Choice Morsels

Our Mr. Coffee Maker died yesterday morning. So I made morning coffee by boiling water in a pan on the stove, then slowly pouring it into the drip cup. In the evening, Hubby and I went to Walmart to get a new one. I like the 5-cup models that have an auto-turn-off, so I don't have to worry about whether I turned the coffee off or not. We found one such model, another Mr. Coffee, which was much nicer then the previous model---but when we got it home I discovered it had a factory break in the tank, right behind the coffee pot, invisible in the shadows just under the part the holds the filter. I  didn't notice it till I tried pouring water in the tank only to have it splash out all over the counter. So back to Walmart for an exchange. The we checked the new one right there and it was perfect.  So, I had a normal coffee experience this morning. Today's Garden Pics are a interesting mushroom and my pretty peppermint colored 4 O'clocks: First, this Mushroom: ...

Today is new roof day!  Roofers arrived on time, which was early and I hear them up there, scraping around, removing everything. Today and tomorrow, then done and once done, our roof will be up to current hurricane code. Modern dimensional shingles.  I went out for a photo and saw they consciously covered all my landscape close to the house with protective plastic tarps. Nice. The 4 O'clocks were looking beautiful at 7:48 this morning: The Romaine lettuce seed never did sprouted, which isn't a surprise, since I knew it was over 2 years old---but you never know. Fortunately the weather was cooled down and peas like cool weather, so I planted sweet container peas instead.

A Photo of something new I added to my front bed this year: a  "Julia Child" rose. This shot is from earlier in spring, but it's continued to bloom. It's a yellow rose that often blooms in clusters of 2 or 3. It's a floribunda with full, well petaled heads. It's presently in a growth stage for a fresh round of blooming.    Among my 4 O'clocks, this peppermint colored one is one of my favorites. It's usually a mix of white fushia-spattered blossoms and solid fushia blossoms. I found a young one and moved it today back to the area near the Night-Blooming Jasmine. (Here in the South where the ground doesn't freeze, 4 O'clocks become perennials, returning yearly from root.) Finally, my newest garden addition: a gardening kneeler/seat. It's pretty cool. It can be flipped this direction to sit on or flipped upside down to serve as a kneeler and the legs become handles to help get up. It's...

The good thing about spring and early summer around here is the profusion of flowers! My Gardenia: It's thick with blossoms this year! This one usually blooms heavy now, then lightly for the rest of the year. It's a funny bush. A Riot of Color: These big bushy things are 4 O'clocks.  I saw them this morning and grabbed this shot! Here in the deep south, where the ground doesn't freeze, these are perennials and return yearly.  My Mother's Day Bouquet: I filled a vase with what was blooming outside: Easter lilies, Gerber Daisies, Gardenia's and Glads. The Gardenia and Easter lilies are very fragrant.

Today I worked on the flower bed that's just above the veggie garden, weeding out weedy pesky tuffs of grass, laying down newspaper among the rows of flower stems, then mowing and scattering the mulch over the paper.  Here in Florida, where it's so hot and can run dry, a mulching helps retain moisture in the soil. I also noticed nematode damage on the Roma tomato and cut away that stem portion, saving what green tomatoes it had. (Tomatoes are one fruit that will ripen in the house! Today's Garden Pics: Lots of summer flowers means nice vases of garden bloom for my table: This vase has blue hydrangea, gladiolas & black-eyed susans! Other Summer Blooms: Here we have pretty Fushia colored 4 O'Clocks blooming next to a  thistle-like Sea Holly!  They make an interesting texture together! I keep meaning to snip some of the Sea Holly for my vase!  And My Favorite 4 O'Clock: Limelight! It has citron green leaves and dark Fushia flo...

Today was mowing-the-back-yard day, especially since thunder showers are possible this evening. I also tied up tomatoes & hibiscus, trimmed off the outer edges of both Pampas Grass out front and watered the veggies & blackberries with Miracle-Gro. Today's interesting Garden Pics are 4 O'Clocks, which are an old-fashioned flower. It also has a more elegant nickname: "Marvel of Peru," which comes from it's genus-species name, " Mirabilis Jalapa ." 4 O'Clocks were exported from Peruvian Andes around 1540. Three years ago I bought seed from Park Seed for 2 specific colors of 4 O'Clock: Limelight & Broken Colors. And they've performed beautifully. They are short & bushy in form and bloom profusely at dusk every evening. They also come back faithfully every spring. Pictured below:  Limelight 4 O'Clocks Bright lime green leaves with fushia blooms. Next: Broken Colors: An heirloom, this is the original 4...