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Green Tea, Black Coffee

25 Saturday Mar 2017

Tags

coffee, gardening, photography, succulents, tea

Some days I like my tea green and my coffee black. Straight up, no fuss.

Green and black succulents, tea and coffee style.

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Posted by Julia Monroe | Filed under gardening, home decor, photography, Uncategorized

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Succulent Garden

26 Thursday Jan 2017

Posted by Julia Monroe in DIY, gardening, home decor, nature, On my Worktable, tutorial

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

DIY, gardening, home decor, indoor gardening, succulents

I made my first succulent garden! My mom gave me some of the succulents so long ago that they were starting to root into the paper towel on the plate. I got most of the others from Homewood Nursery.1-succulent-arrangement-materials

The platter is actually a big, heavy plant saucer, 14″ in diameter. Since it was so shallow, I decided to build a little stone wall in order to build up the soil. The stones used for the wall were all gathered from my back yard. Since the edge of the saucer was curved, I had to hot-glue the stones to keep them from sliding in to the center of the plate. It only took a small amount of glue to hold them together. I planned on using a cement filler between the stones but ended up not using it.2-succulent-arrangement-stone-wall

Since the saucer has no drainage, I covered the bottom with more stones.3-succulent-arrangement-stone-drainage

A layer of bonsai soil was spread over the stones. Not shown is a very thin scattering of charcoal to help with drainage.
4-succulent-arrangement-layer-of-bonsai-soil
A thicker layer of cactus/succulent soil was placed on top, with a little more bonsai soil mixed in. I also arranged and glued more rocks to make another wall on top of the soil, then built up more soil inside to give the arrangement height.5-succulent-arrangement-layer-of-cactus-succulent-soil

Not all the succulents got used.6-succulent-arrangement-planting-finished
I’m so happy with how this turned out since it the first time I planted succulents.7-succulent-arrangement
8-succulent-arrangement

9-succulent-arrangement

10-succulent-arrangement

11-succulent-arrangement

12-succulent-arrangement

13-succulent-arrangement

14-succulent-arrangement

15-succulent-arrangement

16-succulent-arrangementI got a container of “vase filler” from Target and sorted through to pull out all the black stones and light stones. The black stones were used on and near the elevated area in the center of the arrangement. The light stones were used everywhere else.17-succulent-arrangement

This dish is beautiful but I weighed it and it’s very heavy… 22 lbs! Wow! It’s definitely not a casual arrangement I will be moving often. But today, I’m really enjoying it on my dining room table.18-succulent-arrangement

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Eyes on Succulents

13 Sunday Nov 2016

Posted by Julia Monroe in funny, gardening, nature, photography, Uncategorized

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Tags

funny, gardening, nature, photography, succulents

All eyes are on succulents.

Today is a great day for #7 from the previous post. “Laughter can be The Best Medicine Ever. You’ve got to try it! Read humor, watch comedy, laugh with family and friends. Don’t just hope laughter might happen, deliberately make it happen.” – from 31 Wonderful Things Severe Pain Taught Me

Scruffy succulent.

Scruffy succulent.

We are gathered here together...

We are gathered here together…

Sopranos, go for the high notes... Bass, pick up the volume...

Sopranos, go for the high notes… Bass, pick up the volume…

Succulent solo.

Succulent solo.

Chirp, chirp.

Chirp, chirp.

Oooo, that's scary!

Oooo, that’s scary!

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Roses peeking in the window!

15 Friday May 2015

Posted by Julia Monroe in All Sparkled Up, encouragement, flowers, gardening, God, Inspirational, nature

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

All Sparkled Up, allsparkledup, encouragement, flowers, gardening, God, inspiration, nature, New Dawn, roses, window

I can’t count the number of friends whose lives are really complicated right now. I’m included in that number. So many troubles are weighing heavy on our hearts. But through it all, God is still there and still in charge.

This year, he gave me a little surprise again. Several weeks ago, I noticed New Dawn rose buds in the window!

The New Dawn rose has grown all the way up to my second story kitchen window again.

The New Dawn rose has grown all the way up to my second story kitchen window again.

New Dawn rose buds peek in the kitchen window.

