Bye Bye old red oak

Ed called the Deep South Tree Experts to take down the red oak by our house and to trim down the sweetgum tree. The red oak is huge and is taking all day to take down. The clean up may take 2 days.

Sweetgum trimmed

Yep! It cost a bundle.

Spring day

Yesterday was a somewhat Spring day. I attended the Chickasaw Garden Club's annual plant sale and came home with a flat each of red and white impatiens to replace the ones killed this winter. I couldn't resist buying another 2 pots of Gerbera Daisies. I love those things!

Here is one of my favorite border plants starting to bloom: "Tickseed"

Browsing around, I found the Apple Blossom amyrillis bloom open:

Old fashion iris getting ready to bloom:

I love to see the violets blooming. "Spring is here" they say!

Browsing around the backyard I see the Cherry tree in bloom

Then there is the Pear tree

And, the Camellias have been beautiful this year. The bushes have been loaded with blooms.

The Greenhouse

Here are orchids that friends gave me for my birthday

One of my bromeliads

Epiphillium (cactus) getting ready to bloom

Tomatoes & peppers

Tomatoes

Inside back of Greenhouse

Inside right of GH

Profile of Greenhouse

Front of GH
Rose garden on the left by the patio

Path to the GH

Beautiful Day!

Oh, boy! What a beautiful day!! 77 deg. Just perfect! Had to get out and do some tidying in the greenhouse. Dumped a lot of plants that had been killed by the cold-- mostly, the orchids.

A good friend sent me an email about the wonderful properties of a cucumber and I just have to share this on my blog. Enjoy!

WOW WHAT A LITTLE GEM THE CUCUMBER IS,
I WILL LOOK AT IT DIFFERENTLY NOW.

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5 Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!

6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

9. Out of WD40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm your fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

Pass this along to everybody you know who is looking for better and safer ways to solve life's everyday problems

Springtime growth

It's time to start watching your mums. I see new growth on mine and as they get taller (about 4"), they will need to be pinched back (and again x2) to make them bushier and have more blooms. Keep them moist but not waterlogged.

A beautiful day at last

Daffodils

Forsythia

Vinca

It was so great to be able to get outside and enjoy the day. The sun was bright and no wind. It was the first time in weeks that I was able to enjoy being out working in the flower beds, getting out weeds and tidying up the winter debris. Checking in the greenhouse I find that I have no more orchids. The cold got them all but 2 small ones that were hanging, rather than being on the bench as were the others. Heat rises! I lost some Peace plants also.

no good weather

I'm sorry! I just haven't been able to get outside to do anything due to the cold, windy weather. I hope that this weather will settle down soon so that we can enjoy some Spring. My daffodils have been blooming and the cherry tree is finishing it's blooms and leafing out.

Drinking From My Saucer

Drinking From My Saucer