the year for 2011 was 'The Horseradish'.  I was excited to do it, and designed a tri-fold flyer that included the itinerary for 2011 meetings and programs.  They are distributed to current members and to various churches and retirement homes.  And, she asked me to make the new flyer for 2012, herb of the year "The Rose".  The KardKorner and I got together, and below is the front of this year's new flyer:

  I used my own 'Peace Rose' photo for this cover.

Here is the inside of the flyer using my own yellow rose photo:

And here is the outer side of the flyer that folds inwards:

The small photo of the pink rosebush and statue

is from my garden, and the upper photo is a postcard of

the Rose Garden at Loose Park, KCMO.

The postcard photo is the direct backside of the flyer.

The herb study group meets at Loose Park in Kansas City, Missouri once a month.  This is a most beautiful park with a lot of history.  And...plenty of weddings have been performed in the park's everfamous Rose Garden.  (Not mine, darn it!)

Below is a photo of the Rose Garden at Loose Park

Isn't it just beautiful?

Well, I didn't get married in this park, but, here are a couple of photos of me taken by a photographer, who was trying to get a portfolio together and needed what?  A hippie type model?  Well, whatever it was, I did come away with a few of the photos (I think my brother went after him, since he ran off without paying me for my time!)  Actually, my brother was a great photographer and instructor of photography and was trying to help him out...not realizing he was a jerk!  LOL!  I'm grateful to have the photos, rather than the money!  I was 21 years old, and memories are precious!

Me in 1970

Overlooking the Rose Garden at Loose Park

photograph by some acquaintance of my brother

Same place, same time...same photographer

Congratulations to the Herb of the Year 2012!

  my white rosebush

april 2011

Ok, we're done here...for this time.  I hope I didn't bore you too much with all the info thrown out there, and the surprise photos at Loose Park. 

*** Just know, I appreciate your visits and comments...and I wish you all wellness and happiness! Stop by anytime, and don't be shy...that's my department. I've had these photos of me stashed for years-it's the first time Karo has even seen them.

Please let me thank:

My mom-happy herbing mom!

Loose Park * Kansas City, Missouri

KardKornerKrib * Fort Worth, Texas

http://herboftheyear.blogspot.com/

http://www.herbs2000.com/

http://thinkexist.com/ 

yahoo

google

wikipedia

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM

MYTEXASGARDENS!

“Love is much like a wild rose, beautiful and calm,

But willing to draw blood in its defense.”

~mark overby

Christmas Outback!

photo and arrangement by suzanne ~ December 17, 2011
is it edible, you ask?

I decided I wanted a Christmas 'dish garden' for the coffee table this year.  Just something low key...but NOoo...I end up with a large container planting with some sparkles.  I started out with a small fern tree of some sort that I already had, and 'mother-in-law's tongue', (aka 'snake' plant) (it's off to the left, you can barely see it).  The little gold bird is perched atop the fern, which is at the back.  Then, I picked up an 'English Ivy' plant, that is very healthy, supposedly for low foliage effect!!!  But it's almost overpowering.

I ended up having to get the red basket, because we were running short of time-but, it was only $1, so, time well spent.  And, also purchased the sparkly bird and cattails.  And, I couldn't think of anything else that would accomodate these 'wild and wooly' plants!  Then I decided it needed some more color...RED!  Had some berry stems that I always try to keep around for filler, and made a Christmas bow!  And, voilà-stick a Santa next to it...and there you are. 

Now, let's see if the plants live after all the poking and prodding!

***

A few years back, we thought it might be fun to decorate our backyard for Christmas.  So, we set out and tried to come up with a plan-it's so dark out there!!!

Here are just a few of our results~

~park bench~

Karo made the lighted Christmas tree from 2 pieces of 2x1 wood, as an upside down cross.  He cut the small end into a spike for easy insertion into the ground.  Karo spaced nails across the bottom piece and up and down the center piece to wrap the Christmas lights.  He then, strung tinsel garland over the lights for sparkle and color.  They were fantastic at night!

Karo's lighted trees

Here is another view with additional trees that Karo made. To the left of the little park bench is a horse and carriage, but, alas, it is black and doesn't show up well in the photo...never fear, I may have a closer photo of the horse and carriage.

