Warning about free stuff: As the old saying goes, "Free, and worth every penny."
One week ago, the U.S. was gripped by three winter storms in a row. Even here in the desert Southwest, we had snow, graupel, and several days where the high temp was below freezing. My heart goes out to those who were severely affected; two animal rescuers in Texas I know are still in bad shape, and only their lion-hearts are keeping their rescues afloat as they scamble for water and warmth for the animals in their care.
But what a contrast, here: We have sun, spring-like temperatures, and flowers beginning to bud. I noticed that a winecup plant that last week was ice-encrusted, has today put up two big flower buds. I bought the tiniest size of the winecup at the nursery last year, a weak-looking plant with four leaves, and today it takes up half a fire-ring (fire rings are like stock tanks, but no bottoms). The winecup is in a struggle with an ice-plant as to who will dominate that particular bit of garden. My heart is with the winecup, so I give it a bit of help with judicious pulling and re-homing of the ice-plant. Do not grieve for the ice-plant! It easily roots wherever I place it.
I am greedy for flowers in my yard; flowers and wild grapes. I was able to snag a plot in our community gardens here in the city today, and that's where I will grow vegetables this year. That leaves all of my fire rings here at the house free for flowering plants. The "plot" of land I am assigned has had some improvements made, including PVC pipes arched over the top and secured at the sides of the raised bed. That is going to come in handy for "shade cloth," which helps shield the veggies from the full strength of the sun. Even full-sun plants here do better with some shade. I have the water faucet at the end of my plot, too, so that's a bonus.
Here are some shabby tags for Easter. Maybe you will find a use for them: Glue them to a can or bottle, tie onto a cabinet pull, place with some greenery. As always, since mean ol' Google compresses files and makes them smaller, use this LINK <--- right here and download the original big size from Google Drive. Don't save the image, as it will print too small or be too fuzzy since it was reduced in size.
But...to get a better view of them, you can right-click them, choose open in another tab or window, then regular-click and use the little magnifying glass to see them better. Sometimes it's hard to make the little magnifying glass appear.
And as always...thank'ee for stopping by.
The Merry Olde Dame, Holly
Love the Easter printables I am sure I will be able to make good use of them, thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by!
DeleteDear Holly,
ReplyDeleteIt is so good that you have secured a plot in which to grow some vegetables. There is really nothing to match the taste of home grown produce and it is so very satisfying to plant tiny seedlings, see them grow, harvest them and eat them all in the space of a season. It is bound to be a lot of work but it will be well worth the effort.
And, what delightful gift tags. They really capture the Easter spirit.
Will you try to grow a tomato or two as potted plants this year?
DeleteHello Holly,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the bunnies , I will use them.
In our garden we have sun and buds everywhere. Birds are already nesting.
Yes, your area is so beautiful and it's subtropical, isn't it? I think I saw many huge Norfolk pines just growing outside. Hope the cold didn't get them.
DeleteYour garden sounds wonderful. Of course, we are several weeks behind you for blooms here in Ohio, but I know they are coming! We are in our third day with temps above freezing, but there is still a great deal of snow on the ground. I've started collecting the toys our Lab, Elsa, took outside during the three weeks of snow and ice. I have a washing machine load going now. ;) When more snow melts, I'll go get more of them.
ReplyDeleteIt was so funny to see all those toys outside! Elsa has such a cute habit.
DeleteAbsolutely darling~
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lady Locust!
DeleteI am “greedy for flowers” in my yard too! I think I will go take another look to see what is happening in today’s warm sunshine.
ReplyDeleteYes, see what you can spot! Maybe some buds fattening?
DeleteI found some snowdrops today...peeking through the snow. Even the birds were singing today.
ReplyDelete25 days until spring ;-)
I adore snowdrops, the harbingers of spring!
DeleteI always learn something when I visit your blog....I love flowers but had never heard of winecup or iceplants. I looked them up and no doubt....they are not fond of the weather conditions we have here in Nod. Waiting on another snowfall as I type...but at least we got above freezing today! (Tonight will be another story LOL.) As you are expanding your flowers, I am trying to cut back....I have always done a lot of container gardening (along with some perennial borders), but with having 2 homes, it is impossible to keep the ones alive at one place while I am at the other. So, I hope you post lots of photos so I can enjoy vicariously!! Sweet tags...thanks! ~Robin~
ReplyDeleteYou may have to limit your gardening to trees and shrubs! They can do a lot in a landscape!
DeleteHello, Holly. I know you moved some time ago, but I've missed where to. Can you share a name, for mental location.
ReplyDeleteJoanne, I moved from West Texas to Las Cruces, New Mexico. Not too far; five hour drive. Very similar climates, but the water is better here. In West Texas, it was as salty as the sea, literally.
DeleteI'm glad you managed to get a garden plot and one with some extras like a water tap quite nearby. You'll have fun choosing what to plant!!
