Garden of Optimism

A gardener can look at a newly planted flower bed and visualize the future.

Right now, my redesigned garden area is drab and bleak.

Still in the early stages, and struggling through the winter, there are no blooms.

Signs of hope are springing up as green sprouts peek through the ground. Seeds sown in the fall are emerging with a new freshness. What doesn't look like much now, will hopefully flourish and my dream will be fulfilled.

Last fall, I decided to redesign this area of the garden that had become a real problem. There were overgrown shrubs that had become greedy and sapped the nutrients from the surrounding plants.

There were runners of crabgrass undermining the root systems of all the existing perennials. I had to dig up the runners and pull them out by hand. It was time-consuming and it was discouraging, but I persevered.

It was very painful to lose so many plants from this overhaul. Yet, it was necessary in order to grow a beautiful garden. When I was finished, I had a clean slate in this garden bed. I brought in new soil amendments to restore the nutrients. I added new plants. Some were expensive, but worth the outlay since this front garden area is so important to us. I also moved some of my good performing plants into this new garden.

Being a gardener, I have patience to wait for the bounty. I know it takes time to weed out the bad performers and grow better plants. In a few years, this garden will be abundant and overflowing with beautiful flowers, foliage and herbs. My efforts, patience and determination will be greatly rewarded. It will be a better garden.

I view the current economic crisis much like a garden. The bad performers must be weeded out to make room for the good. New ideas are being planted. These ideas need a lot of tending and enough time to mature in order to reap the rewards for a better economy.

May all individuals, throughout the world, become gardeners to help redesign and grow a stronger, more rewarding economy for the future.

Story and photo by Freda Cameron

Little A Discovered his Nipples

Okay, I've been weaning my youngest (almost 2) and I guess he was looking for another alternative. Imagine my surprise as I hear, "Milk. Milk?"I look over at Little A who has unzipped his zipper and is actually grabbing his nipples. I try to ignore it, but I once again hear, "Milk?"I smile, "nipples. That is your chest."But he's insistant and smiles really big, "MILK!" Suddenly he's trying to

Crayola Toothbrush Winner

The winner of the Crayola Toothbrush kit is.....CDStardust said...I really like the Crayola Flossers, my 4 year old tries to use real floss or our EZ Thru flossers, its too cute! The way I encourage him to brush his teeth is by saying "you have to say cheese" to brush his fronts, and "you have to say ahhhh" to get his back and sides. He loves it! He always asks "are my teeth clean?" and I will

Have a Berry Happy Bird Day with Holly

The best entertainment this week has been the bird party! The Robins and Cedar Waxwings have been having a berry good time in the Oak Leaf Hollies.

The Oak Leaf Holly is a hybrid and stands up well year-round through drought in summers, soggy winters and hard freezes. It is rated for zones 6-9b. If you have clay soil, this is a good holly to grow in your garden.

Forming a natural, pyramidal shape, the Oak Leaf Holly is an evergreen that grows around 15 feet high but only 8 feet wide. You can plant this holly in full sun or part shade. You may find it listed as Ilex x ‘Oak Leaf’ or with a common name of Red Oak Leaf Holly.

As a natural bird feeder, the Oak Leaf Holly is one of the best. These hollies are loaded with red berries that obviously provide food for the birds.

In the springtime, the honey bees literally swarm the new flowers. You don't need a male and female for flowers and berries, so one of these hollies can stand alone.

If deer are a problem in your garden, try the Oak Leaf Holly. My shrubs have suffered no deer damage - a necessity for my outer gardens.

We use a trio for screening one side of our garden on the east, keeping company with several osmanthus fragrans, a Kwansan cherry and several perennials. We use another as an accent between our guest parking and our private parking space on the southwest side of the house where the sun is harsh.

I love the versatility and performance of the Oak Leaf Holly. The birds think it's tops, too!



Story and photos by Freda Cameron

~*A Little Of This And That*~

Hello dear blogging friends...I hope you all are doing well...to tell you the truth, I'm getting spring fever! I'm longing for spring colors in this drabness of winter...where did I find mine? At Wal-mart...

I picked up a bag of these milk chocolate eggs in the loveliest shade of blue...they also had them in yellow and in green! I have found my little bit of spring at last!
Having the blue eggs made me want to add these two pictures to my hutch.

