Just as soon as we humans are in charge again–Spring is certain to come.
Though I can’t prove it.
“What power shall stay the heavens? As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the river in its decreed course, or to turn it up stream, as to hinder the Almighty…”
Nothing like a little color to remind a person that it really, truly is Spring…nearly Summer, in fact. Goofy cold weather has been holding us back from the garden, but we’ve come to the place where if feels like “plant or perish!”
So the bald kid kindly dug up a generous patch of spent dirt, mixed it with some soil booster…
and promptly bought me some flowers. Ooohhh I love that kid. Someone must have raised him right…heh.
To me–pink and purple petunias are pure perfection. Say that 5 times fast, I dare you.
Anyway, we dug a billion little holes for our billion little flowers and filled each space with water. “A five dollar hole for a fifty cent flower” as my mama used to say. We had to work quickly because…
when we looked up to our mountains we saw…
all that coming our way. Lucky for us valley folk that before it reached us…
I snuck up behind him and slammed a jar over his little green self and now he’s mine!
Pretty dang sure he owes me a pot of gold, or a wish or something…can’t remember how it goes.
If you haven’t seen any of these little fellows in your hedges yet, don’t feel bad. You can get your own Lucky Leprechaun real easy and totally in time for St. Patrick’s Day. Just click HERE to go to one of my favorite places and make your own luck.
This guy is the perfect little friend to have around—to keep you from getting pinched.
And if he’s got a pot of gold hidden somewhere–you can bet, I’m gonna find it.
When money is plenty this is a man’s world. When money is scarce it is a woman’s world. When all else seems to have failed, the woman’s instinct comes in. That is the reason why, in spite of all that happens, we continue to have a world.
Is that what it takes to keep these darn things alive? I used to think so, but in honor of National Poinsettia Day–today–I’ve been doing a bit of research. Apparently, it’s not as hard as I thought. In fact, it is positively possible to keep this little baby alive clear until next Christmas. No lie.
What? You’re a non-believer? Well from what I’ve read–it’s not a bit hard. You just have to know what you’re doing.
In the November/December 2003 issue of Country Woman Magazine a reader writes:
Q. “I have the most beautiful poinsettia. Is there a way I can keep it alive and thriving for next Christmas?”
A. “You certainly can! And you’re not alone in wanting to do so. We and many others like to keep the plants blooming as long as possible, too.
To be honest, it really isn’t all that difficult to take care of a poinsettia. Place the plant near a bright window but out of direct sunlight and make sure the temperature indoors isn’t too high. The flowers prefer cool conditions.
Most importantly, never let your poinsettia dry out. Water it daily–but don’t let the soil get too soggy or leaves will turn yellow and fall off.
Around the beginning of January, add some all purpose houseplant fertilizer. if you notice that it’s starting to look a bit leggy by the middle of February, cut it back to about 5 inches high.
When spring arrives, remove leaves and branches as they start to fade of dry out. You can add more soil if the level looks low in the pot and continue to keep it in a bright location.
In early summer, trim off 2-3 inches to promote a fuller look and repot the poinsettia in a larger container. Once the weather is consistently warm, move it outside where it will get lots of sun, then water and fertilize regularly.
Starting on or near the first day of fall, you’ll want to bring the plant inside and put it in a closet or in the basement at night to ensure it gets 13 hours of uninterrupted darkness. During the day, it should receive about 11 hours of light.
By the end of November, you can stop the short day/long night routine, place the poinsettia in a sunny spot…and watch it turn colorful once again!”
I’m up for the challenge–I’ll let you know how it goes.
