The Gardeners Anonymous Blog

Green Thumb Sunday: Vacation in Cambria

My family and I are spending the weekend on the Central Coast of California. Here in Cambria, the Cambrians have an affinity for succulents—and mixing them with other plant material.
Gardeners, as well as plant and nature lovers, can join Green Thumb Sunday every Sunday. Visit As the Garden Grows for more information.

Garage Sale Junkie

A city near the town where we live had a citywide garage sale.
I was under doctor’s orders to stay in bed and keep my upper body elevated. I was on huge doses of calcium and painkillers. I was also taking thyroid hormones and whatever else was in all those bottles on my bedside table. But wait, there was a citywide garage sale going on two towns over.

Citywide.

“Honey, could you take me on an errand?”

“Aren’t you supposed to stay in bed?”

“Well, sort of, but it’s really important.”

“What is it—a garage sale?”

O.K. that wasn’t funny. How did he know that?

My husband, God bless him, knows not to stand in my way when there is a citywide, no matter how many prescription drugs are flowing through my veins.

My plan was to just sit in the car and do drive bys of all the sales.

No getting out, just car window-shopping.

All I wanted was one good buy, just one and then I could go home and rest and all would be right with the world.

What do I shop for?

Anything garden, of course.

We rounded a corner onto Lincoln Avenue and something caught my eye, a little glint. My husband said, “Are those pots?”

My Second Garage Sale Orchid—Bloomed!

“You like me. You really like me.”

The second orchid to bloom is some kind of Oncidium. Along with the new blooms, there’s a lot of new dark-green growth on all my new/old orchids.

If you’re a gardener, I need not explain the high you get when you see the plants that you’ve adopted thriving. 

Green Thumb Sunday: Penstemon and Other Stuff

Gardeners, as well as plant and nature lovers, can join in every Sunday. Visit As the Garden Grows for more information.

My Friend, the Ringneck Snake

Diadophis punctatus

You might think that I should start talking with an Australian accent—or perhaps start a blog called Snakes-R-Us or All About Snakes but no, this is still a gardening blog.

A gardening blog with “friends”— little creatures that help gardeners keep pests in check.

This is a ringneck snake. I was standing in my driveway the other day and I happened to look down and quite brazenly this tiny snake was gliding along between my feet. I picked up her calm little self and held her. She remained very relaxed as my youngest son shot these photos.

My First Garage Sale Orchid Bloomed

Cattleya Memoria Ruby Cosby

And boy does it smell good. Who knew? My very first orchid is scented. It’s gorgeous—and it has a yummy fragrance.

It started with three blooms, but one dropped. My theory is that I had overripe fruit in my kitchen. Orchids tend to drop buds when exposed to overripe fruit and the orchids on my orchid shelves are in close proximity to my kitchen.

I’ve been taking regular care of my new-old orchids, and not just watering them whenever I remember.

There’s something about caring for plants that used to be someone else’s, (It’s kind of like taking care of someone else’s kid. There is no way that kid’s leaving my house hungry or thirsty or injured.)

So now my orchids are happy and I don’t have to tell all you gardeners out there how thrilled I am.

Green Thumb Sunday: My First Day Out Of Bed

My family and I decided to go to the farmers’ market. This was a nice change from lying in bed.

We shopped a little, then my boys played Frisbee while I sat, sipped a latte, and freaked people out with the stitches in my neck.

Now I’m back in bed, lying next to a great big tuberose that my husband bought me at the farmers’ market.

Happy GTS.

Gardeners, as well as plant and nature lovers, can join in every Sunday.

Visit As the Garden Grows for more information.

Post-Surgical-Garden-Blogger’s Bloom Day

I’m out of the hospital and I’m ready for GBBD.

I know I missed it by a day, and I only have a few pictures, but I do have a great excuse. I’m recovering from surgery and I have a big boo-boo and lots of stitches.

The great news is, that’s all I have. No big mean deadly disease, just benign little cysts and no more thyroid.

I can live with that, just as long as I get to garden.

Thank you Carol of May Dreams Gardens for coming up with the wonderful GBBD.

 

Green Thumb Sunday

My garden at dusk.
Gardeners, plant and nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.

Green Thumb Sunday

Stargazer Lily