I never thought I'd be using blue in my kitchen...but I must say that I'm liking it a lot!

I added a touch of spring to my powder room with this silk violet.

This cup always makes me smile, so I added it to the powder room as well.

Thank you so much for stopping by! Have you started adding touches of spring to your home as well?

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I also want to thank all of you who commented on my post about my milk glass. I'm hoping to find more...watch out thrift stores...here I come!

Love, Kim

February Giveaways for You

Babylune is giving away 2 organizers from Amy Knapp, one is for Christians and the other is for those Expecting.SheKnows Coupons is giving away College Inn Broths and stocks for your home. Check them out, all you have to do is list a recipe or what you'd use them for.Right here, at The Life of a Homemom is giving away a Crayola Timer Light toothbrush and kit for you. Just tell me which one you'd

Callinadnra emarginata was Please Help Identify

Calliandra emarginata(Pink Powderpuff)January 10, 2009[edited to include updated information, March 2, 2009]During our vacation in central Florida I spotted this beautiful shrub. Unfortunately there was no one out and about when I took the picture so I could not ask what it was. If anyone can identify this beautiful bush could you please leave a comment? Thanks so much!Thanks to the help of

Another Wordless Wednesday: Boob Scarves

Okay the hubby forwarded me something today and told me to post it for my Wordless Wednesday. Course I'd already told ya'll about Little A's haircut and posted it already. But since he thought it was so funny (and I must agree) here it is.This was fwd to him this morning. All us women always worry about boobs sagging but to make a boob scarf? hehe Happy WW ya'll!

Wordless Wednesday: Before and After Cut

Little A had his first professional cut and seemed to love it, guess we'll see the next time he goes. I'm going to post the before shot and the two after shots I have. Do you remember when your little one got their first cut or trim? Happy WW!

My Son wants Playboy

Today my son, (SoccerBoy he's 11) saw in the coupons that the magazine, "PLAYBOY" was available for $12 for a 1 year subscription. The first thing out of his mouth was, "Mom you can get me that for my birthday."hahahhaaha.First, he's dreaming. Second I responded, "What? A magazine.""Mom, they are in bathing suits."My response, "Oh you want women in bathing suits?"He quickly took the leap. "YES!"

Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides)

Spanish Moss(Tillandsia usneoides)Many of the trees in the resort we stayed at during our winter vacation in Florida had a lot of Spanish Moss aka Florida moss, long moss or graybeard hanging from them. I thought it was rather pretty and would have liked to bring some home. Spanish moss is not a true moss but rather an epiphytic plant which grows on other plants. Unlike parasitic plants,

Tiny Teardrops on the Weeping Willow

It is twenty degrees this morning and there's new spring growth on the weeping willow.

The willow tree is one of the first trees to emerge in the springtime. The green teardrops show no sign of damage from the cold temperatures. It seems too early for such lush foliage, but the willow tree always seems to come through just fine. The only time that I've seen the leaves damaged was from a late April hard freeze.

I was just reminded of one of the joys of growing a large weeping willow in the garden. In her recent blog story, gardening and writing friend, Helen Yoest, mentions how enjoyable it is to move aside the curtain of a willow that grows beside a path. I totally agree.

The large willow is at the corner, outside the cottage garden. The willow provides a graceful division between the cool colors of the outer front garden and the hot colors of the butterfly garden. Think of it as a room divider.

The front garden is planted primarily with blue, purple, pink and magenta. The butterfly garden, on the east side of the house, is planted with red, yellow, purple and orange.

A favorite bench is beneath the willow tree in the butterfly garden. The little bench is a nice, cool spot to take a break when I'm working in the garden. This curved bench is just the perfect size to tuck into the mass planting of red salvia greggii. The willow branches brush the bench in the breeze. This is where I sit to take photos of hummingbirds.

All of the birds seem to love the willow tree, too. From the high perch, they can watch over the garden and bird feeders. When the hummingbirds are here, they spend time in the willow to preen between sipping from feeders and favorite flowers planted in both gardens.

I have come to love my tree beside the garden path. The fast-growing tree creates a sense of maturity in my young garden. Planted in a low area at the bottom of the slope, it received irrigation during the fall of 2005 when it was getting established. Since then, it has been watered by rainfall. The roots are far from any underground pipes, so we are comfortable with growing this glorious ornamental tree.