AHhh...here it is!

I just had to have this!  Karo's son, Chad, lived in a little town east of Fort Worth called Lindale, TX.  It's just near Tyler.  While visiting one weekend, we drove by a residence that had a lot of these cut out yard decorations for sale, and I saw the horse and carriages.  We went back and got this one.  For Christmas, I put some decorative green and gold braid around the horse's mouth and draped it to the cab.  I, then, added a headdress of berry stems (red and silver) to the horse for a Holiday look, and a bow from the window of the carriage.  And, you can see Karo's little white tree next to it.

Tin Soldiers and Frosty!

Around to the right of the park bench, we put lights in and around the arbor.  The vines you see are 'Carolina Jasmine', which eventually took over the arbor and knocked it over with the weight!  Anyway, I gave each soldier an American flag, and the soldiers were lighted up too.  There are candy canes crossed at the top, and a striped Christmas bow in the center.  Frosty is a wooden cutout decoration that we uplighted with a, 'you guessed it', homemade floodlight.  Karo made a lamp shade from tin foil and put an outdoor sized Christmas light in it using a socket that you can plug an extension cord into...clever, huh?

Another view of the arbor/Frosty scene

Down to the right of Frosty, we outlined the flower bed with lights and I stuck some Poinsettia blooms here and there between the lights.  Karo's little floodlight did great on Frosty!  He made several of them for some of the decorations we had out front too.

Overall view of our backyard Wonderland

The structure behind the Christmas decor is 1/2 my plant shed, and 1/2 some of Karo's junk!  No, really, he keeps shovels, and weed eater, etc. in one side, and we use part of it for storage.  There are some windows in the shed, so any plants we take in for winter receive some light.

Madison and Mary

Our Granddaughters, Madison and Mary, who live in Bridgeport, TX, enjoyed the Christmas Wonderland.  Most years, Christmas in Texas enjoys mild weather in the 60's and 70's.  So you can spend some time outdoors and explore in, what is usually wonderful fall weather.  But, the last couple of years we've gotten snow-which is unusual for our area.  We haven't decorated out back in the past few years, because of the changed weather, and this is a LOT of work!

Well, my kind, full-of-holiday-spirit-readers, that's outback Wonderland. If, in a few of the photos, you noticed up in the sky, a round light resembling a moon, I noticed it too.  But I can't  be sure...I'm thinking it might be a neighbor's vapor light.  Well, we can always say it was 'the full cold moon' of December which occurred on December 8th this year.  As the winter nights lengthen and the moon spends more time above the horizon, it is also called the 'Long Night Moon'.  I think it spends more time above the horizon to give Santa a better view and longer hours in which to deliver his gifts worldwide!

What to you think?

December Full Moon

* all outdoor photos were taken by me with a Minolta Autopak70 camera that I've had since the 1990's, before I went digital.  My Grandson Shawn now practices with this camera!*

Thank You to:
Google
Yahoo
Minolta
Karo, for his clever ideas!
Madison and Mary Trammell
Hi Mom!
and My Grandson Shawn

Thank you my gracious (and I mean gracious) readers!  Please come again and say hello.  The holidays are hectic...I'll probably see you early next year!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!
FROM MYTEXASGARDENS
AND MY FAMILY!

 our 'PRECIOUS" Grandson Shawn
December 11, 2011

Ahhh...the wonderment of Christmas, and the precious memories!

Now I know why my Grandmother met us at the door

each time we visited, with a big hug and kiss!!!

 

Be safe!

You too, Elvis!

FlowerBed Makeover Part II...final touches!

NOW THAT'S A CANNA!!!

photo by Suzanne * 11-19-2011

It's been almost 2 weeks since I started my flowerbed makeover, and, I have finally pieced the concluding video together for viewing.  Let's see how I did!

PLEASE ENJOY!!!

Thank you, my gracious readers...oops...I mean, viewers this time- for spending a little time with me in my back yard, just messing around!  I'm sure you spotted the surprise 'cameo' views of me when Karo got a hold of the camera.  I know, I know, the wild hair needs some help!!!  Will get to that soon...plus, it was rather windy outside that day.  But, we'll see how the small garden progresses throughout the winter.  And I will post updated photos from time to time.

