dirt2diamonds's Blog at GardenStew.com

Sunflower uncertainty

dirt2diamonds — Tue, 06 May 2008 12:30:51 -0400

Author: dirt2diamonds
Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 4:30 pm (GMT 0)

Two plants with second set of leaves. Probably 4-5 inches high already.

This is my first attempt to grow large sunflowers. No, I just remembered that five years ago I planted a few seeds that did not germinate. Anyway, I have germination success this time and I was wondering should I "really" thin the seedlings in the picture.

I am afraid of losing one or both of the plants. I know that if they both survive that they will be crowded. To thin or not to thin? That is the question.

I hope to have a sunny sunflower head larger than my head. Wish me luck.

Is my day Mother's Day or what?

dirt2diamonds — Tue, 06 May 2008 01:19:16 -0400

Author: dirt2diamonds
Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 5:19 am (GMT 0)

O.k., I've been dropping hints all over the place. I have pointed and made suggestions, of which any bright stone could sum up, would make mother a wonderful Mother's day gift (all in the theme of gardening).

I don't know, maybe my family is too young yet to expect the WOW garden gift. I have heard hints of what the family wants me to make for the Mother's Day picnic that my oldest niece invited me to. I was invited, then told to make the menu (not going to happen).

I use to have the pre-school and elementary gifts that I enjoyed and have stashed in safe places. But I think my family should high tail it to a garden nusery and make some large auspicious purchase for me on "MY MOTHER'S DAY" and I should not feel guilty for wanting a new plant or a large colorful 'garden junk' item.

Then I remember what the day is all about. That saintly self-giving, self-denying, self-sacrificing person who would not grubbily snatch a gift (plant) from a child's hand and run to the garden salivating trying to find the ideal spot to plant it in. Oh, yes, taking pictures to post on garden stew, and watch as the sun sets on the loveliest present anyone could hope for. Yes, now you know the real me. I CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH OF PLANTS. And my masterful plan is to have all of my family, trained in adulthood, to buy me stuff for my garden on Mother's Day.

Wish me luck in my fiendish plan, and hope that I remember what the day is really about: The joy of hearing my kids say "Happy Mother's day Mom!" And a peck on the cheek from my husband as he joins in to say love you mom.

It doesn't take a detective.

dirt2diamonds — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 23:37:07 -0400

Author: dirt2diamonds
Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 3:37 am (GMT 0)

It never ceases to amaze me at the junk I leave in my garden as I garden. I wish I was more meticulous. But on any given day you will find JUNK in my garden that I was too tired to remove on that particular day of weeding, planting, pinching or whatever the devil I do for hours at a time in my garden.

Yes eventually I get around to throwing away all of my do-dads that are cast offs for the day. I wish I had a garden fairy that tidied up after me. I can be tracked from start to finish by my bull in a china shop approach to gardening.

Look and see if you can find where I have been remiss this year to date.

[img] (On this final picture notice the poor crumpled over frog on the right of the photo with a skull wound. I backed my rear into his perch and gave him the fatal blow. I think my rump may cause some more fatalities before its all over. The sad thing is, he is still there wounded because I can not face the fact that I did him in).

From now on my yard bloopers will be labeled "Oops I did it again."

And now, the rest of the story.

dirt2diamonds — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 12:21:01 -0400

Author: dirt2diamonds
Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 4:21 pm (GMT 0)

I have been full circle now. I had a chance to shake Barack Obama's hand and he was actually too close to me for a good picture. I did an interview with the Washington Times Newspaper and if anyone in that area sees my name give me a shout. My life will settle down now because today we vote in MS.

The somewhat bald guy is Congressman Benny Thompson and the older gentleman is Henry Evers, relative of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers. Our airport, Jackson-Evers International Airport has a display in the terminal of the struggle that was occuring at that particular time in MS

I must admit that sometimes it is fun to be me. I have become a new person since I joined the stew.

Now that things are sprouting up all over, keep an eye out for some gardening pics. I am excited about getting back to posting about more garden related stuff. But I had to take a break for history.

