Just a Little Bouquet, with a Bee!

Well, I was able to make myself cut back the rose bush. Only a few open blooms on it. And I quit counting the buds after I got to forty!!!
Trimmed the canes at half length. Still filled a whole garbage can with what was cut. I knew it was big.... didn't know it was THAT BIG!

Put together a little bouquet for my mother. She seemed to really enjoy it. Especially once the flowers warmed up and the scent grew stronger.  Forgot to check inside the petals though. So when it was in on the kitchen table a little honey bee woke up in there!!! Poor little bee! Luckily we were able to get it outside safely!
Can't bring myself to photograph the plant itself yet! The whole area looks so shockingly different. That rose bush towered over everything. Oh my, sometimes you must trim back in order to welcome in new growth. Just like in the rest of my life. chuckle

Lovely Roses.

   In Florida we're supposed to trim back the roses in January or February. Well, my one rose has been loaded with flowers ALL winter! I hate to trim it back ~ its still covered in buds. But tomorrow I'll force myself!! Then clean around it really well and put down some composted cow manure. Need to get to the pear trees too!   I am so far behind in the yardwork, it isn't even remotely humorous. Oh well, this isn't the first time.... and it probably won't be the last.
    So here is a picture of one of these beauties. Its a David Austin rose called Windermere. Lovely fragrance too.   One of my landscaping wishes is to put in a small rose garden. But that will have to wait another year at least. Other things have to be taken care of now..... everything is a part of the Garden of Life. So I'll just keep on Tending and Nurturing to the best of my abilities, and watch what Grows. See which buds unfurl and Bloom in order to Beautify Our World. Whether we know it or not... thats what makes us each a Gardener. I chose to be a Gardener of Light.  What about you?
  

The Little Eggplant That Could.

   Last Spring I planted two eggplants in containers. They did "all right".  Seemed to be a bit stunted. Transplanted them into the ground during the Summer, and they took off! Growing much taller and producing pretty well. Got quite a few meals from them!  As the year wore on, they started getting some nasty infestations and just some general die-back.  One in particular looked REALLY BAD!  Imagine my delight this Winter as I watched it sprout from down near the base.  So I'd better get busy and tend to it! Help it on its way, so I can see what it will produce in its second year.
     Last Autumn I missed out on planting a Fall garden. And with the warm Winter that we've had, it was definitely a missed opportunity!! So far this year I haven't planted anything because I've been sick and busy with caring for my mother.   So plants that made it through to a second year are a real blessing to me!!    I HAVE to get the kitchen ready too.... I have three mulberry trees just covered in unripe berries! I really need a small chest freezer! hahaha   
     So much to do, and I fear I won't have the time to accomplish hardly any of it! Need to work on giving the pear trees a good start this season. The water issue still is a major problem. NEED to get a well drilled and a pump, but don't have the money for that at present ~ and the future doesn't look particularly promising right now. But, if I get going in the right direction that could change. Or let me say, that it WILL change! Positive thinking!   I'm like that little eggplant........ no matter what, I WILL ENDURE and FLOURISH!

Last Day of January.... Oh My!

   Well, its all ready the last day of January!  Our weather this winter has been kind of crazy..... lots of warm days and nights.  REALLY wish I'd planted a Fall garden!!!  Oh well, lesson learned.  Now the sycamore trees are all being perfectly sensible. They look like this one over on the little corner lot.  The mulberry trees on the other hand......

 ...look like this!!! Loads of new leaves and they're covered in little fuzzy green berries.  I know we need more cold weather for a large variety of reasons, but I'm hoping it doesn't freeze and make the berries drop off!  Last year I was surprised when I had a few mulberries in February. Perhaps its becoming the new normal. Global warming is messing around with everything!

Here are some of the little "fuzzles".

     

Farewell and Thank You 2012. Greetings 2013!!!

   The last sunset of 2012. What a year! I've learned and discovered so much in the last twelve months. Some of it not altogether pleasant, but those are often the times when I learn the most important things! So its been a year of ups and downs. And I've grown tremendously from them. Now its onward into 2013...
   Saw a post on Facebook the other day that asked the question: Are old aquaintances to be forgot?  The resounding answer is "YES"! And almost everyone else agreed. ha ha ha   Guess I'm not the only one to learn that particular lesson! Its a simple fact of Life, sometimes you outgrow certain relationships. Or you find out the truth about someone and realize that they no longer have a place in your life. It must have been a grand year for this lesson, an awful lot of people experienced it. I've heard it all!  From every form of lies and dishonesty, to the ever rampant addiction to excessive drama!  I'm tired of these people taking up space and time in my life. The demands for attention, the guilt trips, etc.. I just refuse to allow it any more.   Of course, there will be times I mess up on that resolve.... but thats to be expected. I've spent over fifty years being used to that sort of behavior as, in the least, acceptable. No more. I have a great life to live and I intend to do it in wonderous fashion!!!!!
    Another message that has come through loud and clear is "spread your wings". I was taking that to mean creatively, but heck, why not my whole Life! This ought to be really interesting!!! And lots of fun too! 
   So a HAPPY NEW YEAR FULL OF LIGHT and BLESSINGS! May GOODNESS and JOY ILLUMINATE ALL OUR LIVES!! 
    

I Grow Cats Really Well.

Someone asked me what grows best at my home? I told them the truth.... cats. I always have plenty of those. An excess number of them actually! Oh well, at least they're well fed and looked after. Here is a good picture of Purty Thang.

She has a short tail with a pronounced crimp in it!

Of course, no feline update would be complete without Sibyl. Those gorgeous eyes of hers!!!

And this is Cleatus. He has been around for quite some time now, but has made this his "home" in just the last few months. He has the most handsome light green eyes. Still a bit skittish, but hes coming around. Hes starting to get the idea that being petted and even brushed is a good thing.



I seem to grow black cats especially well!!! Since they're Good Luck, I'll take this as a sign of many great things to come.



Sunflowers and Sulfurs.

At one point I was sort of disappointed that these sunflowers had decided to grow taller than my mobile home and THEN proceed to bloom! But then I realized something..... I had to change my perspective. They grew this tall because, not only are they healthy enough to do so, they were going for optimal sunlight! People should be more like these flowers. Reach higher! Always trying to stay in the Light. The brighter, the better! Then BLOOM!

Beautiful to look at. Even from down here. And buds all over, so there are more flowers to come.

And here is one of the yellow sulfur butterflies that were all over my blue plumbago today!! Folks call butterflies "flying flowers" for a reason! ENJOY!