There's something romantic about a weeping willow tree. Perhaps it's the movement of the branches. Perhaps it is the mystery of walking through the veil of green branches. Perhaps it is the willow's subtle announcement of spring.

Story and photos by Freda Cameron

I'll Have a Cement Bunny, Please

Looking through the airplane window, I couldn't believe my sleepy eyes. Through the early morning mist, I saw grassy fields dotted with adorable, lop-eared bunnies.

That was many years ago on my first flight into Charles de Gaulle Airport outside Paris, France. The airport grounds were literally overrun with rabbits. Back then, the rabbit count at the airport numbered over 50,000! I haven't followed the story since then, but I've been to France enough times to know that lapin is listed on many menus and served numerous ways.

With the image of thousands of rabbits in my head, I know that I must put a stop to the midnight snack raids underway in my cottage garden. These rascally rabbits are squeezing under the fence and trying to burrow beneath the bushes. During these nocturnal raids, they are clipping hardy geranium, asters, allium foliage and heuchera to the ground.

Option one is to add a smaller gauge fence guard around the perimeter of the cottage garden fence. However, the cottage garden is our front yard, so the extra fence wouldn't look very good.

Option two is to replace all plants with rabbit resistant varieties. I'm not ready to give up my dream of zinnias and cosmos.

Option three is to trap, serve or relocate. I don't think I can handle this option in any form.

Option four is to try a rabbit repellant. As long as it doesn't repel me, I'm willing to give it a try.

A few days ago, I purchased I Must Garden® Rabbit Repellant at a local garden center. I decided to try the ready-mixed gallon size for $24.99. This product was created by a local Chapel Hill, North Carolina gardener. I've never used it before, but I like to support local businesses whenever possible. I also like natural products that won't harm the environment.

The spray has a minty fragrance - not bad at all. Since applying the repellant, I have not seen any signs of new damage by the rabbits. I have high hopes for a product with a name of I Must Garden®! As with any repellant, I know that success will also depend upon a regular schedule of spraying.

Gardeners have an optimistic outlook. We look forward to the rewards of our efforts. With a little patience and vigilance, I hope to have a cottage garden full of flowers. As for my taste in rabbits, I prefer cement bunnies for garden decoration!

Story and photos by Freda Cameron

Fearrington Folk Art Show

A beautiful bottle tree sprouts wispy branches tipped with colorful bottles shining like gems in the sunshine. A "Pot Head" planter with bicycle pedal feet awaits a hairstyle of ferns, grasses or flowers. Riley Foster has been welding garden arbors, windmills, totem poles and other designs for over twenty-two years. His garden art is made of recycled metal parts and it appears as nothing goes to waste.

Smile, you're looking at folk art! The cheerful creations on display at the 2009 Fearrington Folk Art Show are as delightful as the artists. Chat with an artist and you'll hear interesting stories of how they recycle junk into art or are inspired by the people, places and things in daily life.

Garden art, pottery, paintings, furniture and other folk art items are on display and available for sale during this show.

Garden-grown gourds are painted and crafted into schools of cute fish, tall flamingos and charming chickens. There are garden benches that are literally "tool" benches welded from hammers, shovels and wrenches.

The artist team of Tim and Lisa Kluttz of St. Peters Farm Folk Art Studio are back again this year with a booth of colorful paintings. You've got to love the dog paintings that are cleverly mounted on a window shutter!

Sam "The Dot Man" McMillan has an array of painted rocking chairs, stools, pots and even garden hats! Of course, his famous paintings are also on display. Sam is another folk artist who takes "found objects" and turns them into colorful, decorative works of art.

The Fearrington Barn is overflowing with good things and good people! The Folk Art Show is underway on Saturday and Sunday, February 21-22 at Fearrington Village, located between Pittsboro and Chapel Hill. The admission fee of $5.00 benefits the Chatham Outreach Alliance Food Pantry. The event is both indoors and outdoors at the barn, so there is no need to worry about the weather!



Story and photos by Freda Cameron

~*Hooked On Milk Glass*~

I am hooked on milk glass vases...I just found this one on Wednesday at the thrift store...it was $1.00. I still haven't decided what I'm going to put in it..maybe a lovely little violet...I know it has to be something very springy!

