WHO ARE YOUR FRIENDS

Take a minute and think about your close friends. Are they all within ten years of your age? If so, do you think that's by choice or by happenstance? Does age make a difference in our choice of friends? We tend to develop friendships with people who share our hobbies, our line of work, our religion, etc, etc. Of course we tend to feel most comfortable with and gravitate toward those people who also share our world view. Last night I met a woman who is in her early nineties. It turned out we had a lot in common and we chatted for quite awhile. I think we could become good friends. Today I was introduced to a young mother who is in her early twenties. Interestingly enough, we also had a long conversation and elected to continue our conversation over lunch next week. I think sometimes we dismiss people as potential friends because we assume they are too old fashioned or too modern for our tastes. Unfortunately, if we never start the conversation we may never discover what might be a golden fit.

IT'S ALL RELATIVE

I traveled from Michigan to spend the Thanksgiving holidays in Los Angeles. My son's mother-in-law, Linda, hosted Thanksgiving dinner. Linda decided to purchase plastic patio chairs for extra seating as about thirty people were expected. So, in addition to last minute food purchases we shopped for plastic patio chairs. No chairs were found at Costco, Home Depot, or two supermarkets. When we arrived home, I called Target and Walmart. No one had the chairs and can you guess why! "Plastic patio chairs are seasonal"...they were no longer on the sales floors but stored until spring. What! In Michigan seasonal changes are drastic and obvious. Are those subtle temperature fluctuations in Los Angeles actually called seasons? Do retailers realize their customers actually use their patios year-round? Isn't that the point of living in Southern California!

WHAT WAS I THINKING

How many times have you done something that you wonder "what was I thinking"? Lately I feel like I'm practicing to participate in the "what were you thinking" Olympics. My latest antic was locking myself inside the gates surrounding the pool area at my son's condo. I wasn't sure the key I picked up as I left his house was the correct key but of course if it didn't work I would come back and find the right key. However, someone had left the pool gate ajar so I just walked in. As the gate slammed behind me the little voice inside my head warned me I didn't have the right key. The voice was right, I was locked inside and no one was around. I had planned to relax in one of the lounge chairs near the pool and finish my mystery. I had on a t -shirt, light -weight pants and sandals but It was a much cooler day than I'd anticipated. After about twenty minutes I was feeling pretty darn chilly so I warmed my feet in the hot tub. I sat there reading while hoping someone would come to use the tub or that my family would realize I hadn't gone for a walk. I finished my book and began to pace around wondering what the neighbors were all doing on a quiet afternoon. Where were the dog walkers! Just as I thought I would need to lay out a plan to climb the fence, a neighbor walked by with her two little dogs. She alerted my son and I was saved. Thank goodness.

Election Day

What a day, what a day!! For a couple of months I had been channel surfing among the all-news stations, even spending a little time listening to the Fox talking heads. I fell asleep with the TV and woke up with the TV. My emotions and moods changed with the results of each new poll. This last week my shoulders started to ache and my right eye started to twitch. My anticipation was so great I could hardly think of anything other than election day results. Last night I flipped through channels, listened to opinions and forecasts as the numbers slowly came in. When Pennsylvania turned blue, I allowed myself to relax a little. The electoral votes stood at 209 for much too long. Then Virginia and Nevada were declared blue. All of a sudden someone was announcing that Barack Obama was President-elect. Unbelievable!! The first thing I thought was, I wish my Dad were alive to witness the election of an African-American man as president of the United States. He would have been so proud, so proud!

HANGERS-ON

Although I'm in the process of saying goodbye and doing fall cleanup, there are some gifts in my garden that are just not ready to give up yet. These flowers look lovely and vigorous, oblivious to the chill in the air and date on the calendar, behaving as though it's July and not the end of October. I think there is a lesson to be learned from my hangers-on, stand strong in the face of adversity.

GOODBYE

During the month of October the weatherperson is the most important person in my life. I listen closely to the daily forecast, hoping I won't hear the "f" word, FROST. At least four times this month I have run around with old sheets covering my tender perennials and tropicalsA couple of the Brugmansias have not even bloomed yet and there are still plenty of buds on the Tibouchina. The Dahlias are blooming like crazy. I can't bear to say goodbye to any of these plants until the last bud has opened. Tonight, however, the forecast is for a hard frost. I have to say so long to the growing season. All is not lost though. I cut as many blooms as I could and made bouquets. Ah, the lovely bouquets look so nice on my front porch.

