New Collection

I have heard it take 3 to make a collection.  

I have had this variety of Hen and Chicks for years.  It started out as one someone gave to my brother.  Then I got a start of it when we moved here.  

It is growing in lots of places around the yard, but I like it in this pot. 

Recently, I got this one.  It seems subtly different than the previous one.  

It had arrived in this pot with a clearly different variety.  I purchased it at Rural King a couple of weeks ago.  Don't worry, it was on clearance.  

Then a friend at work gave me this variety several years ago.  I love the spider web appearance.  

And look, it is blooming.  This might be the first time I have seen a Hen and Chick bloom.  Pretty cool.  So, I am counting 4 different varieties, definitely a collection.  

 

Pinterest “Nailed It”

I had another Pinterest inspiration. 

I needed a fence board, 

A barrel hoop, (had to untangle one from a volunteer tomato vine) 

I did purchase a welcome cutout from Hobby Lobby.

And I got out some bling,

To dress up one of Otoelene’s shoes.  Assembling everything plus some grasses that I picked out of the field and….

A wine barrel hoop welcome sign. 

This was the $85 Etsy inspiration piece.  I am going with, Nailed it!  I ended up gifting it to yesterday’s wedding couple.  I still have 5 more hoops.

 

First iPhone Post

I purchased an iPhone 14 pro in preparation for our trip next week.  I wanted to be able to take better pictures than my point and shoot camera does and my current phone has very limited abilities.  Mostly it is just for emergencies and for directions.  It only has 15 gigabytes and 14 of that is filled up with “other” which I can’t get rid of.  So picture taking with that one is out of the question.  Since I am off work today I thought I would do some practicing with this new phone. 

Standing on the back porch…

.5x

1x

2x

3x

Letting Emily see one of her plants is doing well in my care. 

Close up mode. (Also Emily’s plant)

Wildlife from the tv room.

I ran outside in between rain showers.  Flower close ups look great. 

And landscapes do well. 

I just love my pot of sedums.

But if I zoom in too much it starts to look like a watercolor.  I think I will have to practice some more before we leave.

I managed this entire post from the new phone!

Forest Floor

Yet another tree had fallen on the fence. 

While Joe was working on cutting the tree, I entertained myself taking pictures of different mushrooms and fungi.  
 

There is a huge variety once you start looking.   Some even looked like they belonged more on the ocean floor instead for the forest.   You just never know what you will see when you fix a fence. 

Three Disappointments And A Smile

I have been working more in the yard recently.  There is lots of good stuff happening but also a few disappointments.

 First, is this variegated yucca that appears to be dying.  I have had it for about 3 years so I don’t really know what happened.

The other one is still doing fine.

I learned about this plant, blue sea holly, while watching my British gardening shows.  I had never heard of it before but I thought it looked stunning.  So I have been on the lookout for it.  I found it at Walmart.  I bought two.

They came in solid colored bags so I could not see what they looked like.

The first one was what I expected.

Then next one was just a hollow skin.  Looks like I will have to make another trip to Walmart to return this mess.

Then when I was planting some other things, I noticed this allium.  The cold weather really did a number on it.  I will have to wait another year to see it bloom.

It is still raining, 2 inches so far.  Maggie is keeping close watch over her herd.

And this little smiling goat just looks like he is up to no good.

Kid count - 84

Pricking Out

I have been watching episodes of Monty Don’s Real Gardens on YouTube.  It has been inspiring me to get ready for my spring gardening.  

I saved some of the delicious yellow Tommy Toes that I had last year and I have started them in some potting medium.  When the first true leaves emerge, it is time to prick them out and put them in their own pots.
 

I only did three today to make sure I wasn’t killing them.  It looks like they are doing fine this evening after being pricked out this morning.  Maybe I will get my garden off to an early start.

Plant Sitter

Emily is getting ready for 10 months in South America.  First she is going to Panama then Ecuador.  Part of her preparations included bringing me all of her house plants to babysit.

This is only about a third of them, and the smaller ones at that.  At least she brought a grow light so not all of my windows will be blocked.  I just need to get a timer so I don’t have to remember to turn it on and off  every day.