New Dawn rose buds peek in the kitchen window.

3 Rose New Dawn
My kitchen window is on the second floor and I don’t have planters in the windows. The patio isn’t finished, the paint is peeling, lots of things are falling apart.

The patio is still unfinished.

The patio is still unfinished.

Due to disability, I had to let a lot of things go, such as pruning and training the New Dawn rose bush. Just when it was getting to a good age to work with, my spine was collapsing so there were a half dozen years that disappeared.

The New Dawn rose bush is an untrained mess, tangled up with the honeysuckle bush.

The New Dawn rose bush is an untrained mess, tangled up with the honeysuckle bush.

Those were the thorn years. Lots of tangles and brambles.

We have to be careful walking down the stairs because the railing is lined with large, sharp thorns.

We have to be careful walking down the stairs because the railing is lined with large, sharp thorns.

Even then, good things keep growing. Never forget that… GOOD THINGS KEEP GROWING.

Look how far that rose has grown! All the way to the window!

Look how far that rose has grown! All the way to the window!

All the way up to my kitchen window, the rose bush reached.
8 Rose New Dawn
The roses didn’t care that the paint was peeling.
9 Rose New Dawn
10 Rose New Dawn

Does God know where we are? Does he know our dark space? Can he see our need for beauty and goodness?

Does God know where we are? Does he know our dark space? Can he see our need for beauty and goodness?

Yes, God is aware. He knows what we need. And all those little buds lined up in my window to say Good Things Keep Growing.
12 Rose New Dawn buds
The roses are blooming now. But the weight of them is pulling the vine over.
13 Rose New Dawn blooming
I put three nails and a loose wire up to hold the roses up so I can see them from the kitchen again.
14 Rose New Dawn blooming
Roses in the window!
15 Rose New Dawn blooming
And how fitting that the rose is called New Dawn. Even without a window box of nourishing dirt, 20 feet from the ground, never stopping, the roses are peeking in my window to remind me Good Things Keep Growing.

Good things keep growing.

Good things keep growing.

And the Lord shall guide thee continually and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. Is 58:11

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Today it rained

14 Tuesday Oct 2014

Posted by Julia Monroe in flowers, gardening, nature, photography, water

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Tags

figs, gardening, nature, photography, rain, rainy day

1 After rain 10 14 14
2 After rain 10 14 14 Dragonwing begonia
3 After rain 10 14 14
4 After rain 10 14 14

Little figs are growing on the new growth.

Little figs are growing on the new growth.

But there are bare stems where the little figs dropped too soon.

But there are bare stems where the little figs dropped too soon.

Fungus is growing on the fireside stumps

Fungus on the fireside stumps.

8 After rain 10 14 14 Double Impatiens9 After rain 10 14 14 Impatiens petals on the deck

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I’m glad it’s still summer

04 Thursday Sep 2014

Posted by Julia Monroe in flowers, gardening

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Tags

begonia, flowers, gardening, heirloom tomatoes, plants, summer, vinca

It’s September 4th but I’m rejoicing in the summer cicadas, the sun’s heat on my skin, the tomatoes that are still trying.
1 late summer 14

Dragon Wing Begonia

Dragon Wing Begonia


Trailing Vinca

Trailing Vinca


4  late summer 14
Out of four vigourously growing Heirloom tomatoes, only one bore fruit, much to our dismay. But the flavor was so spectacular that we will try again next year.

Out of four vigourously growing Heirloom tomatoes, only one bore fruit, much to our dismay. But the flavor was so spectacular that we will try again next year.


New growth is appearing at the base of one of the Heirloom tomatoes.

New growth is appearing at the base of one of the Heirloom tomatoes.

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We may have lost the fig trees to frost

02 Friday May 2014

Posted by Julia Monroe in gardening, nature

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Tags

ambrosia beetles, dead trees, fig tree, fig trees, frost damage, gardening, nature, tire swing

It was a very cold winter and since the trees were over five years old, it never occurred to me that they were sensitive to cold. I’m very sad we may have lost the fig trees. We were supposed to mulch them two feet deep before the deep frosts hit.

