I'm posting this the night before...I'm a "do-it-ahead" type person. Plus...until a bit closer to when school starts, I'm still sleeping late!
July 24, Monday: Texas "Coffee" and Gardening in the AM
Ok Connie, my mutts are feed and I got the coffee here. I thought about calling in this morning, but really need to keep up my work and not get behind. The boss goes on vacation for two weeks before long so I will have a heavier work load then.
I thought I would invite Dave to join us for coffee on our first day of your thread. I took this pic at the Statewide RU in CS this past April.
Halloooo Coffee in hand and ready to start the day. I look forward to Mondays... ( was up at 5 ) my day off. I hope to pot up some Hoyas and pack up a couple Stapelia to ship out. Who knows what else. I'm the official watermelon tester here and enjoying some locally grown Black Diamond for breakfast. For us, no rain and none in sight. The up side is, no mowing. Have a good day!
Oh that reminds me of a post that JackieShar did of a story of a conversation between God and St. Francis. It was a hoot. I am sure she would mind if I re-posted it here.
YARD WORK - AS VIEWED FROM HEAVEN
(overheard in a conversation between God and St. Francis):
God: Francis, you know all about gardens and nature; what in the world is going on down there in the U.S.? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistles and the stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought, and multiply with abandon.
The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies,honeybees, and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of color by now. All I see are patches of green.
St. Francis: It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. They are called the Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers "weeds" and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.
God: Grass? But it is so boring, it's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, bees or birds, only grubs and sod worms. It's temperamental with temperatures.
Do these Suburbanites really want grass growing there?
St. Francis: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it has grown a little, they cut it.... sometimes two times a week.
God: They cut it? Do they bale it like hay?
St. Francis: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it inbags.
God: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?
St. Francis: No sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.
God: Now let me get this straight...they fertilize it to make it grow and when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?
St. Francis: Yes, sir.
God: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.
St. Francis: You aren't going to believe this Lord, but when the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.
God: What nonsense! At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep the moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. Plus, as they rot, the leaves become compost to enhance the soil. It's a natural circle of life.
St. Francis: You'd better sit down, Lord.
As soon as the leaves fall, the Suburbanites rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.
God: No way! What do they do to protect the shrubs and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?
St Francis: After throwing the leaves away, they go out and buy somethingcalled mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.
God: And where do they get this mulch?
St. Francis: They cut down the trees and grind them up to make mulch.
God: Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. Saint Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?
St. Catherine: "Dumb and Dumber," Lord. It's a really stupid movie about....
God: Never mind--I think I just heard the whole story from Saint Francis!
Podster, I can't say I look forward to Mondays, but I get up at 5 or 5:30 most every day, including the off days. I have always been a morning person. If I take naps during the afternoon though, I am up too late like I was this weekend. It will make for a long day at work today I am afraid.
That's a keeper! Thank you. I, for one, do not water grass. I consider myself blessed when the growing slows. I have to tell, I bought a small mower. Just my size and one I could handle. Being mechanically inclined, I assembled it. Set the wheels high ~ my choice, so as not to stress the grass because I don't water. My spouse came thru and saw that and said 'Won't you have to mow more often?' ... No ? I'll mow it the same amount, it will just stay longer... DUH!
4-5 am here, almost always. Work days or days off. Days off, because I want to be! Naps I can't do. If I do nap on a weekend, when it gets naptime at work I am not worth killing.
Alright Connie.....where are you???? (((((Wake up!!!!!))))))!!!!!!
Edited after several minutes........tick ...tick.....
Time has run out got to get to work. Maybe she will be awake earlier tomorrow! LOL! Have a great day all!
This message was edited Jul 24, 2006 7:08 AM
Good Morning to all! Its time for me to get my second cup of coffee and water my plants.Love the piece Sheila ... just let nature take its course. :)
I love this idea! I don't have coffee, but will my morning Pepsi do? I've been up since 5:30, feeding the mosquitos, deadheading the roses and pulling a few weeds.
I think 8:27 is entirely too early to be awake but the lawn service guys are next door mowing and woke me up. What can I say?
But by the dawn's early light, out in my 'pot ghetto' holding area, this clerodendrum incisum is blooming its head off. Haven't decided what I'm going to do with this plant--it's fairly new in the trade and the jury's still out on its hardiness and invasiveness (got to watch out with some members of the clerodendrum family). Unfortunately, it has no scent--but then if it did I wouldn't be able to smell it because my monster-sized rangoon creeper permeates the entire back yard in early morning and late evening with its' intoxicating scent.
Clerodendrum incisum is called the musical notes plant because of the shape of the emerging blooms. That plant is about 2.5' x 2'5' now. It will be available at the Dallas RU and the College Station RU--it will root (as all clero's are easy to root); I've already given one to a friend--but I need to start propagating now; So go to the "Dallas--have's and want's lists" to let me know. If you aren't going to the Dallas swap but are going to the College Station swap dmail me so I can start cuttings now that it's between blooming cycles. Here's PlantFiles entry:
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/67699/index.html
Also the little yellow subshrub in the lower left hand corner is very interesting too. Has creamy leaf bracts like the Poinsetta prior to blooming:
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/59740/index.html
A closer shot of clero incisum blooms.
Debbie
Okay...I'm finally up. Got up at 11:30 because I didn't get to sleep until 5:00!! I should have made the first entry before I went to sleep! ha....
Let's try to start again....see Wednesday the 26th here.
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/630972/
Debbie I am for anything that will grow in a pot and and this plant is fantastic! even the foilage is beautiful! Pleas have mine potted up and ready to go at the Dallas RU. :)
Clerodendrum incisum
your best friend :)
Sylvia
This message was edited Jul 26, 2006 3:33 PM
This message was edited Jul 26, 2006 3:37 PM