Hillary and me

dirt2diamonds — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 12:10:44 -0400

Author: dirt2diamonds
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 4:10 pm (GMT 0)

You don't know how lucky I was to get this picture. It takes boldness in life. I had a bad encounter in my church where my pastor actually said for the pulpit that I should stay in my place. That would be fine if he would tell me what my place is.

See, I am getting my Masters degree in theology and just my presence in my small country church is confusing and threatening. As history has shown us, new things or different things are frightening and sadly, people react to things unknown with ANGER.

But, the sentence "stay in your place" became an empowering montra. I was waiting for PEOPLE to approve everything I did and thought (in my church) instead of beinig the Dorothy that I am outside of the church= dependent and concerned with how God thought about me.

So, Christian, in her place, Dorothy sauntered up to Hillary's secret service and got a personal autograph and picture. I am so happy that I am staying in my place= being Dorothy.

We had snow this week the first snow in I don't know how many years. The plants look as though they have not been damaged.

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Divas times Three

dirt2diamonds — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:40:07 -0500

Author: dirt2diamonds
Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:40 pm (GMT 0)

We call them the Marchies because they were all born in March. Not one of their due dates were suppose to be in March but each of them had their own idea. One weighed 6lbs 14oz, one weighed 3lbs 3oz, and one weighed 8lbs 3 oz. One was a natural birth and two were C-section. The 3 pounder was due at the end of May but became an early bird special. She still loves to hear me tell the story of her unexpected arrival.

Each is artistic and musically inclined with a trombonist, trumpeteer, and a clarinet poser.

Each one of them still sits on my lap whether I like it or not. Each kisses me hello/goodmorning and goddbye/goodnight. I am spoiled beyond belief because they each tell me "I love you and I am glad that you are my mommy."

This is the result of the make over that I told you about in an earlier blog and I'm glad that only the outsides can be changed by people but as for their insides; each is more beautiful inside by their own choice and I am proud of that beauty the most.

These are my flowers.

Enjoy each day.

dirt2diamonds — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 22:53:04 -0500

Author: dirt2diamonds
Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:53 am (GMT 0)

I said have a blessed day to my two girls this morning at 6:20 a.m. as I do each morning as they rushed out of the front door to get on the bus. I asked each "where is your coat?" (yesterday, the temp was at least 75 degrees) "We don't know" was the reply because the coats were ditched at first sign of a lovely day.

I settled on the couch for a nap because I had two appointments before noon and a class later the evening. My telephone rang which is never a good sign so early in the morning.

"What are you doing today?" It was my sister. I went through my agenda for the day. "Oh, I was just wondering, because (a family friend's child)was found dead on the highway this morning and I was wondering if you would go to the accident site with me. The family and body is still there." Yes, I'll go with you.

As I quickly dressed, the birth, childhood years, graduation, marriage, and breakup of the young 20 something year old childless female's life went through my mind. I could picture the heartache and shock of the family immediately. During our Sunday worship service, we prayed for families that had a death in it because the local funeral home was at full capacity.

As we approached the accident site that was 10 minutes away from my home in our small community, I could see the family and cars lined up on both sides of the little country highway that is no more than a glorified asphalt road. And there, still, to the right, just off of the pavement, was a body with a bright white sheet covering it lying still.

I hugged everyone, I saw faces that I had seen for countless years, and expressed my sorrow. I approached the mom of the deceased young lady and embraced her and she held me tight drawing whatever she could from my spirit and I offered all that I could in the transfer. I asked "has anyone prayed?" and she said no. I said lets hold hands and I'll pray. The mother said "can we go close to my baby?" I said "yes, whatever you would like."

In that moment of loss I felt so much. Surprisingly enough I felt 'joy.' Yes I said JOY. In a time of not knowing what to say or how to react to tragedy, I found just acting with love for another is a giving and a receiving experience. To know for one moment in time that I totally forgot about me and said here I am for you (pure) and the expression of "thanks, I needed that" said without a word being passed is a purity that I can only equate with the birth of a new born baby (pure) or the emergence of spring (pure) to me it is an undefiled pure: JOY.

I encouraged the family to lean on family, friends, community, and God in the days, months, and years to come and one day the loss will be replaced hopefully by 'joy' in how so many were there for them in their time of need.

Enjoy each day and be filled with JOY.

