Strange weather. Only went below freezing once since the new year began. Spring is here. I was driving along out at the country and noticed what looked like corn plants...then I faintly remembered planting some Indian corn last year before the long watering season. They came up this year.

Texas Baby Blue Eyes.

One of my apple trees blooming.

Sunset.

Kt

Hang in there Kt. It will get better.

Bernie.

Your apple trees' Spring foliage and blossoms look fresh and full of potential for a nice fruit crop. Are they the trees you planted out at your country place?

Interesting diversity of cloud texture in your sunset photo, Kt!

Thanks for starting a new photo thread:)

...and looking forward to seeing more from everybody.

Julie

Well, it depends on how you look at it. From the beginning of this year, we are about normal, but looking back at the one year rainfall levels, we are about 15 inches behind.

Things look good now, but we still need the deep moisture which we haven't gotten for the past three years. From what I understand, these recent rains have just been a fluke, and are fixing to cut off and it will be another very dry Summer/Fall...I hope not. I am still losing trees from last years drought. They just keep dying.

Are they the trees you planted out at your country place?

Yes. The blooms pictured are on a tree planted last year around this time, but I had it in a pot for two years before putting it in the ground.

Thanks for ypur comments.

Kt

How about some snow pics or other Wintery pics.

Bern, any golfball pics? Maybe the waterhole where you lose your golfballs every now and then?

Julie

Very very nice, Jule! I really like that one.

Kt

I guess the 3D look is due to the different widths of the color strips. The widest vertical strips were cut at 3.25" and the narrowest strips were cut at 1.25".

The colors are a little off, because I had to do a lot of editing due to the poor lighting in my living room. I used Auto Correct, and it was still too dark, so I brightened the photo, but lost some intensity of the colors. They are much richer in real life.

Some of the gals (on the quilting forum) who live in the South just hang their quilts outside on a clothsline or drape them over a railing and get beautiful colored photos.

Julie

Before I forget, that quilt is beautiful and I can't say anything more than that. It's just beautiful.

Are you going to give it as a gift, sell it, auction it off for charity. Whoever gets it I hope they appreciate the beauty of it.

The only thing that I can see that is wrong, is that thread that is showing. It's in the upper right where the green and brown meet. Oh wait.... that's a hair on my monitor. Never mind.

Once again, a very beautiful and well thought out quilt.

Bernie

That quilt is for us:)))

It's actually made without the batting. I didn't make it for warmth, but rather a light covering for Summer...so it's more like a bedspread.

And thanks! I had fun making it.

Julie

Kt

I have daffs blooming here, which aren't supposed to be!
Also some pulmonaria (lungworts) and I think they are mixed up because of the excessively warm temps in the mid-high 70's. I've never had anything bloom in late Winter before.

This is scary. All the trees and shrubs are budding and showing fast growth, and we're nowhere near our latest average frost date (May 10).

I don't know when OR IF I'll be able to post pictures here any time soon. I'm having a dickens of a time even browsing and posting anywhere on the GW forums. I keep getting this message:

gardenweb.com is not responding due to a long running script.

I then have to wait and wait and wait for a box to appear to "stop script". It happens no matter which browser I use. I've reported it, but who knows when the powers that be will fix it.

Julie

Yes, I went through the shock of early budding and blooming a few weeks ago but things look settled in here as far as warmth goes...but I wonder what that will bring when hurricane season arrives.

Kt

Kt

They look so healthy. Will you have to spray them on a regular basis?

Observation:

In IE your clickable thumb produces a new lg photo on the left side of my screen against a white background.

In FF I get a photo centered on my screen against a black background.

Keep those photos coming as your apples grow and ripen!

Julie

Julie

Will you have to spray them on a regular basis?

Probably. I'm new to growing apples(the fruit) although I've had trees for years but now I want to eat some apples so I will look into keeping pests away. I didn't expect to have any fruit this year since I just planted them last year, and also since about 98% of the water they received was the water I gave them, most of which was groundwater.

I have one satsuma tree that is dying...probably from too much water.

Please post some more pics of your plants. Anything else blooming?

Kt

Forsythia shrubs are mostly used for hedges or accent shrubs. I don't like them pruned as hedges, because people often shear and shape at the wrong time of year, cutting off many of the next year's buds. Then the hedges have sparse blooming in the Spring. I like them better left to grow with their branches arching and weeping.

They only produce insignificant fruit capsules.
You should be able to grow Forsythias in zone 8, but they need weekly watering to develop a deep root system.

Yes, I have lots of daffs blooming...I'll see if I can get more pics of something.

I forgot to ask you before...What kind(s) of apples are you growing?

Julie

Have you ever grown any Amaranths? I have three varieties coming up now.

I am trying a Red African Tulip Tree this year, something that I always wanted to grow.

I'm down to only three daff plants this year and none of them bloomed. I guess the drought got the rest of them.

What kind(s) of apples are you growing?

I have 5 varieties planted. The two that already have apples are very well suited to this area and were bought a few years back at that nursery in Bastrop that burned completely up in the fire last Summer. One is called Dorsett Golden and I can't recall the other right now, but I keep thinking Methley, but that is a plum. I'll look at my plant chart tomorrow and get back to you.

The other three varieties are Granny Smith(I've grown this one before and it does very well here), Chenango Strawberry Apple, and Golden Delicious.

The 'green'(or golden) apples do the best here in the south.

Can you grow apples in your neck of the woods?

Kt

Have you ever grown any Amaranths?
The photos I shared last year of 'Love Lies Bleeding' in front of my house are the variety Amaranthus caudatus.

There is another variety that comes up every year from seed in a garden bed near the garage. The flowers stand more upright.
I will try to look for the photo, which has the name labeled.
Be sure to post pics of your Amaranths when they bloom!

I enjoy eating golden apples. Golden Delicious is one of my favorite.

Yes apple trees grow abundantly here. There are many orchards around the area where people can pick their own. We have two apple trees on our property, but when we bought the property, the trees were in bad shape from years and years of neglect. If someone could prune them and spray, we might get a good crop of apples. DH has no time to take care of apple trees with his business, and I sure can't take care of them.

