budagardener's Blog at GardenStew.com

Looking forward to spring........

budagardener — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 11:16:49 -0500

Author: budagardener
Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 4:16 pm (GMT 0)

Blue Skies Lilacs.....blooms from Spring '10. Two years planted and it is almost 4 1/2' tall so far. I can't wait to smell that fragrance again!

Yes......you can grow lilacs in Texas!!

Blue Skies - Lilac ( photo / image / picture from budagardener's Garden )

Challenging Year!

budagardener — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 18:59:51 -0500

Author: budagardener
Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2010 11:59 pm (GMT 0)

This was not a good year for me in the yard. I made some attempts at herbs this year in pots and they did okay until the heat of summer.

Trying to keep up with school, work and everything else this year didn't give me much of a chance!!!

I lost two uncles and an aunt early this year. Then my sister was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer on March 8th.

June, my partner Patrick was in the hospital with heart problems and blood pressure of 278/180....that is finally under control.

September 28th, my sister passed away on her 49th birthday. Very hard to go through that, but I was able to spend her last two weeks with her and her family at the hospital.

The picture above are my two gorgious niece the day of my sisters memorial service.

October 12th, I was hospitalized having collapsed at work with what they thought was a heart attack. I have since undergone angioplasty surgery and have been diagnosed with CHD, the small blood vessels in my heart are pretty much gone at this point. Right now I am just trying to control a cholesterol level of 300.....genetics....have to love it! I eat healthier than anyone I know, so this could be difficult to manage!

So, I have missed my friends here on GardenStew, and with ANY luck at all, 2011 will find me here more often! Back to school again in January, but I have gone part time rather than full.

I wish you all the BEST holiday season.....Happy Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannakah, New Years....etc.! Looking forward to the spring!!

Man I have been away a LONG time!

budagardener — Mon, 04 May 2009 23:01:26 -0400

Author: budagardener
Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 3:01 am (GMT 0)

Hello everyone! I have been so busy and I didn't realize it had been months since I've been posting.
I miss reading everyones posts, blogs, and looking at all the awesome photographs.

Work of course has been keeping me extremely busy, but on top of that I am now enrolled in school fulltime in the Graphic Arts program at the Art Institute for my bachelors degree. Yes, I am now 49, never been to college and will graduate when I am 52! Yikes.

But, I know I will be working the rest of my life and I certainly can't keep up the physical pace at work for too many more years, so it is basically an investment in the future.

So far I am maintaining a 4.0. What a difference from high school in the 70's.

Anyway, I will be posting some updated pictures soon. For my birthday in March, Patrick, the boys (Klaus and Schultze) built a deck in the backyard. I built in three planters on three of the corners and joined them with 10' benches on two sides. We love it and spend a lot more time in the backyard now. I study back there weekly.

My eucalyptus tree I started from seed last year is almost 2 1/2' tall now, and the begonias I planted two years ago are still alive and blooming like mad. I can't wait until the lilies start blooming this year. They have multiplied.

Just wanted to post a hello to everyone, I miss bantering back and forth....plant on!

Whew!

budagardener — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:20:08 -0400

Author: budagardener
Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 6:20 pm (GMT 0)

Just when I thought I was catching up.......

A virus attached to my hard drive and I have lost everything! All my documents, photographs, art scans, contacts, saved emails, favorite places and I could go on. Somehow worked through my firewall and Norton 360.

So, I have spent three days re-installing my operating systems, re-uprgrading and re-purhcasing and installing software. Trying to find license numbers to re-download software that I had purchased protection on and finally I get to sign into GardenStew!

For the life of me, I can't remember where (when I became a member here), that I saved photos to upload onto this site. Anyone that could give me a couple ideas would be appreciated. I at least could retrieve those photos.

Just a tip for everyone.....back up to disks and keep a log of web sites and passwords, usernames etc!!!! OMG I was just thinking about doing that when this happened.
In my old age, I am forgetting even the simplest things! What user name did I use here, and what was that password?? YIKES.
Well off the catch up on all of the posts I can here, and then back to trying the memory game!

Happy Halloween all!!

CRAZY couple months!

budagardener — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 10:51:47 -0400

Author: budagardener
Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2008 2:51 pm (GMT 0)

I am finally getting a chance to get caught up on some reading with all my freinds here at GardenStew!

As busy as work has been the last couple months, in the back of my mind there has been the anticipating and withdrawel from reading everyones posts!

