Kaseys Korner

tea posies & a lunch date

Somewhere I read that we would all be better off if we spent more time with people under the age of six and over the age of 70.  There are days I couldn't agree more.  Today I was lucky enough to lunch with my neighbor who is in the latter category.  We celebrated her birthday (which was yesterday) and I wished her many more.  She's a treasure.  And a tea lover.  The tea lover is what prompted me to think of giving her this box of tea posies:

 

I really wanted to see her try one.  They look fascinating to me.  Have you all tried these?  The box contained a medley of six different teas/flowers:

 

What garden lover wouldn't like a tea that "bloomed??"  I may just have to break down and buy myself a box to watch the tea posies unfurl into what looks to be gorgeous blossoms.  My friend/neighbor said they looked "interesting" so I hope she likes them and that they taste good too.  Anyone out there who can verify this??   Brewing up a pot of tea takes on new meaning if the tea bag "flowers," know what I mean?

Saturday finds

My Saturday outing to three greenhouses was the perfect replenishment for a winter weary soul.  One of the greenhouses we visited is devoted solely to growing Orchids.  Oh my, I wish I'd had my camera so I could share some of the gorgeous blooms we found inside.  Orchids of every color, shape, size, growth habits, etc.  It really was quite phenomenal.  I will definitely revisit but not till fall.  I even restrained myself and didn't purchase anything (can you believe it??).  That discipline came from reminding myself that the outdoor garden season is looming and I'd rather focus my money & energies there than on an indoor beauty (for now).  Happily I found a few things at the other two greenhouses to carry home with me and plant outside.  The first is a luscious pink ranunculus:

 

I've always liked ranunculus but haven't quite figured their growing requirements out.  When I plant bulbs, they never come up.  So this plant was bought with the thought of assembling it into a spring container (I think I talked about that in an earlier post)?  I also purchased another Helianthemum 'Hartswood Ruby' ~ these little Sun Roses have been planted before and survived several winters even tho they are only supposed to be hardy in zones 6 to 8 (and I am zone 5). 

 

I'm hoping with careful positioning, I can make this one stick around for a couple years too.  Also purchased was an Iceland poppy and mostly because it appears to be pink (surprise, surprise):

 

I sprinkled tons of poppy seeds (peony & california) all over the front bed last fall so if wishes come true, I'll be graced with lots of their happy "faces" this spring.  It really was a bit early for much to be on sale at our local greenhouses but we knew that before we went.  I think it was more for our well being than for actual plant shopping.  The latter will happen in a couple more weeks....

sunny day

 

Forgetting about the snow today and heading to a couple greenhouses with one of my gardening friends.  Wish us luck finding anything ~ it's a bit early yet for our zone.  I think it will be nice to just be in the warm greenhouse, pretending it's different than it really is outside...  Happy weekend everybody!

digging out

that's what I'm doing today....  check out my lime kiwi chairs buried under snow:

 

No beautiful daffodil photos today.  It's going to be all work and no play until we get shoveled out.  We had a genuine blizzard yesterday, howling wind, buckets of snow and temperatures in the teens.  At least the sun is shining.  Spring, where did you go??  Come back soon and melt this mess!

spring, winter or what??

The weather is confused.  No, wait.  It's just spring, isn't it?!!  Earlier in week, we dodged the major snowstorm that was predicted for our area.  Today, not so lucky.  It is snowing like crazy and another prediction of 18 inches on the ground before it's over.  I better get geared up to shovel!  Meanwhile, I have a few odds and ends to share.  First, I did go back out and photograph the daffs when the midday sun wasn't glaring on them.  Thank goodness, I can hear you saying!

 

I also snapped the photo below of a new addition (planted last fall) called 'Curly' ~ isn't she pretty?

 

I love the double ruffle frills.  Like buttery petticoats.  Coming back indoors, next I turned my lens onto the new seedlings.  It's amazing they are alive & growing because I've been woefully negligent toward them this spring.  That needs to change if they're going to make it into the ground.  Happily the columbine seedlings 'Barlow mix' have their first true leaves despite my lack of attention:

 

There's nothing so pretty as fresh green is there?  I have a dozen or so of these columbine growing strong.  Not quite so many of the gloriosa lilies.  Only three seeds germinated.  But they are fascinating seeds.  Since I haven't sown or grown them before I had no idea what the leaves looked like or their growing habits.  It's fascinating to me that leaves did not emerge from the seed itself but rather a sword-like stalk of green has grown right out of the root (bypassing the seed entirely):

 

If you aren't a gardener, looking at these little seeds/sprouts/seedlings would be so B.O.R.I.N.G.  I understand, really, I do.  But if you are into gardening, learning little tidbits about germination, plant habit, etc. is good, good stuff.  Hope you don't mind that I shared?  and I'll keep you posted on the blizzard raging outside as I type...

summer dreamin'

Well, we dodged the snow.  Thank goodness.  I am one of those people who happen to believe rain is the best form of precipitation.  ha.  Not that the weather listens to me.  What we didn't miss is the wind.  It's been blowing gale force for two solid days now and making me dream of summer.  You know what that means.  In my office I go.  Out comes a summer photo and voila, a card is born.  Instant summer.  and instant gratification. 