I have been out and about.

dirt2diamonds — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 23:26:15 -0500

Author: dirt2diamonds
Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 4:26 am (GMT 0)

I have been spending a couple of Saturday's with my daughters the past few weeks.
This picture was taken at a fundraiser called A Taste of UMC which is the hospital that my daughter is a medical student at. There were over 30 booths with samples of food from around the world. We sampled many delightful selections. The first picture is a fav or ours, Florida, then New Orleans, and then just a wonderful old west theme. By the time I was at a taste of Italy, I was full.

[IMG]This is a picture of me outside of the Thalia Mara Hall where I saw the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra (Bravo IV: the Grand Masters) featuring a very talented young violinist (24) named Augustin Hadelich who performed at Carnegie Hall in January. He is from Italy and was the Gold Medalist of the 2006 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis.

Finally, this is my artist daughter in an outfit that her older sister allowed her to go out in public in during x-mas holidays. I do not encourage such extreme expressions of her "artist" side, but I try to let her be as true to herself as "I" can tolerate. Her adult sister tries to ensure that I am not stifeling her creativity. But tell me: "We can see why artists suffer for their work" Those patterns hurt my eyes, but ain't she cute, the little artist thingy.

So the beat goes on. I told a young male waiter today at a restaurant that was listening at the conversation between my daughter and me about the symphony, he said, "It's nice to see people with varied tastes." I told him that when he marries I hope that his wife is adventurous so he won't be married to the same person for 40 years, his response "40 years?"
I always say enjoy nature and enjoy life. I should say try something new in nature and in life so that you won't be the same person for the next 40 years.

Next adventure, makeovers for the three divas, mom will sit this one out. The 14 year old is over the moon at the prospect of having on makeup. The 16 year old doesn't too much care for the outward exprssions of beauty and the eldest, stares at her reflection constantly with or without makeup.

Imago Dei (Image of God)

dirt2diamonds — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:28:46 -0500

Author: dirt2diamonds
Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 5:28 am (GMT 0)

I've entered a religious poetry contest that I saw in my local newspaper. I hope to win at least an honorable mention. I've never entered a writing contest before, so wish me luck. Here is the masterpiece of my mind.

Imago Dei (Image of God)

I walk, I breathe, I love, I smile,
I wear my hair in an ethnic style.
Skin of ebony, eyes of chocolate brown,
No earthly creature notices my heavenly crown.
A cross I carry on my scar-free back,
My Lord wholly divine, wholly human, nothing He lacks.
Descendant of Adam, cursed by mother Eve,
Three daughters I bore, each birthing I did grieve.
I am salt, I am light, a princess among kings,
My Father's glory contained within me and all Christian things.

I stumble, I sigh, I despair, I sometimes even cry,
Yet remains the Image of God in the mirror of my eye.
How perfect, how complete I am, in who I proclaim,
"Gift of God," heaven hears, with each voicing of my name.
I am the creature molded daily by the craftman called "Creator,"
I look towards my "Example" and strive to be "Imitator."
I am woman, mother, sister, and yes even wife,
I am that vessel which God lovingly breathed into; life.
It is so simple, promises of love forever written in time to stay,
I am imperfect, yet perfection of God, I am Imago Dei.

I really enjoyed writing it and will update everyone of what becomes of it. It may be included in an anthology (which I know that is what someone is doing). I wouldn't mind doing an anthology on gardening poetry. If there were enough of people interested. I might look into doing it in my local newspaper.

Any advice or suggestions on the topic? Would appreciate any comments.

Season's Greetings

dirt2diamonds — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 01:46:00 -0500

Author: dirt2diamonds
Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2007 6:46 am (GMT 0)

It has been a while since I have been on my own blog site and I just wanted to share pictures of two of my favorite elves.

I speak about my two girls and how happy that they are that their ole mom has found a gardening site that I love.

I planted a-many of roses for my three girls and have enjoyed watching all of them grow.

In my first book, I call my girls my first flowers and you can get an understanding of how I feel about flowers if you read my forum blogs or my book.

To all at GardenStew,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

May all of your gardening dreams come true!!!!