My Dad grew many kinds of apples, and my favorite was Jonothan. He also grew Rome Beauty, Cortland, Honeycrisp (I think), McIntosh, Northern Spy, and maybe Winesap.
Mom made knockout pies, and the best piecrust ever!

Julie

That must be where I heard of Amaranthus before, I just couldn't recall where. I thought maybe Sue had mentioned them since she has a lot of seeds...hmmm...maybe she needs some Amaranth seeds?

Seems like you may have told me about the apple trees on your property before also...I guess my memory is slipping.

Nothing beats a good homemade pie! Sounds like your Mom was(and I'm sure still is) quite the cook!

Kt

DH always said her pie crusts were the best he ever tasted.
I could never make mine as tasty as hers, for some strange reason.

J

Poor quality garden pix.

Looking east.

Looking west.

Kt

Do I see corn, onions, radishes, and beans?

What are the three large-leafed plants near the fence in the second photo?

Oh, and I also see footprints (bootprints.)

Julie

Yes you do!

What are the three large-leafed plants...

Giant sunflowers.

And yes...my bootprints.

P.S. Something ate all of the leaves off of one of my apple trees.

Kt

My 'insulatus electricium' are doing very good this year. Nice bright yellow flowers with the rust colored stems and silver thread from the spider.

I have the same Insulatus electricium var 'Greenstem' and also 'Silverstem'.

My varieties have much thicker stems with characteristic 'knobs' on them.

Kt

Here are some other pics.

A naturally occuring variegated grass(blurry).

This one is for Sue. In the background there is a reflection in the water of Sue's deerstand.

Wild onion.

Indian Paintbrush among seed puffs of a yellow flower.

Garden - two weeks later.

Kt

I sure like your Indian Paintbrush framed nicely with puffy seed heads.

Your veggie garden looks well kept and weed free!
What is the purplish foliage in the right-most row?

I see a well worn path going off to the right upper half of the photo.

You have lots of green yard this Spring:)

Thanks for keeping up updated on your veggie garden.

Julie

Oh well, these are the tried and true ones that faithfully bloom every year...

Julie

What is the purplish foliage in the right-most row?

Actually, there are four different plants there. Closest is Aggie Cotton which is maroon. Next are the three Amaranths that I planted, also a maroon colour.

I see a well worn path going off to the right upper half of the photo.

Yes, that is a trail that goes off to the east side of my yard, disappearing off around some bamboo...traveled daily, and many times. The trees in the background is where the creek is.

Your pics are beautiful, Jule!!

Are those day lily leaves among the Brunnera? They look more like daff leaves. My daffs didn't bloom this year.

That is a really beautiful daff garden you have there! The white flower closest to the camera looks more like a tulip.

The dogtooth violet have unique looking flowers...very pretty.

Is the Johnny Jump Up a type of pansy? We did not plant any at out office this year. Your tri-colour is an eye catcher.

How tall does you lilac grow?

The blue hues of your Muscari and Pulmonaria are beautiful. I really like the clusters on the Muscari.

Oh, so you do have tulips, and they are astounding! A great mixture of colours. Looks like the farmland off to the right has been worked recently.

The Pulmonium is an interesting looking plant. Do the leaves grow that way naturally?

An excellent photo tour of your yard/garden, Jule! You must have more to show us, maybe? Thank you for taking the time to take pics and post them here. I'm waiting to see more.

Bern, here are some pics of my Insulatus electricium.

Here's the same plant as yours but mine still has more of the 'new growth' silver but as you can see, it is starting to turn rust coloured.

Silverstem knobby. Notice the lower flower is a double.

Greenstem knobby.

Kt

Kt, your Insulatus electricium's are nice looking. Your smooth stemmed one, does look like mine but your stems are twice as big. I wonder if the salt from the 'Gulf' and the 'road salt' that we use for our raods are causing the stems to turn that rust color. I'm thinking of using some pelletized lime to stablize the soil from the leaching of the salt. Maybe that would help.

Your knobby stemmed variety remind me of roses with the thorns on the stems. And I have never seen a double flowered one. Is that common in your area?

I also noticed that you have the same type of spider that we have here. They must use a special sticky juice to keep that thread so stiff.

Take care, Bernie.

However, if you touch either of the webs in my pictures, they send a shock through your arm.

I stay away from shocking spiders.

Do you have to water your garden daily, or are you getting enough rainfall for the veggies?

Thanks for your comments on my pics:)

The leaves among the Brunnera are indeed daff leaves...you are very observant!

The white flower closest to the camera looks more like a tulip.
In the third pic with mostly daffs, there are white tulips just up and left of center, and yellow tuilps on the far right. I'm actually amazed how long those tulips have lasted in that garden...about 10 years! Tulips usually don't last that long, but the Emperor variety must like that area.

The Johnny Jump Ups are annuals, which reseed themselves, sometimes popping up in places across the yard from where they were originally planted. The flowers are small, about 1" in diameter. They are welcome in my gardens even though they can spread rapidly. They are easy to pull if you get too many in one area.

Not sure how tall my Lilac will grow, because I can't remember the variety off hand, but I'm guessing 6 feet or more. The flowers are very fragrant!

I really like the clusters on the Muscari.
So do I! And they too, are spreading in one of my gardens, which is fine with me, because they are a Spring bulb that has foliage that dies down just as tulips and daffs, and completely disappears in a few weeks. I don't know how they got in my garden, because I didn't plant them. My guess is that they came along for the ride in a load of mulch a few years back.

The farmland off to the right of my bed of tulips actually has not been worked yet. If you saw it close-up, you'd see the large mounds of soil from last Fall's plowing. I expect to see a farmer disking it one of these days...then spraying for weeds. Right now I am taking a few shovelfulls of soil to add to garden spots where I've been transplanting. We never charged rent to the farmer for using our land, so I figure I can help myself to the soil now & then.

The Pulmonium is an interesting looking plant. Do the leaves grow that way naturally?
It was planted new last year in my Silver Woods garden. The common name is Variegated Jacob's Ladder, thus the white border on the leaves. I think the little purple flower buds will open soon and I'll try to get another photo.

Thanks for taking the time to comment on my photos:)
I'll try to get more posted soon.

Hmmmmm...You guys and your Insulatus electricium!!!

