The Garden Tour (or met my babies): Welcome Washtub Pot

Down the steps off the porch and turning right is a washtub sitting on a turned over washtub with welcoming frogs...


The tub has purple shamrock, sedum, amarills, glory bower, small purple daylily, var vine, yesterday today tomorrow, weed, clematis in it. The frogs are from a trip to Kansas (I like frogs).


Straight ahead is the secret garden, we will save it for last...more tomorrow

The garden tour (or meet my babies): plant stand

A gift from my Aunt Rena, I have always wanted one of these. My Aunt is an estate dealer (is that the term?) and has MARVELOUS pretties in her old main street two story house (it is girly girl heaven), my grandma had one of these on her porch (FULL of plants) and now mom does. I was so excited to bring this baby home and have a spot for it.


These plants were tried first. These are tough old house plants.


Then I added some more. My plants have never had such full hot hot sun. At first they were all doing great. But in July if finally got hot and sun bleached or burnt some of the plants.


So I moved out the burnt plants, and replaced them with some stuff I already had-that like hot ETexas sun.


On top is are two Swedish ivys-fuzzy and maroon (yes its that sun bleached), and a hardy honeysuckle gloxina (this will be moved down to get more shade)


next is an asparagus fern and purple heart jew-tough and sun proof


new to the stand is a root bound hardy red saliva, this is what it looks like when its not watered-poor baby-this will be re potted (you can see the red bloom in the previous pictures)


next is a good old green airplane plant, a spider plant (with really orangish stems), more Swedish ivy, and a weed-this plant has really kept its color



new to the stand is a new gold lantana, this will be repotted and moved to the top, you can see the blooms down further-you can also see the spider plant babies)


another asparagus fern and purple jew


this is taro and marjoram (and a VERY dead rose bush)


going down the stairs are three asparagus fern and purple jews in pretty matching white (self watering) pots. These plants and pots were given to me last year by a dear friend. We had a beautiful covered front porch and these guys looked great hanging there. I was so happy to have a spot for them at this new place. Man they can take the sun!

Well thats enough for today-tune in tomorrow-we are actually leaving the front porch!!!

The garden tour (or meet my babies): little tulip pot

Next to the tropical pot on the front porch is this plastic white rectangle pot:

In this pot some the sage plant suddenly died (I think someone was peeing on it)

So I added mint, back row: sage, green leaf jew, basket plant, sweet potato vines, parsley-cut way back and WAS full of little cats. Front row: skinny leaf jew, choc & mountian mint, wire frog from SC, and parsley

Before this pot had tulips planted (still in there) with herbs on top.

I hope the tulips come up next spring. These plants really like the water and full sun. Tour continues tomorrow....

Kitchen friends (houseplants): Hoya stripes

Look at the growth! This is a slow grower, grown for leaves more than blooms, leaves are thick and succulent like, new growth is first the stem, then the leaves. She likes to dry out between watering-and sunny but not full sun (hence the sunburnt leaves from being outside). I'm very impressed!
(click-able pictures)

The garden tour (or meet my babies): starting over:)

I FIXED MY CAMERA!!!!
Ready? I know your excited! (all pictures are click-able)




LauraJune says "Lets go"
Out the front door we go-on to the deck-straight ahead is the big tropical plants pot



Stepping out, looking to the left you can see the moon plant-this thing has grown so big in just two months-



Two more weeks growth-its so big now that it has flopped over-turned back up-and bloom, bloom, blooms!



This was the tropical pot in May 2008, the day I planted it-as I said before-I had alot of tropical plants (because BEFORE I had a place for them), so I stuffed them all in one pot and put it right on the front porch/deck. Its the first thing you see when you open the door-(it is a waterhog-actually everything on the front porch are waterhogs)





This is it this week, it has (this is a repeat-sorry), jasmine, 4 types of sweet potato vines, petunias, sedum, jew, perennial ground cover (blooms yellow), hibiscus, peppercorn vine, purple leaf plant, butterfly blue pea vine, & ???tropical (see below)





What is this tropical plant? see the little glossy leaves? more of an upright than flopper-if you know-tell me




My jasmine in bloom-not real smelly (darn)
In this pot-the only thing that is hardy here is the yellow blooming ground cover.

