Propagation efforts and results ( the basics) Dec ,

Awww I love the Kitty pics. I have been loving my lil grancat Oona since she has been here. Spoiling her rotten, she doesn't seem to mess with stuff but who knows.

Have fun with Family, Keith, more important than plants in my opinion. Sometimes I feel captive to my plants, and I'm really losing interest in all the tropicals.
Still love to propagate tho, have brug Y ends in rain water right now, and passion vine rooted, ready to pot up, but it's still to cold to get me outside and I'm not a hundred percent well yet. I'd throw the Petunias in the area you got the seeds from, Alice. Sherri, I could just envision you Kitty tail on that squirrel and the potted plants all being knocked down.. what a vision .. LOL So, I still have too many plants, and too many seeds, put a shout out to Facebook all ready, no bites, oh well.. *sigh* Joe says I will feel differently when it warms up...playing with flower pics is always fun..

well I got those petunia seeds from the petunias in my flower pot, so just sprinkle em on top and water?

I got truck load of mulch today, garden is going to happen

Spent yesterday slathered with icy hot and my anti inflammatory skin salve, today I barely had the gumption to peek outside my warm room til 3 pm when it finally hit 60*. Plants have had one attack by Doodles, he grabbed an eggshell that didnt sprout any seeds, I hissed at him good and proper. Hasn't snuck back in the room yet. YAY Gypsi! You do know I start stuff abt a month earlier than you for outdoors? I think that is what to do with petunias -mine always self seeded like zinnias do when the bed isn't disturbed and not mulched.
Don't blame ya Ju, that wind hurts me this year even at 60*. I seemed to lose all my strength last year and it feels strange to be so thin skinned now.
Sharon you do good to get some of your own time with everything you have going. Enjoy slacktime Jen. Sunkissed, I am losing a lot of patience with some of my plants, as babies they keep ya watchin, then as adults they break your back...

BRAVO on the load of mulch Gypsi. Happy growing!

Whoops, how did that get in there twice?

PS. What does a load of mulch consist of in Texas

Nice springy pictures, Debra.

My mulch is oak debris, mostly leaves from all my trees.

Looks like weather is going to climb to the mid to lower 80's for the next ten days here, not sure what happened to the nice spring 70's/50's, guess we're going to skip right over that. Usually one last cold snap hits us around end of Feb. early March, so I'm not letting my guard down yet.

Greenhouse plants all back out in the garden since they were starting to cook in there.
Seedlings of all sorts of unwanted oaks, podocarpus, loquats and spiderworts popping up, keeping me stooped over and yanking them out.

I have too many plants also. *Sigh*.

What a pretty kitty! Beautiful coloring! You guys are hard to keep up with!
80 degrees! What is that?
Gypsi, I've grown petunias a little bit. They take awhile to gain size so I would start soon. Of course that is in NJ, not Texas.

I'm still reading along , love the photo's and chat , Having some trouble keeping up , (that will change though ) Cold bleak weather even when it warms up some ,

We are 77 degrees here and all of the trees are budding out. Roses are coming alive. I have 5 pots emptied and one is scraped. These pots are clay and were an awful mustard yellow. On sale at HD because of the color. I purchased them and spray painted them an autumn brown. At least 5 years ago. Since we have been here 16 years, probably before but you all know how time flies.

Vern had 3 Dr. appointments this week. Was a total pain but now they are all done for 6 months unless he gets sick. I was worried going to three different Dr.'s offices and being exposed to the crud but we did not see anyone really sick with the flu or cold. So we will know in a few days. So far I have not known anyone with the flu.

Next week, the 17th, is our 44 wedding anniversary. Where we are now, we expected to get here but not this early. Vern is 85 and I am 75 and neither one of us think we are old. LOL. My Dad died at 87 and my mother at 89 and neither one of us appear to be that old as they were when they died. (in our minds).

I took some photos of the geraniums today. They love this weather. I also took a photo of a bloom on one of the succulents.

Succulent Bloom...Pots being cleaned and repainted.

Rainin here, but 60's I have dry brushed a few old pots, but can't while the rains and humidity stay way up there. NJ and 80 isnt due for a bit, chuckl. Love the succulent! I personally am looking for a spray can of tomato red.. seems everyone else wants candy appe reds...

Kitt Craft fiber paint if you want to brush on ,

Sharon love the Geraniums and Succulents , wonderful , cheerful colors !
33 degrees 25 tonight ,,

Sharon such beautiful geraniums...Also happy Anniversary.

My clay pots always covered in green moss from the heavy humidity and rains, I kind of like the look though.

Azaleas are busting out with flowers, glad the below freezing didn't kill the buds. Leaves are falling like crazy off the trees now. Second photo is one of my huge bromeliads, the color is so bright and stands out in the garden, the cooler weather brings out the color.

