Choice Morsels

  It's been cool here in north Florida---upper 57 to 64 at night, still up in low 80's during the day, but not humid. A/C has been off since the 1st. Just don't need it. Opening the doors and using fans in the evenings is enough. Soon I'll be getting out the winter long sleeved shirts and putting away all my summer shirts! We do have autumn here---but since it's the cold that triggers tree color, deciduous trees in our region, such as cypress, maples, sycamores & scrub oaks, don't show color until near the end of November into early December.  But when they do, they look quite attractive dotted amidst all the green of the pines. A guy from New England at Bible study the other night had a funny nickname native easterners call tourists who visit their region to see the fall color: "Leaf Peepers ." I laughed. I'd never heard that expression before! In our region we call northerners, including...

 It's been rainy over night, so it looks wet outside this morning. Can't mow, but perhaps I'll be able to walk around and pick up the cones and branch clutter left over from Isaac's wind. I have sad news about that Swallowtail Butterfly crystalis I had in a container to watch. It did hatch--about 3 days earlier then expected. However, the wings didn't form properly. It was crippled. I was heart-broken. But I've seen that before in the insect world. It happens. I've seen it happen in the human world, too---I used to work in labor & delivery while I was in the Air Force---not all "butterflies" come out properly formed. That things work that way now doesn't mean they ought to work that way. I was reminded of Romans 8: 20-21 that says, " For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from it's slavery to corruption in...

For photos, I have two today : First, a nice shot of some of my miniature roses that are in the front corner bed near that large pot with the ceramic cat in it. You can see a couple of my Hoosier rocks. I have a small ring of them around  a pair of miniture roses: one light pink, one dark pink. And by "Hooiser rocks" I mean I toted them here from Indiana. The property we grew on had a valley with a rocky stream as the bottom that Mother and us 3 girls were haul stones up from for Mother's rock garden. Then later, my younger sister, Pat, carted a bunch of those to her home in Terre Haute. Eventually, Mother moved to Terre Haute also and when Pat sold that house, the pile of pretty, garden-sized stones moved to Mother's house. Finally, on a visit home, I decided to haul about 10 here to Florida for my flower bed. So, you see, they are traveling rocks. Second is a photo of Blue Salvia. It's cousin to the showier Red Salvia and you can buy either at an...

  I have 2 Garden Pics for you today: First photo up is another one of the 10 new day lilies I ordered and planted last fall. This one is called "Prairie Fire." It's a strong maroonish-red with a bright yellow throat and the first of the 10 to bloom. At this time, only 2 haven't bloomed yet: the white and one called "Midnight." Day lilies have a broad blooming season, though. Some re-bloom, some blooming only once. Prairie Fire blooms once it appears. However the new yellow and "Grape" seem to be re-bloomers. Day lilies are an excellent flower in the flower bed for care-free areas you want to naturalize or in borders or to use as a medium-high filler in a bed with tall flowers at the back and shorter in front. If you like spring daffodils, they make a good companion planting partner with day lilies, since they come up first, then die back before the day lilies appear. So plant your daffodil bulbs among your day lilies! Next pi...