Free Water

The Lord is so gracious to again give us free plant water—rain! Rain just comes as a free gift “to the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). Today I’m remembering that rain is about more than weather; it’s about provision. Some of my plants got watered but I had to add a good bit of my own “rescued” water, water I’ve rescued from going needlessly down the drain. Maybe I can “rescue” some of the rain on the balcony next time. While in today’s cool and rainy weather it’s less of an issue, last night when I found several bug bites around my ankles I resolved to spray my natural bug spray on my socks when I again venture out into my mini-jungle. This morning, I found the culprit that has “ventilated” my yellow-green sweet potato leaves and was intent upon my orange million bells in the same hanging basket—a black worm with a yellow stripe. Look out below! I sent it flying to a different cafeteria, hopefully in the wild growth. So I “throw like a girl” and landed it in the bush below—I am a girl. I suppose the worm could crawl back up but maybe it will enjoy the bush instead.

Orange Bounty

Today I have bounty of orange hibiscus! Orange flowers are harder to find than the prevalent pink ones so I’m always searching (marigolds don’t’ work well for me since the smell isn’t suited for the close quarters I have in my garden, and they tend to be aphid magnets) but these one-day-wonders are definitely filling the need for floral sunshine!

Surprise!

What a surprise the dove had when he/she landed on my balcony railing and came face-to-face with me! I was definitely surprised but recovered more quickly. The dove immediately flew back to its mate in the tree and they both hastily departed. Too bad, I like doves. I’ve heard somewhere that doves mate for life. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology says, “When taking off, their wings make a sharp whistling or whinnying.” http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mourning_Dove/id All this time I had wondered if the sound came from the exotic throat of a misplaced tropical bird!

The honeysuckle fragrance surrounded me like a romantic novel as I planted new additions in the garden. The air had a peaceful feel, that is, until it suddenly swarmed with white-winged black insects! They liked my hair, my clothes, everything—except the buckets of plant water. I nearly swatted myself silly but they finally diminished and gave up. The empty pot among the herbs (2nd picture) awaits basil. I wish I had it today for my open-faced avocado sandwich but I do have golden oregano.

Comeback

I’m amazed at how well last year’s petunias are doing! I had cut them back to a bug-bitten nub and would normally have pulled the dead, brown crown out by now. But these, thanks in part to a mild winter, have come back strong and healthy--maybe even better than when I bought them (larger leaves, better branching). While the mild winter definitely benefited my garden in allowing several plants another round, the bugs may, unhappily, have a greater comeback as well. Some “visitor” has already been dining on the fuchsia delicacy of a petunia flower. I’m also hoping that a sweltering summer won’t wear down the plants—and us! Now that I’ve traveled and met an art deadline, I can concentrate on putting together this year’s garden. Today I’ll begin taking the wintered-over plants out so I can design the layout for sun needs, height and color flow.

Comeback

Last year’s white petunias are merrily blooming again with their newer Johnny Jump Up roommates. Most of them can stay beautiful for awhile before the slugs get them.

I’ve often read that stale beer is just the thing to slow down the slimy creatures so they can be caught…hmmm, you just don’t think of slugs being fast, but we’re not beer drinkers and there are children around who might get too curious. Or the neighborhood cat. I’ve heard of birds eating such inebriated insects and becoming a bit tipsy themselves--flying under the influence. No, a different remedy will have to be found. Meanwhile, there are plenty flowers for all to enjoy.

Today’s weather was forecast to be sunny with a high of 78 degrees but it’s been cloudy and nowhere near the balmy high. Brrr…I’ve had to put on a heavier sweater.

No Bells

On mornings like this when I’m having trouble getting started—the nature of Mondays, gardening along with some lively music helps get me started.

While checking over the outdoor plants (brrr) I found that even the die-hard Million Bells were no longer blooming. However, I did find some new growth. In January. Outdoors.

Even the regular petunias in the same hanging basket have new growth. I’m having to rethink my whole concept of petunias; I’ve always considered them to be annuals to dig up at the end of the season and start over. None have given me any reason before to think otherwise. Yes, this winter has been milder than usual but we’ve also had some very hard freezes—and yet they’re eager to grow. It’s almost as though the petunias knew I was about to give up on them since they were so overtaken with bugs (the Million Bells in the same pot were untouched) early on last summer… I know, I know, as my botany professor said, “Plants don’t think!”

Allow Me to Introduce

I’ve long been taken with palm trees to the point that nearly every time I see one I excitedly point it out, “Palm Tree!” My sister rolls her eyes but then, she sees them all the time and we don’t have all that many in my area.