ReplyDeleteI haven't ever heard of a flower called winecups but I googled it and my but it's so pretty.
I have so many seeds! I think I am going to mainly grow bush pumpkins, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and herbs. Once everyone has had a chance to get a plot, we are allowed to get an additional plot, if available. Even those bush pumpkins take a lot of room.
Deletewhile I am ready for the flower beds come alive I have much longer to wait we have lots of snow and things are slow to
ReplyDeletecome alive in the spring. I redid a few beds last year and plan on revamping a few this year. But something to look forward to.
Cathy
I am glad I "inherited" that community garden plot, because I can't dig well or bend well and it has already been loosened for me. I am looking forward to the photos you share on your blog! I bet your flower beds are gorgeous.
DeleteThanks for the sweet bunnies, you are so sweet to think of us. I have no idea what a winecup plant looks like, maybe you could take a photo and show us. I wonder if it is something that would grow here in the Northwest.
ReplyDeleteWishing you a lovely day and God bless you.
Connie :)
I think winecup would grow very well in the Northwest. I used to live on Whidbey Island and I grew it there, too. When it blooms (not long now!) I will take some pictures.
DeleteI saw your comment on another blog... About how you think that all the snow cover, in the North, is what insures the lovely amount of 'greeeeeen,' in warm months, there.
ReplyDeleteYessssssssss!!!!
Being born (83 years ago) and bred in upstate NYS, I agree, that winter snows provide summer water, which is so necessary, for growing things. You "hit the nail on the head," as the old saying goes!
Thank you for stopping by! The bitter cold of the North yields such beauty, and practical things, too, like the plants that can grow that need chilling. And snow is called "poor man's fertilizer" and I believe it!
DeleteYou are definitely a gal of kindred spirit...I love everything flowers!! And I too would "baby" the winecup.
ReplyDeleteWill need to look up this winecup plant. We had temps in the mid 50's Woohoo...and hopefully it wont get so cold anymore like we had for weeks in the teens and below zero. Lovely images. Janice
ReplyDeleteI hope it truly is an early Spring and not Mother Nature just planning a little April Fool's joke on us...
DeleteThank you so much for the generous share ♥
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely blog you have! Your latest St. Paddy's creation is so cheery!
DeleteI realize it's been FOREVER since I've visited and for that I feel incredibly sad and sorry. I am not sure if you are aware, I had a surgery that got infected, for which I had to be hospitalized. Just when I was able to leave the hospital, we had that freeze you talked about and I was caught in a power outage blackout. Now I am warm (fairly, at least) and trying to catch up on returning the kind remarks and comments you left me. For that I am SO very, very grateful. I hope you will understand that was just in no position to leave comments for nearly three weeks this month. Many of my posts were scheduled, and I was too sick to pull them.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in CA in the mid 2000s, I was lucky enough to see Ice Plants. They are beautiful. Unfortunately, I have never seen or even heard of a Winecup, but will do an internet search to find it. I had friends who planted ice plants around their homes to help stave off fires. Of course, the ice plants can only do so much.
You are SO generous with your lovely Easter and even your St. Patrick's Day images. These are incredible. If only I had color ink for my printers.
Again, I realize I am very late to the party, but I greatly appreciate your visits even when I was unable to reciprocate, dear.
Now you see, this is where I need to work very hard on improving. I felt so cast down and like a pest to your blog, so I sadly left...but am now back! I think my hard childhood has made me very scared of being pesky to others, and at 62 I need to grapple with that and fix it once and for all! Thank you for your visit and I hope your recovery continues. I had not known that about ice plants, but it makes sense. They are just full of water. I think I may let them "roam" in the garden more than I have!
DeleteHolly, I would NEVER think of you as a pest. I am so sorry you had a hard childhood. If you ever need to talk, feel free.
DeleteAs I mentioned about ice plants, if you have an all consuming fire, like the devastating ones in CA last year, NOTHING is going to help. However, if there is a grass fire close to your home and one that can be aided by water from your hoses, ice plants are truly life savers. Lots of people plant them in beds around the perimeter of their homes in CA, especially those who live in suburbs and outside city limits. They will certainly be worth their weight in gold if you ever need them to protect your home, which I hope NEVER happens.
Dear Holly, thank you!
ReplyDeleteI have a question (ardent gardener, though at the moment reduced to a large balcony): the wine plant you are talking of: is it "garden rhubarb", Rheum rhabarbarum?
Then I was very pleased to detect the word "graupel" in your description of winter forces - my dictionary shows me now, that this word for soft hail exists in the English/American language too - we have the same word in Germany!
Britta, I think the winecup I am talking about is called Callirhoe involucrata in Latin. It is a native wildflower in the U.S. It grows from seed or from a rhizome. As soon as it blooms again, I will post some photos of it! It is very lovely and blooms often. I didn't know graupel was also a German word but it certainly sounds German!
Delete