Kaseys Korner

a cold closer

to 2010, that's what we're going to have.  The unseasonably warm temperatures we've been enjoying this fall & winter have finally gone away, just in time for New Years.  Today is the first day (in a long time) I've looked out the window and thought the birds looked cold:

The little goldfinch above fluffed himself up and was patiently waiting for an opening on the thistle feeder when I snapped his photo.  You can also tell (from the white background) we've had a little snow.  It actually seems strange after so long without it. 

The cold, snow and wind will make it a good day to curl up indoors and start perusing the spring garden and seed catalogs that have been showing up.

I know it won't take me long to have a big wish list!  Maybe 2011 is the year more of the grass will be excavated (to make way for new plants & seeds)??? 

Alas, it does not appear the paph orchid will be blooming (as I'd hoped) when the calendar rolls over to January.  It's very slowly unfurling but I am doubting now that it can fully complete the process????

That's okay, it's well worth the wait as you can tell by the glimpses of color & markings its shyly revealing.  What sometimes seems like an excruciatingly long build-up to bloom time, actually makes the flowers even more special/spectacular ~ at least that's what I tell myself when I get impatient!

Maybe Amaryllis 'Clown,' is a better bet to be blooming:

It has a day and a half (at least) to pull it off.  I'm thinking these buds move at the right pace to accomplish that goal....

After all, we need a new bloom to ring in the New Year, don't we???

Christmas buds

Christmas Day was dry and brown here this year, the garden bare and exposed.  For our household, it was a welcome change of pace from the more-often-than-not white holiday.  Temperatures were also in the 50's, which meant, after presents were opened and the mess tidied, we could actually be outdoors with only a light jacket.  The lack of snow/moisture means the garden is very dry tho.  Since it was so pleasant, I didn't mind in the least hooking up the hose and giving it a good soaking.  The idle time was also a good opportunity to examine some of the plants.  In doing so, guess what I noticed ~ a bud stalk on one of the hellebores!

Yippee!  I just might have blooms in January!  Could it be?????  I guess we'll wait and see. If so, that will be a first!

I also found some viola buds ~ a sure sign that it hasn't been very cold.  Usually these are long gone by the end of December. 

Since it was Christmas, I even let our cat Regis outside for a festive roll on the sidewalk!  (a big treat for him since he isn't allowed out much).  Instead of rolling tho, he headed directly for the lavender and gave it a thorough sniff-over.  Look what I had the sheer luck of capturing when he was finished:

If I'd wanted to catch him with his tongue out, I'd probably never be able to do it.  Isn't that usually the case? 

Not outside but very exciting is another bud I thought might actually open for Christmas.  As you can see, it didn't quite make it but maybe it will be blooming by New Year's??

You've seen this Paph orchid before ~ it last bloomed for me in January (of this year).  The bloom lasted about a month then it took six more months of growing new leaves before this bud started up in August.  If it opens in time, it will be a great flower to start the New Year, don't you think?   

Hope everyone is enjoying their holiday....

Last minute Christmas ideas

It's almost "panic" time, if you're like me and still have some last minute holiday stuff to wrap up. 

It will get done, one way or another, won't it? 

I hope each of you have a relaxing, beautiful, stress-free holiday. 

Last Christmas we were in the middle of a swirling snowstorm ~ gusty winds, frigid temperatures ~ the whole nine yards.  This year, it's supposed to be in the 50's.  So much more my style! 

If you are wrapping gifts today and need a last minute gift tag, check out the ones I made using my old birding field guide.  (My Dad told me to throw it out when he gave me a new one but of course, I couldn't do that!)

Also, if you have a stamp set available you could stamp your way into a fellow nature-lovers heart by making this sweet set:

My Mom got one of these on a package, she might like the tag as much as what's inside! (but I hope not)

If you're in need of a quick gift, for an unexpected guest, you could whip up a cocoa or tea mix and put it in a recylced glass jar like I did below. 

The container above was a Sweet Leaf Tea bottle that I ran thru my dishwasher then instead of keeping the lid, I inserted a cork in its place.  Tie on a quick tag and you're set! 

