Oh Geez Tina! Sometimes I forget that the climate isn't year round like it is here! I know that when you were in ND you had rooms full of plants...that takes a lot of care! Good for you!
GE...The Coleus cuttings look great and I had to LOL when I seen them in the Jacuzzi! Hey...why not? If you're not using it, WTH? Nice bathroom by the way! Love the paint color!
Here's that Coleus I picked up at Lowes a couple of weeks ago...Have any idea what it is?
I've been waiting and waiting and waiting and I finally had my first Plumeria Bloom this week! It's so gorgeous and the scent is just incredible.
Things have been really HOT here but things are starting to wake up again in the anticipation of cooler weather. This is the second year I've had these Catwiskers in containers and they're really blooming well...
This message was edited Oct 12, 2009 12:03 AM
This Stapelia has gone crazy in the past few weeks - It only bloomed a couple times in the spring, but there's about 15 blooms on it now! It's so Pretty, but it smells bad! Attracts lot's of fly's too! Weird Plant!
I am so hoping to get into my garden soon and start getting it back in good shape. I feel guilty I haven't had the time lately and am just doing the minimum, but the new variety of plants aren't out there yet! As I mentioned, it's been miserably hot for this time of year, record breaking temps actually!
In the meantime, I've had a slew of things to keep me busy. I had a bridal shower for a dear Gal who works for me last week, went to a wedding last night and have another next weekend!
Another one of my real passions, other than gardening is Cooking! I got this idea when I seen all these hard-bound photo books you could design and order online and thought I would make a cookbook. Over on the Florida Gardening thread, we have a section for recipes and I've been taking photo's for quite a while to include with my recipes. I figured I would make a Cookbook for my Gal just to add a personal touch to her cash wedding present. Well, I've shown a few friends and they're ectastic about it, so I figure I'll order a bunch of copies and give them as Christmas presents too!
I'm using Picaboo but doing my pages with Photoshop - They also have beautiful layouts, but it just didn't work with a lot of text.
http://www.picaboo.com/
If anybody is interested in this, here's a 50% off discount code - 1P50PO-P
(hope this works, as I'm ordering a bunch!)
Here's my cover -
Inside page...
A page example - OMG! I'm up to 29 pages and have to stop! I have a lot of ethnic recipes and just plain old good ones! My photo's aren't that great, but they put the message across! This will be 8 1/2" X 11", with a glossy hard cover and thick pages. I've had a lot of enjoyment putting it together and can't wait to see the finished product.
Kat
KatG
Wow you are always so busy doing things that it is a wonder that you have time on your hands at all. You really are an inspiration to some of us. Tina
Thanks Tina! I think I'm just one of these people who needs to have something going on constantly...but I actually do finish my projects!
Here's a 2 page spread...
Page 1
page 2 ^_^
Well enough about the cookbook - My Plumeria Pudica has really been showing off lately also! It's about 9' tall and needs to be cut down, I lost a couple of branches in a storm and cut them shorter and just let them calous.Poked them into some large pots and they seem to be doing well! Go figure!
It's 31 degrees out.
Frost predicted for last nite so I think the container season is over.
Kat, Your cookbook is wonderful and so professional looking. Have you done this before? The photos are fantastic, your kitchen is beautiful and the food is yummy. Can't wait to see the finished product. Laverne
KatG - How in the world do you have so much energy? I fell off my chair one time reading that you were canning (something) working full time (running a business) and all those beautiful containers. Many of which I'm sure have to be watered by hand....and traveling. Whew.
I'd probably do any one of those things and then call it a day. Your creativity and energy is amazing.
Oh My Goodness GE! Too early for that crap as I understand Summer hasn't been that great this year!
Thank you Laverne. It's my first time doing anything like this and I'm so excited as it's really starting to look good. I do try to cut expenses with my business and create my own brochures/websites, etc., so I have some experience with Photoshop. My problem is I'm kind of a nut-case and will over-analyze things Need to just get over it and send it to print!
TX - Thank-you! Trust me, my energy is not that high...I'm still hanging on to my business (General Contractor/Property Management) but it is so quiet right now I have time to do other things. I'm just so used to working so hard and it's kind of shock to the system. It's okay though...I'm doing creative things I really like. I'm sure you probably know, I'm in the "Head Business". I'm a "Pot Lady" and sell plantable Heads! hehe. I really am a very fortunate soul as HGTV featured me on the front page of their Landscaping website in June and their monthly newsletter. I've probably shipped about 300 heads since! I have wonderful people who have worked for me for years and this has really helped keep them in a job. I'm also really fortunate I have a tolerant and supportive Man in my life. Sometimes Don just looks at me and asks me what I'm doing...then after I tell him, he just walks away and shakes his head! He describes life as an adventure around here, but I probably drive him nuts at times! hahaha
Tonights thing was "Decorating"! lol
I had two pictures on this wall and a few months ago, one fell down and broke. I hung the one up and it looked lonely. I wasn't in any hurry to replace them but yesterday I found these at Marshalls.
Ummmm, before Don and I started to hang them I gave myself a good talking to! (Kathy, be patient, please be patient) and actually they went up fine and straight! Yippee!
Kat
Kat,
The link to picaboo didn't go to your cookbook. Hope you are doing well.
Jeanne
So who has to make room for their containers in the house. Since I moved to Oklahoma from North Dakota I got to wait longer to have to bring plants in. I got many more brug flowers because of being able to wait. Now I need to move further south so I can enjoy them just about all year round.