***

And, now, I would like to take a moment to introduce a new 'blogmate' to MyTexasGardens.  Please welcome 'Shady Del Knight'.

http://shadydell.blogspot.com/

Shady hails from York, PA. where the music scene was very 'hot' in the 1950's, 1960's, and, I'm sure, still is.  He offers up a fine repertoire of the greatest hits, and the not-so-greatest hits of the day.  You will be able to listen to some of the old hits right from his blog.  And, for guest speakers, or writers,  Shady dives deep into the archives and introduces us to some of the fabulous DJ's of the 1950's and 1960's.  He brings you to his days as a teenager, who frequented a popular dance spot in York, PA.  Well, you'll have to visit his blog yourself for that exciting story!  Shady's a bit of 'rock n' roll', and, in my opinion, a 'lot of soul'...right up my alley!

I have placed Shady's photo (I hope you don't mind Shady) and blog link above, but, it you can't get to it from above, go to my sidebar of 'my favorite reads', and click on his link there.  You can also find his link on my other blog sidebar at KardKornerKrib.   

***

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We had plenty to eat, and, then some.  And, now, we're heading into the Christmas Season with all the sales and festivities getting underway!  Please remember to use caution when driving and shopping this year!  And, I'll try to get some pics of the Christmas Tree downtown Fort Worth.  They had the tree lighting ceremonies last nite, but we stayed in-still recouperating from the feast of the day before. 

'Unveiling of the Feast' * Bridgeport, TX

my brother-in-law Danny, sister-in-law Linda & her sister, Judy

photo by suzanne * November 24, 2011

 

 

Oh, look!  There's Karo's sweet potatoes behind the fruit salad!

photo by suzanne * November 24, 2011

till next time...

"Part of the secret of the secret of success in life is to

eat what you like and

let the food fight it out inside."

~Mark Twain

FlowerBed Makeover, Part I...Both Hands On Deck!

Bouganvilla * photo by Suzanne * September 15, 2011

After the hard, callous, "fried-egg-on-the-sidewalk" summer, my TexasGardens suffered tremendously!  So, I've begun the slow process of rebuilding at least a few of my flower gardens.  I will have to relinquish some of them, as the winter will probably come fast and there will not be much time to accomplish the entire task.

So, I've started small and light...and, decided to video the process.  Here is Part I of 2 parts of my 1st garden makeover.  THIS SHOULD BE FUN!!!

Well, what do you think?  I'm not much of a speaker... but, maybe, with a little practice I'll get there.  And, the buffering of video makes the viewing time longer...I apologize for that.  The project is complete and I hope to post the remainder of the video in a few days.  In the meantime, thank you for spending a little time with me in my yard, and please stop by again!

Happy Thanksgiving from 'MyTexasGardens'!!!

Karo and Me * Thanksgiving 2007

self photo taken on timer and enhanced by Suzanne

Please join us in giving Thanks!!!

(our thank you list is too long to post!)

Veterans Promote Peace!

On behalf of Veterans all over the world, and honoring  and appreciating all soldiers, currently in action, MyTexasGardens presents my 'Peace Rose'!  Since Texas weather has cooled some, I have been blessed with several new buds and blooms in my yard...here are two of them!

Photo by Suzanne * November 10, 2011



As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. 

 ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Hydrangeas Come Honest!

photo by Suzanne * Spring 2003

'Big Leaf' Hydrangeas...Honestly!

One year I decided I wanted to have some Hydrangeas, just to see if I could keep them and enjoy the large blooms.  So we bought two plants labeled 'Big Leaf' Hydrangeas, somewhere, and put them under the Mulberry tree-with everything else!  Of course, I knew nothing about them, only that they are beautiful, so I set off to nurse the small plants into what you see in this picture.

