Hot & Cool

Last weekend, we got up early to beat the heat and take my coupons to the local greenhouse; the garden had a couple of open spaces that needed filling. My intent was to buy some of their small, brilliantly colored pots but someone else apparently had the same idea first so I looked once again to the flowers and foliage for color. I found something I had never seen before, a fringed, magenta/orange (together as though pooled in watercolor) coneflower! It looks like a Gerbera Daisy but the petals bend down in coneflower style. It was so cool, I couldn’t pass up the Hot Papaya Echinacea! Today, I repotted it to give it room to grow; as a perennial it should be around for a long time. The colors and shape go perfectly with my purple Angel Face Angelonia, red, orange and yellow-green Tropicana Cana and purple-leaved Persian Shield. As for the plain terra cotta pots? I may just pull out my paint brushes and paint them myself. The more color, the merrier.

Deeper Color

The fertilizer seems to be doing its work with the Angelonias; both are producing more buds and the flowers that have recently opened seem to be deeper purple though nothing else seems to have responded yet.

Just One

For days, maybe even weeks, this single Angel Face Angelonia has bloomed, just one—alone. It doesn’t make as much of a show as would several spires of purple blossoms, but it’s there, blooming indoors—in the winter.

Loneliness is often the lot of one who is determined to stand for what is right. Often it seems that just one can’t make a difference but history is full of contradictions to that notion. And so what if the difference isn’t huge? It’s right to do the right thing, regardless. So what if no one else is doing the right thing? That doesn’t get me—or you, off the hook since we all have to give an account to God one day for our actions—and inaction.

Warm & Cozy

It’s a cool blustery day! I didn’t cover the garden against last night’s 43 degrees and most seemed no worse for the wear since it had rained most of the day yesterday. However, since the Angel Face Angelonia tends to droop in the cold (the other variety has no trouble), I made a place for it last night in front of a window. I had to move a couple other plants around but it worked out fine. The Angel Face seems to be happy in its sunny spot that will get brighter as the pear tree outside drops its leaves. I'm happier in the sunlight too.

I don’t think the new neighbors will be gardeners, but you never know.

Reason to Smile

The return of the sun isn’t the only reason I’m smiling—even laughing today. I’m moving quickly through my gardening and other activities today because I want to spend the bulk of the day reading the Bible and praying about the next step or layer in the revival the Lord has sent me. The fire hasn’t gone out—the embers are still glowing and sparking back into flame. Now that I know deep down in my spirit how marvelous and complete Jesus’ payment of the penalty for my (and your) sins is, I want to get the same level of understanding of how God wants his people to live here on earth. Salvation absolutely affects life on earth but is more about getting to heaven. I need to fully grasp the here and now as a follower of Jesus. Since love is the major command of Jesus and the reason he came, the next step is to really learn about God’s love and have it overflow to others.

Today in my gardening, I replaced ragged-looking cuttings of sweet potato vines with fresh yellow green ones and purple ones, planting the worn ones in a pot where they can cascade over the front landing. In the process of transplanting the cuttings, a purple mum branch (not blooming) and a yellow, green and red coleus branch broke off; I’m not sure why the branches are so brittle. It was however, time to refresh my flower arrangement. I added the broken branches, trimmed the other stems and poured fresh water. Since mums have woody stems, I had to lightly pound the end of the stem with a hammer so it can take in water. I was pleased to find that the Parrot Leaf had rooted, though nothing else had; it now has a new home in a front planter where its roaming tendencies can be admired. I had been looking for something colorful in that spot—I love it when I can fill a “need” with something I already have. (I also have a site on stretching money: http://www.stretchednotbroken.blogspot.com ).

See you later, I have more “blooming again” (reviving) to do! (I’d love to hear from you at leafyjournal@yahoo.com if you’re starting to “bloom again!”)

When Life Breaks Things

When life gives you broken stems—make a flower arrangement! Two of the Angel Face Angelonia stems were hanging at an angle, broken by the weight of the sheet that kept them warm.

I snipped the flowerful branches and put them in a vase with a tall, narrow neck. I added the smallest branch of Persian Shield and the straightest Parrot Leaf I could find. When I take cuttings, I always try to leave at least one set of nodes (growth joints) behind so the remaining stem will branch out (grow again or “revive”).

I needed a third flower to complete the arrangement since design, whether floral or art calls for an uneven number. The deep pink Penta’s color seems to be made for the Parrot Leaf’s beautifully “painted” leaves (a member of the Joseph’s Coat family), so I gave the star clusters the starring role. I stripped the Penta’s leaves before adding it to the arrangement, or they would have hidden the more colorful ones.

Much of art these days is made of things not often thought of as art, broken things, cast aside things. But this isn’t just modern art; in past centuries--even millennia as they are today, many artists’ pigments are made from soil/dirt. Pigments such as burnt sienna and burnt umber are made from baked dirt. We artists use what’s around us--granted, we have to pay a lot for art materials companies to process them, but we make something beautiful out of the ordinary, even the broken. God, the ultimate Artist does the same with people giving us—when we turn to him through Jesus, the most wondrous beauty, a reflection of his glory.

Through the Window

This morning, I cleaned the garden window and enjoyed the garden from my indoor rattan chair with a cup of hot herb tea—it’s still too cold to go out. Okay it was in the 50’s and I’ll soon get acclimated to the cooler weather but not just yet.

Our last several nights have been unseasonably cold—in the 30’s, so I’ve taken all the hanging pots down and covered all the plants (except for the really tall ones) with old sheets. I’ve read quite a few organizing and simpler life books that would have me get rid of those old sheets but without them, the plants would have been very cold. After the first night the plants were bowed down by the weight of the sheets; the next nights I first draped the sheets over the balcony rail before spreading them over the “carpet” of plants (there’s no room to walk when they’re huddled). That took some of the load off but required a third sheet. The Angelonia usually does fine even after a frost or two (covered) but the Angel Face variety is looking rather limp so I think I need to go ahead make a place for it indoors. I rarely carry plants back and forth anymore. After a certain point, they come in to stay until spring or they take their chances outdoors.

I was amazed to discover in botany class that it’s not the “frost” or coldness, itself that causes damage to tender plants but dehydration. I don’t remember all the intricacies but the cold dries out the plants and soil so they’ll endure low temperatures far better if they’re well-watered. Though there is a freeze-protection method of spraying water on orange trees to ice them over, most plants don’t have such thick or tough leaves so it’s best to keep your watering to the soil.

It looks empty downstairs without our neighbor or her plants. I’ll miss her. New neighbors are coming soon. I’m praying for quiet, friendly gardeners.

I guess I’d better “bundle up” soon and water those thirsty plants.