Tina, that the way it always is ,I live in zone 9 and want to live in 10. The grass is always greener. lol
Linda
Come on down to Texas, Tina.
I live in zone 8 but have a beach house in zone 9. Zone 8 is pretty good for tropicals (we leave them out longer than when I live in Dallas) but Zone 9 on the coast is like Jurrasic Park for plants. The wind can be an issue but everything grows huge. Example - I planted a 2' duranta two years ago and now it's above the roof line. Hibiscus blooms year round - I wish I could live there full time but can't right now.......maybe someday......
Linda,
I know what you mean about the grass being greener. I should be satisfied after moving from 3b to 7a but I want at least an 8 just so I can grow tropicals in the yard for longer stretches of time. Maybe after I get done with my degree when I'm 60. lol
Txdoodlebug,
My dh might have a job offer in TX, but I don't think that I'm going to be in zone 8 still. I love Texas, that is where I was born and spent half of my childhood. I'm a military brat so we were the exception to moving around. My dad only went to 2 different bases after I was born, Lackland in San Antonio and Nellis in Las Vegas. I really want to move to Galveston or Charleston SC.
Linda: I live in a zone bordering on 10a and I look at some of the great things you can grow in CA and drool! Must be the humidity! We're just never happy are we! hehe
Kat
Hey Jeanne...Not doing too bad. Hope you're well also! I'm still working on the cookbook, but will post the link when it's done.
Tina: Glad you're getting a little more longevity out of your containers. I guess I really take things for granted here. This week I'm going to plant a bunch of tomato plants in containers which should probably be ready in January. I told Don that if we get some freezes before then, we could just move them inside and he just looked at me like???? He's worried I might want to bring in the other 150 containers! hahaha.
I really liked what Ge1836 did with the jacuzzi!
Kat
I had such a great day in the Garden…
An unexpected cold front came down (it only hit 85 instead of 95) and just cut down the humidity and it was so pleasant to work outside. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to stand more than an hour out there lately because the heat has been miserable, plus I’ve just been so busy doing other things on weekends. When I first got out there this morning it was like…okay, where do I start? But as you get into it, It just makes you feel so good!
Well, the garden centers here are starting to get a little more variety than a month ago, but not still as much as last year. It seems they’re using their garden space for Christmas? Are you all finding that too in warmer locations?
I got a few nice plants though…I needed to replace the dead (don’t know what happened?) topiaries I had planted in these pots a few months ago. Found some real nice standard Bougainvillia and just planted a few petunias…
As you can see…the Potting area looks like an advertisement for “Miracle Gro Soil” and is definitely not so pristine these days…but hey, that’s what it’s for! I had the big pots with vines trying to train them up the columns of the Pergola, but gave up on them as they were just too high maintenance.
I just loved the color of these Bougs...a little different than the normal ones I've been finding.
I had this faux bois log planter and basically just filled it with some Autumn looking plants – Petite Yellow Ixora, Coleus, Marigolds and Salvia. Not exotic, but kind of different.
I've already brought them in although it was early because the temps have been across the board. I'm probably going to put them out in the AM and bring thrm in at night.
I had moved this big planter before I planted it to the place I was CERTAIN that it was going to stay. About 20 minutes later I’m looking at it and thinking it was looking pretty lonely. Don and I hauled it about 30ft after it was watered and it weighed a ton. Still not sure it’s a good spot, but at least if you’re sitting out there (which we’ll do more now that it’s getting cooler), you can enjoy it.
I also had the pleasure of several visits today from “Tank” my neighbor’s dog! You just have to fall in love with this one…He was an adoptee and has just turned out to be the best Dog you could ever wish for. I tried to get my two little snotty Yorkies to pose with him, but they were very un-cooperative! Haha. What a great fit for such a good family!
You just never know who's going to show up in your backyard!!!
Introducing Punk rocker sensation, Johnny Agave - Lead singer for the "Silent Heads" (hahaha)
Hi Kat,
We are doing OK. The weather is just gorgeous! It is supposed to be great all week and thru the weekend.
Tina, sure wish you could come to Galveston!
Jeanne
Jeanne,
Oh how I wish I could be in Galveston with you. The job is in Greenville near Dallas. I sure hope that they offer it to him. It would be beyond wonderful if by some chance he got a job in Galveston.
Tina
If you go to Dallas then you won't be too far from LouC (Christi) in DeSoto Tx. She is very sweet. You would like her alot. Best wishes in your upcoming changes. Will keep you in our prayers!
Jeanne
Thanks Jeanne,
Hopefully we will know something soon. Tina
Weather in the last 3 days here has just been gorgeous! Highs in the low 80's in the day and 60's at night. I was starting to wonder when this was going to come? Hope you get some good news Tina...You are a Hot-weather plant lady! hehe
Spent the weekend outside and got a lot of cleanup done. Don's truck was full of cuttings, weeds etc.! That is probably one of the best gauges...when you see that, it makes you feel good about how much you accomplished.
The Potting area got a good workout this weekend, but is also looking pretty flowery!
Garden centers are still not stocked, but I did get a few nice specimens to plant! Looks like "Yellow" is my new favorite color!
The Gerber Daisies are just beautiful...I try every year with them and they don't do great. This year I've decided not to water them so much! Any ideas????
A couple pots filled with Tropicana Canna, pansies, coleus and lantana...
Gerber daisies, fuschia runner petunias, lime coleus and impatiens...