Bernie,
It's amazing how both of you can just rattle-off the names of flowers.
If you use IE as a browser, and hover your mouse over each of my photos, you will see the lables I added, and the names of each flower/plant/bed. For some reason, it doesn't work in FF.

Thanks for your comments, Bernie!

Julie

You should get some Julie. Very low maintanance, frost/freeze proof, grows in any type of soil, and the flowers last all year long. I wasn't aware of the spider thread that Kt mentioned. That might be the only drwback to them.

It's amazing how both of you can just rattle-off the names of flowers.
If you use IE as a browser, and hover your mouse over each of my photos, you will see the lables I added, and the names of each flower/plant/bed. For some reason, it doesn't work in FF.

So that's how you guys are doing it. You guys.....errrrr!!!!

Bernie

Yes, I have one plant in a pot for the past four years now, and it has cotton balls on it now. I will get a picture. Almost all of my seeds come from that plant. It grows exactly like 'regular' cotton...just coloured maroon.

Do you have to water your garden daily, or are you getting enough rainfall for the veggies?

Sadly, the rain has been turned off. I water it daily and it would definitely look much better if it had rain. I can hear it thundering outside off in the distance, but the rain clouds have already passed over so unless the system backs up, there is no rain in the forecast. In my greenstem knobby photo above, you can see one of my sprinklers.

Lilac..I'm guessing 6 feet or more.

I had no idea that they grew that tall.

The farmland...has not been worked...

I didn't see anything green so I thought it was tilled or disked. Here it would be full of Winter grass or weeds before it gets worked.

Thanks for your response.

Kt

Kt

It is past it's prime and should have already been picked. When they first open, they usually have four folds. The seeds are embedded in the cotton.

Kt

Julie

I always wanted a spinner, mainly to see how they work, but I want one none-the-less. It will take a few years at the rate I'm growing it for me to get enough to make thread/yarn.

Kt

The other evening out at the country.

Kt

The fungus looks orange on my moniter...not your favorite color, huh? Even the native grasses and weeds look healthy!

I really need to take more pics.

TFS:)

Julie

I planted red and russet potatoes(Red Norland and Norkotah, respectively).

I think white potatoes are also called Irish potatoes, but I'm sure there are many names for all the different potatoes out there.

Wild potatoes grow here but I've never seen any actual potatoes on them.

Thanks for your comments, Jule.

Kt

Make sure to post a pic of the fruits of your labor!

I had planned to take photos of more blooms today, but it rained/drizzled/sprinkled all day, so I was stuck inside.

I finished a lap quilt for DD's friend, who gave me a couple bags of worm castings a while back. She doesn't know I've made it...I want to surprise her.
The pieced top is made entirely from leftover scraps.

Julie

Very nice quilt!! When you say the 'pieced top' you are talking about the middle or center area...right?

How do you come up with the designs or shapes for the pieces? They fit together like puzzle pieces yet they are all the same shape. I like it!!

Kt

The pieced top is all of the buzzsaw shapes. You can see each buzzsaw if you look at all the colored shapes. You can also see neutral colored buzzsaws in between the colored ones. This type of pattern where same shapes interlock is called a tessellating pattern.

The "pieced top" of the quilt has two borders...a narrow cream (which looks white in the photo,) and a wider outer border which is dark blue with a floral print. The binding is a light tan.

No, I didn't make up this block pattern myself. I found it on a site that offers free block patterns.
Here's the Buzzsaw block pattern.
On that site look in the upper right corner where it says Click here for the templates, and if you click on it you will see the actual pattern that I had to print out and cut apart. I had to print that page twice for each block. The method of sewing uses paper piecing, which I will explain some other time. I went through a heck of a lot of paper for this pattern!

What I DID have to figure out on my own were the measurements for the two borders, binding, batting and backing. I've done that so much that it's very easy for me now, after making quilts for a good year & 1/2.

HEY, GUESS WHAT? I found some cool fabric in a bamboo print online and bought a yard. It's so pretty! I have no idea what I'm going to do with it yet, but I plan on incorporating it into some type of quilt, maybe a wall hanging. I'll try to snap a pic of it within the next few days and post it here.

Thanks for your interest in my quilt projects:)

Julie

I planted three Barberry shrubs among my Daylilies for variety of color:

These double daffs often fall over under a heavy rain:

Closeup of Lady's Mantle leaf with a drop of water
(Sorry, it's a little blurry)

This poor Lilac has been moved a couple of times to get it away from the farmer's field. It's taken a while to get established in its present location:

Now I was told that this variety of Loosetrife (Firecracker) was NOT as invasive as Gooseneck Loosestrife. But it's invading my Daylilies! Anybody want some?!?!?
It gets almost 3 feet tall with tiny yellow flowers.

Even though I detest Silver Maple trees, they sure put on a pretty show of new Spring leaves:

Somehow our Wisconsin State flower showed up in one of my gardens:

Bouquet taken with a flash...those reddish looking tulips are really magenta. I love Lilacs added to any bouquet:

That's all for now.

Julie

Why do you have to print the page twice for each block? Top and bottom?

That is interesting. I'd like to see it done(the quilt) from start to finish.

Bamboo print...cool! I can't wait to see that!

I like the colour in the barberry shrubs. How tall/wide do they grow?

I forgot about double daffs. Either you or Sue, or both, posted some pics of them a while back. They are very pretty.

The Lady's mantle leaf reminds me of my Rice paper plant leaf. Great shot with the water droplet.

That lilac doesn't look too 'poor' to me! Looks healthy and thriving.

How large is the Loosetrife 'Firecracker' in that photo? It may be invasive but it brings great contrast to the daylilies panted around it.

Silver Maples here also put on a nice leaf show but I don't care for them in my yard. Nice pic.

Your 'Wood' Violets grow here too! Unless maybe it is a closely related variety. They grow everywhere in and around my yard, but I notice them abundant at certain times of the year. I didn't know it was your state flower.

Very nice bouquet!! You made that? Excellent...you should do that for a living. Oh, I mean, since you are retired, you COULD do that for a living!

When I looked at the vase, that the bouquet is in, it appears to be a square crystal vase with designs on it, but what caught my eyes was the design on the wood table(?) that it is sitting on. Nice.

