What a Treat!

I have been patiently ( okay not so "patiently") waiting for my orchid cacti to begin their blooming season. They spent a rough winter in the greenhouse surviving on what I thought was enough attention, only to discover that in reality, the attention they received was just barely enough to keep them going. Since moving them outside however and discovering my mistakes, I have repotted them and begun feeding them on a regular schedule and they are so much happier.
I started doing the " happy dance"

last week when I noticed that a bud was forming. Then yesterday I noticed the bud was turning upward, so I knew it would be opening soon. It stormed off and on all day . Last night I went to check on the bud just to make sure the rain hadn't knocked it off the plant and much to my surprise, this is what I saw:

This gorgeous Epiphyllum Strictum only blooms at night. In fact these pictures were all taken at about  1 AM last night. By 8 AM this morning it was closed up and the show was over.  This particular plant will normally form buds and bloom for me off and on through the summer. Now if I can just get her day blooming friends to do the same. If you are interested in learning more about these wonderful cacti, there are lots of great websites and forums on the web. Check them out. If you are interested in cuttings or starter plants, I will be listing both soon in my etsy shop or on
ebay.

Soothing Saturday Rains

Don't ya just love it when you wake up in the morning and it is raining. The sounds of the rain hitting the roof are like no other. My garden is soaking up the desperately needed moisture and everything is looking so green.
I had a long list of things I had planned to do today, but since it is raining, I think I will take advantage of not being motivated to work outside and try to organize my studio a little. I currently have things spread out between 3 rooms and a couple of cabinets and I am at the point of really needing to consolidate them. When I finish organizing, I will photograph some of the pieces I have been working on and post them.
Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.


Life is like a rainbow, you need both the sun and the rain to make it's colors appear.

Read any good books Lately?

I love to read. I read all sorts of books, and this past week I picked up a good one that a friend had passed on to me.
I read The Traveler's Gift, by Andy Andrews. We had a real rainy day with a lot of lightning and thunder and the rain made everything smell so fresh and look so green. My 2 mutts however don't have the same appreciation for storms that I enjoy and with each thunderclap, or streak of lightning they were forced to endure, they shook and quivered and whined.


I had planned to photograph some Jewelry pieces that I had made,



but everytime I moved, the dogs moved with me. When I walked across the room to retrieve a camera battery, they got down from the sofa and followed me there and back whining all the way. When I made myself a cup of coffee and heated a Krispy Kreme donut they almost tripped me. I finally gave up on my plans and decided the only peace in the valley would be if they were right beside me with their heads buried under a blanket.So I decided it would be a perfect day just to sit on the couch and read. The book moved so fast that I couldn't put it down. In fact, I don't think I moved at all until I finished the book sometime during the wee hours of the morning.
It turned out to be quite a good read for a rainy day and if you get a chance, check it out and let me know what you think of it.

Today's Surprises

I awoke this morning to the sounds of a wonderful thunderstorm, broken only by the whines and howls of a terrified Dachshund and a quivering mutt. I love the rain and the storms it's a shame the dogs don't share my passion for it though. If I can see it rain on the beach it is even better. After the rain though is the best time of all. The sun has returned, you may see a rainbow and everything looks so green and clean. I am certainly a sucker for it. Anyway after the rain today I found a surprise in the garden. A pretty little Zebrina Hollyhock
blooming it's heart out. There were 2 day lilies blooming today as well, but I didn't get pictures taken of those. One was a pretty little lily called "Red Rum" and the other a Stella D' Oro.
A rainbow is also a wonderful surprise anytime you see it. They are just so beautiful.

I hope your Monday was a surprise packed as My Monday has been.

Praying for Rain

I think in reality the weathermen mean well. They really do, but somehow they aren't making good on their promises. The past 2 weeks we have been promised rain and thunderstorms daily and yet we have not seed a drop of the wet stuff until tonight. It actually rained for about 30 minutes. No thunder or lightning just desperately needed rain.

I have to say I have taken advantage of the days without rain and planted new flower beds in the front yard. I have put in beds of iris, daylilies, brugmansia, hibiscus, hostas and a few new guinea impatiens just for color spots.
Today, I saw my first daylily bloom of the season and I was gone most of the day so I didn't get to photograph it. I sure hope another bud will be open tomorrow.

I have ignored the guilt of not having my "chores" done so that I could plant, but I am at the point that things really shouldn't be put off any longer. When you start dreaming about the housework you need to do it is time to let the garden wait and get caught up inside. I can always find an excuse to get my hands dirty though and so I will use it as a reward for getting my chores done first tomorrow.
I have heard that God created rainy days so that gardeners can get their housework done, well, maybe I should pray for rain.



Blooming this week are:Deep purple Iris, Chocolate Vine ( Akebia Quinata), Snowball Viburnum, and Clematis Nellie Moser, Bottlebrush and coreopsis grandiflora.

Isiah 35:1 The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.