Dec OT Blooms

Thought I'd start this thread since we didn't have one. Don't really have blooms--just remnants;) I am packaging all my gifts this season in brown bags and am going to embellish each with decorations made from these seed pods I gathered yesterday. The big pods are flat on one side-- those will be tags. I had a really nice arrangement until I broke it apart to spray it with acryllic. Guess I'll have to go get another. We are having one of those gorgeous 60+° Ozarks days that is going to degrade beginning ANY minute into 20° with snow:(

Should be beautiful and natural using the gifts of nature. Must be very peaceful where you live.

It is peaceful and I love it--despite the fact most of my friends and family think I've lost my mind. What they don't realize is--- I was losing it where I lived before moving here-- now I've gotten it back ^_^

Here are some of my outside blooms. Nasturtiums...

More Nasturtiums. I have a lot. I love the variegation.

This message was edited Dec 9, 2008 3:07 PM

Some variegated Turk's Cap. I have three kinds of Turk's Cap. Pink too, so pretty all year.

Beautiful, Sally. So nice you can garden year round I guess in your warm climate.

I totally understand what you are saying, HillbillGran. I love the woods.

Great blooms Sally!!-- I love the variegated Turks cap-- had not seen that one before!!!

Hillbilly_Gran, when I moved out here in the country 21/2 years ago, I was really worried about being scared and all those fears. It took me 6 months to realize I am happier than I have ever been. I also take the bugs, creatures, etc that come in my house and live with a grain of salt. The utilities I haven't quite adjusted to yet. My power went out Friday night at midnight and someone didn't come until 4:30 Saturday afternoon.

The solitude I love.................the only knocks on my door are fresh veggies from the garden that my brother's farm hand brings to me or my brother or sister in law bringing me food..........like spice cake today and homemade. It is the most peace I have known in my life. I can still be chaotic and cause trouble but I am so much better out here by myself. My kids think it is great and they come often so their kids can play on the farm.

I think that as long as I am not on their doorstep to live, they will continue to be happy I am here.
Your presents will be wonderful!

HGran: Those dried pods are wonderful! Aaah ... how I'd love to live in the country, in the woods! I love trees and it's just so sad to see a beautiful wooded area and be driving by one day and see where it's been razed for new subdivisions or shopping centers! Arrrgh! Really bothers me! We've even seen lots of change in our little neighborhood the past 33 years. Our roads were all hard shell and sand and wonderful. Never had problems with driving on them because of the hard packed shell. Then about ten years ago the county decided to pave them! We are fortunate because our property is high but a neighbor on the next street has had major problems with flooding because her house sits down lower and the rain runs off the road, down her driveway and floods her den! I know some call it progress but why try to fix something that ain't broke? The sand and shell was a lot more pleasing to look at too than the black tar or whatever it is they use to pave roads!

Sally: Pretty plants! I LOVE that variegated Turks Cap ... must go googling to see if it will grow here! That variegation is really gorgeous and those red blooms just stand out against that foliage!

I lived in the country on a farm on and off for 25 yrs(mostly on) before coming here to the backwoods. The last 5 years or so there was so much new construction/homes down our dead end road I felt like I lived on the highway. I had a neighbor who would "drop in" to visit anytime she saw a different vehicle at my house--just to see who it was. The real clincher was when DH & I were in the pool, we watched a neighbor back up the road for a better view. If anyone comes to my door now they are either invited or most likely lost as the county road dead ends at our driveway. Most of my visitors have to park on the highway since my road is impassable to most vehicles. My nearest neighbor is over a mile away. I wouldn't like it if I didn't have satellite TV or internet nearly as well, but would probaly get more done. I am not scared being way out here--I am a really good shot;)

^_^ I'm a big scardy cat, I've never lived alone, went from living at home with my family to being married. I always say I'm a country girl at heart but I'm also spoiled - I LOVE to shop and hate having to drive miles to go to the mall or the grocery store, LOL. I would love the peace and quiet of living in the country though. I would DEFINITELY have a gun, or two! And plenty of Ammo, though in this day and age I think you are safer in the country than in the city.

Oooh ... if you (or anyone else) gets snow, I would love, love to see some pictures! I love the scenery of woods, and when it snows it looks even more serene and beautiful!

Here is a container on my patio table.

Tumbling bunny in a flower bed. Mom gave it to me for my Bday in Nov.

My neighborhood is gated, super quiet. That is nice. I have to be able to go to my doctors, vet, etc. I also have to have my AC. working, so if it ever has a problem, the guys come out no matter what time of night. If I get hot, I get really ill.

This message was edited Dec 9, 2008 6:56 PM

Sally those are just too cute!! My little bitty creative spark just leaves when it comes to planting containers-- I can't see past 1 plant to a pot. I love the bunnies and am jealous of your talent!!

H.Gran, I see containers as bouquets. I plant them like making an arrangement. Just finding nice colors and textures, some high, low and medium heights. I don't worry much, just plant what I love.

