Cold at Plum Cottage

Good Wednesday morning Folks ~ Well, for the first time in about 3 years, it is really cold down here in s.e. FL.  It got down to 40F last night and with the wind chill factor it felt like it was 27F. When I went out at a little after 7 to head to my little job, it was 40 and felt like 28. It was a 'shock' to my system to say the least. I'm back home and the temp now at around 10 is 44 and feels like it is 35. I haven't gotten my heater out yet, just have a small burner on stove between low - medium to take the chill out. Place is small and it is supposed to only go down into the high 60's tonight. Tomorrow's high is predicted to be in the high 70's. It is very windy, wind chimes have been making music since yesterday. Some rain is coming this way from the northeast, maybe we'll get it, maybe not. It is partly cloudy with some sunshine at the moment. I've got socks on, jeans, a t shirt and flannel shirt too. 

Had lunch and a nap, edited photos. It is now 4:10 p.m. right now the temp is 63F and real feel is 58F. So, it has warmed up, still windy, no rain has happened yet. Winds are supposed to calm down by this evening.

Here are some photos for you to enjoy. The first two were taken on a cloudy morning I think and both sets of blooms are about 8-10 feet high.

 

A sweet little rose I bought last year, growing like crazy with lots of blooms.

Not sure which rose this one below is. It's fading, but still pretty.

This is either Don Juan or Mr. Lincoln, lost the tag, had both.

 Below is a shrimp plant, a volunteer.

This is 'Yesterday, today, and tomorrow'.

 

Next we have, Batface, kind of ugly/pretty and fascinating at the same time.

  
This is a knockout rose, I have two of these, same color and they are great bloomers.

I'm not sure what the name of this  fading rose is. 

'Blue Sage' an old favorite, a Florida native, that I've had for many, many years now. I love the blues and purples of these flowers.

These roses are 'carpet' roses. They are so happy and sweet looking.

 This is an unfurling 'Hugs-n-kisses' hibiscus.

This is 'Mom-of-millions', it spreads by just a tiny leaflet of this plant falling to the ground.

Well, that's it for today. Hope you are all well. 

Love, hugs & prayers,

FlowerLady

New flower treats

Hello Folks ~ It is 5:30 p.m. EST, supper is heating in my little convection oven, the weather was perfect today and the reason why 'snowbirds' come down here every year. 

I've noticed new growth on roses that I thought had 'bit the dust'. How I love surprises like that! This is the time of year when the gardens are happy. Not too hot or humid, just right for plant life, humans and other critters as well. 

This morning I paid a bill, went to the bank, and since it was so nice out I decided to stop at my two favorite nurseries that have GREAT prices. I've not bought any plants in a while and I had a little extra $. At the first nursery, I got two rose bushes and a hanging basket of double impatiens.  I had dbl impatiens many, many years ago and loved them because they look like roses. They are also very easy to propagate from cuttings.

At the next nursery, my eyes were drawn to two gorgeous flowering plants. Mona Lavender and Tacoma Stans - Esperanza. The bees were all over this plant. Both of these flower colors were show stoppers for me, they just popped out of all of the other plants.  Both do very well here in the sub-tropics.

 

At this nursery I also spied some wonderful rocks for covering with crochet. I made these last year from a bag of river rock from Home Depot.

The rocks I bought today are all in the dark/blackish range, perfect. I can hardly wait to start making these. The sizes are 2" to 3", just right and there are LOTS of them. This is about 1/4 of the amount.

Above are the rest of the rocks. I'm excited about this project. Jesus is my rock, He is The Rock for all of us.

That's it, supper is ready. A post will be coming up about the wax covered amaryllis bulb. 

Later ~ FlowerLady

This and that

Hello Folks ~ Well, here we are 10 days into January. After several days of cold weather for us down here in s.e. FL, to day it has been gray, windy and warm high 70's. Some rain is expected tomorrow morning, then clearing skies and less wind. 

Earlier in December, the garlic vine was in bloom. I just love this vine and it blooms several times during the year. The leaves of plant when crushed smell like garlic.

I was able to get out to mow and weedwack the other day, takes me about an hour. I have 1/4 of an acre. Thanks for your kind comments about my work. Sometimes it all seems so overwhelming to me, but then I see the photos of flowers that I share here and I smile.

There is a small lawn out front by driveway at the entry also, but I didn't get a photo of that area.

*** Edited *** I forgot to add this picture below. Mowing and weedwacking the edges really makes a difference in how it all looks.

I live in a tropical jungle. Most people down here do NOT live like this. They live in housing communities or condos and have manicured lawns, everything neat and tidy, it all looks nice, but I'm afraid I'll never be like that unless I happen to move from here. This is what I have been blessed with and I am thankful, oh so thankful for it. The road out front went from 2 lanes to 5, and people zip right past. When people come here for the first time they are amazed that it is here, calling it 'old Florida'. ;-)

I bought another book after Christmas. It is for the mandala afghan I started. It is a beautiful book filled with detailed instructions of the stitches used. So much easier it will be than having to look online while crocheting. I can sit in one of my new chairs with book at my side and crochet to my heart's content. Well, until my hands say, ok that's enough for now.

Photos below are my book cover, and pics from inside. I have a long way to go, and it will be challenging.

Where the black mark is, is where I am at in this pattern.

This is my piece so far. I had done more, but made a mistake and had to rip it out. Having the book will be a huge help in teaching me to do this.

I did finish a lapghan last week. I've made this pattern several times, this is not all of the rows by any means, but it made a nice size for a lapghan with the yarn I was using. I had gotten a HUGE skein of size 3 yarn at Aldi and used some of that, plus some left over yarn from a baby blanket I had made. It was a joy to make. It is called a 'Sampler' afghan.

Oh yea, I raised the paintings over my two new chairs, yesterday. I've also been working in my bedroom with storage for yarn, decluttering, etc. The little foot stool, is also Queen Anne style, my dear husband bought it many, many years ago for $1 at a yard sale. I need to make a new cushion for it as it has lost it's puffiness. I have the two extra arm covers for the chairs that I might be able to use for a new cover. Time will tell.

Ok, that's it for now. My stomach is telling me it is time to eat supper. Tomorrow is a new day, may you all have a nice weekend and be thankful for your life, it is a gift from God.

2020 - A New Year - A New Decade

Hello Folks ~ I hope your holidays were filled with love and peace, joy and good things to eat. I am thankful for God's continuing love and care. Without Him I would be lost. I am blessed with flowers 365 days a year and I am happy to share some that were blooming on Christmas day and on the 28th, here with you. 

Today there is a big blue sky, sun is shining bright and the temp mild and breezy. For about a week we had gray skies and rain off and on. Laundry piled up as I don't have a washer/dryer inside here. My washing machine is in my shed, and I have a 'solar' dryer to hang the laundry from. So, one load was done yesterday and another done today.

This morning I also tackled an overgrown area back by where I park, and made forward progress. Below is a photo from 09-25-19. It was worse than this photo because 3 months have gone by.

Forward progress, although it doesn't look like much was done. But, grass was grown up into the iron wheel and all across the bottom of wall, with a weedy shrub at the corner.

More work to be done in the two photos below, trimming, weed eating and mowing. Never ending.

Here is the amaryllis bulb, about 3 weeks from when it was given to me. I have no idea what color it is, probably red. That is an orchid plant next to it. This is looking south, out towards the road.

This post is long enough, so I'll post later about my Christmas books.

May 2020 be a year of blessings, large and small.

FlowerLady

P.S. I posted to my other blog 'The Continuing Journey', if you're interested.