Choice Morsels

Garden photos of the day: My Gardenia Topiary in full bloom! This one wasn't effected by the hard freezes we had, so it's put on a good show! I trained this gardenia into a short tree form, called a topiary! Once it's done blooming, it will be getting a haircut.   Garden Art I love to add unique ceramic items to my flower beds. This cup/saucer is actually a small planter I picked up somewhere. The greenery is a succulent called "Chinese Stonecrop." It's hardy stuff and I like using it all sorts of places. It like ceramic pieces because they hold up well in the blazing sun, don't rust and can't be eaten by termites! I also like recycling regular mugs into garden art. This one is new. A friends Mom gave me this mug planter containing a begonia & palm houseplant, but the mug has no drainage and I keep my houseplants outside in summer, so I promptly replanted the two items into their own containers that do have drainage and added that mug here with C...

Last week I was out of town---my friend, Megan and I drove down to Disney World. We spent 4 days there and Galaxy's Edge was our favorite place. So much so, we weathered rain to go back there in the evening to ride "Rise of the Resistance" a second time. Definitely, dusk when all the planet town's lights come on was best. The "Rise of the Resistance" is an experience: you're part a group of new Rebel recruits trying to flee their base, but are captured by Imperials and tractor-beamed aboard their ship, threatened with interrogation, then rescued by the Republic---and that's all before even the actual ride part begins! Gardenia's are in season, so that's Today's Garden Pic: This particular Gardenia has large blossoms about 4 inches across and the air near them is fragrance with their spicy Clove like scent.   When Gardenia's are in bloom, I like to make arrangements with them and bring their fragrance indoors: Gardenia's have heavy...

  On to the Garden Pics of the Day: Below are some Gardenias. Gardenias are a flowering shrub that ranges in size from regular to dwarf. This one is a regular, full size blossom type, which can grow into a tree if you don't keep it pruned and shaped. This bush is, oh, eight feet tall and 10 around at least. It's due pruning this year once it's done blooming.  (Someone asked if it's currrently blooming and it is and has been for nearly 3 weeks now--but is nearly done. The photo is this years bloom.)   I'll probably trim off at least 2 feet. I never got around to last year. Like Azaleas, it must be trimmed quickly after done blooming and not cut again, because it sets next years blossoms before the end of summer. The flowers on this bush range from 3 to 31/2 inches in diameter. Not all gardenia bloom so large. The greenery is very shiny and I find it generally a trouble-free shrub. I really don't do anything to it, but pruning. The flowers sme...