The tags and the cocoa mix were all featured in the December 2010 Crafts 'N Things magazine.  The card at the top was just for fun. 

Now I better get in motion so I can enjoy the day tomorrow!  See you after Christmas!  Have a good one...

 

let the relaxation begin

Yesterday I mailed my last Christmas box.  It's always such a relief when that's done.  I feel like I can finally concentrate on my immediate family and begin to enjoy the holidays at last.  I hope that's not a bad attitude?  After making 2 batches of fudge, 20 dozen cookies, wrapping a zillion presents and addressing about 40 cards, I think that's cause for relaxation!  None of the aforementioned food items are left in our house either!  They've all been shipped or consumed by other people.  I am just now beginning to make some of the holiday dishes we enjoy, like Banana bread with candied fruit:

That might sound gross to some people but it's our version of a preferred fruit cake! 

If it can last long enough, Amaryllis 'Red Pearl' will be our Christmas table centerpiece:

I've never cut the flowers off my bulbs before but 'Red Pearl' was leaning heavily to one side and had another bud stalk about to open so I took the plunge.  I've read that the flowers actually last longer in a vase than on the bulb??  It will be interesting to see if that is true...

Amaryllis 'Novella' also opened her second bloom stalk the other day and you will never believe how many buds on this one!!  (remember the first stalk had eight buds/blooms?)  I photographed her because I wasn't sure you'd believe me any other way ~ count them ~ they total 10!!!!

Six blooms around the outside and four more buds in the very center!  That is one exceptional performer!  I've never had so many blooms on a single Amaryllis stalk before ~ I definitely got more than I ever anticipated from her.

There are more Amaryllis bulbs waiting to bloom in the greenhouse/bathroom too.  Below are 'Clown,' 'Gervase' and 'Christmas Story' all lined up beside a Bird of Paradise plant (with a ginormous new leaf ~ 24" long!) and some of my orchids:

Looks like there will certainly be plenty of blooms to keep us company thru the holidays!  Now we're going to be movie watching, piddlin' around and just generally laid back.  Wishing you the same!

 

handmade ornaments

If you're like me and running "down to the wire" with holiday shopping, baking, etc., consider giving a handmade gift ~ there's still time!  A little craft therapy never hurt anyone either.  Just sayin'....

These wooden bead ornaments certainly won't stress you out:

Simply paint the beads whatever color you desire then apply rub on's or stickers for decoration and string them on jute.  I tied the adorable star bells onto the bottoms which I found at Hobby Lobby. 

If you'd like to try something just as easy but a bit more impressive, how about this 3-D ornament?

I turned a 3" (round) paper mache box lid into half a snow globe by painting it white, adhering patterned paper around the edges and to the back of the lid then filled the inside with fun embellishments.  To keep the "snow" in, just glue a 3" round piece of transparency over the top of the lid.  Voila!  Fun stuff, right?

If that's too elaborate, maybe a simple string of beads with a paper tag is more your style?

These could even be used as gift tags?????  Food for thought...

Are we having fun yet??  Up for a few more???

These are for the "cardinal lovers" in all of us:

Patterned paper decoupaged to paper mache stars then everything strung together with wire.  Piece of cake, right?

Same idea, different twist, because who doesn't love a snowman?

Well, what do you think?  Inspired to give it a try??  Let me know if you do!

btw, all these ornaments were published in various holiday magazine issues this year, lucky me.  :-)

 

Clivia blooms

My bathroom/greenhouse is virtually a hothouse right now.  I have two orchids almost ready to bloom, numerous Amaryllis bulbs with buds and now my Clivia has opened.  I absolutely don't need another thing for Christmas (unless it's those amazing owl ornaments I posted yesterday!!)   ;-)

For some reason, taking great pictures of the Clivia blooms is a challenge for me (seems like I get a lot of glare?) but here's the best of what I snapped yesterday.

The orange & yellow color combination makes me feel like I'm in a tropical paradise somewhere.

That's a great feeling in the middle of December!  

I really believe (I said this last winter too) that I have a much easier time getting thru the cold winter months since I've added so many winter blooming plants and bulbs.   