Everywhere there are signs of spring, except on the frost-damaged fig trees.

Everywhere there are signs of spring, except on the frost-damaged fig trees.


Other disturbing news, the trees have evidence of boring insects.
There is no antidote for the ambrosia beetles. We will have to cut and burn the trees to prevent spreading. Oh oh, so sad! If you’ve read my blog before, you know how much I love the figs.
 Strands of boring dust protrude from the trunks.

Strands of boring dust protrude from the trunks.


The ambrosia beetles are more likely to attack damaged, dying or dead trees so our frost-bitten trees were very susceptible.
But there is still hope. Small green leaves are emerging from canes coming up from the base of the larger fig tree. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Tiny leaves form on a cane rising from roots of the dying fig tree.

Tiny leaves form on a cane rising from roots of the dying fig tree.


Elsewhere in the back yard, the tire swing hangs dormant. I love the look of it but think a comfortable porch swing belongs here, where I can enjoy a quilt, a good book and a bottle of wine.
The day we have to burn the fig trees, I will hang a porch swing here and drink wine.

The day we have to burn the fig trees, I will hang a porch swing here and drink wine.

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Bowl Roses

19 Wednesday Feb 2014

Posted by Julia Monroe in flowers, home decor

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

bowl roses, cut flowers, flowers, gardening, roses

That is what the roses become when they wilt too much for a bouquet.
This rose is too far gone to revive.

The rose is wilting.

The rose is wilting.

All the roses in this photo are from the same bouquet. The wilted roses in the vase on the right are the original length.
The roses on the left had the stems trimmed once and fresh water. The roses in the bowl were cut off the stems right under the calyx just as they started to bend over but before they wilted. Overnight in the bowl of water, they perked up. Amazing how all these roses were from the same bouquet.

All the roses are from the same bouquet but they received different treatment.

All the roses are from the same bouquet but they received different treatment.

This photo was taken several years ago.

The roses are cut just under the calyx and placed in water in a bowl.

The roses are cut just under the calyx and placed in water in a bowl. The bottom of the short stem touches the bottom of the bowl and the roses are resting in the water.

Here are my Valentine roses from this year. They were grocery store roses and weren’t fresh to begin with. But yesterday they started to droop so I cut them short and placed them in water. Today several have revived and I removed the brown outer petals from the roses that never opened.

The brown petals were plucked from the roses and they were placed in a bowl full of water. They still look lovely days later.

Bowl Roses. They still look nice days later.

These roses are exquisite, shaded in delicate shell and baby pink. I was surprised he remembered my favorite colors! So sweet. The Bowl Roses look beautiful on the work table.

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Our first ripe figs of 2013

15 Monday Jul 2013

Posted by Julia Monroe in food, gardening, nature

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

fig trees, figs, food, fruit, fruit trees, gardening, harvest, nature

The figs are juicy, sweet and huge this year!
Figs 2013-1
We were really pleased that the netting kept the birds away.
Figs 2013-2
We put the net over the tree too early though so some of the new tree growth went right through the net. We’ll have to either prune the tree or cut the net to get it off in the fall.
Figs 2013-3
We haven’t hung the bug traps yet so we lost a few figs to beetles and bees.
Figs 2013-4
But there are still so many green, healthy figs.
Figs 2013-5
Figs 2013-6
I hope the traps work for beetles. We didn’t have beetles last year.
Figs 2013-7
Figs 2013-8

It’s disturbing to see how they ravage a fig. But at least they stay on one fig until it is all used up without taking a single bite out of the neighboring fig.

Figs 2013-9

Beetles ravage a ripe fig hanging on the tree.

Figs 2013-10

Figs 2013-11

Figs 2013-12

The basket was heavy with plump figs.

 

This warm-from-the-tree fig fits my palm!

This warm-from-the-tree fig fits my palm!

I remember our first harvest several years ago yielded just one tiny fig that didn't even fit in a spoon. Look at the size of these. Luscious!

I remember our first harvest several years ago yielded just one tiny fig that didn’t even fit in a spoon. Look at the size of these. Luscious!