Yesterday a package arrived and I didn't remember ordering anything.......well it was from Park Seed and they where the plants I had ordered back in May! I had totally forgotten about them. What a surprise.
Now I must find some time to get them in the ground before they dry up.

With my real job, there has not been a lot of time to work on my web site or eshop pages. I did manage to get a few things done. And I recently posted some work on EBay.

Well glad to be back at least for a couple weeks!
Now we are in to the holiday mode at work (retail you know!), so it is fixin to get crazy again soon.

A few more tiles completed...

budagardener — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:10:06 -0400

Author: budagardener
Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 9:10 pm (GMT 0)

Here are a few more new tiles. It's been really hard finding enough time to just sit and paint. But I am slowly getting ready for the December Arts show.

Finally fired up the kiln

budagardener — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 11:25:55 -0400

Author: budagardener
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 3:25 pm (GMT 0)

Here are some of the finished pieces.

The plant markers are 9" x 5".

This is a custom pet ornament.

Mockingbird ornament.

Toucan Ornament.

I am working on hummingbird ornaments and koi pond tile mural this week.

Busy Weekend Painting....

budagardener — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 18:35:00 -0400

Author: budagardener
Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 10:35 pm (GMT 0)

I've been getting things ready for my web site, and upcoming BudaFest in December.
Here is a sneak peak at some tiles I did yesterday. They have to be glazed yet and fired.

This one will be set in a iron trivet. 6" tile.

This will be set in a wood frame. 6" tile.

This one goes in a wrought iron garden stake 27" tall. 4 1/4" tile.

This one will go in a picture frame.

Lots to do yet before I can crank up the kiln. Getting back at it. Just thought I'd share whats coming!

Petal.....the garden fairy

budagardener — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 10:13:32 -0400

Author: budagardener
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 2:13 pm (GMT 0)

It has been one hectic week. I've been getting my web site set up this last week while waiting for glass ornaments and ceramic supplies to arrive so I can start putting them on my site.

So, I figured I may as well start cleaning out some rubbermaid tubs and get ready for a garage sale as well. I found this old watercolor I did in 1999. I'd been looking for it for some time and just figured I'd lost it in a move or something!

Since she (Petal) is the main character in a childrens book I was working on, it may be a sign of sorts to finish that project too!

I think with the move from Dallas two years ago for work I lost so much of myself and put everything I really enjoy doing on a shelf (or rather in a closet!). It's time to get back to being creative again and finishing up old projects and beginning new ones.

Christmas Ornaments

budagardener — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 14:37:32 -0400

Author: budagardener
Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 6:37 pm (GMT 0)

Here are some handpainted Christmas ornaments that I did. They are 3 1/2" glass ornaments and acrylics. The tile work that I do and these will be what I am working on a web site for.
I custom paint these every year for people.
In 2001 I painted several dozen angel ornaments for Dr. Phil(the one with the TV show) and his wife. I haven't done any recently for celebrities, but you never know!

The cake was for Patrick's sister birthday a couple weeks ago. She loves pigs, so I piped them using buttercream icing.

More Ceramic Tiles

budagardener — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 19:59:48 -0400

Author: budagardener
Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 11:59 pm (GMT 0)

Here are some other ceramic tiles and a coffee tabletop I hand painted (from vintage posters).

The tiles are all 6" squares painted on bisque, glazes and then fired.
The black and white tile and delft blue are using underglaze pencils like you would any graphite pencil, then fired to set the color, then glazed and fired again.

Painting Ceramic Tiles

budagardener — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:30:17 -0400

Author: budagardener
Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 11:30 pm (GMT 0)

A few years back, I taught ceramics and was a teacher for a line of prodcut from Colors For Earth. I would design pieces, and then teach classes on different and developed techniques using the color line.

Anyway, I am planning on picking it up again and custom hand painting ceramic tiles for bathrooms, kitchens, and pools.

The tiles pictured are three 4 1/4" tiles set in a picture frame. I first place for slip trailing technique on this piece at the Dallas Ceramic Show in 2003.

Since I still have a kiln, I figured why not starting up again and start teaching again, and have an additional income! Most of my designs have always been inspired by gardening and my own flowers.

New Blooms

budagardener — Sat, 24 May 2008 10:24:22 -0400

Author: budagardener
Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 2:24 pm (GMT 0)

A few shot of lilies and morning glories in bloom this morning.
It's been so very HOT this last week. Most days reaching 98 degrees. My outdoor thermometer registered 102 on Monday afternoon!

The white cannas that I started from seed in February are just about ready to bloom! I can't wait for those.