This is a smaller vase...I have been lucky enough to find them in several different sizes.

My regular readers will remember these two from a previous post.Please visit Julia's Blog, Hooked On Houses, for more Hooked On posts. What are you hooked on?

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Dear readers, I can't thank you all enough for the kind comments you continue to leave me...honestly, when I started this blog I didn't think anyone would be interested in what was going in my home...it truly is a haven to me and my family.

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Have a wonderful weekend!

Love, Kim

Giveaway: Crayola Timer Light Toothbrush Bag Kit

I recently got to review a really cute product line by Gum Brand, with this being the Dental Hyigene month what better product right? I received a cute little canvas bag that I can pull the strings and use over and over from Crayola, it held three toothbrushes, floss sticks, soft picks and a few other items. One of those toothbrushes was the Crayola Timer light toothbrush, this is a favorite for

Watering Plants - Buy a Rain Barrel

Water is getting more and more expensive every year, and if you're like I am, you want you plants to be well taken care of. One way to ensure that your plants are getting the moisture they need without breaking the bank is to install a rain barrel. Rain barrels harvest free water that's relatively pure and great for watering garden plants.If you want to know more about the advantages of rain

Wordless Wednesday: Book Reading

Oh we went to the Kansas City Zoo on Valentine's Day and the kids have been looking at pictures of mammals and other types of animals ever since. BabyGirl's favorite animal that she actually got to see, due to some being down for remodeling, was the sea lions. She tried hard to get them to chase the ball by telling them what to do but it didn't happen. It's cold out there, they were sunbathing.

Kelly Ripa & Electrolux Do Cupcakes for Cure

Create your own virtual cupcake with Kelly Ripa and actually send it to someone online and they will donate $1 per every virtual cupcake. Donations will go towards Ovarian cancer. Plus every time you log in and send a cupcake you'll be entered to win a Red Hot Red Washer and Dryer.Electrolux is proud to support The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. Electrolux and Kelly Ripa have teamed up to raise

Portuguese Recipes

If you read my post about Portuguese food, you may be interested in creating some simple and flavorful Portuguese dishes. I've been busy publishing a few of my Portuguese recipes around the web. One in particular, Portuguese Cod Cakes, uses an interesting ingredient, dry salted cod. You can find this dried fish in the international isle of your grocery store. You rehydrate the fish by pouring off

Dreams Seeded with Reality

I have discovered a weakness for cute packets of flower seeds. There's just something irresistible about those tiny, flat packages. My mind conjures up images of an overflowing cottage garden with flowers in a rainbow of colors.

Perhaps I've been looking at too many photos of Monet's Giverny? I do have deer and rabbits, after all. I'm living well with the deer -- we are getting along with the outer gardens. However, those mischievous bunnies aren't going to keep me from having lots of flowers within the fence of the cottage garden. I shall use a natural bunny repellant!

The larkspur and poppies that I sowed in the fall are doing great. The seedlings are plentiful, so I have high hopes for those annuals.

Since my original fall purchases from Diane's Seeds and Swallowtail Garden Seeds, I've also received free seeds from a generous and kind garden blogging friend.

As if I didn't have enough seeds, I recently gave into the temptation of a $10 off sticker on the front of the catalog from Thompson and Morgan Seeds! Please don't tell me about additional sources of flower seeds! I have many more bookmarked already.

My imagination has led to me to purchase all of these seeds. My logical mind has led me to the realization that I may have gone a little overboard with seed shopping!

Okay -- a lot overboard! I don't have a greenhouse. I have a small area for starting seeds indoors. I can try winter sowing... and direct sowing after frost. What was I thinking? I wasn't thinking, I was dreaming!