I can't figure out what that is behind it though. Doesn't look like a cabinet from what I can see, but I like the designs in the metal pieces on the wood. Are those doors they are hanging on?

Thanks for the time to post those beautiful pics!! I like to see what is growing in different parts of the country and compare it to plants here. Keep those pics coming!

Kt

Someday I want to make a Quilt Of Valor quilt for a veteran. There are specific patterns to choose from. Scroll down to the "Patriotic Log Cabin Quilt" picture and click on it to enlarge. That's the one I'd like to make some time in the future.

...barberry shrubs...
They can grow to 4-5 feet tall and wide in optimum growing conditions. However, in my hard clay, I'll be happy if they grow to 3 feet!

double daffs
Both Sue and I have posted dbls. She prob'ly has oodles more than I do!

How large is the Loosetrife 'Firecracker' in that photo?
Right now it's about 5-6" tall. Yes, it's a great contrast to the green foliage of the DLs, and also looks great as it produces small yellow flowers. After flowering though, the foliage gradually turns a dark green later in the summer. I need to plant some in a different location in POOR soil to keep it more contained!

Wood Violets
I think they must grow all over the US...and have various shades of purple to blue to white to two-tone, and even yellow. I really need to dig them out of my garden, or they'll take over!

bouquet
Yes, I arranged it with flowers from my gardens, and Thank-You! But I don't think I'd like to do it for a living. In fact, I don't have a desire to take on a make-a-living job right now. I'm having too much fun with hobbies:)
The crystal vase is actually a hexagon shape at the base, flaring up and outward at the top. The table it's sitting on is just a cheap TV tray. What you see in the background is an armoire. It used to be my brother's. Most armoires are used for storing clothes or jewelry, but mine is full of photo albums, and old movie films! I'll see if I can shoot a full photo of it, both inside and out. The fancy metal pieces you see are the handles.
Man, you continue to amaze me with your keen eye!

Thanks again for your interest!

Julie

Excellent looking Log Cabin Quilt! That would be a very nice one to make for a veteran.

Barberry shrubs...yes, I know about optimum growing conditions, but here, it seems that height is more determined by surrounding growth.

Armoire! That crossed my mind, but I never heard of one until a few years ago I was at a friends house and they were watching Seinfeld and the 'Soup Nazi' had one...I guess you CAN learn from watching TV!?

I like it and would be interested in seeing the whole thing.

Thanks!

Kt

Kt

If we get corn to grow knee high by the fourth of July, we're doing great. But your corn looks to be four feet high! Must be the Texas warmth. Looks like the sunflowers are budding.

Have you got a bucket overturned with bricks on it in the middle of your garden?

Again...you are taking such good care of your veggies!

More pics, please!

I've taken pics of the bamboo fabric and the armoire, but need to get them into Photobucket...maybe tomorrow.

Julie

So.....have a little time to post promised pics.

Seinfeld and the 'Soup Nazi'
I remember the strict Soup Nazi guy, but can't recall the armoire incident. Here's mine:

And here's the not-so-pretty inside with over 5o years of photo albums and home movies, some of which have been converted to DVDs.

Bamboo fabric:

Not what you expected, huh?
I doubt there is any bamboo species (cultivar?) with those exact colors. It's a fabric designer's version, with various colors that can be matched with other fabrics for use in a quilt. Thus the browns, dark green, med green, pale green, and metallic gold outlining. I like the black background. The gold thread doesn't show up very well in the photo though.

Here's a fabric where you might be able to see more metallic gold outlining:

And here are several fabrics that I might use together in a future quilt. As you can see, I'm partial to leaf prints:

I have very little time for working on quilts, now that the weather is warming up. Weeds in my gardens are demanding my attention!

Julie

Actually, the corn in the foreground is 7 feet high, and the sunflowers in the background are about 7 1/2 feet tall.

I was standing and holding my camera above me at arms length to get that picture.

I already picked corn out at the country, but the plants and ears were small due to the lack of rain/water. I have one plant there that is about 7 inches tall and has an ear on it...mimi-corn?

I noticed today that another apple tree is first blooming. I select trees for planting by first seeing which ones will grow well here. Then I choose for taste(sweetness) and storing and/or canning varieties. Finally, I choose for ripeness timing, so that all varieties do not ripen at the same time or I will have too much at once. I want trees to produce for as long a span of time as possible...starting with one variety, then finishing with another.

Maybe some of you have more experience with this, but I always assumed that trees bloom roughly at the same time, but ripen at different times. I never thought about blooming months apart, which obviously would produce fruit at different times.

I do the same with vegetables. Different corn varieties, for example, can take from 95 to 125 days to harvest, but I'm not sure if that is from the day of planting or from the day of sprouting though.

Looks like the sunflowers are budding.

Yes, the one's in the front are but the background sunflowers will grow up to 12 feet before blooming unless it remains dry.

Have you got a bucket overturned with bricks on it in the middle of your garden?

Yes, that is a 25-gallon tub turned upside down to put a sprinkler on. The bricks keep the sprinkler from sliding off the side.

That is a very pretty armoire!

I assume the top has different levels, and it is flat? I see the plant on the left, which looks like a live(real plant) ivy must be on a level or flat board unless it is propped that way, and the same goes for the plant on the right. The clock in the middle looks like it is sitting on a higher platform.

Two kinds of wallpaper? Looks nice.

Wow! You can store a lot in one of those. I see there are two doors on the top. I wasn't sure if the four panels were maybe double folding doors.

That bamboo fabric is better than I imagined! Actually, there IS bamboo that has culms that look like that, but the leaves are bright to deep green. I like that. I wouldn't mind having a room with wallpaper like that!

I like the leaves in the fabric with the gold outlining.

That's a great mixture of leaf patterns there. Of course bamboo is my favourite, but I also like the green one below it...and the green one above it...and the blue one to the bottom left...etc. They're all nice!

Thanks for the pics! Once again, nice armoire!

Kt

7 inches tall and has an ear on it
LOL! Take a picture! I've had Oriental Lilies that somehow got stunted, or just decided to set buds on stalks barely peeking out of the ground. Maybe temps have to be just right or maybe it's just a fluke of nature!

apples for canning....
Interesting. My mom never canned apples, but she did can pears. She made lots of applesause however, which she froze. And Dad made gallons and gallons of apple cider, which he also froze. What do you do with canned apples...make pies?