Tune in tomorrow! (computer willing:) God Bless-Carla

Kitchen friends (houseplants)

I love plants in the kitchen window! I grew up with my mom (and grandma for that matter) having beautiful houseplants in the kitchen window. Mom's window was FULL of pothos growing in a donkey cart/planter, and jars and glasses of starts (made the chore of dish washing easier:). So, naturally I want the same tropical feel over my sink. I want a full window that blocks out the view, yet lets in light, AND doesn't wack you in the head (me that is-I'm the dishwasher). Our kitchen window here has a tiny ledge and we haven't decided what to do about that yet. Probably extend it with a 1x6" ledge. These plants currently hang from a broom handle that spands the space between the cabinet tops. We will probably hang a wire shelf across the window. But for now-these babies make me smile!

On the left a var philo-




On the right hoya strips-

Son-Day: My Son, My Son...

My Son, My Son by Danny Hahlbohm

Oh my goodness!
Looking for today's Christ art I came across this.
His poor mama.
How her heart must have broke.
I can't even imagine.
Thank you Mary for seeing it through, thank you Mary for loving and raising my savior, my redeemer.
The story has a happy ending, her Son lives, her Son reigns!
But at that moment...oh my...what a price to pay...for mankind...for me.

Father today give Mary a hug and tell her thank you for me. Help me see the sacrifice that was, and is being made for me. Help me see it, and appreciate it.

SonDay blessings to all. Carla

To Ever Live Without Me
CD Title: This Is Who I Am, Jody McBrayer
The choices, even though you knew the lines
You'd have to cross for me
You made them anyway
Voices, as you knelt there in the garden
'Neath the olive tree
You heard me call your name
I cannot pretend to understand it all
But heaven knew the reason you were there
*
Helpless, that's humanity without your saving grace
So misled
Selfless, you could have called ten thousand angels
Down to take your place
But you took mine instead
I cannot pretend to understand it all
But heaven knew the reason you were there
*
It was all about a man
It was all about a cross
It was all about the blood that was shed
so I would not be lost
It was all about the love
That was bigger than a life
It was all about a freedom that was given
through your sacrifice
'Cause you would rather die
than to ever live without me
A greater love has no one than this
That he will lay his life down for his friends

Noisy, Helping or Jealous? You decide...

So, I'm taking pictures of the grandbabies-trying to catch them sitting together (or at least nearby each other) and I got some great shots! THEN I upload them on the computer and go to crop-wait a minute-what is that at the bottom of my picture?-my finger? No-I work very hard to keep my fingers OUT of pictures thank you very much-hmmm, it looks like, it might be, IT IS....












SISI!!!! My chihuahua! She was getting very tired of all the attention the babies were getting-She might say she was just helping-I SAY she was very green! What do you say???? {on that note-as a teen on up mom and dad had a little dog (their favorite child;) that ALWAYS managed to be in pictures-AND always managed to bite my children-but I'm not going there;)}

LauraJune, David, AND SISI 07/08

Such focus...

Look at the focus on the faces of these sisters.
Each one so different
Each one so the same
Such life in such small packages
Deep in thought-taking my breath away

R 4 yrs old
K 2.5 yrs old

I'M TAGGED! I'm feeling really special!:)

I got tagged again! Thank you LISA!!! You can tag me all the time.

1. 4 places I visit frequently:
*Wal-mart
*my mom's/brother's (they are neighbors)
*church (weekly as a matter of fact)
*my yard-I tour my little yard daily (hubby has the truck-so I don't go much)

2.4 People who call/Text/Email me regularly:
*Hubby
*Jennifer (who I babysit for AND VT with:)
*Donna (dear friend-I LOVE YOU)
*my kids (you know who you are;)

3.4 favorite Foods
*TAKE OUT - something I don't have to cook
*potatoes
*popcorn
*squash & zuccini saute

4.4 Places I'd rather be
*A long list of plant nurseries
*most book stores-full or 1/2 price
*my mom's house
*Heaven-but I'm waiting patiently on this one!

5.4 Movies I'd watch over and over (cant just pick 4-so I'm cheating and picking 4 groups:)
*ALL Disney movies
*Anything Jane Austin
*Most Hallmark movies (can you see the sappy girly love story theme here?)
*Silly Mormon movies

6.4 Bands/Groups I like to listen to...
*Third Day (LOVE EM)
*Nicole Nordman (or Nordeman?)
*Mercy Me
*Kutless (I like my Christian music loud:)

7. 4 people I am tagging:
I'll do this later;)

Strolling through the 4 'oclock jungle...

