What's Trying to Bloom in this Blasted Rain!!

LOL at the timewarp.. good to see you back :-)

Figured I'd post in installments so I don't get too much lost with the storm.

You gals sure get plenty of exercise -- that is wonderful. I swim and garden and shop garden centers --lol!! When it is too hot to do the heavy schlep gardening I go to Curves 3x per week. In spite of this I am very overweight. I always have had a weight problem but was very voluptuous [true hour glass figure]-- now I'm way pushing Rubenesque!! LOL

I have thyroid problems all my life. Had a huge goiter at one point. Used amphetamines for years and years and ate very little -- now a normal diet can make me gain. I maintain on the South Beach Diet -- but don't lose. In spite of this I'm in pretty good shape for the shape I'm in -- lol!!

Friday is "date night". We get together with some other couples and go out to dinner and socialize and the gals all drink wine. It is a nice break in the week!! I have to bleach my finger nails... they are all dirt stained and won't get clean -- even after the pool and hot tub.

I was very good yesterday and only purchased four plants on our shopping trip. Three ferns from Lowe's "wounded plant rack", and a heliconia.
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/368633/
I had heliconia before but it died in a frost. This time I want to divide it and plant it in different spots so it has a better chance of survival.

See ya,
M

Marie lives! Yippeee! We were getting worried about you.

We have a Curves in our neighborhood and some of my neighbors go there regularly and love it. I have a treadmill in my library (sound mind, sound body?) and I use it in winter when I'm not gardening. It's a really cool one because you can set it to mimic a San Francisco hill. Growing up there and climbing those hills daily, I developed calf muscles you wouldn't believe. Now, no matter how thin I get, I still have those big calf muscles. They used to bother me, but when I consider the alternative....

I love the picture of the heliconia. It's so tropical and exotic. I'm experimenting with some new tropicals this year. I've always grown orchids and hibiscus, but this year I'm also trying hoya, plumeria, ixora, vireya, and crossandra. All in pots, of course, because I'll have to move them into the solarium for winter.

My sister has the same thyroid problem. I feel so sorry for her because everyone else in the family is thin. She always ate the same things we did and gained weight while we didn't. She was on every imaginable type of medication for it for years, but then she developed horrible migraine headaches, which the doctor blamed on the meds, so she had to stop taking all of them. She now has awful arthritis, and no one else in the family does. I wonder whether all of these things are connected. Did you ever get migraines, Marie?

Monster migraines when I was younger. I think they run in our family tho' cause my sister Rain had them too. She was a tiny twig when younger-- I think she wore a size 0 or 3 when she got married. I guess she is about a size 8 or 12 now and moans about her weight. My bro Jack has the same size waist he had in HS [28 - 30"]. Jack eats enough for a family of 4. LOL

I have arthritis too -- my mom had it but did not have the weight problem. Also have hypertension [controled with meds]. -- But I think that is being a crazy Italian. I do not let my health problems interfere with my life.

We had a delightful night -- out to Chinese with friends and then socialized. Drank a bit or merlot.

Tomorrow is going to be a heavy duty yard day!! DH and I will complete our project of clearing and mulching the south border. The strangler vines are tamed for now!!

Have a great Saturday everyone!!

Marie

OH Well!! Completion of south border project on back burner. We had a "summit meeting" and agreed to finish the master bath project. MB was gutted and is 3/4 rebuilt. DH wants to get it out of the way and I agreed it would be more convenient to have two totally functional bathrooms when our company arrives. And -- The recycle center has plenty of compost to complete our outdoor project later on in the summer. It is just the summer heat beats me up!!

I do have some plants I HAVE to get in the ground this weekend and hopefully it will happen.

Have a great weekend!!

Marie

Thanks, Marie. I'm making the rounds of the nurseries today on a hunt for Lithodora "Star." I ordered it from two nurseries in Washington, but one ran out of it and the other sent me the wrong thing. Then I heard that Home Depot had it a couple of weeks ago. I've got to stop relying on the Internet to supply me with things that are right around the corner. I'll let you know how this works out, although I'm sure you already know: I'll come home with 30 things that bear no resemblance to a lithodora.

Does anyone else use "Answers.com"? I love it!! you can "Alt, click" on a highlighted word/phrase and it gives you spelling etc., or resource info on the item. Best of all it's free!! It resources DG frequently.

http://www.answers.com/

i.e.: I just used "Answers.com" on the "litodora" and it gave me info on the item.
http://www.icangarden.com/neweden/star.htm

Wonder if I shoud post this info in the General area?