My Dad always experimented with different varieties of corn, too. One of the varieties I remember had yellow and white kernals on the same ear. He also grew popcorn, which produced very small kernals, and they didn't always pop.

...very pretty armoire...
Thanks, and yes, I think so too! I think most people have armoires in their bedrooms. Mine is in my kitchen, since the room is huge, and I would have felt bad asking anyone to move that heavy piece of furniture to the second floor!
You and your keen eye again...yes, the top of the armoire is flat. The plant on the left (Pothos) and the dried flower arrangement on the right are sitting on the flat top. The clock is elevated on wood blocks, so we can see the time.

We didn't put up the wallpaper. It came with the house when we purchased it. It's a nice neutral wheat pattern on the bottom three feet of wall space, and a larger matching wheat pattern on the upper wall space. Very neutral color, easy on the eyes.

Bamboo print fabric...I was surprised to hear there is a variety of bamboo with culms like those pictured on the fabric. Tell you what...If (after I make a quilt with that fabric) I have any left over, I could make you a pillow to toss on a couch or chair, if you wish!!!

Thanks for your lengthy response, and keep those pics of your veggies (or sunsets) coming .

Julie

What do you do with canned apples...make pies?

I have never canned any apples...yet, but have plans to learn how from my neighbour.

Here is a flower that I have been growing in a pot for about 8 years now. The seed was given to me by some friends who went to Hawaii and picked it up along the beach there.

Leaves on one of my amaranths.

Red Norland potatoes dug today. I haven't weighed them but I'm guessing about 35 pounds. Largest taters are about 5 inches across.

One of my sunflower varieties.

Here are a couple of cotton bolls that are fixing to pop open.

The less-than-seven inch tall corn. You can see the tassel starting to emerge at the top and the ear on the left of the right plant. I just watered them.

Here is a tree trunk of another post oak that just started dying. The bark is being torn off by some animal to get at the infected fungus area growing underneath. This was a beautiful area with a great tree canopy but as you can see it is open sky from all the dead trees...and they are still dying.

Kt

Do you know the name of your Hawaiian flower?
It's awesome! Reminds me of a Spider Daylily with its narrow petals. The purple stamens (filaments?) really caught my eye. What is the plant with the reddish-orange blooms in the lower left of the photo? And what is the vine on the right?

I think I have an Amaranths similar to yours that comes up volunteer in one of my beds. I recognize the foliage. Does it bloom with purplish flowers?

35 pounds of taters!!! Wow...that's a lot of potato salad or mashed, or scalloped, or boiled. They look healthy. How long will they keep in your house?

An ORANGE sunflower...does the color bother you?
I think it's lovely:) I like sprinkling sunflower seeds on my salads. But not too many...they are very fattening.

Never saw a pre-popped cotton boll before. Does cotton need to be picked by hand, or are there machines that do that now-a-days? Be sure to post a pic after it's popped, please.

Your mini corn is determined to produce, for sure! It's so cute. Do you have coons running wild around there? That ear would make a nice easy access meal for any critter that craves corn.

The bark is being torn off by some animal to get at the infected fungus
Eeeww! What kind of animal likes to eat fungus? The wild hogs? So sad to see those old trees dying off.

Thanks for the picture story and your explanations:)

Julie

I don�t know the name of the Hawaiian flower. I�ve been waiting about 8 years for it to bloom so I could get a positive ID. I�ll get back with you on that one, but it is some variety of Spider Lily.

What is the plant with the reddish-orange blooms in the lower left of the photo?

I see you have become very observant! "Some people just look, the rest of us see."

It is a Kalanchoe, but I can't recall which one. I�ve had the plant for decades now�since I was in college. The leaf came from a terrarium outside of a profs office. Somehow it found it�s way into my pocket, so I planted it and have been growing it ever since.

And what is the vine on the right?

It looks like a vine in the picture but it is actually cherry laurel suckers growing among crepe myrtles and bamboo and a few other plants.

The petals on the blooms of my amaranths are red and yellow. I�ll post a pic when they bloom.

The potatoes will keep until next year if kept in the right conditions. If you notice, I did NOT wash the soil off of them since that keeps them from rotting, same goes for onions. Many old-timers keep them under their houses where it is dark and cool in the Summer. A well aired barn would also work.

The sunflower�s colour is actually not true in the picture. It is more yellow and red than orange. No, the colour would not bother me as long as I can eat the seeds! :) Yes, they are fattening like nuts such as pecans walnuts, and peanuts, etc.

They use combines to pick the cotton these days, yes, contrary to popular belief, slavery is no longer existent down here in the deep south.(Don�t get mad anyone, it�s just a joke). The cotton plants, once the bolls open, have to be defoliated before the combine comes along. I think I posted a pic of the cotton field on my brothers property a few years ago. If you would like me to repost it, let me know.

Yes, I have every kind of wild animal running around out at the country and that�s what got my corn last year, a coon or possibly a possum.

Whatever is tearing at the tree bark is actually probably eating some insect or grub that is feasting on the fungus under the bark. Could even be a bird. Hogs can�t reach that high, and knock on wood, I don�t have wild hogs at the country place right now although all the neighbours have them.

Thanks for all of your comments, Jule! I hope I answered all of your questions to your satisfaction and am waiting to see more of your pics, or anyone else�s!

Kt

I see you have become very observant!
That might be because I have lots of time (being retired) to look more closely at things, especially this time of year in my own gardens. I make mental notes and jot down ideas of things I'd like to change or add or transplant or thin out. And I find myself looking at gardens from various angles to determine what needs my attention.

OR!...maybe it's my nature to be somewhat nosey:)

Kalanchoe
O.K. I haven't seen one in a long time. In fact, I had one about twenty years ago, raising it as a house plant, and not being very successful at caring for it. You photo looks like a jungle paradise!
Somehow it found it's way into my pocket
Just fell right in, huh?

amaranths
I've never seen red or yellow blooms, only purple.
Looking forward to seeing your blooms:)

potatoes...Many old-timers keep them under their houses where it is dark and cool in the Summer. A well aired barn would also work.
Oh that's right you folks don't have basements. Around here, all the old houses have fruit cellars in their basements. It's a room that can be closed off from the rest of the basement and is unheated. We have one in this house.