We weren't sure if the figs were ripe or overripe. This was one of the yellower figs. I thought so much white pith might mean the fig wasn't ripe. It still tasted delicious and juicy and sweet.

We weren’t sure if the figs were ripe or overripe. This was one of the yellower figs. I thought so much white pith might mean the fig wasn’t ripe. It still tasted delicious and juicy and sweet.

Here is a riper fig, with a darker brown skin next to the golden yellow skinned fig from the same tree for comparison.

Here is a riper fig, with a darker brown skin next to the golden yellow skinned fig from the same tree for comparison.

When both figs were compared in flavor and texture, they were still almost identical. The riper fig had a slightly larger pink, seeded center. The seeded area should take up more of the fruit but this year the figs are dropping if left much longer on the tree. They still taste amazing.

When both figs were compared in flavor and texture, they were still almost identical. The riper fig had a slightly larger pink, seeded center. The seeded area should take up more of the fruit but this year the figs are dropping if left much longer on the tree. They still taste delicious.

Figs keep only a day or two and taste better at room temperature so these will sit on the counter for snacking. I cut and ate half of one immediately after picking then ate the other half several hours later. The flavor was better after the fig sat for a bit after picking. I’m not sure what caused it to be sweeter. We are still newbies at growing figs.

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We planted strawberries in the hanging planter

15 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by Julia Monroe in gardening, Uncategorized

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Tags

container gardening, gardening, hanging plants, nature, planters, plants, strawberries, strawberry planter, strawberry plants

Honestly though, I’m not optimistic. My husband brought home a box of 20 “Strawberry Plants” from a discount store. Inside were two plastic bags of dirt and not a green leaf in sight. It took me a while to figure out the mass of mulch-looking matter actually contained some roots. I had no idea how the tangled mass was 20 plants so I just played in the dirt a bit until 20 little “pony tails” fell out.

The strawberry plant roots were all tangled together in a mass

The strawberry plant roots were all tangled together in a mass


I figured the plant end must be the part that was not the root end. I’m really a beginner at most gardening so this mass of root was new to me. ha
Strawberry plant... which end is which?

Strawberry plant… which end is which?


We’ve had the Hanging Strawberry Planter “As Seen on TV!” for several years but have never used it. I’ve never seen it on TV but bought it when it was steeply discounted in a toy catalog. Not exactly a move a seasoned gardener would make, eh?
We put dirt into the planter up to the middle of the first holes and lightly pressed it down. The directions said to press the roots of strawberry plants in through the hole, being careful not to damage the fragile leaves. But all we had was a lumpy stump so I did it opposite – I pushed the hard little stump out of the planter and spread the pony tail roots inside.
Good planting soil is shoveled into the hanging strawberry planter.

Good planting soil is shoveled into the hanging strawberry planter.


We slowly filled the planter with dirt and kept adding plants. Some plants had to share a hole.
Here you can see the roots spread out over the soil and the "not root" end sticking out the hole.

Here you can see the roots spread out over the soil and the “not root” end sticking out the hole.


Strawberry Planter 5
Strawberry Planter 6
Strawberry Planter 7
We continued laying plants and soil until the planter was full. After the last plants were added, we filled the planter up with soil.
A last layer of soil is added to the planter.

A last layer of soil is added to the planter.


One of my strong sons lifted the planter up to the sturdy hook in the roof. It’s the sunniest spot on the deck and the strawberries should fare ok there.
The planter is lifted up to the sturdy hook.

The planter is lifted up to the sturdy hook.


Strawberry Planter 10
We measured a gallon of water and poured it in.
Strawberry Planter 11
When the soil settled, we added a bit more and then added more water. We must water once a day.
Strawberry Planter 12
And now we wait.
It's not the prettiest addition to our deck, but it is promising.

It’s not the prettiest addition to our deck, but it is promising.


I’m going to watch for leaves. I’ll give these plants a week or so before making a judgement. If they don’t make it, now that we know how to use the hanging planter, I’ll go to a garden center and get “real” strawberry plants. Since I’m still a beginning gardener, I need a back-up gardening plan like that. We suspect that more knowledgeable gardeners must spend way less money on gardening than beginners like us with multi-layered back-up plans.

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