CHRISTMAS CACTUS

The first time I saw a Christmas Cactus in bloom (about 35 years ago) I was overwhelmed, to say the least. How in the world could such a beautiful orchid-like flower emerge from such a flat ugly leaf! Actually, the Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera sp) is found in the same environments as orchids. They are epiphytes and native to the jungles of Central and South American. Although I've had at least one Christmas Cactus plant over the last twenty or so years, the bud production on my plants this year is the most abundant ever.

I had repotted my three plants in the spring, using potting mix and a slow release fertilizer. The cacti spent the summer outdoors in a shady area along with my other houseplants. They got a dose of liquid fertilizer a couple of times during the summer. About a month ago I noticed flower buds forming. This was about the time when daylight was noticeably shorter and night temperatures noticeably cooler. According to research, cool temperatures or long nights are required to induce bud formation. However, if temperatures remain in the range of 55 to 65 degrees for a six week period the plants will develop buds regardless of day length.

I think my plants will be in full bloom within the next couple of weeks. Hmm, does that make them Thanksgiving Cacti? Thanksgiving Cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) is actually the more common plant. Bloom time, however, is not necessarily what distinguishes the Christmas Cactus from Thanksgiving Cactus. The leaves of Christmas Cacti have rounded leaves as compared to the sharply serrated or "toothed" leaves of the Thanksgiving cactus. Also, flowers of the Thanksgiving Cactus are asymmetrical and have wings on their ovaries.

Okay, okay, I guess my Christmas Cactus is really a Thanksgiving Cactus.

HOMECOMING

Saturday was beautiful, near eighty degrees with a perfect blue sky. The orange, yellow and red leaves of the maples that line many of the city streets provided a perfect backdrop for the day's events. The person in charge of selecting Homecoming weekend this year must be a psychic.

The morning parade featured the university band, floats, politicians, and a variety of non-profit groups and retailers promoting their messages and products. Oh yeah, there were bagpipers too. It's always fun to watch a parade

The football game didn't start until four so there was plenty of time for tailgating and socializing before kickoff. Alumni were welcomed back with chili, burgers and brats provided in the tents hosted by the different schools, departments, and organizations. Crazy competitions, such as the cardboard boat race, provided entertainment.

The football game was the icing on the cake. It was a good, tight, hard fought game and just as it should be, the home team came out on top.

TEMPTATION

It's nearly the end of growing season but there are still lots of temptations in the garden centers.

I think I already mentioned my fascination with pansies and violas. Both of these are members of the genus, Viola (Violets). There are over 400 species of Violets. The cute-faced, fragrant blooms of pansies and violas can be found in white, shades of yellow, blue, red, and bi colors. Not only are these wonderful flowers a treat for the eyes and nose, they are edible, high in vitamins A and C.

Here's a little know fact, Ancient Greeks considered Violets a symbol of fertility and love and used them in love potions.

Fall bulbs are another temptation. I have no problem by-passing ordinary tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths, it's the more unusual bulbs that grab my attention. Fritillaria, a member of the Lily family is said to have a skunk-like smell but I like the droopy bell flowers. Alliums or ornamental onions are show stoppers. The larger allium bulbs are a little pricey but I consider them an investment. There are several species available and I am having a hard time deciding which species to invest in this year. I do like the smaller alliums, like "Drumstick" also. I wish the garden centers had allium variety packages. Maybe bulbs will go on sale soon.

MEMORIES

While I was in Maryland recently, I visited an historical site that is being restored and upgraded into a beautiful park area. I don't remember the area as it had been. Growing up, I had no reason to go there. All I knew about this wharf area is that it was at the bottom of a steep hill and there was an ice house somewhere near the wharf. My grandmother had an icebox and I remember my uncle bringing huge blocks of ice to cool that icebox. As I remember, the ice block wouldn't fit exactly so uncle had to chip it to size using an ice pick. Lucky for us kids because we got to suck on those crystal clear ice chucks my uncle chipped off. Oh boy, what a treat that was on a hot and humid, Maryland day!

Celosia

My mom calls them roostercombs. Other common names are cockscombs and woolflowers. These unusual plants are members of the Amaranth family, belonging to the small genus, Celosia. According to Wikipedia, one genus of Celosia, C. argentea is a leading leafy green vegetables in Nigeria. It's known as "soko yokoto" which means " make husbands fat and happy". (Interesting, huh!) Chinese herbalists reportedly used celosia to stop bleeding and to treat blood diseases and infections of the urinary tract. In the Victorian Language of Flowers, Celosias signified humor, warmth, and silliness.

Celosias are easy to grow from seed and often self seed in the garden. They like full sun and are drought tolerant. Celosias are also easy to dry. I used some to add color to the wreath I made for my front door.