This message was edited Jun 18, 2005 6:11 PM

Yes, you definitely should post it. I didn't know about it. Isn't the Lithodora pretty?

Well, I went to Home Depot, Yardbirds, Walmart, and two local nurseries and no one had the Lithodora. Worse yet, all of their plants looked bad. I have never seen so many plants I didn't want. Finally, when I got disgusted and moved on to the grocery stores, I found a beautiful Ernest Markham clematis in a 2-gallon pot for $19.95. Not really a bargain, but it was already blooming and had about 50 buds on it, so I couldn't resist.

On Thursday, I'm going down to Annie's Annuals, which is one of my favorite places. I don't like to shop online at Annie's because the items range from $4.00 to $9.00 and there's a $2 handling charge for each plant. At the nursery, however, which is only about 40 miles from my house, the annuals are $3, the perennials are $4, and the extra-special super-duper once-in-a-lifetime plants are $5, and there's no handling charge, of course.

Yes, the Lithodora was beautiful!! Good luck finding a "Star". Did you read the blurb on how "Star" was discovered?

Wow! That is remarkable -- going to all those garden centers and having all the plants unappealing. MMMMMMM Annies sounds wonderful!! I'm on my way!! [I wish!]

Did not get ANY gardening doneyesterday. We were running around getting all the stuff to complete the master bathroom. No "yard time" today either --- DSD is having a Father's Day bash. Oh Well -- it will be nice to see the family and socialize with them. Well, that is the local family. Don't know if I mentioned it but DH and I have 16 kids between us. We accumulated this mob from our "marital wanderings". I have 3 bios and 5 steps that I raised. DH has 6 bios and 2 steps he raised. Yeah-- we could start our own country with this mob. ROF!!

DH & I met O/L 7 years ago. We have been together IRW [means living in the real world, not the cyber world] for five years -- we are soul-mates!! I thought some of my other relationships were good until this one,,, I never had such a great relationship and neither has he. Thank you Cyber Gods!!

Have a great Sunday everyone,
Marie

What a wonderful story, Marie. 16 kids... I had my hands full with one. So, how many marriages do you have between you? From what I've heard, these cyber unions really are marvelously successful in most cases. Something to be said for becoming best friends before you test the physical chemistry. If the chemistry's there, you have a great marriage. If the second phase doesn't pan out, you still have a best friend.

I did read the story on Star's discovery and was charmed by it. How exciting it must be to find a beautiful mutation of a familiar plant!

Angele, who was so worried about you getting lost in your pool, now seems to have disappeared herself. Do you suppose she got lost on one of her walks? Did you read her "Finding Zuzu's Petals" thread, where she described how she tracked down my wildflower? She posted a link to it on June 16th. What a wonderful girl.

LOL I just wanted to see what you'd say about me when I wasn't around...

Lurker alert!!!

Went on a short jeep trip & got hooked on a sappy Tom Sellak sp? movie tonight

I don't think the poor guy ever made any other kind of movie. I blame his voice. He's handsome and tall, but he just doesn't have the Clark Gable voice that should go with those looks. My Sundays are a wasteland now that Deadwood is off for another year. Love that Calamity Jane!

Sunday is flea market day around here. I got a big Clematis "Dawn," a Passiflora "Witchcraft," and a Salvia "Blue Angel." Also got some beautiful pieces of cloisonne dirt cheap. Now it's time to work again, so I guess I'll sign off and go keep the world safe for democracy. LOL.

All right, this is getting ridiculous. I just got another profanity/vulgarity warning. Can't figure out what triggered it. Maybe the name of the Passiflora?

Zuzu - Cloissone dirt? Great choices on your plant purchases.

Yes, I read Angele's "Zuzu safari" -- It was wonderful!! Great going Angele. I like Tom Selleck too and I agree with Zuzu - his voice is rather weird; not fitting with his physique.

DH & I have both been married 4 times. My "score"= 2 div, one death. DH = 3 div. Oddly enough Lou's last wife [#3] and I became great friends after I met her. They married when she was newly widdowed and raised their children together -- after the children left they drifted apart, they are still great friends.

