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that's what getting "down & dirty" on the pavement means to my "indoor only" cat. If he actually manages to make it out the door, he immediately drops and rolls. Every once in awhile, I have to let him take his pleasure. We all need our "fixes" in life, right?! and his is such a simple one. :-)
Headed to the Botanic Gardens this morning, will share photos later. Enjoy the weekend!
Yesterday I thought of my daughters newly purchased deodorant when I saw this bud on my Tibouchina grandifolia. Before you think I'm completely insane, let me explain what a hygiene product and a plant have in common! First, the Tibouchina ~ I've had it for three years with nary a sign of a bloom. I bought it because of the foliage but also because the flowers sounded gorgeous. Here's what the plant stick said about it, "huge, softly hairy opposite leaves on square stems with long fall panicles of violet blue flowers." Doesn't that sound absolutely divine?? I think this must be my year in the garden! Coupled with the foxtail lily discovery earlier in the week, I'm practically floating in horticulture nirvana. Now, to the deodorant, which is what you've been dying to hear about all along, right?! I just bought my daughter some teen girl "Degree" deodorant. Whoever thought up the marketing for that product was brilliant ~ the label says "for every OMG moment!" I'm thinking "why does that need to be teen specific??!!" I'm certainly having plenty of "omg moments" myself lately and I am light years from that age group! Anywho, that's the skinny on how the wires crossed in my brain yesterday at the sight of the bud on my glory bush. Clear as glass, right? Oh, before I sign off for the day, here's a shot of my Tibouchina container from last season. See the big hairy leaves peeking out above the maple sugar hibiscus (Hibiscus acetosella)?? That's the one. Simply gorgeous and now set to be even more spectacular! Does life get any better?!! ;-)
The iris are blooming in my garden now. I adore iris. They are so elegant with their frilly caps and graceful falls. I'd love to have every color imaginable and I actually do have quite a spectrum. Let's see, there's purple, pink, yellow (generously given to me by my wonderful neighbor last year), rust, black & blue. ummm, seems like I'm only missing peach/orange. How about that? Maybe I'll find one this year. As is the case with many flowers I love, the blooms just don't last long enough for me. Several years ago I divided the rhizomes and hardly had any blooms the following year. I figured out I had placed them too deep so I delicately replanted at the correct depth and was rewarded the next year. I realized in that year of sparse blooms, how much I do anticipate their appearance and enjoy their company. Here is one of my beauties for your viewing pleasure!
Photographs really do tell stories. They tell truths too. Like how this one spoke volumes on how top heavy my new "vintage" planter is (remember when I fought over this with my Mom back in March??) I took the picture to show her how I'd fixed it and that's when the truth surfaced. Isn't it interesting that I couldn't see it standing right in front of it? Photographs are uncanny for their ability to show incongruities and reality as well as beauty. I think I should either flip flop the tiers(begonias in the bottom & ferns/fuschia in the top) or replant the bottom tier with something more substantial. How could I have ever thought I was done messing with the containers?!! Whoever came up with that famous quote, "a picture is worth a thousand words" was spot on!
In honor of Memorial Day, I'm posting a card I had published using a photo of my grandfather (who fought in World War I). He's standing on the far right. The photo was taken in Paris ~ I wish I knew more of the story behind it. Thank you to all who have served our country so valiantly. I hope you are remembered well today.
Weekend project. Just my speed ~ completed in under an hour! I decided there was no way I could ever move this gorgeous monster pot around if I filled it with potting soil so I opted to convert it into a fountain instead. It was the easiest thing ever to do. I have another pot (cheap plastic) inside this one filled with water & housing the pump. I cut a 3" hole in the middle of the plastic saucer to connect the pump & spray head and to allow the water to drain down and recirculate. Because I didn't want to drill a hole in my clay pot, I just ran the electric cord out the side of the saucer. Lastly the river rock was added (to help conceal some of that plastic and for sound effects). I wish I could claim the clever idea as my own invention but alas, I copied it after seeing one on a garden tour quite a few years back. I've had a version of it ever since, housed in different containers, but this is hands down the most attractive yet. It's (unfortunately) my only water feature but definitely one of the best things I've ever added to my yard. It's the perfect balm for a crazy world, a combination of soothing but energizing sound. Plug and play. Aaaahhhhhh.
The neighbors cat. A shot from my latest pet sitting. I have to say he was most cooperative, which is more than can be said about my own fur baby. All I had to do was tell him how handsome he was and he was putty for my lens. Lapping it up and giving me exactly what I wanted. I LOVE it when that happens, don't you?!!