You may have birds feeding on those sunflowers before you get a chance to eat them.

I remember the cotton field pic you posted a while back. If you have a few spare minutes, you can post it again...I'm sure others would like to see it.

Thanks for answering all my questions! It's so interesting to learn about what goes on in various areas of this country, especially in different climates.

Nothing much blooming here, except the purple alliums, which I post every year...same ole, same ole...

I'll try to find something new to post sometime soon...

Julie

Owl on post about 100 yards away.

Strange looking potato.

Kt

I grew 7 different kinds of corn this year. One was a hybrid sweet corn, another was popcorn, a third was Hopi Blue, and another was the Indian coloured corn...all of which are edible, and obviously the popcorn is grown to be popped.

Pictured above are three heirloom corns that I grew after doing research on about 2 dozen varieties of heirlooms.

The one on the left is Stowell's Evergreen. It is my favorite of the three.

The second is Golden Bantam which is good, but a little 'tougher' than the others. Good taste though. On a side note, yellow corn was considered only fit for livestock back one hundred years or so.

The third cob is Country Gentleman. Notice that the corn does not grow in rows. It is almost as sweet and delicious as the Stowell's Evergreen but the ears get a bit larger and the kernels are smaller.

I like the first variety(Stowell's Evergreen) also because it keeps longer than most varieties and is excellent for table, canning or freezing.

Just talking...

Kt

Popcorn on the left.
Indian corn in the middle.
Hopi Blue on the right.

Kt

I recognize the popcorn, since my Dad grew the same (or a similar) variety. Are the popped kernels small compared to store bought popcorn?

I didn't think you could eat Indian corn...thought it was mostly for decoration.

Never saw blue corn before!!! Evidently it can't be grown in the North, since I've never seen it here.

What are you going to do with all that corn?

It looks as if you have them displayed on a cement porch or step?

Thanks for sharing your pics:)

I took a break from my hectic lifestyle this evening and snapped a few pics.

F. rufa (by the side of the house,) is a little taller this year, and keeps getting fuller. The tallest culm so far is 46", about a foot taller than last year. Oddly enough, the rufa behind the garage is shorter, maybe because it doesn't receive as much rain.

Foxglove growing in semi-shade

Geum, sidelit by setting sun...the flowers are only one & 1/2" in diameter.

Most of my Hostas are doing amazingly well despite my neglectful care.

Knockout Rose...I'm not at all happy with this photo. I have trouble photographing red flowers, for some reason. First of all, the flash went off, then I tried to darken the photo in an editing program, but the result doesn't do justice to the shrub. It is actually knock-out gorgeous, but the color in this photo seems gaudy.

My newest garden art decoration. The dragonfly balances on the spoon, and never falls, even on the windiest days. Dragonfly's wings are spoon handles. I paid a little too much for this thingamagig, but I HAD to have it, since a sewing machine is displayed under the spoon. Bought it from a sewing/quilting store here in WI.

A wasp trap the kids & grandkids bought for me for Mother's Day.

Weigela shrub

Julie

I thought the same thing, but the kernels are very tender and sweet, so eating is easy and delicious.

Are the popped kernels small compared to store bought popcorn?

Those in the photo are a bit smaller than the popcorn I've bought in stores. It might be because mine is an heirloom variety and the store bought may be a hybrid.

I didn't think you could eat Indian corn...thought it was mostly for decoration.

Yes, it is edible, and quite tasty too, but modern varieties have replaced it, and it is now mostly used as decoration.

The Hopi Blue corn is quite tasty also as eaten off the cob, but it is mainly used for making bread. I've never seen it either until this year when I grew it.

What are you going to do with all that corn?

I ate most of it and gave some to my neighbours. I haven't done anything with the popcorn yet...I think it has to dry out before popping, I'm not sure though.

It looks as if you have them displayed on a cement porch or step?

Yes, they are on cement steps going up onto my back porch.(Good eye!)

I've been meaning to ask you about your Rufa. Wow, it looks really happy! It will be interesting to see if you will eventually be able to use any of those culms for garden stakes, etc.

I really like those foxglove! I tried for many years to grow them here but never got any plants big enough to bloom. We do have a wild foxglove here, which may not actually even be a true foxglove, but after years of trying to grow them, I found some wild ones growing out at the country...so.

I've never seen nor heard of a Geum, but they are very pretty. The flowers look larger than 1/2 inch in the pic, but they are still pretty.

Indeed, those hostas do look great!

That knockout is very nice and there are so many blooms. I too, have a hard time with red flowers as you probably recall. It must be something to do with the digital cameras. Both of mine do the same thing, and if I recall, there is a setting to use when photographing red objects but I can't recall how to set the camera.

Nice garden art. The dragonfly's body looks like the handle from a butter knife.

A beautiful wasp trap. Most that I see down here are just plain clear glass, but they do work.

In the last pic, the weigela is an intersting looking plant, which looks similar to out beauty berry plant, except the flowers are different. I see a lot of daylilies in the pic also. Everything looks so lush, like a jungle.

What is in the middle of the picture that looks like plastic or screening around the trunk of the small tree/shrub?

Is that the milk can(?) that you posted a pic of a while back?

Nice picture show and thanks for posting those beautiful photos!

Kt

the popcorn...I think it has to dry out before popping, I'm not sure though.
Yes, I remember seeing my Dad lay out ears of popcorn on newspaper for drying.

Rufa...It will be interesting to see if you will eventually be able to use any of those culms for garden stakes, etc.
I haven't seen any increase in the diameter of the culms, only in their height. This may take a very long time!

Tex, the Geum blooms are 1 & 1/2" in diameter.

... there is a setting to use when photographing red objects but I can't recall how to set the camera.
I didn't know that! I'll have to research that, and if you find out, let me know, please.

The dragonfly's body looks like the handle from a butter knife.
Probably! Keen eye, cowboy!
I just hope it lasts a long time. It's already showing signs of rust (which makes it all the more "artistic".)

wasp trap
I haven't put any sugar water in it yet, as we don't have wasps flying around yet...maybe later this summer. It looks nice when the sun is shining through it.

beauty berry
I don't think that shrub will survive in the North. After Googling, I found some beautiful pics, showing the clusters of berries. I don't believe Wiegella shrubs produce berries...only flowers.