Story and photo by Freda Cameron

Cajun Spice Blend

Paprika is the base for this smoky Creole spice blend that's hot and very flavorful. Use it to spice up your meats and vegetables. For the best results, use a quality paprika. Many of the imported varieties have either a sweet or pronounced spicy flavor, use a blend or go with the sweet.Better yet, this spring, try planting a variety of paprika peppers and dry them for your own ground paprika

The History of Portuguese Food - Oh, the Flavor

Portuguese cuisine is simple and wholesome, often using the familiar and delicious trinity of garlic, onion, and olive oil in savory dishes, and the decadence of egg yolks in desserts. I grew up in a Portuguese household, and my love of food and herbs is due, in part, to those early years when there was always soup simmering on the back burner of the gas stove, and bread rising in a big covered

Growing Fenugreek

Fenugreek (Trigonella Foenum-Graecum) is an annual indigenous to the Mediterranean and grown widely in Europe and Asia. It has a long medicinal history, and is recommended for cleansing the chest and lungs in Culpepper's Herbal of 1649.Planting FenugreekFenugreek grows to about two feet (60cm), with yellow/white flowers and long yellow seedpods. It likes full sun and well-drained, neutral to

White Chocolate Pairs Well with Raspberry Wine

My husband and I once took a wine tasting course where we learned which red wines work well with chocolate. We couldn't resist the tempting offer of the class. The only problem was that it didn't last long enough!

Delicious-sounding plant names get my attention, too!

Crape myrtle 'white chocolate' and monarda 'raspberry wine' pair well in my deer resistant garden. These plants are tough and last a long time, too.

The crape myrtle foliage is a deep green and merlot, making it a great backdrop for plants with magenta or blue blooms. I must admit that I grow this small shrub for the foliage more than the bloom.

I love the white blooms, but I have to defend the shrub from Japanese beetle attacks. This crape myrtle, for zones 7-9, grows to 8'h x 4'w in full sun.

My myrtle has been kept shorter since I have to prune it to remove the beetle damage. A mix of Neem Oil and bio dish detergent worked well last summer to repel the beetles. I will spray that mixture on the leaves again in late May.

Other companions, though not as tasty, include echinops 'ritro' and echinacea 'ruby star'. I added the monarda 'raspberry wine' to the vignette after seeing the perennial combined with coneflowers by other gardeners. Salvia greggii 'dark dancer' and pink muhly grass also live in that garden neighborhood.

Monarda 'raspberry wine' is suitable for zones 4-9 and grows to a medium height of 30 inches. Bee balm is a perennial that spreads fairly easily in my southern garden, so I hope to enjoy a mass planting this summer. Hummingbirds, bees and butterflies love the nectar on this monarda.

As a gardener who is already addicted to perennials, a sweet-sounding plant name is just too tempting to resist!

Story and photo by Freda Cameron

~*A Craft & More Red*~

Happy Friday sweet blogging friends...I honestly don't know where the week has gone. I had planned on starting my spring cleaning this week, but that did not happen...too many places to go and appointments to keep! I hope to start next week!!!

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My dear daughter wanted to give some Valentine goodies to her close friends. I made these little bags. They're the small paper bags that you can find in the craft section of Wal-mart if you're still lucky to have a craft section. I added foam hearts and wrote on the bag with fabric paints. We added the candy and cut out a hole with a heart shaped cutter and added some ribbon. It was very inexpensive to make. The girls all loved them!

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After having this table cloth and placemats on my table for a little while now, I decided I wanted a change...
I found this lace table cloth at Wal-mart on clearance for $7.00.
I've been looking at these placemats for months...finally broke down and got them...aren't they pretty? I just LOVE them!
This was a plain natural colored basket...it needed a little pick me up so I decided to paint it RED...yes, I went from a black obsession to a red obsession...I just can't help myself! My husband had asked me what color was next...lol!

Well, that's all for now...thank you so much for coming to visit me...I appreciate it very, very much! Wishing all of you sweet friends a very

Happy Valentine's Day.

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I also want to thank all of you who visited and commented on my last post..."Tweaking my Tweaking." For those of you who have never tried the Wal-mart candles, I would encourage you to try them...they do smell so wonderful!

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Love, Kim

Life and Science - Not Just for Kids!

Farmyard animals, creepy crawly insects and aerospace exhibits. It sounds like a great place for kids.

Indeed, the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, North Carolina is a fantastic place to take the kids for a day of amusement and education.

There's much more to the museum that makes it an attractive outing for everyone!

The museum has over 65,000 square feet of indoor exhibits along with 13 acres of outside exhibits, making this a destination for indoor and outdoor fun throughout the year.

