Guess it is time to start one for December since November was missed. FINALLY repotted my Ipomoea platensis (the morning glory with the big caudex). Since the potting medium was slightly moist but not soaking, I didn't water the plant after I repotted it. The old medium kept drying out & was almost as dry as sand. I am sure the caudex could take that old medium but the stems & leaves were always withering & I had to water it a lot. I didn't know it but you can root the stems in water. Not now because there are only two stems left & they are withered and I believe this plant goes dormant in the winter. It used to flower to beat the band but quit and I surmise that was because the potting soil was no good anymore. When it starts growing again in the spring, I will fertilize it. One of my favorite morning glories.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/107204/
Mid Atlantic Chit chat December
Buttoneer--
Since I just posted this at the end of the last Chit-chat--I did not want this link to get lost....
Some pretty jewelery for Christmas is always welcome....Gita
copy/pasted from previous Chat Thread...
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Don't forget that Amber would also fall in this category...Especially Baltic Amber,
which is 40 million years old...
Amber in silver jewelery id so beautiful...I have lots...Latvian jewelery is amazing!
Here is a link to one of the oldest Latvian jewelery makers. he has a catalog which is in English.
Prices are quite reasonable.
Take a look------ http://krikisjewelry.com/index.html
Gita
Judy, I had to look up your Ipomoea platensis, as I am not familiar with it. The blooms are very pretty. It's nice having plants that will go dormant in the winter, less to fuss over.
I have 12 house plants that are upstairs, that I just water over the winter. 7 of them are begonias, one I got from you, Cathedral Windows, I am really enjoying it. Thank you.
It looks like we are getting a break in the gloomy days today, the sun if fighting with the clouds right now. I guess every one around us got a lot more snow then we did, another storm is on it's way this weekend.
It is interesting to watch the weather radar as the lake affect moves in, never know where the bands will come in off the lake.
I don't know if many of you know we have a State Correction Facility just outside of town. It has been a good neighbor. My husband was Mayor when it was built and sat on the local board for the prison. He started talking to the superintendent about getting some things down around town and the idea was born to have some of the "good" prisoners go out in work parties. It started with a program replacing broken sidewalks. The only cost to the person needing their sidewalk replaced was the materials, not everyone took advantage of the program but it was very helpful to many folks.
That program has ended but the prisoners are still doing service around town. Since the snowfall they have been out shoveling out the fire hydrants, they are easy to pick out in their orange jumpsuits and a work van stopped at the corner.
It is a win win for everyone.
Ladygardener, I forgot I gave you a start of Cathedral Windows. How big is the plant, now? Maybe you can post a pix of it. Mine is still hanging in there but I might repot it tomorrow, since I am in the repotting mood right now (gotta do it while the urge is there). That's great with your state correction facility. They should do something to help out the community.
Ric and I have been spending a lot of time working in the back room. My mud/utility room is looking wonderful. It has gone from looking like an unfinished basement to looking like a real room. Ric painted the floor back there while I was sleeping last night and it looks so nice. It is pretty close to finished for now, next summer we will be laying a tile floor and putting up a suspended ceiling, moving the hot water tank over about 8 inches and adding a few walls to enclose the utility corner. None of that can be done while the wood/coal stove is heating the house. I think it is time we started decorating the house for the Holidays.
Ohhhhh. That's wonderful that your sweetie Ric did that for you while you were sleeping. You know, I ought to produce a movie titled: "while you were sleeping revisited," where every woman's husband does things for their wives when the wives are sleeping. The women who are unmarried or widowed, should get a boyfriend who does that, too. Maybe we women ought to start "training" our sons when they are young, to do this. ;-}
I just received an e-mail from Gardeners Supply http://www.gardeners.com
Free shipping on orders placed this weekend.
If you need garden gloves the ones they have are great. I buy a few pair at one time, can't garden without them.
Judy I took a picture of that CW begonia. I did feed it some, but I guess I could kick it up a bit next spring. I don't like feeding my plants in the winter I think it stresses them under the dry heat of the house and the lack of sun.
Ladygardener, that looks wonderful. Mine are in the greenhouse and 50 degrees minimum temperature. Will have to go out & take a pix of it.
Ahhhh---The viles of the Movies they show on TV around Christmas time!
And I, casually, start watching a movie--and it sucks me in and tears me apart emotionally.
Just finished watching "The Ultimate Gift"--and I am sobbing like a baby.
How good that is for my Soul! How good it is for me!
I need these kind of moments--as they come seldom in my own life.
It cleanses me.