Last year, they had barely finished blooming when the early spring bulbs started.  It looks like I am on track for a repeat this year.  That could be a credit card commercial for gardeners:

Blooms all winter.  Priceless!

the trouble with Christmas shopping

when you aren't a big shopper, is that all of the sudden you are exposed to an array of items you want for yourself!  Every store I went in yesterday, I came out with something for myself!  In Barnes and Noble alone, I found this book:

which , of course ended up in my pile!

Then the December issue of Country Living magazine (British edition) called my name:

I have always been a fan of our Country Living, but when I discovered the British edition, I was blown away.  What is it that makes British publications so much more phenomenal than ours????? 

The downside to purchasing the issues is that there are always items I fall in love with between the covers that I'm sure would be frightfully expensive to ship across the "pond."  Like these that I absolutely adore:

I wish they would find a way to end up under my tree on Christmas morning! 

Anyone else having this problem (buying for yourself) when you're out shopping for others?

Amaryllis 'Red Pearl'

This one is for all my friends shivering in unusually frigid December temperatures.

Blood red buds:

Opening slowly ~ teasing the viewer with what's to come!!

But bursting into "full-on" bloom mode just in time to be admired at my Christmas cookie exchange:

What a diva!  ;-)

I bought 'Red Pearl' by default, when I was unable to find 'Black Pearl,' the bulb I really wanted.  As all you photographers know, red can sometimes be a difficult color to represent realistically.  This bulb is no exception.  The bud photo actually depicits its truest color ~ most definitely more black than red (unlike the more common 'Red Lion' which is red orange).

Regardless of how its shaded, I hope 'Red Pearl' adds a dash of sunshine to your winter day, like it's bringing to my own home.  Stay warm!

p.s.  We are supposed to return to seasonal temperatures tomorrow with a chance for snow ~ I promise I'll sit at the computer and catch up on some overdue blog visiting then...

basking in the Dec sun

I've been away from the blog for a while now.  I hate to tell everyone, who might be freezing in the cold temperatures elsewhere, that it's been hard to stay inside because of our unusually warm December days (in the 60's!!!)  I'm sure it will all come crashing down on us soon but for now, I'm enjoying every second we get.  This time last year we had been buried in snow for two months!  Anyway, I've been outside, in my capri's, watering the garden, raking, planting some last minute bulbs, etc.  The pond was put to bed (covered with the solar panels) a month ago:

But it still looks very much like this photo today (no snow cover!)  Yay.  I'm the happiest girl on the planet right now.  Yesterday I checked the water temperature and it was nearly 50 degrees!  Those panels may not be attractive but they sure work. 

While I was bent down retrieving the thermometer, I saw some bulbs poking up:

I think this one might be a spanish bluebell?  Whatever, I don't know what they are doing up now???  Maybe the warm weather has tricked them?

The other thing that has kept me away (and busy) is preparing for my annual cookie exchange.  This tower of "Buck-eyes" was duplicated again last night:

and totally gone today!  Now that the party is over, I need to get serious about some shopping and cards (if I indeed send any). 

At least the house is decorated and temperatures are supposed to return to seasonal by Thursday ~ maybe that will get me back indoors!

Tibouchina in December

Yesterday I went down to the basement to dig out some boxes for holiday shipping.  Guess what I found?? (and it wasn't another Amaryllis bud!!)

A Tibouchina bloom!  See it outlined against the window well?

How did I miss that all those times I've trooped down there to check on the Amaryllis?? 

As you can see, most of the leaves have dropped off the rest of the shrub and although it's trying to send out some new green shoots, I'm watering it sparingly and convincing it to go "dormant."  or trying to anyway.

It made my day to find it.  So unexpected and even more beautiful with the rest of the plant stripped bare.

Made me want a greenhouse even more too ~ so I wouldn't have to force my tender plants into a dormancy.  Wouldn't it be wonderful to just keep all these tropicals blooming & growing throughout the winter?

*sigh* 

Someday....  

For now, I'll have to be satisfied I didn't miss seeing it.