Coreopsis

budagardener — Sat, 17 May 2008 09:37:42 -0400

Author: budagardener
Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 1:37 pm (GMT 0)

Coreopsis planted around a tree in the front yard. it's going crazy!

And....Klaus had his first grooming. He was not thrilled at all, but he looks so grown up!

Klaus and Schultze share four stuffed cows....this one is his favorite. He is constantly squeezing the foot to make him MOOOOO!!
The asiatic lilies are about to bloom, and my hollyhocks have buds all over them. I am anxioulsy waiting to take pictures.
We have been indulging almost nightly with fresh salads of grape tomatoes and cucumbers with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. I am so glad I planted those, even though they are in pots up high where Klaus can't top them off again!

My how they grow!

budagardener — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:09:58 -0400

Author: budagardener
Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 10:09 pm (GMT 0)

Last weekend, it was time to attempt leash training Klaus. MMMMM....this is going to take some time, he was not having it.

He is now 18 weeks old, and 10 1/2lbs. He's gained over 4lbs in four weeks and as you can see from the photo, almost the size of Schultze!

There has not been much time to work in the yard the last few weeks due to work overload with the spring floor plan moves. Everything in the store pretty much changed locations so I've been pretty beat at the end of the day. About all I have managed to do is water the potted plants and trim back the basil before it goes to seed! It won't be long and I will have cucumbers and tomatoes ready for picking, they are almost there!

Next week I'll be back at it though!

Updates on new growth

budagardener — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 09:41:36 -0400

Author: budagardener
Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 1:41 pm (GMT 0)

Saturday was a busy day in the yard. Here are a couple shots of progress in the plants so far.

Klaus had bitten the tops off of the white canna and eucalyptus. I am glad I didn't trash them....they obvioulsy had a better start the the roots than I had though because they continued to grow!!

The glads are coming up nicely as well....

The brug has two buds that are about 7" long already and many small ones forming. I surrounded the brug with white petunias and nasturtium. The nasturtium will be the deep red ones when they bloom.

My Birthday Present

budagardener — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 22:40:32 -0400

Author: budagardener
Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 2:40 am (GMT 0)

Well after a lot of hesitation.....I guess I am going to give orchids a try! This was my birthday gift from Patrick.

I normally don't have luck with indoor plants, but here it goes!

New Bloom

budagardener — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 09:52:43 -0400

Author: budagardener
Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2008 1:52 pm (GMT 0)

My columbine plant starting blooming and has buds all over. I grew these years ago, but don't remember the flowers being so large!

Yesterday I planted three white azaleas I found at Home Depot for only $2.48 a piece. And after getting some tips from Glendann, I think I found the perfect spot on the side of the house. Most of the blooms where already fading when I planted them, but there are still buds left to bloom.

All of the lily bulbs are breaking ground, I can't wait until those Casa Blanca Lilies are blooming. Last year the scent in the air was incredible. I added five more of those and 30 more bulbs in a variety of size and color. Should be a colorful summer this year.

Growing Strong

budagardener — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 19:20:14 -0400

Author: budagardener
Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 11:20 pm (GMT 0)

Some of what I've been working on the in the front yard.

Replanted the Brugmansia in a larger pot that last year, and it has a lot of new growth on it.

Coreposis Early Sunrise that was planted from seed last May.

The new Lilac (blooms are gone already), and the wall planter I got at work on closeout for $3!!

Malva Sylvestri that was planted from seed last May. Using this to cover the front of the utility boxes in the front yard.

New raised bed around the tree with petunias and there is purple liatris peaking through the ground already.

Disaster strikes...his name is Klaus!

budagardener — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:10:05 -0400

Author: budagardener
Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 10:10 pm (GMT 0)

Well, it was a very interesting weekend to say the least. I worked planting Friday, Saturday and Sunday all day making several trips to Home Depot for soil, pots, mulch, and yes......plants!

Klaus got right into it 'after' I was finished and proceeded to top off every pot I planted! Yes, all those seeds that I diligently cared for over the last 12 weeks are history. He bit off every one to the ground. I was just sick. But looking down at that solid white little pup with the black soil covered face, I just had to smile.

I doubt I will be starting over with seeds this year, but it remains to be seen that all future planting will be done in the front yard only until he reaches a more mature age.

MMMMMM......tomatoes and cucumbers mixed with the flower beds.....probably not, but my mouth was watering for those freshly picked beauties this year!

What I did plant in the front yard will survive and that will have made all the caring and work worth it in the end!