I tried so hard to get a good shot of this little bugger! She was more interested in the cats at greatgrandma's (my mom's) house-LauraJune is a cat squeezer-just like her mother:). My mom is the crazy cat lady (heehee), and she growes HUGE 4 oclocks-actually they grow themshelves. They are fun to watch-wilting in the heat of the day, poofing back up in the eve. And blooming-wow-what great blooming! She has tons-if your interested!
{LauraJune, 4th of July, 2008}

A Few of My Favorite Things...generations of women...

{Misty holding LauraJune, me, mom, Tiffany holding Audrey 2007}
The famous generational shot! Today the women in my life are my favorite thing. The women in my life amaze me. My mom, soft, gentle, kind-my rock, never moving; My daughter & step-daughter so smart & strong; My granddaughters so much life in those little packages. (and me? plugging along and enjoying the ride-or trying too:)

I once read a quote from Gordon B. Hinckley of the importance of women. All generations flow from and through women. It blew me away. I come from strong, wonderful, enduring women. God made woman on purpose. He knew what He was doing and why, I think sometimes we (I) forget that. How cool our VT message is about that very thing this month!

Thank you Heavenly Father for placing these women in my life to inspire me! I am aware of your blessings today!

Carla

She answered his call..

At the Temple Saturday, the men were seated on one side of the room, the women on the other. It was time to go. A older man stood up, scanned the room, immediately a women arose and went to him. He took her hand and kissed her forehead. He called, she answered. No words. Complete love, complete communication. When my hubby calls, do I answer? Do I recognize the communication between us, the unspoken words of love and loyalty, our history, our future? Do I appreciate what I have? Father in Heaven, I'm trying, open my eyes to see, my heart to feel the great love this man has for me!

Thursday is terrific!

Growing in an over planted root bound (needs re potting) washtub-my Glory Bower finally bloomed!
We got up early (big feat for me:)
Watered outside-
moved some sun lovers to replace some sun burnt plants on front porch-
planted herb/rose pot (I have lots more to pot up or add dirt too since we bought dirt yesterday (I love dirt!))
Now I'm back inside and am going to clean house today (15 min at a time) with home blessing hour.
This eve I will spread ant poison and 7 dust after Visiting Teaching (I have to find some little game or something for this sister's kiddos to do while my partner shares the message-hhmmmmm)
Yesterday hubby and I spent the whole day together:
Paid bills :)
To food storage we added:
8 pk soap
2 toothpaste
1 cornmeal
1 white flour
1 6 gal water container
We bought a part for the weed eater-and replaced the lawnmower (both were murdered the same week).
Hubby accidently shut Uno (our old cat) up in the shed-By chance (thank you Holy Ghost), I heard her meow (she can't meow loud), as I passed by hours later and checked-no damage done-just an unhappy hot tired cat.
We took the old table out of the house (today I will clean the kit floor and put the new table in place).
Then he re-matted my Jesus puzzle, and hung up pictures on the walls (with mollies-we have mobile home walls and needed extra strength).
I love doing stuff with him:)
It really is feeling like home.
Yep-its all coming together! I'm so blessed!
{Prayers for our southern TX and the hurricane Dolly cleanup}

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: SiSi-esta

These guys are in my masterbath (houseplants)

These guys are in my master bathroom (this is the coolest house, with shelves for plants, sunroof (actually a sun bubble), and window in the bathroom-my plants LOVE IT! This is the same room the jewel orchid is doing well in.) The left has a snake succulent, begonia big angel wing, begonia small angel wing, and philo. I think I'm going to take cuttings from the philo and see how it goes. Maybe the begonia too.



I needed a pot for the plants on the left, and found this purple one at a garage sale-perfect size, and my bathroom is purples AND I love purple! The prayer plant on the right just grew all its leaves back.



It looked like this when I bought it-you can see its already browning at the tips of the leaves-then it got bugs-I sprayed it-lost all of its leaves-so I cut it back hard-and came back from the root. The lighting and moisture is just right in the bathroom.



I bought the philo and prayer plant at Lowes-they charge too much for their houseplants-and I have no self-control:).

