Tropical paradise is all around me on this lovely island of Kauai.
The Beauty of Kauai
Tag: Gardening
A Gardener’s Quiet Nod to Alzheimer’s Awareness
I walked alongside my mother in the part of her life where Alzheimer’s dementia was her daily companion. I’m grateful for that time spent with her and learned so much as we traveled those years together.
She’s been enjoying heaven for three years now —freed from the bondage of failing mind and body. In these three years, I’m gradually learning to enjoy the freedom to spend moments (more like hours) of joy playing in the dirt in my garden.
If you were to visit my garden (and I hope you will), you might notice little splashes of purple objects d’art sprinkled throughout the flowerbeds. Second-hand curtain and drapery rods, trellises, and various chairs have all taken on a coat or two of purple spray paint.
Why purple? It’s both in memory of my mother (who loved that color), and also my quiet nod to Alzheimer’s awareness.
Proven Winners
There is a saying that goes something like . . .
“The road to a friend’s house is never long.“
That’s true, although, it helped that we flew this time. But spending time with Melinda, my fellow gardener and friend, is always a treat and well worth the miles.
One fine day in October, I took a lovely morning stroll with Melinda through LSU Ag Center gardens. Proven Winners (my favorite purveyors of all things growing) has trial gardens here. Weather in Louisiana this summer sure put the flowers to the ultimate test of heat and “exceptional drought” conditions. Summer in October was waning, but the heat still packed a punch that day with temps flirting with 90°F by early afternoon.
‘Blue My Mind’ is a dwarf morning glory in an intense shade of blue, which looked exceptionally lovely as a front of the border ground cover.
Oh how I hope this Celosia becomes available in Zone 5! Such pretty purples!
The extreme drought conditions in the south were definitely the ultimate challenge. There were a few places throughout the numerous flowerbeds where I noticed that their drip irrigation system was not functioning properly. Plants in those gardens suffered accordingly, as was proven by plant tags with crispy plants, or no plants at all. But this bed of “Louisiana Super Plants” fared well and looked gorgeous.
I’ll be back!
A Week of Flowers – Day #7
Here is my Day #7 offering of floral photos for A Week of Flowers hosted by Cathy of Words and Herbs. Sad to see the week come to an end, but will look for an invitation to participate next year–this was fun.
Today I’m sharing a few of the “sunny” colors from my garden. I hope they brighten up your day no matter what season you’re enjoying in this beautiful world.
A Week of Flowers – Day #6
Cathy from Words and Herbs extended an invitation for bloggers to join her in one week of sharing our flower photos to brighten up these lackluster days of winter. Here’s my Day #6 contribution of mostly pinks and peaches.
Let’s start with my beautiful Stargazer lily. She blooms every summer near the fountain in our garden. Her scent is incredible, and she has such adorable freckles.
A Week of Flowers – Day #5
Sundays are busy days for me, so I missed posting on day 3. Then, I forgot to hit “publish” on Day #4, but once again joining Cathy at Words and Herbs for Day #5 of her annual ‘A Week of Flowers’ meme. It’s trying to snow again today. Not much on the ground–just enough to outline the branches of trees, brighten up the rooftops, and spread a smidge of snowy white frosting on faded flowers. Pretty, but I’m glad for the opportunity to splash a little summery garden color onto my December blog posts.
A Week of Flowers – Day #2
I’m joining Cathy at Words and Herbs for her annual ‘A Week of Flowers’ meme. It’s Day #2 and I’m happy to take you on a little reminisce of some pretty spring and early summer days in my garden. Let me introduce you to a few of my favorite peonies.
My Succulent Garden Chair
I am amazed by how much the succulent plants in my “chair garden” grew over the summer months. During the first week of October, knowing we could potentially have a frost in the two weeks while we would be away on vacation, I moved the chair into the shelter of our 3-season porch. We’re back from our warm and wonderful vacation in Louisiana, so I’ve been busy moving the plants from the unheated porch into the house so that I can begin the next phase of over-wintering them.
Continue reading “My Succulent Garden Chair”Sowing Financial Wisdom
My financial advisor shares his wisdom concerning Social Security.
Financial stuff is not my usual topic to write about. I’m more about gardening, as my blogger handle suggests. From time to time, I also write about Alzheimer’s caregiving, a topic about which I am passionate due to my experience in caring for my mother and my brother. I occasionally share slices of life, like a biblical truth gleaned from my study of scripture, a fun thing I experienced with my grandkids, or a tasty recipe I’d like to share. I can barely write a check and keep a checkbook balanced, so I’m not the person you want to ask for financial advice. Conversely, my husband loves to juggle numbers in a spreadsheet and writes about financial matters with great regularity. He recently wrote an informative article on a subject which I’ve been pondering lately.
Continue reading “Sowing Financial Wisdom”The Perks of Pulling Weeds
One hidden blessing of the never-ending task of pulling weeds is the beauty you see more clearly when you’re on your knees. The beauty of this daylily is just one of many colorful examples in my garden today.
Barefoot Lily Lady 