Choice Morsels

  In the Garden, I finally got some broccoli planted. Took some effort to find, too. Walmart garden shop didn't have any, but I found Ace Hardware did.  I have lettuce coming up---though it seems to be doing so on it's own schedule. Likes cool weather, though and that might be part of it. Today's photo is Echeveria (Hen & Chicks) in Bloom : My Echeveria is blue-green and though I have quite a few, this is the only one blooming. The declining sun rays were just touching on these flowers, giving their inner throats an brighter orange glow. 

Today's project was cleaning up along this Border Garden Wall. It the marks the border between me and my neighbor, whose  property is higher then mine because it was built for a septic system under it, though a sewer line was put in before the septic system was every used. It was pleasant and partially sunny, so I cleaned up the length of this section, which is about 26 feet plus additional 5 feet of bed with scallop edging.  This part of it has a 18 24 inch bed on top.  It needed raking off, blackberries pulled up, some newspaper laid down and topped with mulch. (I mulch about every two years and in-between, just use mower clippings on top of newspaper, which blocks weeds fairly well.) This bed is dotted with 4 clumps of Asparagus fern, which is nearly the only thing that grows on this bed,  it's so dry and knotty with roots. The reason the Asparagus fern thrives is because it stores it's own water in dozens of little brown bags along it's roots. ...

It's been warmish here in Florida most of December and I hadn't checked my Broccoli for a couple and days and when I went out to pick some I discovered...cabbage worms! Quick treatment with Sevin dust. I  had to wash the assortment of broccoli side shoots carefully. Here's a trick: add a tablespoon of salt to a bowl, fill it with water and drop your potentially pest-infested veggies in! Salt water kills them. Many will fall off and sink. Still--both Hubby and I inspected those little heads very thoroughly. before I cooked them.  Some of the buggers didn't fall off into the water. Really, the thing I like about winter gardening is it's usually too chilly for pests. Thank goodness a cold front is coming soon! Today's Garden Pic is a really lovely late afternoon winter shot of a few"lucky" pink Shamrock blossoms peeking up around a blue-green Hen! Stop back tomorrow to see what's up for Mama Kat!

...a cup full of Hens & Chicks!  Old teacups and coffee cups make excellent "Garden Art" for flower beds--especially with hardy succulents & sedums! I see this set of mugs and chicks out of den window when I'm working on my computer!  :) ***** That's it for today!  Since I'll be quite busy on Thursday this week, I won't be doing a Mama Kat! But come back for Friday Finds!

I was going to do some mowing today---but when I was ready to do so after lunch, it rained. Instead, I worked on some beading projects. I have several necklaces which have broken and needed repairing. (a total of 4)  I also made an entirely new necklace of in shades of teal, blue & lavender stones. Today's Garden Pics: First, my gorgeous Echeveria/Hen & Chicks Succulents in front my bed that are blooming right now. That big one on the side of the strawberry pot is at least 6 inches! It's funny how I came to have them. Many years ago, my neighbor next door decided to "dispose" of a couple of her rosettes by randomly tossing them over the fence into my yard and I found them on the ground. Needless to say, I planted them and here we are today. Weird, but true. Next:  A nice shot of my White Pampas Grass blooms captured in late day sun! This particular one against the neighbors fence in my back yard. All my Pampas has bloomed beautifully this ye...