OK! back to reality............Gita
Gita, love those tear-jerker chic flicks. I don't watch them often as I am too busy watching sci fy and horror flicks but I manage to sneak one in every once in a while.
I stay away from real tear-jerkers, I feel so crappy after a good cry. A few tears are ok. Sci fy ok, horror with blood and gore I stay away from. So the Freddy Kruger and Chain Saw I have never watched and not on my must see list.
I guess everyone is busy getting ready for Christmas, the count down has begun. Paul will be working Christmas day, getting wheelchair bound folks to their families for the day, and letting the younger workers to spend time with their families. I'll take my time cooking Christmas dinner for us, called DD and watch TV, so that is a good day for me, no pressure.
Chris that is so nice of your DH. So giving of him to use his Christmas to make others Christmas Day nicer and you as well for doing without him during most of the day. Enjoy your peace and relax. We are slowly getting things together. I swear when I finally get the last of the decorations done it will be time to start putting them away.
Getting my cards done, and seeing the end of shopping. Holly, me too, I feel like I spend a month doing, just to start the next month of undoing it.
Getting the tree up, decorated with all kids help. and playing Xmas musi did make a nice day yesterday.
Yes, We had JR here to help with the tree for several hours. I loved that he remembers different ornaments. Christmas music is a must when decorating or baking cookies.
I did get into the back room for a little while and painted one side of the cabinet. Ric got the doors off and set it up on a couple of 5gal buckets so it sits a little higher, easier for me to work on. The backroom is looking so good we can't finish the floor, ceiling or the divider for the utility corner until next summer when the wood/coal stove can be removed but everything else that can be done is almost finished.
Well one week before Christmas Josh decided to start stripping wall paper off his dining room walls. Ric and I were down there for about 2 hours steaming and scraping several layers of wall paper off the plaster walls. I expect to be back there tomorrow morning. Really went pretty well with the steamer Josh bought.
Greetings All - I am all caught up reading all The Clean and Clutter Free threads I am active in and thought that I would drop by MAG and see what is up. I didn't know anything about part one of this chit chat thread so have only read this new one. I like it. You all must know by now that I could chat all day long.
It is interesting that over the years since becoming a member of Dave's, the different groups that I am involved in depending upon what is going on in my life at any given time. I know that it feels really nice to show up on MAG and see the names I came to love some years back. I truly owe my sanity to Dave's Garden as a whole. So many of you spent time and effort trying to minister to me or nurse me back to health after some really crummy times about five years ago. Gosh, it doesn't seem that long ago really.
Holly, I am especially interested in hearing about your remodeling job. Household types of issues have been at the fore front of my year it would seem. We too are doing some things with the house that I have wanted done for quite a while. I have been working myself silly the past couple of months doing a de-cluttering, deep cleaning as you go job. Actually last week I didn't get much done because I had foolishly pushed myself too hard the week before and ended up with all sorts of physical issues bugging me. A strong antibiotic that I started on Friday is working to have me feeling about half human again.
It is great to see each of you who posted. I will be watching this thread and reading and enjoying hearing about evryone's day to day lives. You folks have a great day.
Ruby
Ruby, So nice to hear from you. I have posted on The Clean and Clutter Free threads from time to time. I should visit again. The work we did in the Laundry turned out wonderful and I have great storage back there now and it is well organized. So nice to be able to find things when you want them. The work in the backroom is coming along very well also and I hope we can keep it as organized. It has been a dumping ground for years as was the laundry area. When I get it all done I will post pic's somewhere and let you all see what we have done.
Hi Ruby! Al;ways nice to see you, no matter at all if its once a year. I could spend lots of time hear but consciously have to limit it some days/ weeks.
Merry Christmas to you and John.
I personally should get back to clean and clutter free mode soon too. Thats the winter project, as the kids are growing up so fast their old toys don't disappear as fast from the basment.
Last winter I spent a lot of my computer time on Facebook. There came a time that I lost interest in it and now only go there about once every other week or so. I also try to keep up with a health board I am on, so I often have to let one or the other of the sites go unattended. Sally, it would be very easy to sit here all day and never be bored. Since the introduction of The Internet in to my home I have never had to say I am bored since. I can always find something to do here to occupy my time and mind.
Holly, I was thinking yesterday of the tremendous amount of work that you and Ric have done at your homestead. You two are really some go-getters. It sounds as though you have had an influence on your son who is also putting forth a lot of effort in getting his home the way he wants it too. You two are probably like ourselves and if the pocket book were a bit fatter, we would do more things.
Hope that everyone is having a good day.