[img][/img]

Feeling froggy?

dirt2diamonds — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 22:34:10 -0500

Author: dirt2diamonds
Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2007 3:34 am (GMT 0)

middle daughter art work
Camelia Place Frog
Years ago I spied a 10 foot tall gray frog with crossed legs reading a book in Columbus MS with beautiful purple wisteria flowing above its head. I have told numerous people about this wondrous frog. Ten years later, I returned to Columbus on a mission to find the frog. After giving a presentation/reading of my book to a lovely book club at the local library, I asked the members about the notorious frog. Everyone knew the frog to which I referred and directed me to it.

I found the frog sitting leisurely on a bench with two friends for the holidays. He had on a hat and I noticed that his legs were spread, he was green, and that he was not 10 feet tall. Oh, I was still mesmerized by him because I love frogs and I love reading, and of course there is no other place I would rather be than in a garden. But I had to wonder about myself. Was I one of those people that told tall tales like the fish that got away which gets bigger each time the story is told? Or am I a romanti-sizer and things that I love grow each time that I talk about them.

I met my husband on a rainy New Years Eve. His teeth sparkled in the light of the overhead lamp as he bent to hit the cue ball with his personalized cue stick as he flashed me that million dollar smile. I noticed one dimple in his left cheek that signaled safety while at the same moment I noticed the five stitches above his right eye that signaled bad boy. He later introduced himself with a velvety baritone that resonated into the depth of my soul. I melted into the caramel swirls of brown with flashes of gold that shown in his eyes. Is this romanti-sizing?

I will always remember the Columbus frog as a 10 foot tall masterpiece and I will always remember my husband as irresistible.

The temp when I found my legendary frog was 80 degrees and the next morning we had a hard frost, 28 degrees and I took my yard frog. Now that is a froggy jump in temp.

I was Robbed!!!

dirt2diamonds — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 19:35:04 -0500

Author: dirt2diamonds
Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 12:35 am (GMT 0)

Well I live in the country and some how accumulated a car or two in the yard that was not in use. No, it was not up on blocks, because it was on a flat :) Any way, we had two cars not in use because of insurance purposes. When I graduated in May, my husband and oldest daughter threw me a bar-b-que so the cars had to be moved to free up parking space. My husband took two cars around the road from us on our private property (80 acres shared with 16 other houses of family members) no more than 15 car lengths away out of site though in a deer trail. Long story short he left one car around the road that was stolen 3 weeks ago.

Where I live is in the booneys. People are afraid to come in the neck of my woods at night alone. It is dark and solitary. The traffic signs are woe and giddy-up. So the culprit was some one known and familiar with the area. Within a day we knew who had stolen the car and sold it to the crushers and received $140.00 for it.

Well, the police questioned us as to why we moved our car out of our yard and left it. They gave the thief our telephone number so he could contact us to make out payment arrangements to pay us for the vehicle. The culprit came to my house Saturday to tell me how he would rather give us money instead of go to jail because he had just been released from jail. When my husband filled out the paper work for the arrest, he was chastised and told he better show up on the court date or else.

We found the robber on our own, found the place where the car was taken, the police made us find a witness willing to write out the information that we had to pay the gas money to come back in town, and then we were was questioned as to whether the car was that important to us.

Today my husband called me and said that the thief offered him $900.00 for the car and he was going to take it. My response (seasonally appropriate) THE DICKENS YOU SAY! Ready for a plot twist, my husband yelled at me for not wanting to accept the money. I've been robbed of more than a 1996 Mazda Protege and by more than one thief.

These are a few of my favorite things: my youngest niece whose middle name is Dorothy=lucky child.
My book of course and me=like the hair? And a new hydrangea that has many colors of pure white, peachy, brownish, and green.

[img]
[/img][img][/img]

Noah, send out the loon!

dirt2diamonds — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:35:54 -0500

Author: dirt2diamonds
Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 3:35 pm (GMT 0)

About three weeks ago, it had rained 4 days and 4 nights without stopping (not 40). I missed my front steps something terrible. I had been looking from various windows at my soggy plants. When Noah was testing for dry land he first sent out a raven then a dove. I was the stupid loon that volunteered while the rain was still pounding to go out. Check out my watery night time results of impatience.

This zinnia performed very well.
This was just planted this fall.
The shastas were just added in Oct.