All the internet unions I am closely familiar with worked out great. My best friend met her DH o/l - both were widdowed. DSS met his wife o/l and she is from Indonesia - it took forever for her to get into our country.... but she is a SUPER gal and certainly worth going half way around the world for.

I have heard some horror stories about internet meetings. I think in those cases -- people rush into the relationships and do not do their "homework". DH & I chatted for about 8 months and spoke on the phone constantly. When we met IRW we felt that we knew each other and were best friends. The chemestry was there for us -- and the rest is history!

It is soooo hot outside. I have to stir myself and get some stuff planted.

Have a great monday,
Marie

Oh, Marie. That's dirt-cheap cloissone, not cheap cloisonne dirt. Funny!

Yes, those rush Internet relationships can be scary. Sort of like meeting a guy in a bar and expecting to live happily ever after. I was married once for a year and a half, but I should have walked out the first day. It would have been embarrassing, though, so I didn't. Oddly enough, I met him in a bar and expected to live happily ever after.

My garden is rapidly turning into a jungle. The combination of temps in the 90s and lots of unexpected rain is making everything go nuts. I'll whittle away at the edges for a few days and see if it's something I can handle. If not, I'll send in a team of brawny men with machetes. That's the beauty of living in a small town. You never have trouble finding a handyman or a gardener. They're all so happy to make money in town and not have to drive 60 miles to San Francisco in search of work.

LOL!! Cloisonne dirt!!

Sorry about your marriage.... sometimes you meet interesting people in bars.

I hear you about the jungle. Wow!! You are lucky to get workers so easily. I have trouble getting help. Right now I have DGD Jenna [17] getting her summer "Grandma Fix". Perhaps between the two of us we can get some work done.

With a 17-year-old girl on your property, could strapping young men be slow to arrive? Strapping young men who would perform great feats for little or no money just to impress a 17-year-old girl?

The marriage was what it was. It taught me that I lo-o-ove living alone. I never tried anything like that again. Of course, my son lived here for almost 22 years, but that doesn't count. Even if my husband had not been a homicidal lunatic, I wouldn't have enjoyed the marriage because I'm not very good at compromising. I like to do things when I want to do them, not when someone else wants them done. I've always been that way, and it gets stronger as I get older. Imagine if I tried getting married now, with my 17 cats (it was 18, but my lovely Waldorf got run over and killed on Friday morning) and my biological clock that prefers to stay up until 5:00 or 6:00 in the morning and get up at noon. Besides, I haven't really cooked anything for the last 10 years. I eat a lot of fruit and raw vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, and microwave popcorn. Not exactly the life someone else might want to share.

More shopping this weekend. Many, many sales. I have no room left in the garden and must plant vertical things, so I bought more fuschsias, more clematis, more mandevilla, more lapageria, more passiflora, and a Dolichos lab lab vine. It looked good and the name was irresistible. Hacked away a little at the jungle. All in all, a very productive weekend. I feel good.

Zuzu, it seems to me that you have found the ingredients for a happy life, and that to me means a successful life. Congratulations. Dotti

Why, thank you, Dotti. I am doing quite well and I haven't been depressed for years, so I must have happened on the right "ingredients." Lots of gardening, lots of cats, and lots of quiet time alone.

Zuzu - Sounds like you found a formula for happiness. I too am a night person. If DH did not have to work he would be a night person too.

Luckily DH & I give each other lots of space. In the past I was married to a very needy person that "smother loved" me. This time I have someone who gives me plenty of space and I return the favor.

LOL -- Zuzu -- if the boys could see my grand-daughter they would probably be falling down the drive way -- but the properties here a sorta secluded and it is impossible to see the pool area from the street. DGD does not date yet -- I personally think her combined parentage are too strict. What will she do when she goes away to college next year? -- that is what I ask them -- they avoid the question .

DGD & I did a bit of weeding today before the thunderstorm rolled in at 3 pm. She is interesting in gardening and loves to pick bunches of flowers -- she makes a bunch of mini arangements and puts them together in a grouping -- I have to get a pix of a fresh one.

We are going to Curves 3 times a week -- then we go out to lunch and shopping -- by the time we get home DH is home. Not much time for gardening. Oh Well -- this will be her last "free" year -- next year it will be off to college.

M

Gardening is a great pastime, Marie, but spending time with your granddaughter, not to mention going out to lunch and shopping, is even better. Enjoy this visit. She could get all wrapped up in college or in boyfriends and not have time for this kind of visit again.