DAHLIAS

Dahlias! Who wouldn't love these beautiful flowers that are native to the mountains of Mexico and Guatemala! The American Dahlia Society categorizes dahlias into various groups based on size, form and color. There are 9 sizes, 18 forms, and 15 colors or color combinations.

Dahlia Hill in Midland is a spectaular little garden with an interesting history. According to its website, Dahlia Hill is possibly the only garden in the country dedicated entirely to dahlias and grown on a hillside. " A visitor ...once stated that one person planting a dahlia garden on a hill was foolish, over forty people helping that fool was amazing." (a quote from the website)

VINES

It has suddenly occurred to me that I have not talked about vines. I love vines. They are so useful in the garden. They add height. Most have beautiful flowers. They are generally easy to grow. They can hide just about anything you don't want exposed.

Most people are familiar with Morning Glories (Ipomoea sp). Drive along a country road and you're sure to see at least one mailbox covered with morning glories. As the name implies, the funnel shaped morning glory flowers open in the morning and generally remain open until midday. I have the old-fashioned purple variety that begin blooming mid summer. Although this vine is an annual, it reseeds readily.

The first time I saw Hyacinth Bean (Lablab purpureus) at the entrance to the demonstration gardens at Michigan State University I fell in love. It was late summer and the pink flowers, electric-purple seed pods, and purple leaves were gorgeous. Some of the seed pods had dropped to the ground so I helped myself to a few of those. I have grown hyacinth bean vine in my garden ever since and I have shared seeds with many friends.

I have added PassionFlower vine (Passiflora incarnata) to my garden a couple of times in the past. Before this year I always got vigorous vine growth but no flowers. This year I purchased a seedling that was already in bud and lo, I've been blessed with many beautiful passionflowers. Passionflowers are native to Tropical America. The name 'passion flower' is said to derive from a resemblance of the blue passion flower to the crown of thorns. Others say the parts of the plant symbolize features of The Passion of Christ.

The Moon Flower vine (Ipomoea alba) is a fast grower with large heart-shaped leaves. The tubular white flowers are fragrant and open at night. My moon flower is trained over my garden window so I have the best chance of viewing the flowers before they fold up with daylight.

A relatively unknown vine is Spanish Flag (Mina lobata). It's narrow, tubular flowers are grouped in stalks. Flower buds are scarlet, turn orange when they bloom, then yellow and finally white-cream. The flowers of the Candy Corn vine (Manettia luteorubra) look exactly like my favorite Halloween candy. This attention-getter has been blooming all summer. Another lesser used vine is Canary Creeper (Tropaeolum peregrinum) which I mentioned in my previous post.

My perennial vines include a couple of species of Clematis, Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata), Porcelain (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata) and Moon vines.

MY FALL BLOOMERS

I've been waiting and waiting for some of my favorite plants to burst into bloom. Some of my plants have been in bud form forever, it seems. Each day I look for even the slightest hint of an impending flower. Do these plants realize they are growing in Michigan! Don't they know we're now into September and first frost could come any day now.
These are some of the plants that are teaching me patience:

Mexican Bush Sage is not hardy in my zone 5. I have it in a pot and although Mexican Sage is drought tolerant I water it daily. I can see hints of brilliant purple peeking out from the gray-green lance shaped leaves. Its normal bloom period is September through first frost.I'm anticipating another purple bloom, Tibouchina (Princess Flower, Glory Bush). This plant is a native of Brazil. While waiting for Tibouchina's beautiful flowers I'm appreciating the uniqueness of its multiveined, silvery green leaves that look like velvet.
Every year I cross my fingers and pray that we have a fall that is warm enough for the Pineapple Sage to bloom. Hummingbirds love the firey red tubular flowers of this herb. The consolation for the lack of flowers is, of course, the intense pineapple scent of the leaves. I have used fresh leaves of pineapple sage in fruit drinks and iced tea. I've read that the flowers can be used in flowers and desserts.
Asked to name a fall blooming plant and the probable answer would be Aster. I have New England Asters, most are purple but some are pink. Oh yeah, some are white and look a lot like tiny daisy.
My over-wintered Brugmansia has been blooming for a few weeks now. The flowers are huge and pale yellow. However, the "Brugmansia Collection" I ordered in the spring are not blooming yet. One plant does have lots of dangling buds. I'm anxious to see the different flower colors of the new plants.
Turtlehead, Chelone, produces spikes of pink flowers that resemble the head of a turle. Hence the name. My Turtlehead is not planted in an obvious place so I need to remember to look out for the blooms.
The purple leaved Cannas have not bloomed and possibly will not bloom. But that's okay because the flowers of the green leafers are much more interesting and beautiful.
Canary vine (Tropaelum peregrinum) has little bird-like yellow flowers. It's a native of Ecuador and is related to Nasturtiums. So far, the vine has made it's way up the trellises and has wrapped itself around neighboring plants.

