Satisfying Little Projects

I have been tackling some little projects around the house and I have found such satisfaction in completing each one. 

Last week I decided that I had procrastinated long enough about repotting what the Mister had proclaimed was a jungle. I must admit that I did have a lot going on with my plants in the kitchen.

The first little project was to separate and repot my lemon/lime trees. I read where growing lemon trees is a fun endeavor and that it is simple to start a tree just by saving the seeds and letting them dry a bit before planting. So, I saved a few seeds from a lime and some from a lemon. I laid them on a paper towel on the counter to dry for a bit. Then, I bumped them and knocked the paper towel onto the floor, mixing the seeds. I was not deterred, I still planted them. I decided that it didn't really matter to me which was what and I would figure it out when and if they ever produced fruit. For now, I was just going to give the growing thing a try.

So, I put the handful of seeds into a small pot and set it near a window on the kitchen counter. Sure enough, a handful of little green leaves poked their heads out of the soil and began to grow up into tiny trees. One had gotten tall enough that it was a bit crowded under the cabinet. 

I didn't have many spare pots sitting around. So, I dug into a closet and found an old brass planter that had come from a thrifting adventure where I got several items for one price. So, I went off to the barn and found a plastic pot that would fit inside it and brought it to the house along with a few other plastic pots.

I'm hoping it will grow into a stately tree and be worthy of such a fancy pot. 

A couple of the other trees went into the plastic pots and I had a basket that fit around the outside of one of them to dress it up a bit. I'm still searching for something to hide the serviceable but not pretty pot. The remaining three little trees are in small pots and back onto the kitchen counter corner for now.

The other jungle that the Mister had pointed out was the dish garden that had been living on the dining table for a couple of years. 

The photo above shows how it looked last fall and it had grown even more. The tallest plant with leaves that are yellow in the center and green around the edges had fallen over and I feared it was a goner.

Again, I needed pots that look sort of nice and I had none. So, one day last week I stopped in at the local Goodwill store. I found a couple of nice pots and figured that would give me a pretty good start. One has a raised vine design around the top and an attached drip tray. The other did not have a saucer or drip tray but there just happened to be a square plate sitting nearby on the shelf. So, both pots came home with me.

In the pot that the Mister said looks sort of like a deep dish fudge pie, I replanted a Madagascar Dragon tree and a small little prayer plant.

There were two or three other prayer plants in the jungle. So, I put them into a blue and white pot.

The peace lily went back into the pretty green ceramic pot and is still gracing the center of the dining table. I've learned that I like having a live plant on the table and it serves as a nice center where I can add seasonal decor but also looks alive and welcoming on the daily.

The poor plant that laid over got put into the thrifted pot with a raised vine pattern. I staked it up with a small dowel rod and some raffia. I've learned that it is called a dieffenbachia or dumb cane and is a member of the peace lily family. I think the species I have is either Camille or Tropic Snow. I placed it where it was leaning away from the window in my office. I am telling myself that it is straightening up and moving itself toward the light of the window a little each day. Fingers crossed.

I saw on a plant care site that it can be propagated. So, I will give it a bit of time and if it doesn't straighten back up, I will give propagation a try.

I'm so glad I got the inspiration to visit the local Goodwill for my pots. While I was searching for plant names, I also learned that glazed ceramic pots like those sell online for anywhere from $20 to $70. I really got a deal, paying only $6 each and the additional plate that serves as a saucer on the brown glazed pot was $2. So, I got all of my planters for less than one that was advertised at the lowest price. Deal! Deal! I love getting a good deal! 

And I love having projects like repotting plants that help me to feel like I accomplished something worthwhile and have even more opportunities to spread greenery around our space. Little projects like that are so satisfying!

Just 3 Things | #31

When I went to physical therapy this week, both days I left with my leg/ankle feeling better than when I arrived and that was a first for me. In the past, I went in feeling sore and left feeling sore as well. Now, that is not saying that I wasn't a little gimpy later in the day but I can truly say that I believe we have been making some progress. Finally.