Yes, the loon(me) went out in the dark, in a cold rain thinking that I was taking the final soggy flower pictures of the year. This must be the delicious colorful sight my slugs see in the dew soaked night while they munch on glossy leaves.

I rushed out the next morning, still just as loony, to survey the damage of 4 days of rain (shaking water out of opened rose blooms. I said I was a loon).

The sun did shine again and life continued. I sat in my swing sunning more like a lizard than a loon. My camera capdtures more than plants and landscapes. My camera catches me being me, a loony bird.

Enjoy nature and enjoy life.

[/img]

To kill or not to kill, is it even a question?

dirt2diamonds — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 13:28:11 -0500

Author: dirt2diamonds
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 6:28 pm (GMT 0)

As I sit on my shaded somewhat cold concrete front steps, I think about the scraggly moss that is drooping from a planter on my right. I reflect back to the first week of June when the mound-oe- moss was brimming with vibrant shades of yellow, red, pink, orange, and white. The bees were frantic in the cool of the morning gathering what were pockets of golden orange, not yellow, pollen on their hind legs. The bees were so loaded with pollen until it was questionable if they would be able to carry their bountiful cargo back to the hive. I pointed the color of the pollen out to my youngest, and how the bee were going to have to put forth Herculean effort to get the goods back home.

Wow! What a difference a couple of months and the harshness of heat and drought makes on a plant. It must be noted that the life span was already known at purchase and the ideal conditions for survival were clearly laid out. But I wonder when is it time to put the barely there plant with its last effort of two and a half blooms out of its misery?

I throw the words of murder and even "euthanasia" around in the plant world and I hope I am not offending anyone. There is no comparison between human life and plant life. But, I think it is always a hard task (though necessary) for a gardener to hurry along the demise of a plant that is no longer viable.

EUTHANASIA is Greek meaning "good death" I hate planting pansies in the winter because I must pull them up, if I want to maintain the beauty of my garden, when it warms up in Spring. My mother fusses at me and says "I know you did not dig up and throw away those beautiful pansies. You could have given them to me if I knew you were going to kill them!" I killed the pansies for merciful reasons. They were not going to survive the increasing rising temps of the impending summer. Yet, there are always pains of guilt.

I look at the moss today and wish that the cold weather would hurry up and come to put the poor plant out of its misery. I don't know, maybe the moss is just as proud of its two and a half blooms as it was when it had 50 plus blooms. And there was a stray bee that lit on the half closed blossom. He did not seem to be on a life sustaining quest for pollen.The plant may be fine, the bee may be fine, it could just be me that is not fine.

I wonder what others think when they look to the left of my doorstep on the way to enter my door? Do they know how excited and thrilled I was to bring that mound of moss home from the garden center? Do they know that I thought about the perfect spot for the moss all the way home? Does anyone know that me and my daughters watched in awe as the bees gathered pollen from the plant and we wondered where this dust would be turned into sugary gold?

To kill or not to kill always tugs at my gardening spirit. What is beauty? And is it all that we truly seek? Maybe I love too deeply too long. I don't know. But I hope I will always value the life that was lived.

Hoe, hoe, ho?

dirt2diamonds — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 13:14:26 -0500

Author: dirt2diamonds
Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 6:14 pm (GMT 0)

Can you believe that we are entering the holiday season of gift giving already? I am still chasing butterflies and running barefoot in the winding sandy road in front of my house.

The Christmas catalogs arrive daily in the mail with their tempting colors of crisp white, startling red and intense and inviting green. I lay them on my neglected mail table next to the garden catalogs of pink, red, yellow, and of course the allusive blue that rarely is a true blue.

I look at my garden and I think "I need to get a hold of that grass. Should I use chemical assault, hand pulling assault, or should I hoe, hoe, hoe?" The sun is beaming on the right side of my face to the point of uncomfortableness and my eyes immediately find my peaceful double seated metal free standing swing in the shady bar-b-que area or my front yard. I make a bee line for it with the bees that are busily visiting the new blossoms on my roses.

My youngest child visits me to tell me her desires for this x-mas and I barely can reconcile that it is November and the poinsettias will be for sale before long. I look at the steps leading to my front door and can not fathom a poinsettia there in front of the petunias, daisies, marigolds, vinca.