CONFESSIONS OF A PLANT ADDICT

I don't remember planting that. Whatever happened to ....? Where did I plant....? Those are my gardening season laments. Only a true plant addict could understand the planting frenzy that takes place in my garden between last frost in May and first frost in October.

There are the plants from the garden centers that I can't resist even if I have no room for them. There are the "pass-alongs" that I can't say no to. And the volunteers, who would toss out a plant that elected that special place in your garden to take up residence. Why can't I keep track of what's growing in my own garden and why don't I know the names of every plant.

I've tried keeping a garden log. That lasted about one day. I kept a journal for about one week. I tried taking pictures of each plant as I planted. Aha, I never matched the photos with the plant tags. I've come to the conclusion that I'm unable to keep track because knowing exactly what plants reside in my garden beds is just not that important to me. I love surprises. I have no interest in the predictable or the mundane. I don't mind (too much) if Black-eyed Susans pop up in the middle my beautiful pink Turkscaps. Do I need to know the name of a plant to appreciate its beauty. I consider it fun and a challenge to search out the identity of the inevitable mystery plant.

Added to that, I like wildflowers, Chicory, Queen Anne's Lace, Milkweed, Goldenrod . Weeds, maybe to some, but I like to include them with my cultivated plants. Oh, and then there are the exotics. I love Brugmansia, Banana, Canna, all of the summer bulbs, anything unusual. Of course the exotics and bulbs require handling and care after the outdoor growing season. And then there are the houseplants, some of which are cuttings from summer annuals. Would you believe I've even collected a few Orchids.

Oh no, it's now becoming clear, my passion for plants is getting out of control. I'm becoming a four season plant addict. HELP!!

SUMMER BULBS

SUMMER HYACINTH PINEAPPLE LILY MEXICAN SHELL FLOWER


Most people are familiar with spring bulbs, lovely tulips and daffodils; fragrant hyacinths. These are the bulbs we plant in the fall and wait patiently to see bloom in the spring. If you're a gardener who likes more immediate gratification, you might look into summer bulbs. Summer bulbs are planted in spring and are usually in bloom by mid to late summer. Everyone looks forward to seeing the first gladiolus. Visitors to Farmers Markets can't seem to resist buying those tall colorful blooms available at many of the stalls. Dahlias are also popular, especially those with huge showy flowerheads. Cannas bring a wonderful tropical look to the garden. Caladiums are grown for their colorful foliage. BUT, have you seen Mexican Shell Flowers (Tigridia pavonia); Summer Hyacinths (Galtonia candicans); Pineapple lilies (Eucomis); or my favorite fragrant bloom, Peacock Orchids (Gladiolus callianthus). All of these are delightful and bring unusual flowers and colors to the garden as it's starting to wind down.

EVENING PRIMROSE

If you have never watched an evening primrose flower unfurl, you have missed a real treat http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiODdt8l108. I am willing to bet no matter what your age, you will get a "jaw-dropping" thrill from watching this phenomenon in person.

The Evening Primrose, Oenothera biennis, is mainly pollinated by the sphinx moth. It's a night bloomer that emits a delicate perfume to attract the moth. The pale yellow flower produced measures about two inches across. It has four petals, prominent stamens , cross shaped stigma, and a long green calyx. The flowers remain open from evening to early morning. The Evening Primrose plant itself is rather ugly, tall and weedy. To keep from pulling this "weed" out of my garden of cultivated plants, I have to keep reminding myself of its impending amazing show.

THE SUMMER GARDEN

poppies. mimulus ,crocosmia. lisianthus

We're well into summer now. At this point in the season most of my garden flowers have bloomed, are blooming or are about to bloom. Some of the flowers were outstanding this year, poppies, crocosmias, dames rockets. The fragrant shrubs, lilac, mock orange bloomed like crazy and and did a good job of perfuming the air. On the down side, my heliopsis are infested with red aphids again this year. (I tried a strong water spray but think I'll need to get out the Safer Soap.) My favorite annuals, lisianthus, are doing very well. I purchased a flat of them in May and distributed them among my many containers. The mimulus or monkey flowers are blooming much better than last year. These flowers are so interesting, with their cute little faces. Nicotiana, tobacco flower, self seeded and the white tubular flowers are perfuming the night air. Another "fragrant at night" plant is the jasmine. It overwintered successfully and its smallish, star-like flowers are just beginning to open.