- What I've Been Watching -

The Mister and I haven't been watching so much lately. I did notice that the television at the physical therapy facility is always on, however. Both days this week it was tuned to a food show. I don't know the name of the program but I noticed that it was some sort of competition and the competing chefs were provided with a couple of ingredients and were expected to whip up some sort of delicacy using those ingredients. I didn't get to see much of the program because, well, therapy. However, what I did notice, is that it seemed much like being in my kitchen at home. 

One time I heard the commentator reveal the required ingredients: Soy Sauce and Prawns. Then, the chefs had a matter of minutes to create a dish. They could go to a central pantry and get other ingredients to add to their required items but it certainly wasn't like going shopping for groceries with a recipe and gathering everything to make a gourmet dish. I thought about that show again when I went to the kitchen to prepare dinner last night. I saw: Pork Loin and Potatoes. Then, I could go to the fridge or the pantry and find a few meager additions but I needed to whip up something delicious for our own gourmet meal. It sort of feels like that every night. What two ingredients do I have to get things started and what sort of additives do I have to pull everything together? Sometimes the offerings are plentiful and sometimes they are a bit sketchy. Sometimes the ideas are well inspired and sometimes they are a bit lackluster. 

- What I've Been Loving -

I am continuing to practice with my new sewing machine and it has been turning out some fun projects. Bonnie has a birthday coming up and they recently added a small backyard pool. So, I took that idea and ran with it. I found some colorful beach towels and added some colorful stitching. They turned out to make for a fun gift!

This time I tried out different built-in fonts and added names in contrasting and funky colors. I'm still struggling with hooping heavier fabrics like those towels. I've used my new magnetic hoops but I find that I have to watch it closely or the magnets will cause the machine to jump around and not stitch in the correct spot. I have come to the conclusion that hooping is the most difficult part of machine embroidery. 

- What I've Been Working On -

I spent a couple of afternoons filling flower pots. We have a deck that runs the length of the house along the back side. We have it broken up into different sections or rooms, if you will. 

One area has a cushioned sofa, a chaise lounge, a couple of chairs, and a rocking settee with a few tables and a ceramic garden stool forming a sitting area.

Another couple of areas serve as a space for grilling and dining. In the middle is an oval table near the smoker and the grill and in the most southern end is a round table and chairs.

I like to add some life to the area by having flowers in containers. Last summer I bought some matching pots to give everything some cohesiveness. There are twelve-inch pots on the two dining tables and four sixteen-inch pots in the sitting area. 

I also have a plant stand in the seating area and a couple of pottery pots. and there are a couple of concrete pots holding succulents and a couple of blue and white ceramic pots flanking the door. That makes for a lot of pots to fill on the back porch. 

Typically, I am kind of a pink and blue flower gal. The Mister brought home my requested rosemary plants and a beautiful Verbena hanging basket that needed repotting. He said, "I thought this looked like something you might pick for the porch!" So, I put it in a larger pot and placed it in the plant stand. When I left home to go to the garden center, my plan was to build off of that for the back porch. However, there were these beautiful geraniums in smaller pots that were a real bargain. So, I gravitated to a red/white/blue theme instead of my usual. 

The larger pots have a red geranium, blue salvia, white lantana, and blue bacopa in them. The Mister also brought home a cilantro plant. So, a glazed blue clay pot on the table became its home.

On the oval dining table, I planted part of the rosemary and some sort of trailing blue plant that looks a bit like bacopa. 

The front porch got dressed up with plants as well. 

On the milk can placed to the left of the front door, I set the beautiful petunias from Levi, Easton, and Abby Lee and their parents. The gift from Luci, Lydia, Lillie and their parents, a red geranium in the terra cotta pot, set on the milk can to the right of the door.

I filled the terra cotta pots on the steps with a red geranium, blue salvia, and white verbena. I also picked up a couple of bird nest ferns and put them into a couple of blue pots and set them right beside the milk cans on the edge of the rug.

I just love the spring plantings and how cheerful it looks after filling all the containers on our porches!