Sally, your containers are pretty. What is that little variegated trailing type plant in with the Pink Impatiens and the Dusty Miller in that first container? It looks so familiar but I just can't remember the name. The bunnies are so cute! I have a couple of bunnies (decorations) around the yard. I love decorative garden critters!

That is Stonecrop. It is pink, green and cream. I love it. I have it in four containers. It is so pretty!!!

Very cute Sally--we have a lot in common--a love of shih tzu.s, bunnies, and...oh yeah!..... violets! I have bunnies tucked everywhere,Columbus will attest to this.

I am jealous of your blooms in your backyard, Sally. The winds are whipping around outside at 50 mph right now as that front comes in. I have no protection whatever.

Yes, it is windy, but we have protection. Getting nice and cold, well for here anyway. 60's tomorrow I think! YEAH! So hot today.

Phoebe, yes, we like the same things. I also have a collection of BIRDS in the house, so pretty.

My Shih Tzu is in her Santa dress tonight!

Wow, there is snow in the hill country! We are watching the weather now.

Surely there's a Santa pic here Sally??? I used to have a santa shirt for Phoebe...^_^.

This is for you Lin-- not enough snow to even be pretty--just enough to make the highway a skating rink. In all honesty-- this will be enough to last me til next year!

Oh my ... it's a pretty picture even with just the dusting of snow! Love the looks of that terrain in the back, hilly ... we don't see many hills here in the flatland of Florida!

Oh, just noticed that fat icicle hanging from the drainpipe too!

It's a balmy 80 degree December fall day here in Florida! Yes, our fall season begins much later than some of y'all in the northern states! A few of our deciduous trees are still not bare yet! It's so weird. My Hickory trees just finished dropping all their leaves but some in the neighborhood are still showing the gold and yellow colors! The leaves in my front yard are from a Maple that just dropped the remainder of it's leaves this week!

You can drive an hour south of my location and the landscape is totally different ... very green with flowers blooming everywhere! I like a little change in the seasons but I hate it when we have the rare hard freeze. We haven't had a freeze in quite a few years which is fine with me.

Not a real clear picture but this is Lantana (a pest plant here in Florida) that is growing around an oak tree in my next door neighbors yard.

A Camellia Bloom. Can't remember which one this is ... it usually blooms early November, it's late this year.

It's a quirky 60 degrees here today, but tonight we go back into the deep freeze :-( Winter Storms tomorrow night and Friday :-((

Another cold front is heading through Florida tomorrow. We are supposed to have Thunderstorms and possibly severe weather with hail, high winds and possible tornado's and temp's will be dropping again. Our high is only supposed to be 61 on Friday with a low of 41, then mid 70's throughout next week so I can't complain!

If a tornado comes through, feel free to complain, otherwise no....I am jealous of your weather! I may be a knockin on your door soon--every winter gets harder to tolerate!

You're getting what we got yesterday Phoebe-- It went up to 72° before the temp plummeted---got down to 20° last night--still only 28°--I have some AV's at the PO---gonna wait til about 1pm-- hoping the sand trucks do a really good job since we have a REALLY steep winding downgrade into town.

Oooh, that would scare the bejeebies out of me, driving on roads like that!

Not too bad when it is:(1) daylight and (2) not foggy (3) dry. My eldest grandaughter made the comment to her mom(DD) that "these roads will be the death of my grandparents" on her first visit here. They give new meaning to term "white knuckler"!! We actually drive along the top of the "Arkansas Grand Canyon" Here is a link to a pic-- this is about 2 miles from here on the highway.
http://www.city-data.com/picfilesc/picc11500.php

Wow! Gran, thanks for that link. That is really Awesome scenery! I've never been to AR but it sure is on my list of places to visit if my DH will ever decide to retire, LOL. Beautiful!

OK! Well THAT didn't help my fear of heights! My grandparents and aunt lived in AK, Little Rock. only remember one trip there as a child. My parents made me stand on this stone wall, with a drop about like the one from the porch in your pic, so they could take a picture of it.--been afraid of heights ever since. Don't like driving on icy roads either, but I do it when I have to-even at night. Anyway--back to AK--I remember it was very nice...friendly---except for that darn wall!

I LOVE snow and we get so little of it here.

The school where I pick up my grandson has a lavender bloom - rose of sharon - bush. I had been waiting for the seed pods to get ripe. Green, still green. And then....OH NO>>>they had PRUNED IT!!!!....Three blooms left. Ok, I tried to take a cutting at that point...it rotted of course, I'm not good with woody cuttings. Then yesterday in the rain...I checked that bush and got three seed pods off it. Today they had dried and opened and I seen at least one seed. Well, there may be a chance afterall.

tish

Nothing here outside blooming because it is too cold. I don't think I will warm up again.

Get HillBilly_Gran to dmail you the recipe for homemade kahlua . . . ^_^

Good medicine for those FRRRRROOOOSTY nites;)

LOL!