I ask my daughter to say those three words that little ears long to hear, "Ho, Ho, Ho!" We immediately and simultaneously break into laughter at the ridiculousness of Christmas sneaking into this ongoing summer like a thief.

Summer has not yielded its hold on my garden. I need to water the plants that are not acknowledging their impending winter's nap. Why should I exchange my "hoe" for a "ho?" I think I will just sit in my swing with a big cold glass of tea, no lemonade and let the hoes duke it out. Will santa be in shorts this x-mas? Will I be forced to weed and feed another few weeks? Apple pie or pumpkin pie? Rudolph or Bambi? Confused tulip bulbs or Chistmas bulbs? And the winner is...

Enjoy nature and enjoy life

My baby helped. PICTURES!!!

dirt2diamonds — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 22:39:29 -0400

Author: dirt2diamonds
Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 2:39 am (GMT 0)

sunny sunflowers

I spied these plants on my fruitful trip to the mall in Jackson, MS with my oldest daughter.The garden center that actually planted the spot had Mexican petunias on sale for $1.00 apiece. I also purchased a white Angel trumpet for $5.00. They are so friendly there that I wanted a picture of their handy work. It is still so mild here until I can continue planting if I wanted to but I am through finding bargains until Spring.

Enjoy nature and enjoy life.

From soup to stew in a day

dirt2diamonds — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 14:19:54 -0400

Author: dirt2diamonds
Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 6:19 pm (GMT 0)

Today is hot but pleasant. I have been outside in my barefeet twice so far. The butterflies are still at work. I caught a monarch on camera yesterday but I have not put it on my site. Some one called today and asked if I were a Master Gardener.

Who is a Master Gardener? Is there truely such a being as a Master Gardener? I don't even know if I qualify as a gardener. Each year I create a masterpiece that I try to outdo the next year because I was not satisfied with it completely. There is always something else that will make it better.

This spring, I was happy with the new design of simplicity, low maintainence that I had created and several people commented "You must have quit gardening, your flowers aren't as pretty as they use to be." Each year my garden looks different, not perfect or mastered, but beautiful in it's uniqueness.

I think about myself. I am not perfect, but I am beautiful in my uniqueness. Actually, each year I am different. THANK GOODNESS! The depth of color of my roses take may breath away every season. I hope that every individual with their depth knows that they take someone's breath away.

Still trying to work on sharing pictures. I do have some on another site but I don't want to be illegal and mention it because I enjoy this wonderful outlet and community. That is what I was prior to finding Gardenstew, in a soup barely bumping into anyone and now I am in the thickness of a wonderful stew. Just in time for the cool weather.

My roses are still blooming and adding fragrance to my yard. My pink oleandar is in bloom and has been since I planted it this spring. I have a white one that has been struggling for three years and is just this year blooming well.

Enjoy nature and enjoy life.

I need YOU!

dirt2diamonds — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:51:58 -0400

Author: dirt2diamonds
Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 4:51 am (GMT 0)

As I stated earlier, I am technology challenged. Is there anyone out there that can tell me how to post pictures on this blog site. Please dont kick me out of GardenStew :) I promise that I will get better in time just like wine and cheese does. Thank you in advance for your assistance. I hope to be helpful to others also in the near future when the opportunity presents itself.

Today is the first day of the rest of my...GardenStew

dirt2diamonds — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:14:23 -0400

Author: dirt2diamonds
Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 4:14 am (GMT 0)

Hello and welcome to my world.

I am a gardener who sees people as flowers and flowers as people. Let me explain. I attribute a person's personality, personal style, and mannerism to beautiful flowers and I name my actual flowers after the people that give the plant to me or if their fussiness or easiness reminds me of the plant. For instance, my husband would be a pear cactus. He demands little attention and too much care may actually cause him harm. He is prickly on the outside, yet he surprises me and delights me with his stunning, sunny, yellow, dazzling smile, (he has one dimple) just like the bloom of the pear cactus.

I just purchased a new camera that operates my nerves instead of me operating it. I hope to be inspired and encouraged in this wonderful group of gardeners. I am a gardening author and may wax poetic from time to time.