In My Backyard | November 2023

In My Backyard | November 2023

As November’s crisp, rustling leaves surrender to cool autumn breezes and whirl away in all directions, we are reminded that ‘for everything there is a season. ― Peggy Toney Horton, Unseen Angels

November has been utterly delightful… were words I never thought I’d think or say, but it is so very true!

I have delighted in the falling leaves, the bare branches, the crisp nights, and the sunny days! I have even enjoyed the crunch of leaves underfoot on my walks with Sherman! This season surely has provided some incredible beauty!

The month started on a very high note inside when my “All Saint’s Day” Cactus began blooming on the first… and the show has not stopped! If fills me with such delight every morning when I head to my desk with coffee to begin my day. In previous years, I have had to fertilize this cactus to get it to bloom, but this year it has just been thriving! In October I bumped one of the segments off accidentally but I have been successful in rooting it and it has new growth as well!

One new little segment starting!

AND! If all that was not enough… I cut back some of my herbs with the hope that I would be have fresh herbs over the winter and have a rooting plant to replant in the spring (I did this successfully last year with the sage and the rosemary… and it appears I will be successful again this year!) I am going to try again with a small basil cutting… it has roots and new leaves! My plan is to plant it in a small pot to see if that fosters success. I tried the cutting last year but it I did not have success.

My kitchen herb “garden”!

It was not all indoor gardening this month… in my yard I have safely tucked away dozens of bulbs. I am excited for alliums, daffodils, crocus, and tulips that will help me greet the spring! At least that is my hope… if the squirrels don’t dig them all up! I have been playing a bit of wack-a-mole with them. They dig into the mulch…. I move the mulch back. The rascally squirrels have not dug into the dirt… yet. I am now hoping for a good freeze and perhaps a bit of snow cover so they move on from their obsession to dig them up!

But, lest you think that my November was all about plants… The over-winter birds have been a delight as well. The Junco’s were back this month and I welcomed American Pitpit’s as well! And I have seen several Cedar Waxwings as well. They join the Cardinal’s, Titmice, Chickadees, Blue Jay’s, Robins (yes, they are here year around), and the assortment of woodpeckers that visit daily.

And as this month draws to a close… I am eager for what December will bring.

Have a great weekend everyone, I will be back on Monday with an update on my word!

 

Sometimes Monday | 11.7.22

Sometimes Monday | 11.7.22

…is all about persistence.

I got a Christmas Cactus last November from Trader Joe’s… it was full of buds then, but not a single one bloomed. Instead over the course of a couple of weeks, they all fell off. I was quite heartsick over it.

But!! I did not give up! Instead I rallied around this despondent Christmas Cactus. I watered it…I made sure it had light and a lovely spot to sit. And yes, I talked to it… a lot! It is a very attentive listener! LOL

And in mid-October I began to give it the tiniest bit of fertilizer… and look at it now! Apparently, my plant was patient as well… patiently waiting for that bit of fertilizer! And it looks like it is going to be a showy November which will hopefully carry over into December as well!

The end of each phylloclade has at least one bud…quite a few have two, and some have THREE!

If ever there was a lesson for me in not giving up, this is it! Sometimes the payoff takes a LONG time… but don’t give up!

That, my friends, is my Sometimes Monday wisdom for all of you.

See you all back here on Wednesday!

 

 

Flowers in January

Flowers in January

Tuesday…

Can you hear me drumming my fingers on the desk? Yes…it is annoying!

How about a bit of a rambling post today?

We only have 399 hours remaining of intelligence, grace, and dignity in the White House before the circus comes to town.

I am in the Resistance Camp and I have been girding my loins, as it were. Kym has been sharing weekly ideas that are awesome! The Wall of Us had some great ideas this week. Easy things. Really. Go sign up!

In the same resistance vein, I cannot stress how vital supporting news media has become. I signed up for a digital subscription of the Washington Post and it made me insanely happy to read that they had recently hired more than five dozen journalists. I have been struggling to find a news balance in the sea of media that seems to be okay with giving time to person who believes lies are the truth. It makes me feel like my little support is helping in the fight!

How many of you know about Give Your Amazon Box New Life? Me either, but this could come in very handy for my organization resolution! (Additional partners can be found here)

Finally, and on a brighter note – my Paperwhites have started blooming! Just one slender stalk, but there are buds of promise on the fellow bulbs!

Happy Re-entry Tuesday, everyone!

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