Palms often turn up in my art representing the Tree of Life. I have no way of knowing what kind of tree the Tree of Life is but I do know that palms are Biblically significant since they were carved on the columns of Solomon’s Temple and palm branches turned up in the Apostle John’s vision of heaven. Meanwhile, it makes a good symbol.


So of course, I had to have my own date palm and at last, I’d like to introduce to you my largest plant, the pigmy date palm. I’ve had it for three or four years and it has done well in the sunroom’s southwest-facing windows. One garden book called it a “heavy waterer” and said it needs a quart and a half of water a week! But…not all…at once…I found out the hard way. It can’t hold all that any more than a person can.

I got a good deal on it at a certain large home improvement store but I should have checked it more closely—mealy bugs have been a constant plague. Unfortunately, I now know what to look for. I can’t deal with chemical remedies so from time to time I painstakingly remove them with a warm wet paper towel. When that’s not enough or I don’t get there in time, I simply cut away the damaged branch. It’s continually growing new branches, even without fertilizer. Incidentally, the mealy bugs have never migrated to other plants.

Though it takes extra upkeep, I’m very glad I added the beautiful palm to my garden.

Better Late Than Never

Happy second day of Christmas! We once had a pastor who emphasized that Christmas isn’t just one day but twelve, and the relative freedom and relaxation that comes from not being so frenzied. There’s also less of a let-down he insisted. That resonated in my spirit.

Not only did we see periwinkles and a few azaleas blooming in the mild Christmas weather (50’s) but daffodils! The buds of the Bradford pear outside the window are also eager to burst forth. The really amazing bloom though is the bud I found on the “bronze-leafed plant”; this is the one that the plant vendor insisted, “Remember, it has to be really hot before it will bloom.” It was really hot last summer but no blooms and now it’s not and it’s beginning to bloom. Oh well, better late than never and I’m glad for flowers any time I can get them!

Maybe this winter won’t be too bad after all. I’ve always strongly disliked winter until I read in Psalms that God created the winter (Psalm 74:17). Since then, I’ve been asking the Lord to teach me how to appreciate winter. My friend the (small) garden center owner says that we need winter to “wipe out the bugs. Without it, they’d take over.” Amen to that!

Too Early for Snow!

White fuzzy stuff has spread over the soil of three of my pots. At first I thought it caused by the excessive moisture from four days of torrential downpours—maybe. I have seen some tiny white flies buzzing around. Could they have “woven” these “blankets”?

Until I have time to search the books or internet for the answer, I’m dealing with it in a direct manner; I’m skimming off the top layer of soil with a plastic spoon, then throwing away both the soil and the spoon to avoid contaminating other plants.

Yesterday, after another series of downpours, my husband and I saw both ends of a rainbow! The big round clouds were golden, while long white ones had blue and golden stripes—perhaps some silver lining as well. It’s good to be reminded by a rainbow that God will never destroy the earth again by water!

Plenteous Pentas

I finally added a deep pink penta to my garden; the first one hadn’t yet opened when I bought it so I couldn’t tell that it was more of a “sweet” pink. Oh well, butterflies like them. Butterflies may enjoy dining on the nectar of pentas but they must not have gotten the invitation to mine; I haven’t seen a single one.

Nevertheless, the pentas' clusters of star-shaped blossoms are pretty, long lasting, bloom often and grow well. When I bought the "sweet" pink one it was the size of this deep pink one (that I got for half price!); now it has multiple branches and blooms. They like having more room to grow.

I thought I could stay outside longer this morning to write since it’s cooler but the humidity smothered that plan.

I haven’t seen any more caterpillars or grasshoppers, no lizards—just lots of tiny white flying insects. I don’t use chemicals and to a point, I reason that these creatures have a right to be outdoors. However, they don’t need to be attacking my plants; they especially like my petunias. Maybe I’ll get some fly paper.

Natural Visitors

A surprised Carolina Wren jumped from a corner pot as I looked out on the garden this morning—so that’s who’s been digging there! The wren flew up to the rail, bent down, picked up something with its beak then flew to the side of the building, bringing back a larger something, pale grey, narrow, rectangular—a moth? The wren then picked it up and flew away. Bug patrol. Thanks. (And well, it left something too, several somethings. I have always heard how neat wrens were—but then; maybe some other bird came in the meanwhile…Oh well, even in Eden.)


Though my garden is in pots, in the air and not very large—I do get a few other welcome natural visitors. I usually prefer to not be in proximity to frogs but I’ve been happy to have the tiny ones that have made their way up to my garden.