Now that my planting has added a touch of the patriotic mood around here, I guess I need to pull out the bunting and tie it to the fence and porch for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. Do you have any plans for remembering and honoring our fallen soldiers?

Today I noticed... A Violet Transformation

Earlier this month I posted about the promise of one of my violets. I've been enjoying the blooms for a few days as I sit at my desk and do volunteer work. 

A little over a month ago, I spent some time with another of my violets to repot it. It had produced an offshoot or baby plant that had sort of taken over. The parent plant had developed this woody ort of stem and the leaves were curling up. I was sort of afraid that I was going to lose it. The original plant is one that was a baby produced by a plant that my son and daughter-in-law have. They got it in a dish garden sent to them when my Daddy died. So, I was glad t get a baby from that plant for sentimental reasons. Plus, it has the most beautiful deep bluish purple blooms. Below is a photo of what my plant(s) looked like in late February.

You can see the parent plant on the right and how it was developing that tall stem and the leaves were starting to curl. By mid-March, it looked like the photo below. So, I ordered a couple of flower pots to use as a new home. The pots I ordered were advertised as African Violet self-watering ceramic pots. 

When I began to take the plant(s) out of the pot, the parent plant broke away. So, I wound up leaving the baby in the original pot that my son and daughter-in-law gave me. I just added a little African Violet soil to fill the pot, watered it and set it back in the kitchen in front of a west-facing window. Below is how that looked.

Then, I took what I had left and went to work. I broke the top of the parent plant's woody stem off and planted a piece that was a couple of inches long into the new self-watering pot. The leaves were curled and it looked pretty sad but I had hopes that it would develop a root system and bounce back. Below is a photo of the sad little violet parent in its new pot.

I still had a long piece of that woody stem-like piece and a few leaves. I snapped the leaves off and put them into a glass of water to see if I could propagate a new plant like that. Then, I buried the remainder of the plant in the other self-watering plant filled with some African Violet soil. The photos below shows what I had left

leaves in water on the left and the stem I buried on the right

I've seen no action from the buried piece. It still just looks like a pot of dirt. I think I will wait a couple of weeks before I take action, but I probably will dig it up and throw that piece away. A couple of the leaves in water got all limp and pitiful looking and I tossed them out. The remaining leaves have not developed a root system either and will probably get tossed as well. Today, I noticed that the parent plant in the new self-watering pot seems to have revived. 

similar view of the top of the sad, parent plant that was shown above

side view showing stems and leaves stretched upward

The leaves have uncurled and the stems and leaves seem to be stretched out and reaching for the heavens. It looks like a healthy plant! All I have done is add a bit of water into the bottom of the pot from time to time and left it alone. It is sitting on a table in front of an east-facing window alongside the parent plant of the violet I've had for years (the parent of the first plant shown in this post).

What an amazing transformation! I am so happy to have saved the original plant. 

Good Spring for Flowers

 I have always been a flower lover. I think I inherited it from my ancestors. Both of my grandmothers were flower lovers. My mother is also a flower lover. So, I guess I just inherited their green thumb.

I can remember visiting my Granny and she would take us on a walk around her yard and point out different flowers and plants and tell us little stories about them. "This one is called Artemisia and that was my (some relative)'s name...This one is a shade lover...This one is a ground cover and the color and texture really makes the flowers around it look prettier...Geraniums do well in this pot because it drains well and they don't like wet feet..."

So, I sort of think of my ancestors when I am selecting, planting, and tending to my flowers. This year I stumbled across some beautiful geraniums with a deep crimson bloom. So, I decided that they would be the base for my back porch plantings. 

I selected some that had only a bloom or two but lots of buds. They have been beautiful!

I added a deep blue/purple petunia and a white trailing plant that I think is called Bacopa. I also have some sort of plant that grows tall and has blooms along the stalk of it that is just now coming along and getting ready to bloom.

The rainy conditions we have experienced has made flower growing simple. I've only had to hand-water them a few times because we have gotten downpours almost daily. 