What is in the middle of the picture that looks like plastic or screening around the trunk of the small tree/shrub?
It's some sort of plastic protection that was wrapped around the trunks of the Redbud tree when we first planted it. The trunks have grown bigger, and I really should remove them. Evidently, they were put on at the nursery to protect against hungry rabbits or other critters.

Is that the milk can(?) that you posted a pic of a while back?
Now Kt, let me jog your memory. I posted a pic of that can...or maybe it was one just like it, but not rusted...a while back and I had people guess what it was. It is not a milk can. I think I gave a hint that you might find it in a mechanic's shop. And you guessed BEER! "No, not beer," I said. The can held something else...remember what?

Thanks for taking an interest in my photos, and thanks for your comments.

Post more of yours when you have time, please.

And to anyone else out there....post your pics...we like to share!

Julie

If you don't see any increase in diameter after 2 or 3 seasons, then that is probably as thick as they will ever get.

...the Geum blooms are 1 & 1/2" in diameter.

Sorry, I misread your earlier post. Overworked...or maybe just getting old.:)

The red flower thing is something I read about probably on the Photography Forum. I'll let you know if I find out anything.

...as we don't have wasps flying around yet...

Really?!?! We already have huge nests which we normally don't see until late Summer. Strange weather I guess...

Oh! That's an oil can! If that's not right, then I am losing my memory.

Here's a pic of tonight's sun softly setting...

Kt

Re: your softly setting sun...
Usually I think of the sun setting like a rock, because it seems to move so fast over the horizon.
But maybe you're describing the "soft" look of the clouds...as if the sun were sinking into a comfy pillow.
Anyway, your photo is lovely, and peaceful.

Julie

Kt

Kt

Kt

It certainly is colorful! And I bet it can withstand hot, dry conditions.

My shade gardens look OK so far, but my "sun" gardens are starting to look pathetic. I am not able to run the sprinkler except during the very early morning or very late evening hours, since I'm doing so much running back & forth to the nursing home. Poor blooms are small, and plants are short. Some are suffering badly because of hot dry winds.

I have mail-order plants sitting on my front porch that are withering because I don't have time to get them in the ground. My top priority now is clearing a room in our house to make room for Mom to live with us. Moving her personal things from her house is also taking up much of my time. Eventually her house will have to be sold, which will be a monumental task that will take months to clean out.

I miss working in my gardens, and I miss taking photos of my favorite flowers, but life has taken a different turn lately.

I so enjoy seeing others' photos, so keep posting them, Kt, and anyone else who cares to share. I also enjoy seeing projects on the quilting forum...another area that has been put on hold for me.

Please keep posting your beautiful pics!

Julie

I'll answer your questions later when I have more time.

Kt

Yes it's been very hot and sometimes dry(in between waterings) so it must be very tolerant of those conditions to have turned out so healthy looking.

The plants were listed to get only 3 feet tall but are now over 6 feet in height.

I imagine that it is quite a chore moving your Mom's things into your home, but after it is done, it will be much easier to care for her and should give you time to do more of the things that you would like to also.

Good luck with everything.

Kt

There seems to be several dozen types(species) of Amaranth.
Could your's be Amaranth tricolor?

My Amaranthus caudatus (Love Lies Bleeding) volunteers have again sprouted and are growing in between rocks this year. But because of my neglect, they are only a foot tall...not bad for growing in abnormally dry conditions.

I'm starting to make myself spend at least an hour in my yard/gardens every day for my own peace of mind. Time spent in the fresh air clears my head.

I did have a chance to spend a few hours with my friends in the Racine Garden Club last week. We each made a hypertufa leaf garden ornament. I'll try and take a pic and post it after it's completely dry.

Julie

Gardening is relaxing, yet I don't think any of us has as much time to spend in the garden as we would like to.

Here is a poem I found, titled:

Hello God, I Called Tonight

Hello God, I called tonight
To talk a little while...
I need a friend who'll listen
To my anxiety and trial...

You see, I can't quite make it
Through a day just on my own...
I need your love to guide me,
So I'll never feel alone.

I want to ask you please to keep,
My family safe and sound.
Come and fill their lives with confidence
For whatever fate they're bound.

Give me faith, dear God, to face
Each hour throughout the day,
And not to worry over things
I can't change in any way.

I thank you God, for being home.
And listening to my call,
For giving me such good advice
When I stumble and fall.

Your number, God, is the only one
That answers every time.
I never get a busy signal,
Never had to pay a dime.

So thank you, God, for listening
To my troubles and my sorrow.
Good night, God, I love You, too.
And I'll call again tomorrow!

-author unknown

Kt

That's a beautiful poem, and very appropriate for the chapter of life I'm going through.

I'm constantly praying for guidance, direction, and wisdom.
Some days are overwhelming with decision making because I worry too much about future things. I heard on the radio that 90% of what we worry about never happens. So I think I need to start believing that!

I saved the poem to a document on my laptop.
I want to be able to refer to it after this thread drifts off into cyber space.

It's very kind of you, Kt, to share the poem with me:)

Julie

When I read the poem, I immediately thought of you and what you are going through now. I've been there a few times and unfortunately, will probably be there again, but with God's help, I(or anyone) can make it though.

Kt

Julie

Here's my Hypertufa creation...used a Rhubarb leaf...it's 15" from the base to the tip. Not sure where to display it yet, or what to use it for...maybe a butterfly drinking pool?

My daylily blooms for the most part are smaller in this drought, and the scapes are shorter. Once in a while I find a bloom that seems to like the heat, but the foliage is suffering badly.

Most Hostas generally don't droop when they suffer from lack of water. They hold their shape quite well. However, I may see the consequences of the drought next year when they shrink in size:(

Once in a while a perennial will impress me, with it's vigor, even in poor growing conditions. My Shasta Daisy, 'Becky' grows in heavy clay with minimal watering, enduring hot winds, and very little mulch protecting the roots. No wonder it earned the title, "2003 Perennial Of The Year".