A big WOW on that bromiliad Sherri. Surprised it is unscathed by the cold weather you had.
Nice geranium pics Sharon. And I got a big chuckle out of your little blurp about your ages and how you feel about it. Can totally relate. I am about 10 years behind you, just turned 65 in July. People that are passing on now in their 80s seem like they have been old forever and I don't feel inside that I am anywhere close to where they were 15 years ago . I think part of it is that our generation had an easier life. I keep telling myself "you are getting the old age pension man, you are OLD " I'm still my mother's kid. Probably when she is gone and I become the oldest member of the direct blood line then I will feel old. LOL.

Wow, so much spring here! Love the geraniums, azaleas and bromeliad! It is raining and icy here. WormsLovSharon, is that blooming succulent a clivia?

Happy Anniversary, Sharon. And beautiful blooms and gardens, all. Glad you are getting into the Spring Time mood. Still Cold here, ( 20) but I'm glad for now. Maybe will kill the oak mites for good. I haven't grown geraniums for years. I'd like to try them again. Loretta, your cat and pooch are way cute! Sherri, you Kitty looks very fluffy!
Last nite at dark thirty Joe and I watched a big Hawk sitting high up scoping for food. We then saw three little mice scurrying around under the metal patio table getting dropped bird food. I'm hoping that Hawk scores big, I saw one run up to the Cedar Siding and hide in there. UGH.
Happy for all gardening efforts, looking forward to see results !

Loretta it is a purple mother of a thousand succulent. I will take a photo of the total plant. It is close to 2 feet length wise with no leaves but this big bloom at the end. I have always cut them back before they got this long. I did not know they would have this bloom.

I cleaned all 4 pots this afternoon. Took about 3 hours but they ill stay fresh for another 4 years. At that time they will probably be done. Two are starting to deteriorate and I can seal them with some paint but this will probably be the last rehab. They are at least 10 years old. Wind came up just before I was done. Getting cooler tomorrow. Vern's son came over and stayed with him while I was outside. That really helps.

The dogs got their baths today, all the blankets on our bed got washed. Tomorrow I am going to clean the front door and the glass in the two outdoor lamps on each side of the door. I am in my spring cleaning mo jo. I make myself a list at night when I go to bed because that is when I remember what needs to be done.

Azaleas and bromeliads do not grow here. I do have many plumerias but thy spend the winter in the garage.

First photo is pot before cleaning. Second photo is three cleaned pots and third photo is my helper Peanut.

Pnut looks like a great helper. You have a lot of energy!

Keith that bromeliad is in a pot and was carried into the FL room on the nights below 39F. ;-)
Sharon I wish I had your MO JO...LOL. That last picture of Peanut in the pot, what is that plant in the background?

Sun, that is a red castor bean. If you are seeing the purple, that is purple lady. We have snow in the mountains and suppose to have rain tonight.

I finally got the pots turned over and the lips painted Tomorrow, I will have the HOA landscapers stop by and help me move them back into the bed. The photos are the purple thousand babies. First photo is one year old. Second one you can see that the stem has grown long and rooting and grew toward the sun and is blooming. This one was broken off by the wind and jut placed on the top of the propagation soil. The third one is the plant still in the pot. When it is through blooming I will cut to about 2 inches and then propagate the cuttings.

Here are the finished pots. Three day project. But that was only about 2 1/2 hrs a day.

Plant is photos 2, 4 and 5 are Euphorbia (Gopher plant). grows like a weed here. They are in bud ready to bloom over a month early. They self seed but easy to control. The 4th photo is one I purchased 2 years ago on line for too much but is starrting to grow. Hopefully it will self sow.

Sharon you are ambitious. I'm still trying to get seed in pots. and seedlings to the garden, and move the mulch

Sharon, pots look great, I've never seen a spotted Kalanchoe like that, very cool looking. The Gopher plant is beautiful in bloom.

My coleus and Impatiens seeds are sprouting, hopefully the squirrels don't go digging in the pots, I put a bunch of sticks over them, sometimes that works.

Yesterday it got up to 87, crazy for February, that is summer weather, sure is one crazy winter. Of course the plants are budding out with this warm weather, I'm going to chop a Cassia tree down today, it sucks too much water from the other plants, the three week bloom period is not worth the rest of the year looking like a weed.

Firey sunrise in Oxdrift this morning. Can't be a good sign

Beautiful sunrise!
Thank you, Debra. That's Tucker and Mufasa.
Sharon, I like the color of your pots. It's nice and earthy. You have interesting plants. The fourth picture of gopher spurge is very rich. I also grow the other and it runs around but it is so pretty, I can't get myself to pull it all out.