 

Something else I discovered (while holed up from the wind) is how much I love the vintage journaling cards that inspired this card.  They are the creation of Terri Conrad who designs for Webster's Pages.  Isn't it amazing all by itself (imagine the card without the photo)?

 

Anytime you need help designing Ms. Conrad, please call me.  I'm your girl.  I've been passing the afternoon browsing the website and stocking my shopping cart!  There isn't anything out there I don't find fabulous.  The journaling cards are so gorgeous alone, that you hardly have to add any embellishments to create something exquisite.  I only added the wallet size photo, a bit of scrapper's floss and the 3-D butterfly embellishment (K&Company):

 

I feel better already.  Now that was easy, wasn't it? 

daffodil progression

You know how I love a photo progression series.  I think they just can't be beat.  Which leads me to what I've been up to this past week ~ snapping daily shots of the daffodil ~ following it from bud to bloom.  We've had 70 degree days for the better part of last week and now a prediction of 10 to 20 inches of snow.  If that really happens the daffs will flop over under the weight of heavy wet snow so good thing I snapped away, right?  And now for your viewing enjoyment, let's begin:

 

You've seen the above picture before but it's the first of the series so I felt it only right to include it.  The next day, the bud had already plumped up and gotten a bit of that tell-tale yellow color:

 

Hooray!  You know it won't be long until it's fully open when it looks like this.  But the following day it's a little plumper (don't you love that word?!) still and even more yellow:

 

So pretty, right?  Day four is the best yet, almost open:

 

and finally on day five (did you know it only took five days from bud to bloom time??  At least that was the case with this particular daffodil) it's opens completely:

 

Too bad I had the not-so-good sense to photograph it under the harsh conditions of full, midday sunlight.  Every year I learn more.  If it's not covered in snow this evening, maybe I'll re-shoot.  Have the daffodils bloomed in your garden yet??  Already over?  I think mine are open earlier than usual but that's probably because of the mild winter we experienced this past year.  I'll keep you posted if I'm digging out tomorrow or not....

a special wish

for my grandmother, whose birthday is today.  She lives 2000 miles away from me but it wasn't always that way.  When I was in college we had a standing Tuesday evening date that I always thought worked out best for me.  She cooked dinner and I ate.  If you were privy enough to be invited to my grandmothers house for supper, you were in for a gastronomical delight (even a 20 year old could recognize that).  Her meals were some of the best I've ever eaten.

 

Here she is holding my Mother (who was only 4 months old).  What's amazing is she told me many times that she hated to cook.  It's not often you can do something so well that you don't like.  My hat is off to her for that (and many other things).  Knowing this background, you can imagine how honored I feel when she tells me she likes something I've cooked/made for her.  She did that at Christmas when I included some "buck-eyes" with her goodie basket.  Guess what she got for her birthday?

 

Yep, a watering can treat basket filled with buckeyes!  I hope you have a happy birthday Grandmother.  If these little treats give you an ounce of the pleasure you gave me, I'll be a happy granddaughter. 

fairest of them all????

while most of us wait and watch for spring to unfurl itself outdoors, I've also been watching another beauty indoors.  Lucky me, finding Amaryllis Papillio on clearance after the holidays and adding it to my growing collection of bulbs.  Considered one of the most exotic amaryllis on the market, you can understand my thrill at seeing a bloom stalk develop.  Two months after purchase, I was rewarded with this:

 

Look at the exquisite combination of cream, Burgundy & green.  Well, maybe you can't see the cream so much in this first photo but it's definitely making an appearance here:

Even in bud form, you can tell it's going to be spectacularly beautiful.  and photogenic.  I couldn't quit snapping pictures!

 

Okay, I'll quit with the buds.  Let's get to the really good stuff ~ the slow reveal.  Like a demure maiden, she takes her time:

 

giving us a glimpse of the unparalleled beauty yet to come.  and just for fun, a side view:

 

Then, this morning, after all week of waiting and watching (and testing my patience) I was rewarded.  I can only compare it to a much anticipated present that once unwrapped, is everything you dreamed it to be.  She is just that glorious:

 

Wow, takes your breath away, doesn't it?  I've read that 'Papillio butterfly' is a bit more difficult to get to re-bloom.  I sure hope that isn't true.  I think, now that I've seen her firsthand, I would despair if I couldn't coax another bloom from her.   We'll see.  For now, the plan is to take her outdoors this summer, with the rest of my bulbs, fertilize her to the max, then hope like heck for the best.  What do you think, fairest of them all or just top ten??

It's spring, so sing

It doesn't matter that winter could make a return.  Now that the calendar says it's "officially" spring, I'm not worried anymore.  I know those cold days won't last long and the warm days will start to out-number them by leaps and bounds.  What's not to like?  In celebration, I thought we could pay tribute to the spring crocus before they are over for another year.

 

I'm wondering why I only planted purple crocus in my garden.  It never dawned on me until I started taking pictures.  Hopefully I'll remember to rectify that this fall and plant a few other colors.  Have you noticed that you are drawn to a particular color when it comes to purchasing bulbs?? 

 

Don't get me wrong, I think they're really pretty.  I just found it interesting that all these years, I never paid attention to the fact I only have one color.  Maybe all my garden blogging buddies have helped me see that by sharing your varied colors??  For that, I thank you.   Stripes and yellow would make nice companions for the purple....  Happy first day of spring too!