In the smaller pots, I added purple petunias and a variegated Lantana. It has yellow, orange, hot pink, and red in the bloom. 

I spend a while each morning wandering round sipping tea, plucking off spent blooms, and just enjoying the beauty of these flowers! 

Fall on the Front Porch

Well, it certainly has not felt like fall here in Tennessee!  We have been in a sweltering heat pattern throughout August and September.  I am confident that October is going to bring us some fall-like weather, though.  A couple of weeks ago I took advantage of a fall sale at our local big-box hardware store and picked up a few mums.  I haven't done a lot of decorating beyond hanging a wreath or adding a few large pumpkins to the front steps in years past because decorations are not noticed so much from the highway.  Now that our driveway comes right up toward the front of the house and curves around the side, I feel like a bit of curb appeal is needed. 

So, today I went to the local greenhouse and picked up a few pumpkins to add to the fall look on the front porch.  I spent almost two hours sorting through pumpkins and looking at colors and sizes and shapes in the sweltering heat that felt far more like the middle of summer than the first of October.

I really wanted to use some of those pumpkins that are UT orange.  So, I wound up getting a couple of pale Cinderella pumpkins, a couple of blue-green ones, and a smaller UT orange one to stack and form a topiary atop my clay pots that sit on the front porch.  I put them right on the top step.  Then, shifted the mums that are a yellow-orange color to the second step down.  I finished off the steps with two large orange pumpkins to reinforce the statement of the season. 

I got another large orange pumpkin to set on top of the large milk can that came from my maternal grandfather's house.  I  put a couple of small four-inch pots with more mums on the little table between the two chairs on the porch.  Another mum is nestled into a large basket surrounded by pine cones and sets at the base of the small milk can that came from Mike's grandparents that holds a fern on top.

The lavender and alyssum in the clay pots at the foot of the steps sort of anchors the look and I washed and dried the throw pillows that are on the porch.  Mike and I have even sat out here in the swing and watched the world drive by on a couple of afternoons when the temperature was below ninety degrees.  I smile each day when I'm traveling up the driveway and notice the friendly fall look - even though I've got the air conditioning blasting full force in my truck!

Pass-Along-Plants

Over the years when I have moved from one house to another, I try to take some of my favorite perinniels with me to my next home.

It is rather comforting to see the same plants and sort of makes the new house feel more like home because old plant friends are there through different seasons.  

I have moved lilies, iris, day lilies, boxwoods, hostas, and such with great success.

I've also moved this grey, barn-shaped mailbox a couple of times because I like to keep my gardening gloves and tools hidden inside and handy for use.

At my last house, I had Baptisia australis, or false indigo that I had purchased in a pot because I liked the looks and color of the bloom.

When we sold that house, I dug up some of the other plants mentioned quite easily and moved them to their new location.

Digging up a root of the false indigo to move it was another story.  I dug and tugged and strained until I finally got a piece of a root.  I didn't really think it would grow, but I put it in the ground beside this mailbox post anyway.

At my last house, it grew to be about three feet tall as described in this article.

I am just now learning that it is a difficult plant to move because it doesn't like its roots disturbed.  So, I guess I should be grateful that it survived and thrived near the steps of the back porch.

I was thinking the other day that maybe I should move it because it is as tall as me and tends to flop over onto the path leading up to the steps requiring that I tie it up to the mailbox post.

Not only does it provide beautiful blue blooms early in the summer, but it also provides interest with these pea-looking pods after the blooms have faded.  They start off a beautiful green color like the leaves.

Then, they slowly turn to become a deep, dark, navy blue color that is almost black.

I learned that the blooms were used to create a blue dye at one time and that is how the plant got the common name of false indigo.

Since I was lucky and the transplanted root grew well for me after the last move, I guess I will follow the advice of the article mentioned previously and take some of the seed to plant in a different location rather than moving the plant I have and risk loosing it altogether.

Maybe I'll also start some little plants to pass along to the daughters and daughters-in-law like my Granny, my great aunt, and my mother have done for me.