I am proud to show off a propagated brugmansia in bloom downstairs. This was a 7 inch cutting from Isabella three years ago, now she is about 6 ft tall.
Beautiful Sunrise , Keith. Breath taking.
Had to go to dr, he gave me a shot and admonished me for not going sooner. *bleah*

Keith, red sky in the morning, take warning, agreed, if it isnt borealis shenanigans... green moss creeping around stuff that doesn't move fast. Got warm today- 50' s to 74* but humidity was 100%. I know I don't like setting seeds in paper core, stuff was growing white mold. Added 1/2" dirt to my tomato seeds, went ahead and stuck 2 cilantro seedlings out in the garden with one of the amaranth seedlings. I will get pix tomorro. The lorapetulum is blooming, but with Easter on April Fools, I expect a Spring freeze still. Shadow has alwaysloved outside, and Doodle is grown smart enough I kick him outdoors to use energy. I pulled a squirrel out of my horse trough last summer, but he finally managed to drown himself in there yesterday. So tromped out and planted him in the woods when the sun showed up. My rabbit fencing appears to work- that metal fabric around the top of the cinderbrix, above the moss...

Love the brugmansia Debra. I gave up on them because they always got majorly bug infested when I brought them in. Now that I have s little more experience in fighting that I should try again. Way too expensive to throw out and buy new every year
Squirrels have a habit of commiting Harry carry in my rain barrels too Kitt. The odd baby robin too.

Loretta, that is a special purchase I made about 2 years ago. I also have on that the eaves are yellow and the stems are dark. I will take a photo tomorrow. I am hoping I get some seeds from the purple one.

We had rain today. Not a lot.

Kitt, I laughed at your moss. Here if we want moss we buy it at the nursery.

Keith, beautiful sky.

Happy Valentine day to all of you.

Kinda of a no nothing day here. Dogs got two walks and except for making dinner and breakfast and cleaning up I did very little.

Stunning sunrise, Keith

Pretty brug blooms, Debra, mine froze back but has some new growth coming back now. I chopped down and dug up a Cassia tree by mine two days ago, so now mine should get some better sun.

Doodle and Shadow are cute playmates, lots of moss around here too, Texas and FL similar in that way.

We just spent V-day at home, grilled some pork tenderloins, was nice and comfortable weather yesterday, not as hot as last week was.

Lots of spring flowers busting out here now.

I'm going to put some of my hard grown moss in a blender with some yogurt, then paint it on some stones that will hopefully stay moist. That's the plan. (pond builder's trick to keep from having to buy more expensive stone with moss)

still haven't got onions, broccoli or spinach in, will see. built a small ornamental pond at the front of the yard where the giant turks cap came out, with my grandson who lost his sister. He has a lot of anger right now, digging is good therapy. It's not quite done, need the liner on the uphill side buried so runoff from the hill goes into the pond, and need more stone.

Thanks for sharing those cherry blooms Sherri. Seems a long way off yet. Days are getting noticibly longer here though. That is a step forward st least

It is pouring rain here nearly 60 degrees , Lots of seeds still stratify at 30 to 40 degrees so I broadcast sowed some poppies in a couple minutes , Plenty of cold nights and such remain ,
Wanted to prune fruit trees I have remaining , That will happen shortly
Lots of sowing of cool and cold weather seeds to do ,

All those blooms! I was wishin I had more than 2 pansies and the lorapetulum in bloom, but dont have enough sun in the yard. It was a GORGEOUS day! I cleaned the front porch, watered stuff. Tired, but satisfied. Am of the opinion my maters should have been started in Dec now, but I am happy with them as they arent quite a month old. I am toting them in and out still, so they are getting both climates, chuckl. Wish more squirrels would drown themselves, Keith, but I dumped my rainwater collected and cleaned the tub out

I'm wishing I'd gotten anything in the ground, it's gonna be cold tomorrow.

The snow and soil melted and I've been raking, trimming and starting to sow.

Loretta, this is the Gopher plant I was referring to. It has been spending the winter in the greenhouse and just brought out a few days ago. It was planted today. I laid it on it's side so you could see the stems. Also included the pot label for your info. I ought it at Lowes. They only brought in two.

Following along , Loving all the Sky and plant and Flower pics !!!
Gray and cold here ,

Wellll, I wish I had a pasture to throw out old seeds, but hopefully there is a place for them to grow if they will... dill is already blooming (next to the oregano), those lorapetulums, & ground mold I need to spritz with vinegar. I have been creating crepe murder, but taking canes to the ground to help them bush back up. Everything is sprouting and I am cleaning the leaves and needles and old burned canes...wore me out. The maters- those potato leaf Prudens Purple grow faster than the Opalka...

Kitt Sounds like you have been doing Bunches , Some giving nice results ,

Looks like this here ,
Coreopsis
Penstemon
Green Wheels Sempervivum
Onions (Egyptian
Jugs , Garlic (brown ) Onions (white bunching