The Weekend

The saying, no rest for the weary certainly reflects my weekend so far and it's only Saturday. My day started at 6:30 am after the sun rose raking and sweeping the hundreds of leaves covering the sidewalk, flower bed and ivy. Three perennials, daisies, cone flower, and a sedum were finally planted. Plants in the flower bed are still green as is the purple sweet potato vine in the sidewalk planter. Maybe I'll get a potato from it to save for spring when I pull it up. The remainder of the coleus was pulled.

Next was spraying the house plants on the porch. Where they'll go who knows but I'll make room as always. Lets look at what the house plants inside have been doing. One of these weekends I'm going to re pot several and change some of the pots to give them more visual appeal. I'm avoiding what's next, house cleaning. If I do it now, maybe I can actually enjoy the holidays with only light cleaning. Why do I put myself through this every year? You know you want you home a certain way when family comes, at least I do.

Two plants live on the mantel and do well there with only light from a table lamp at night and filtered light through the window during the day. They'll soon be moved to make way for garland.  Maybe I'll do some fresh garland this year I haven't decided.

The zivia paper whites are growing. Whether they'll make it till Thanksgiving; don't think so but we'll see.

I've already killed one red aglaonema. This is  the second and a section seems to look suspicious like it's going to die. At Christmas I move it but sitting under the table lamp killed the last one. Moving it may have also been the reason as many plants don't like to be moved.

The colors are beautiful. It sometimes blooms. I try to buy houseplants with little requirements and don't need bright direct light.

Foxtail fern. I loves fern especially maidenhair but I've killed several although that won't stop me from buying them. It was brought in from the porch 2 weeks ago and surprisingly all the needles haven't fallen off yet.

The cactus and jasmine shared a space this summer on the porch. I know, why is the foil still on it?

This cactus is years old but still small. It's never bloomed again since after the year purchased. So I actually listened to what I've read and kept it outside all summer and it's still on the porch. All the house plants were spray today to prepare them for bringing inside. I was thrilled when I saw the blooms and that a cold period and shorter days actually worked. There's another larger one that so far show no signs of blooming. It was beautiful when I bought it but it may boom later in the winter. I'll see.

No signs of blooms yet on the jasmine. I bought it last winter and have managed to keep it alive. A cool place in the house will have to be found for her. I believe they like a cool environment.

My mother' palm. The only plant taken from her home after her death that has live. On the kitchen window seal and it's been happy here. They seem to be slow growers. I'm happy it's still alive.

One of many pothos plants that my mom gave me over the years.

ZZ plant from Home Depot during the week. Spray today before I bring it inside. The plants I bring from the porch inside will be put in plastic bags for a while. Although I've sprayed them a period of isolation may help as they transition to inside.

This is the second year and time to re pot. The soil looks depleted and pot too small. It grows well in the bedroom window.

Okay, don't talk about  the dracena. There is a tray with pebbles under it to provide humidity but doesn't seem to be working, lol. I'm going to trim and freshen her up.

This needs to be transplanted and get proper support to stand straight.

That's another pothos from mom also. When she came from her house the leaves were twice the size. Every one fell off. Now some I starting to grow larger again.

I can't remember the name of her but she's also in the same family as the red aglaonema.

My terrarium for which I need to learn more about taking care of them because the fern inside is nearly dead. I'll have to remove the dead parts and see if it'll grow back out. An environment under glass is not always easy to keep alive.

Alocasia Polly. Some of the leaves are dying now but I'm not alarmed as they may go dormant and come back out in the spring. It's done real well and grew over the summer. Some of the leaves were huge.

The supposedly easy clivia manatra. No bloom since the first year from the Philadelphia flower Show. It's certainly hardy because as I showed you 2 years ago it wasn't doing well and when I pulled it up there were no roots just leaves. It's survived but I read that it needs a certain amount of leaves to bloom and also needs dark and a cold period which I haven't given it.

Tradescantias

On to the bathroom window. Putting up winter curtains is another day.

Geraniums that have lost their variegation. They were larger and healthier. I pulled them up to see the roots and saw a plug. I hate plants grown as plugs because unless you take the loose they don't do well over the long term. At least not for me. Maybe some fertilizer would help maybe it's lacking some type of nutrients.

In the bathroom window. Four plants are there, 2 crown of thorns that bloomed all winter and summer, the orchid, and the geranium.

Sad mini orchard. I'll put something else in with it later and actually try to take care of it.

Pothos from my father's room. It's done well here.

I may separate these.

I changed the kitchen curtains last week. From Target. Time to do some cleaning.

I like the wheat pattern.

It's work preparing for company during the holiday. Things in the kitchen get greasy and dusty. Everything was washed including the cabinets, wall, and maybe next week the stove and refrigerator. The yellow canisters were given to me by my mother when I moved into this house and the blue ones from coworkers when I was married. At the time blue was the theme in the kitchen. It's now green and toffee.

Do you think young people know what a rolling pin is?

Again a gift from mom years ago.

It's time for some brunch since there was no breakfast. Do you eat grits? I love them. Yes I eat Quaker's but I like others also but I like the old fashioned ones that take longer to cook. It would be nice to have some fresh ground ones. That's a plan to look for some.

I collect bowels. These are over my mantel and haven't been washed in  I don't know when. This is why I stay out the thrift shops. All the little things have to be washed.

I also collect cookie jars. My mother bought the Noah's Ark on the end. At some time collecting has to stop or you won't be able to get in the house. I can't resist a vintage bowel.

I love blue glass wear but I also won't be buying any more ball mason jars even though they seem to now have a new color every year. My daughter likes to drink out of them.

Does your dining room table look like this? It'll look better. I had to clean off some things in the dining room and I'll put everything back.

I did clean it off.

And now, I'm going to do what she's doing after a bath and dinner. I'll share the yard tomorrow.