Of course, I knew NOTHING about hydrangeas, and when it got cold, the leaves turned brown and fell off.  Then, the branches turned brown-what now?  Do I cut the branches back?  I mean, there were small nodes of new growth on these brown stems!  And we didn't want to lose them.  As it got colder, we fluffed some hay around the base and kind of throughout the plants, and when there were threats of frost, we covered them lightly with pillow cases that I cut open.  You could also see new growth at the base of the plants.  Needless to say, the brown branches cratered, and all that was left was the new growth close to the ground.  Well, ok, they're still alive.  And they grew large and healthy...but, we got NO blooms that year.  The plants thrived all summer, here comes fall, and the leaves turned brown-again, and fell off.  Again, new nodes on the brown branches, and nice, new growth at the bottom.  But, we did get some blooms, just not a whole lot.

I noticed, at the bottom of the plants, the new growth was of a floweret type.  I popped one off and put it in a pot.  Lo, and behold, it started growing.  When the weather got cold, I took the pot into the shed for protection, and we kept it lightly watered throughout the winter.  In the spring, I brought it out into the sun, and it continued to grow, eventually to put on a half-dozen beautiful, large, pink blooms!  Sorry, no photos-darn!  At least I knew I could propagate these plants.

But, I worried about the plants in the ground not blooming, and asked the guy who takes care of our plants at my office about them.  He told me if you can't save the stems from the prior year, you may not get blooms in the spring.  Tim said that this particular hydrangea most time will bloom on the previous year's stems.  We did get more blooms for a couple of years, and finally gave up-the plants just weren't producing on a regular basis without a lot of babysitting.  It was a lot of work! 

We still like hydrangeas, and are talking about trying them again, only, this time I will do some more research and find a type that is not so high maintenance. 

This is what the leaf of the 'Big Leaf' Hydrangea looks like

It is very large.

A site that I frequent has a small article regarding the 'Big Leaf' Hydrangea.

http://www.flower-gardening-made-easy.com/hydrangea.html 

This article confirms my findings about this particular hydrangea.

1)  They tend to bloom on the previous season's growth, and the stems usually die back to the ground.  It also says they will produce flowers only in zone 6 and warmer.  In Fort Worth, Texas, we're on the edges of zones 7b and 8a.  And, as you all know, it's QUITE warm!  However, since we planted the hydrangeas under a large tree, they enjoyed some shade, which enabled them to thrive.

2)  And, in conjunction with the article, I always blend peat moss with my planting soil or mix, to add nutrients for healthy plantings.

3)  Our plants produced large, pink blooms.  If you want the blooms to be blue, you must add an acid plant food that will bring your soil to ph5.0.  The pink blooms are produced in a neutral or akaline soil.  The concern about acid plant food, is that it's not good for all plants, if you have neighboring plants in the same flower bed.  So I chose not to use this plant food.  Besides, I prefer the pink blooms.

4)  And, you can propagate hydrangeas easily.  The 'big leaf' hydrangea puts on small green nodes on the stems, and, at the base of the plants.  Let them grow until you can see small flowerets of leaves forming, then carefully POP them off, and plant in a ordinary pot to encourage safe growth.  If it gets cold, you can take the pot in, provide some sunlight and watering.  By George...you could get a slew of plants started for spring plantings!

Below is a photo of my hydrangeas in black and white-why did I do that? Well, at the time, I had black and white film in my Pentax K1000 35mm camera, using, what I believe is called a 2x2 converter lens along with my normal lens.  I didn't purchase a digital camera until 2006. In fact, I want to get some film for my Pentax and take some more landscape and scenic shots.  Anyway, the photo isn't bad, and you can see some of the other plants surrounding the hydrangea.  The ladder was built by Karo and nailed to the tree for the variegated vinca major to climb, which it did.

photo by Suzanne * Spring 2004

And this photo gives a closer look at the size of the blooms and

 the texture of the leaves.

photo by Suzanne * 2004

Tonite, I am thanking:

My husband Karo, for helping me design and build our gardens

Google

Yahoo

http://www.catquotes.com/catsuperstitions.htm

And a special thank you to all of my dear blogmates and readers for putting up with my, probably too many details.  I wish a special autumn season for all of you.

AND-I'm happy to say, it's 65° in Fort Worth, Texas tonite!  YAY!!!

Please stop by anytime and say hello!

"A strange black cat on your porch brings prosperity."

  Scottish Superstition