Ruby
Ruby, Josh has done a lot of work at his home. Last winter it was the downstairs bathroom that was only partially finished when he bought the house and then a lot of work in the yard last summer. The dining room wallpaper has been on his list for a long time. Just can't figure out why a week before he is hosting the family diner he decided to start it. LOL
Ric and I have been dragging our feet a bit on getting things done inside. I thought once retired we would just whiz thru one unfinished project about another. That just didn't happen there are always other things to do with our free time. But we are slowly gaining momentum on house projects and as they are finished that just gives us more drive for the next step.
Funny about Josh's chosen time to hang wall paper. John and I recently bought some peel and stick tiles for the laundry room and kitchen floors. He asked the other day when he should start laying it. Not the week before Christmas certainly John!!! I am of the belief that if something can go wrong in a project, it will. I don't want the entry way to my house to be torn up when I will be having visitors in and out. It would have been nice to have it completed before Christmas, but waiting till the last week is just asking for complications I think.
After leaving this thread yesterday, I started going through some of the pictures we have taken of some of our most recent projects. The way things stand with my pictures makes it really hard for me to find what I am looking for easily. I have a goal of starting a notebook of sorts as a reference for the pictures I am looking for. I need to set up some sort of system that will be easy for me to access what I want to post. Hopefully I can then begin sharing some pictures with you all again.
Holly, knowing the very little that I do of you and Ric, I would say that you two pack a lot of living in to a 24 hour period. Not sure if I know anyone who travels quite as much as you two do. I love the idea of it but just don't have the guts to do it, I suppose. Along with lots of living and traveling, you two are especially kind and helpful people too and just wanted to let you know that I regard you both, along with a lot of other folks I have met from Dave's as very high class and top notch folk. Always stay the same.
Ruby
Thank you Ruby such nice comments. I think you and John are pretty wonderful people as well. You are right what a great group of people here on DG. So glad I found this site and have made such wonderful friends.
Just wanted to let everybody know that in our Walmart in Carlisle (and probably most of them in the cold states), a good many of the plants in their greenhouse got a bit of frost damage because the manager insisted they unlock the greenhouse door to create another entrance for the Christmas holiday, and the cold air blasted their plants, which are now on sale half price. I picked up three plants today and very little damage. I will probably check out their clearance sale on Sunday and maybe get a few more. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you all.
Nice pic Buttoneer, You are both looking good.
Thanks for the tip. Several weeks ago our had lots of nice smallish hanging golden pothos- one would be perfect for my son's dorm room.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Sorry hadn't popped in here before...hope everyone had a blessed Christmas
We had about 19" or a little more from the snow storm
Jen, Sorry I am ROFL feet kicking in air, better you guys then me. What a turn of events, I am usually the one posting massive amounts of snow.
I know you all will get the last laugh as we still have Jan and Feb to get through, but I'll just enjoy this while I can. LOL
I love it and actually closed down the state for a day...It was nice not hearing any cars on the road...very peaceful
Great snowball making snow, want to go out in it later- as soon as I find my other snowboot...LOL
Oh Jen how I envy you. I would love some of that snow. Nice to hear from you hope you had a great holiday.
Both of our tractors (one with snow blade, one with snow blower) were out of commission and Bob took one to a tractor garage for repairs & parts & the other one, he forgot to remove the kill switch he installed for tractor pulls, which are now a thing of the past, since he now has gold fever, and it still wouldn't start so he wanted to check the apark plug & I told him to check the gas. It was empty. Leave it to a woman. Anyway, we got one tractor working & no snow, Thank Heavens. Being on blood-thinners, I don't go out in snow but will take pix from inside the house. Thanks for the comps on the pix, Holly. Man, that is one huge Christmas cactus. I will try to take some pix of it & post it on here. The dried flowered looked yellow, (I assume that is one of the colors available on the flowers), but it will be even more magnificent next year than it was this year. Happy New Years, everybody!!!
the tractor tale of woe.
This was one storm where I actually got the salt bucket and shovels in placee well ahead. So I 'knew' we wouldn't get it.
Judy, you may remember that doc posted a link to a christmas cactus vendor showing a couple dozen varieties. I have seen peach in a store, rarely. Hey, you just may get an odd late bud opening and show you the color. (crossed fingers for ya)
Hey Sally, can't you tell the color from the dried flowers? They looked yellow to me but ya never know.
Well, ha ha of course. I guess I thought you might wonder what range of yellow there might be. or that the dried up yellow might have changed color a bit since drying. But heck, any huge CC at such a bargain, you aren't going to be that picky, eh? I'm very newbie at CC and haven't had the best luck so I'm trying to hold off. Trying!