Isn't it funny how times and customs change? She's 17 and isn't allowed to date. My oldest sister, who is 71 now, was called an old maid because she didn't get married until she was 19. When I was growing up in San Francisco in the 1950s, we started dating at 12. The dates were very casual, obviously, because no one could even drive yet. The boy's parents usually had to drive us to the movies or the bowling alley or wherever the date was going to be, unless it was within walking distance. Sex before marriage was completely out of the question, of course, and now it seems to be the only thing teenagers do on dates. There was one girl in my high school (in San Francisco!!!) who wasn't a virgin, and we all treated her like some kind of exotic bird. I don't think I ever even talked to her. She seemed to be from another planet and I didn't think I would have anything in common with her to talk about.

Zuzu - yes -- it is interesting the way "times and customs" change.

As I said before -- I do not agree with DGD's combined parentage [her mom & step dad and her dad & step mom]. I think my two DGD's need more freedom, but they rule me out. If I lived closer we could debate the issue a bit more -- but I am 3/4 hours away. They are very generous with her in other ways -- she got a new car when she got her license, her own laptop when she requested one etc.

I think "casual dating" is important for developing good social skills.

It is a beautiful day here in east central Florida but we will not have time to garden.... [sniff sniff!! :-)] We are off to Curves to work-out and then errands.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Marie/Zingy

Hi ZuZu and Zingy, love those names!!!! Hey if you don't want the rain, send it my way, we are a cooking and a drying out in this state of ours!!! We have not had any rain since May. And the ground is drying up, except for my flower beds which I water twice a day now. Thankgoodness for native plants, or I would be in trouble. Oh talking about plants you purchase at Wally world, well here is one I got last month for $1.25, a hibiscus called
Double Shell Pink, her first bloom today in a pot!!! I bought at least a dozen plants different colors(hibiscus) that is. Well have a great day, Zuzu, and Zingy, and hope to talk to you soon. And please by all means send that rain our way!!! LOL!!! No I am serious, really, been doing a raindance and nothing!!!! :)

Marie, I think Rose Petalzz must have a very slow dialup connection because that picture she mentioned still hasn't loaded.

I want to see that picture, Rose. My local Walmart had only one hibiscus plant today (I bought it). I guess they think we don't need them in Northern California. They won't overwinter outside here, but I bring them inside on Thanksgiving weekend and keep them in until March. Even if I didn't, at Wal-Mart prices, I'd grow them as big fancy annuals. They're the same price as a pelargonium, and most of those are annuals here too and certainly not as exotic-looking. I really love the doubles and bought five great big ones on sale from Top Tropicals this year. Those people must be laundering money for the Russian mafia because they sell huge hibiscus plants for $3.95.

Oh, duh, I am slow, not the computer!!!!! LOL. Here it is y'all. been out planting in the bloody heat again today, am exhausted!!!! Hope you like this one!! I do!!!!

It's gorgeous! I love the doubles and we never see them in our local nurseries. That one is irresistible.

Thanks Zuzu, I love it! I went to wally world today and they had some hibiscus, but not any doubles at all, and the price was back up to 4.94 each. So I will be watching the garden center this month for sure. But I did get a Martha Gonzales rose bush for four dollars!!!!!
And the purple fountain grass was on clearance for one dollar each. I needed it for contrast and texture!!! I am so thankful I have natives, cause everyone around me is having a heck of a time with no rain to boot with their lush green grasses turning brown and yellow. Not to brag, but they cannot believe I have green grass in the patches I have that have grass, because my native plants don't need much water and they provide shade for my little islands of grass, just enough for a chair or two. Oh well I better not brag too much, we do need rain desperately so!!!!! Enjoy the weekend y'all and take care, forget the fireworks here, too dry and dangerous!!!!! Happy 4th!!!
Ruby---oh here is my Tropical "Paradise" hibiscus!

Oh, Ruby. I could scream! "Paradise" is fabulous. I don't know the Martha Gonzales rose. Post a pic when it blooms, please.

