Water Garden Iris

The Iris plant in the goldfish pond is at it's peak. I'm just proud that I remembered to get some photos this year. I really worked to place myself in just the right spots so that you could not see just how neglected I have let this garden get. One more week until Spring Break begins! I'm looking forward to some quality time in the yards.
David

Camellia Plate and Gypsy

I read several blogs about camellias recently and it reminded me of this plate that i made several years ago at our local paint your own pottery place. I grabbed a flower from the yard as we were going down with the kids to paint one rainy Saturday. We thought we could create a series of plates to use as dessert plates. But as everything else in this economy - painting your own pottery places took a hit and closed down when money had to be used for every day living and never for extras. Oh well - picture a big ole dollop of Abbeville Gypsy - lady fingers, bourbon, whipping cream, and slivered almonds - mmm.

Trip to Biltmore House

Days before Christmas we went to the Biltmore House in Asheville, NC. This was our Chirstmas gift from my mama. The last time I went I was probably nine years old. We took the whole day, and toured the whole house from the basement to the third floor, us and everybody in western NC. We had a great lunch at the Stables at the house. Then right before we left we walked the gardens. Everything was cut back and put to bed for the Winter. The bones of the beds proved to me that we do need to go back again and see everything in its full glory. It really was a great day.

Merry Christmas from Pinewood Cottage

A peek in the front door and pencil tree.

I hope everybody has a safe and happy Merry Christmas.

Air Layered Camellias and Daddy's Old Nativity Scene

     Today was the day I decided that I had to cut the air layerings from the camelia bushes. I air layered six. Four made it through the longest drought summer I have been through here in town. You can probably see from the photo that one of my spagnum moss packages dried out. The layering does have roots but it is all really dry, I won't be surprised if it doesn't make it through. The other three look moist, and have roots growing out of the moss already. They should do great. The photo below shows the great start they have.

Four new plants tucked into the nursery bed for the winter. If its a wet winter they should do fine. Below are two photos that show why I love to layer camelias. who wouldn't want to have more of these beautys around the yard, or to give as gifts.

 Professor Sargent - red

 unknown Camelia

     The two photos below are shots of my Daddy's nativity scene. He used to put this up every year in our front yard. The last time that I saw this set up and lit was probably 1970 something. I don't know why he quit putting it up. It was stored in the roof of the garage for decades. Several years ago my Mama had the garage cleaned out and the set was propped up behind garage. It is really rotten. Of course the one piece that was that most gone was baby Jesus. If you look closely he is just a small rotten blob of plywood, I had to make a little manager to hold him up. The paint has washed off, and the legs are falling off the animals but it pleases me to have it up. I do not know what I will do with it in January. I may trace it onto new plywood and try to copy it, or I might just throw it out. I don't know. It means alot to me. I doubt I could do it.

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving Day and I hope to be the first to wish you all a Merry Christmas Season. We look forward to decorating the house for Christmas each year. We begin tomorrow with the outside garland and lights. Thanks for stopping by.

...on little cat feet...

Fall comes on little cat feet...
and sneaks into the backyard
so slowly you don't realize it.

Property of the Month

There's Bermuda Grass invading the flower beds. The Pine Straw is faded and sparce. Nothing is blooming or lush except the Knock Out Roses and the Mandilla. But we came home the other day to find the Property of the Month sign stabbed into the front yard. The city has a beautification committee that secretly chooses one home from each voting district each month. I don't think we win because we are that wonderful - I think we win because the city wants to send our neighbor a message about the state they keep their yard in...it's not working.

Mid October

Alright all you stick stickers...what do i do now?

Alright all you stick stickers... what do i do now. i have two pots of OLD crepe mrytle clipppings alive and well under the plastic dome after the worst drought summer we have had in long time. Do I take the lids off of them now that the weather is cooler but still dry? Do I just leave the covers on them until next Spring when the soil warms up again? I don't have a clue.

This is the whole reason I started searching for ways to start crepe mrytle. I found Tom's blog Seventh Street Cottage. I never knew this whole blog world was out there. I had been trying to start these crepe mrytles from the old trees at the historic house across the road but i have never had any luck until now - i don't want to loose these. somebody has got to help me keep these precious few alive - i have no luck. any ideas?

Late August

I haven't cut the backyard since about July 4th. The fig bush is kissing the ground near the parking area. The centipede in the side yard is fading slowly away. It is dry. Water has fallen out of the sky several times. The kittens and i didn't know what it was. We know that rain splashes and refreshes everything - haven't seen that in a long while. The sunny border is watered deeply once every 10 days or so, just because it's easy to reach and highly visible to everyone driving through town.

The Redbuckia Dasiy LOVES the heat.

 The Mandevilla Vines are finally blooming. It has been a weird year for them.
Do they peter out after a year or two?

 The Guara was chopped to 6 inches in July. It's back better than ever.

 The geranium that is in partial shade is doing great - the one in full sun is weak and thin. I won't show it.

 In the nursery bed the crape mrytle clippings that are covered are doing okay. i hope a few make it - This is the whole reason i started following everyone's blogs in the first place. I really want these to live.

 These four rabbit foot ferns were one really over grown plant last year. They will be sulking in the basement this winter. They love the heat in the shade.

 The rhizomes look like a little baby squirrel crawled up in the pot and died, i think that every time i see them.

Thanks for stopping by.
David