I inherited this one, in an undrained pot, and managed to keep it alive this summer. The bloom has begun but is spotty and not that portrait worthy. I was just glad the buds didn't fall off when I moved it. The usual old fuschia pink and white petals.
Sally,
That CC looks several years old--just about the same as my oldest one--with all the
woody stems...It is not the greatest--but still blooms every year--acceptably.
You said it has no drainage....Not so good! The soil must be all sour and yukky by now.
Would you be willing to try to remove the plant (any way you can) from this deco pot
and re-plant it in a plastic pot that drains with some yummy fresh soil--and then put that pot
back inside the ceramic pot with some stones at the bottom--and really watch your watering?
OR--You can drill a drainage hole in the ceramic pot with a Masonry drill bit--S-L-O-W-L-Y...
I have done it and it is doable....Put masking tape all around the hole you plan to drill--
this will keep the surrounds from splintering. Then--remove the tape when done.
Because of Doc's advice--I cut back all my CC NOW--and that is why I have all these cuttings to share.
Mailed 3 sets off today--to Marry--Ruby---and Critt.
Still have some left--Fuchsia/with white and Red. Not too many red cuttings--but loads of the Fuchsia.
Hey Doc! Was this REALLY the best time to cut them back???? The links above said in April.....???
Too late now! All done--I was being brave.....
I have also started a slew of cuttings myself--thinking ahead to a Plant swap--wherever.....
All these little pots sitting on my window sashes...such a perfect place....N. or E. exposure....
Most of them usually root.....
Sally--there is a woman I work with, and she asked me advice on her almost 100yr. old CC.
passed down and down...What a treasure! It must have bark on it by now....:o)
WOWSIE!!!! And she told me it still blooms every year!!!! Nothing I could tell her!
Don't fix what ain't broke...
Gita
Wow, 100 yrs old, that is so impressive. Just like you said--don't fix it, it ain't broke!!!!!
Yes this spring I will probably give another go, either buy the masonry bit, or I will actually have to use a drill to drill out some of the dirt in the pot, it is so petrified. I stabbed at it trying to loosen the plant last spring and was getting nowhere.
Sally--
The ultimate sacrifice is to break the pot off of the plant. Just hammer it off....OUCH!!!
Then you can remove the plant and knock some (most) of the OLD soil off of it--and refresh
it with nice, new potting mix. Some slow-release fertilizer mixed in would help..."Osmacote"?
Maybe--You could also, just pull the plant up?
CC have shallow roots. You may loose more soil than you want to if you remove it--but it will
be OK. Just try to keep the existing root-ball as intact as you can.
When you re-pot this plant--you should brace it from all sides with some short bamboo sticks--
just to keep it from moving around as it re-roots in the new pot.
Maybe you could wait until spring to do this. That is when they go into their growing phase.
Right now--they are, or should be, in their dormant phase...Dry and cool......Until beg. of April.
Take them outside and keep them in filtered light all season.
As the seson progresses and it gets really cold (NOT freezing)--keep them outside
a couple more weeks. By this time--all of mine are showing buds at the end of all the tips...
Then I bring them inside--and they go "POOF!"--and bloom.
Gita
Here is a picture of some of my small pots with X-Mas cactus cuttings rooting in them.
These are on the top of the mid-sash of my window above my kitchen sink facing North.
I also have these on my DR window sash...
Ah the bracing of the plant. I did wonder how that thing would stay in the pot and not tip out. Good idea.
I have an east facing deck with overhang, it is a good spot for morning sun in summer. I just have to remember that things there get no rain at all. It works OK for CC; they like our humidity.THe last nice one I lost was due to a two day rainy spell in midsummer which drowned it, even in a clay pot..
I made a trip to the local grocery store they have CC but not marked down low enough for me to justify the buy. I did find a piece laying on the shelf and it just happen to jump in my pocket, I have it in some water to rehidrate a bit before dipping it in rooting hormone and placing it in damp potting mix. If they drop the price more I'll buy one.
If you have not had Wolferman's english muffins you are really missing out. I got some for Christmas from DD and they are almost gone. They are having a sale so I ordered more. 41% off and I found a coupon for free shipping, today is the last day. The free shipping code is Winter.
Are you enjoying the warm weather ? It is almost shorts and tee weather. Most of our snow is gone. If the ground was not so soggy I would be out messing around in the flower beds.
I got my black eyed peas to make Hoppin John tomarrow, so our dinner is taken care of.
Happy New Year all.
Lady----
Isn't it odd how some plants just "jump" into your pocket?????
You would swear they had little legs on springs--right???....:o)
I have experienced this myself......ahem......polishing my Halo!
G.