WHAT'S IN A NAME

I just read an article about plant names. It wasn't about the fancy smansy or cutesy names hybridizers use to identify their new crosses. It was about the old fashioned names "just plain old folks " called their common, everyday plants.

"Kiss me over the garden gate"...how do you think Polygonum orientale earned that moniker! My research shows this plant is from China and was first grown by Thomas Jefferson in this country. Hmmm, is that a clue? Was Thomas Jefferson responsible for the name? The plant is described as having large, heart-shaped leaves and long, drooping spikes of rosy blooms that arch gracefully on stately, tall plants. Can you picture it draping itself over a peeling picket fence?


"Lady's Mantle", Alchemilla molis, was originally called "Our Lady's Mantle" because the scalloped shape of the leaves, were thought to resemble the mantle (cloak) of the Virgin Mary.


"Queen Anne's Lace", Daucus carota, is so called because the flower resembles lace; the red flower in the center represents a blood droplet where Queen Anne pricked herself with a needle when she was making the lace.


"Moon Flower", Ipomoea alba is so called because it blooms in the evening; the flowers open quickly at dusk and remain open til morning sun. The white moon flowers are pollinated by night-flying moths. A close relative of moon flowers are "Morning Glories" which open in the morning so they can be pollinated by bees and other day-active insects.


Then there are all the "wort" plants, such as spiderwort, lungwort, leadwort, St John's wort. The "wort" indicates the plant has medicinal/healing purposes for the condition or complaint mentioned in the first part of the name. If you're wondering about St John's wort, here is the explanation, it was used to ward off evil by hanging the plant over a picture in the house during St John's day.

GOOD DEEDS

“No good deed goes unpunished”. Who came up with that saying? If we all accepted that quote as the absolute truth, I doubt we’d ever perform any charitable deeds or contribute to any charitable cause. But we do raise our hands and volunteer to join this committee or that board. We do reach into our pockets to contribute to this school activity or that scout fundraiser. Perhaps those are not the types of good deeds for which we are punished. The good deeds that come back to bite us are the silent, less obvious to the recipient deeds. You volunteer to work Christmas Eve so your co-worker can spend the evening with her small children. You mow your neighbor’s lawn when you learn he’s been hospitalized. You invite a friend to dinner because she sounded a little depressed when she called. Lo and behold! Your co-worker accuses you of depriving her of overtime hours. When your neighbor returns home, he comments about the hack job someone did on his lawn. Your depressed friend calls the next day to tell you she thinks she has food poisoning. But you were only trying to help!

ANGELICA

Angelica! Have you heard of Angelica? When I googled I found Angelica, NY; Angelica Glass; Angelica Corporation, etc. This post is about Angelica, the herb. According to legend, Angelica was revealed in a dream about an angel as a cure for the plague. As an herbal medicine, it has been used for fevers; infections; blood purification; protection from contagions; perhaps as a cure for every conceivable malady. Today, it's main use is as a flavoring for confectionery and liqueurs and as an attractive addition to the garden.

Actually, if you want a conversation starter for your garden, Angelica would be it. Angelica can grow to a height of 6 to 8 feet. It's eye-catching and hardly anyone recognizes it.

I have grown Angelica for about 5 or 6 years. At first I thought it was a perennial. When it didn't return the following year, I concluded it was an annual or a perennial not hardy for my zone. When I did some research, I found that it is a biennial. I was excited to think all the little seedlings near the site of the original plant would be towering giants the following year. Alas, that didn't happen. The following year, I had horizontally larger leafy plants but no signs of a flowering stalk. More research. "Angelica usually only blooms every two, three, or even four years". Thank goodness I'm a patient person. This year I'm being rewarded with a blooming Angelica.

DAME'S ROCKET

This is the ideal time of the year to walk through the city parks. Masses of Dame's Rockets are blooming throughout the woods. It rained this morning so I grabbed my camera and headed to the park to photograph those lovely flowers before the clouds dissipated. Too bad I couldn't record their slightly spicy, slightly sweet fragrance also. It was so lovely walking along the park's paths. Singing birds, beautiful, fragrant flowers, the distant roar of the dams, all contributed to a totally sensory experience.

Most people are confused about Dame's Rockets. Most think they are an early form of garden phlox. Dame's Rocket is Hesperis matronalis, a member of the mustard family. Phlox is Phlox paniculata. Dame's Rocket has four petals as opposed to phlox's five petals. The leaves are much different also. Dame's Rocket was introduced to North America from Europe during colonial times. It was grown for the "beauty of it's floures" and also for it's herbal value as a fever breaker. Dame's Rocket is invasive and is listed as a noxious weed by the USDA.