My Wal-Mart just about never has anything on clearance because everything's dead a couple of weeks (at most) after it arrives. I usually buy something only if it came in that morning or the day before. The lady who used to run the garden department died this year, and everyone's lost without her. They water everything equally, so the succulents drown and the primula wither. The local Home Depot isn't much better. The only good big nursery around here is Yardbirds. Do you have that in Texas? It might just be a local thing, but there are two branches of it within 10 miles of my house and they're huge. They concentrate on things that are hardy here, however, and don't have too many tropicals except in houseplants.

Post more hibiscus pictures, please. I love them.

Rose -- beautiful pix of hibiscus!! I love them too.

Zuzu - I have had trouble with the doubles overwintering here too. Some winters we have light frost -- but occasionally we have a frost bad enough to decimate the doubles.

We had a FAB fourth -- we went out to one of the causeways and watched the fireworks. Actually, besides the "big fireworks" many people on the causeway were shooting off spectacular fireworks for hours. Such fun!!

DGD#1 is still here. This weekend we have the "changing of the guard". DD will pick up DGD#1 and "exchange" her for DGD #2. Today we went school clothes shopping -- my wallet is aching -- LOL I tell them they can have 5 outfits each -- but we usually go over.

We are watching 'Cane Dennis with trepiation.... well Rose -- you said you wanted rain... looks like it's a'comming.

It is toooo hot to do much gardening -- heat index was 106 sticky muggy degrees -- too draining for this old bod. Maybe the 'cane will blow in some cooler weather.

Have a great weekend all,
Zingy/Marie

Marie, you and I must have the same weather in winter, but certainly not in summer. I just checked the two-week forecast for Sebastopol and learned that our temps will be high 70's and low 80's for the next two weeks, with maximum humidity at about 57 percent. It sometimes feels too hot for gardening here at about noon, but only in the sun. What's that old thing about "Mad dogs and Englishmen out in the noonday sun"? The humidity is so low here that it never feels too hot in the shade, so I choose my gardening spots accordingly. We do occasionally have temps of 100 or higher, but the humidity never goes above 75 percent unless it's actually raining.

You certainly are brave to set the clothing limit in terms of outfits. I always had to set a dollar limit for my son. If it had been outfits, he probably would have bought his clothes from Oscar de la Renta personally. How long will DGD#2 be staying with you? How old is she?

We seem to have lost Angele again. Maybe she's just lurking. If so--Hi, Angele. How're you doing?

Zuzu - I lived in CA [Long Beach from1958-1963] -- the weather was very dry -- warmer than your area, but bearable. When the heat index starts climbing into the high 90's it wipes me out -- even if I "follow the shade around". It will be like this until some time in September. TG for the pool and aircon!!

DH just purchased a gas powered edger and I want to use it on some of my projects -- but it is just too hot. DH edges the driveway and along the street ... probably about a 500'+ total edging job. We really can't complain -- some of the flag lots, in this area, that are 2-5+ acres have 400+ driveways. I told DH if I created all the flower beds I would keep them edged... so I have to find some reasonably temperate days to do my edging.

DGD #2 is 15 - DGD #1 is 17. I get them 5 outfits each. DD #1 gets them a bunch of clothes, their mom [DD#2] buys for them and their step mom buys for them. They are rather indulged!! LOL I really love shopping with them even tho' it can get a bit exhausting. My DGDs are "label freaks" and only wear specific brands. I will say the brands are well made. Luckily we hit a great sale. DGD#1 is preppy and #2 is NOT, so it is fun to shop the two different styles. Hey -- at least it's cool in the stores. LOL

'Cane Dennis looks like he is whomping Cuba right about now. We got hit really hard last year with all the storms. I am trying to get the tree guy out to cut down a huge dead pine tree. The tree people are all swamped. DH cuts most of the trees -- but this pine is a monster and hanging over another tree -- it needs to come down in sections.

We just had the stump grinder guy come out to take care of the last 3 or 4 stumps in the common yard. We have not touched the downed trees in the way back woods... it will have to go on the "to do' list.

Enough of my late night rambling...
Have a good Friday,
Zingy/Marie

Hi, Marie. I got sidetracked with brugs all of a sudden. I'd been looking at all of the pictures in the brug forum and got fascinated by the plant. Then I went to the flea market and saw that a guy there was selling them for $18. It looked like a good deal because it was in a 5-gallon can, so I bought it. Do you grow any of these? Here's a picture of it. It did have another big branch, but that one got sabotaged on the way home. That's my cat Lucy looking at the plant with wonder in his eyes. Yes, Lucy is a boy.