Julie

That is a beautiful daylily. None of mine bloomed yet this year which is very unusual...I guess they are still recovering from last years drought.

The hostas look great to me. Very few varieties will do well down here, but yours look healthy.

That daisy does look nice! It looks very similar to a wildflower that grows everywhere here, but I don't know what it is called. As you mentioned, some plants seem to thrive under the harshest of conditions. Some like overly wet and some like extreme dryness. Clay holds water much better/longer than sandy soil so if the right plant is lucky enough to sprout in the right conditions for that plant, then it does well.

Thanks for posting the pics! I hope everything is going well in your household with you and yours. Keep those pics coming whenever you have time.

Kt

We garden club members were all given a pile of fine sand (moistened well) which we formed into a smooth mound on tables covered with plastic. We then chose leaves of various sizes and laid them over the sand mounds. You could make your pile as high or low as you wanted, depending on how much of a depth you wanted for your finished product. Then a gal came around with a bucket of wet cement and dumped it ontop of our leaves. Our job was to spread out the cement evenly, about 1" thick all the way to the edges of the leaf, and to be careful NOT to go beyond the edges of the leaf. We then left them sit for several days to cure before taking the home. When they were completely dry, the leaves fell off and we had neat vein designs forever embeded in cement.

Re: the daylily...
Thanks, Kt. Yes I like that particular bloom too. Daylily plants are tough and can withstand drought conditions if they're well established. Many of mine were just planted a couple of years ago though, and are having a hard time holding their own without regular watering.

Re: the clay soil...
Yes, clay can hold water well, but if left to dry out, it can become hard as rock, not an ideal condition for roots to grow in. I sometimes think I should start running two hoses at once, one for the East & South gardens, and the other for the North & West gardens. That should give my well pump a good workout!

I will update on my Mom in another week or two. We now have her room complete, waiting for her to move in from the nursing home in a week or two.

Thanks for your concern!

Julie

That's interesting how you made the Rhubarb leaf 'dish'. However, here it would serve as a mosquito pool:). As Terra mentioned, rhubarb is not a southern plant. I tried it several years ago, and it was a variety that was supposed to do well here, but nothing doing.

I sometimes think I should start running two hoses at once...

It has not been nearly as dry this year as last, but I already have had three sprinklers going at once on several occassions. My wellpump went out again the other day, but it was on warranty and only cost me $124 instead of the $1,100.00 a few weeks ago when it went out.

He should be drilling me a new well very soon...or he will be replacing another pump. I don't look forward to that bill.

Post more pics when you get time. I enjoy seeing what's growing/blooming in other parts of the country.

Kt

Bernie

We had the current well drilled back in the 70's when they used steel casing instead of pvc, so the rust is ruining the pump, along with sand that is apparently coming through the deteriorating screen on the bottom. Yes, over-use of the well is also adding to the problem and so is the drop in water level, which is exposing the pipe which normally is underwater, thus making it rust.

Sometimes the water is so rusty it looks like a very strong tea, and I even have a filter on the line running to my house but it needs to be replaced about once a week. Normal replacement is 6 months to one year. Enough rust and sand gets through to plug up my faucets in the house. The washing machine has NO cold water at all.

My well out at the country has sand in it and the strong smell of gas(rotten eggs). If I run it for a while to get the odor and sand out of it, then it is OK to drink and tastes great.

It's always something here...

Kt

Bernie

Thanks for the suggestion.

Kt

Kt

..

Or were the dots originaly black, sitting against a natural white background?

So many Q's, but I'm intrigued!

I'll try to post some more soon.

<')+++<

Back to the subject of pictures, I'm aiming to take pics of all Mom's Ukrainian painted eggs, then transferring the photos onto fabric, then she wants me to incorporate them into a quilt. Wow, I have some researching to do.

Pictures, anyone?

j

What!!! You don't have that done yet! If I had that to do for my Mom, I would have it done yesturday.....well,maybe by next year.

Say "Hi" to your Mom from all of us.

Grilled chipmunk. Reminds me of the day sitting by the cement pond and grilling chipmink over an open flame and basting it with bear grease. Ahhhh the good ol' days.

Take care Bernie.

We don't have any armadillos in my neck of the woods and it is easier the wrestle a bear to get the grease than it is mess around with those needles from a porcupine. Besides,a porcupine is a rodent just like a mouse, yucky.

Bernie

You're talking to a RETIRED gal here, Bernie. I have all the time in the world and I enjoy not having to work by the clock anymore:) Besides, I got sidetracked. I decided to get Mom's 50+ year old sewing machine back in working order so I could bring it here, with its cabinet, and have an extra machine set up just for quick mending and sewing jobs. Thanks for your message of greeting for my Mom:)

Kt and Bernie...
I will not be coming to either of your houses for dinner...EVER!!!

Julie

I ate some canned beef and canned chicken food the other day. It has a 30+ year shelf life, believe that or not. The chicken was good and was more like canned tuna, but the beef was hard on my stomach, but tasted OK.

Anyone in the military has eaten MRE's and knows what it is like to eat food prepared for longterm storage and most tastes like (crap)...escuse my language ladies.

Anyway, bottom line is, if you get hungry enough, you will eat things that you wouldn't ordinarily even think of putting in your mouth.

Your invite is still out, though, Jule...and tell your hubby I won't serve y'all MRE's...only good ole Texas BBQ!:)

Kt

Well, I guess I can understand the willingness to eat strange looking food if you're near starvation.

But you guys and your basting "grease" would send me running;)

I'm learning how to puree food for my Mom, and some of it looks unappetizingly olive green or gray-brown after spinning on "blend" speed. I have to always taste the finished product before serving it to my Mom, and surprisingly it usually satisfies the palate.

O.K. Tex, if we're ever roaming through your neck of the woods, I'll hunt you down (by looking for a home surrounded by bamboo,) and come knockin' on your door asking for that Texas BBQ you're braggin' about:)

Julie

Maybe I'll have to set a date and get everyone from the Test Forum over to eat, how 'bout that? I promise, NO roadkill will be served, and NO backwoods redneck toppings or redneck/cajun side dishes either.

Kt

Kt

I'll bring some of Racine's famous kringles;)

Julie