UPDATE: click-able photos:

Monday Musings...a weekend in review

Saturday was a big Temple day for mom, hubby and I:
first a wedding/sealing, a lovely princess living the fairytale and her prince, surrounded by family (pictures and more info later),
then sealings of our own family (BIG smile here),
youth baptisms including our 17 yo (they did 574!) and some of our family names,
trip to the LDS bookstore (the artwork of Jesus on display alone is worth the trip! We bought a movie, Ensign-our subscription has expired and I just renewed:), tie clip, and workbook),
to the plant nursery to spend my birthday money (thanks mom!) on herbs for my new wheelbarrow-herb bed (more about that later;),
FRYs electronics-hubby needed to have his new laptop fixed (bought a wheat/grain grinder for my kitchen aid mixer (HOWEVER I think for the same price I can get a grinder attachment for wet AND dry stuff, so the plan is to surf the web later today, and return the dry grain grinder to FRYs),
Italian restaurant for supper (cal zone-yumm! And the best bread and salad-mmmmm),
and (of course) Walmart for groceries (just the necessities).
Taylor (17 yo) got home minutes before us (he left the Temple with the youth and they ate out-thanks to those who made that possible), spent a quiet hour together before bedtime. Long beneficial day.

Sunday
Church-wonderful message about being prepared spiritually, physically, materially.
Jr. Primary-slide show of Ammon the missionary (they were spell bound!)/singing time with a magnet fishing pole (visitors won:)
6/7 yo Sunday School-Blessed is the Peacemaker-I can be a peacemaker, Jesus shows me the way, this is a treasure from the teachings of Christ. The kids were so good! And made wonderful cards to send to our missionary friend.
Visit with mom/brother-we walked of the land mom wants to buy next door:), I toured her garden (hot and dry and wilted in the heat of the day), and visited with Brent in his cool air conditioned house-aka 'the cave'.
Home in eve with hubby and Taylor to watch 'Mobsters and Mormons' (funny-we laughed and laughed)!
Hubby tried to call Tiff (but she must have been out;), Mike called from Austin.
Nice full day!

I feel fully blessed and recharged!

Oh, for the love of the worms...

I finally got around to redoing my worm bed. I watched many videos on YouTube (some that led me to farming pot with worm castings (important stuff to know-NOT)), some really cute stuff too. Neat ideas on how to build stacking bins-cheap. So today, while I remembered I did it. Yesterday, while visiting mom, I shoveled up some old worm bed castings from a recently dumped freezer worm bed at the neighbors' (I AM going back-with MORE buckets), I got two 5 gallon buckets full and didn't even make a dent. This morning I broke up some of the stuff and picked the worms out (I've decided to wet a corner of the castings and let the worms move to it, then harvest them-and take the castings and feed my plants-less stress for me and the worms)
Then I went and checked my poor worm bed.

{some how I managed to loose the pasted picture of a bin like mine, here is the website with the same bin: http://www.worms.com/worm-friendly-habitat.html}

My bin started out in the kitchen-but its big and in the way, so I put it in the backyard-with the intention of feeding it everyday with compost-but the backyard is gross and I don't want to go out there. So, it sat outside, in the heat, in the sun (shady-est spot I have) and dried up. Really dry! No sign of worms, I'm hoping they left eggs, but either way, I'm restocking worms. I layered newspaper, green yard waste, a chuck of castings, and more newspaper. It is going on the dryer where I can easily get to it, and will see it all the time to remind myself to check for moisture. I'm on the look out for a smaller bin set up (homemade or cheap purchase) for inside, and moving this big box outside and using it for the bottom of a stacking set up (in my new potting area), with putting a spigot on it for worm juice.

While looking for the picture above on the web, I found these-too cool huh?

Mini Kitchen Compost Carrier - KC-1000

The Best Kitchen Compost Carrier - KC-2000

The best kitchen compost carrier on the market. This extremely popular kitchen composter is in 100's of thousands of homes worldwide. It is portable and perfect for short term storage of kitchen compost that was designed with home composting programs in mind. A special feature on this container is the optional carbon filter, which helps to eliminate odors caused by composting materials. With its wide opening it is easy to clean off dishes directly into the container, and the lid design only requires one hand to open.. All of the corners and edges are rounded so that it is simple to clean and empty, in addition to being dishwasher safe. The Kitchen Compost Carrier can also hang on a wall or cupboard door by way of two screw holes in the back.

{SELF WATERING!!}

Home Composter Bin

The Home Composter is a 13 cubic foot family sized bin is perfect for kitchen waste and yard clippings. This composter features a locking lid with a self watering system which collects rain water and distributes it throughout the compost. The Home Composter has two slide-up doors which make harvesting the finished compost simple and easy. The door openings are large and come with a hands-free locking system when in the upright position.

And then this:

So much neat stuff!

I got up early and watered and planted some before it got to hot (at 8am,) and now am going to do my flylady stuff! God bless and have a GREAT DAY!!!