The conservation-minded museum also houses rescued Carolina Wildlife that cannot be rehabilitated to return to the wild. There is a two-acre wetland habitat that is home to waterfowl and turtles. A rain garden is in use as well as a cistern to capture rain water for the tropical plants inside the butterfly house.

Within the butterfly house, there is a tropical conservatory that is over thirty feet high. Hundreds of butterflies and three species of birds are easily viewed. The vibrant, Oriental White-eye birds appear to pose for photos as they feed from nectar feeders!

Sit on a bench, or stroll around this beautiful environment to absorb the colors of the wildlife and the 250 species of plants.

A chrysalis house is viewable so that everyone can see the butterflies emerge! With the exhibit safely behind glass, you can get get a close-up view of the miraculous metamorphosis.

An insect exhibit with praying mantis, beetles and spiders is adjacent to the butterfly conservatory. Colorful poison dart frogs, in vibrant blue, green and black, are also in the large exhibit.

Outside, there is an "Explore the Wild" exhibit where the black bears, red wolves and lemurs have large, natural areas to explore.

Lemurs are just adorable! There are two species in the exhibit: ring-tailed and red ruffed. During cold weather, they are housed indoors, but on a sunny day - the lemurs play! Lemurs are primitive primates from Madagascar and the Comoros Islands. Lemurs are on the endangered species list due to loss of natural habitat.

With all the exhibits, plus an onsite cafe, spending a day at the Museum of Life and Science is a delightful experience!



Story and photos by Freda Cameron. Photos taken at the Museum of Life and Science, February 2009.

Make a Soothing Fenugreek Tea

My favorite cure for occasional tinnitus is fenugreek in a warming tea. It tastes a little like a cross between molasses and maple syrup. To make fenugreek seed tea:Make Fenugreek TeaPour boiling water over one teaspoon of fenugreek seeds.Let steep for five minutes.Discard seedsFenugreek as an Herbal RemedyA native of the Mediterranean, fenugreek's curative properties have been associated with

Herbal Remedies for Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a ringing in the ears that occurs when there is a malfunction in the way inner ear talks to the brain, causing the equivalent of white noise. It can be temporary, intermittent or constant, and can be caused by a buildup of earwax, prolonged exposure to loud noise, cold, flu, tumors, high blood pressure, and overuse of aspirin (or white willow bark). It can be exacerbated by diet too,

Wordless Wednesday

As you may and may not know, two weeks ago I started the process of "Living better and Looking Better." Okay, I actually wanted to lose weight and look great doing it. I think it would build my self-esteem up and make me feel great about the way I looked. I took out the pasta and replaced it with delicious fruits and yummy veggies. I'm no longer drinking 3 fraps a day from Starbucks but the

FIREPROOF: It May just Save Your Marriage

I recently watched Fireproof and wanted to recommend it to all my married friends/bloggers out there. I think this is one of those movies that is needed in every family home. Now I know this isn't a movie that everyone thinks they want to watch at first and yes "GOD" is mentioned throughout it but this movie has such a special meaning.#1 No matter how well you think you know your mate, you can

Time for a Trim

Sunshine, blue skies and warm temperatures are a welcome respite from winter. What a perfect time to get out in the garden and do a few chores!

I spent this morning cutting back buddleia. With only eleven shrubs trimmed today, I have another nine to trim tomorrow.

I had to use bypass pruners to cut through the thick wood trunks of the buddleia. The vitex (chaste tree) was also trimmed today. I took the opportunity to shape the vitex into a standard so that the plants underneath will get enough sunshine to flourish.

Since I trimmed my lavender back in October, I don't have to trim it again. However, this is the perfect time for zone 7 gardeners to trim lavender if you missed the fall trim. I use Black & Decker™ cordless "Hedgehog" trimmers and shape the lavender into a mounded, rounded meatball. This allows blooms on all sides and the top of the plant. Cut off about 1/3 of the lavender to keep it from growing a thick trunk that will keep the lavender from blooming well.

If bunnies are running rampant in your garden, you can spread your lavender clippings around. The repellant will last until the clippings no longer have that distinct lavender fragrance.

Also on my "to be trimmed" list - ornamental grasses. Again, I rely upon my trusted cordless trimmers for this chore. I use twine to tie the top of the grasses together into a bundle, then whack off the grass. The bundles make it easy to clean up after the trim. If there is any green already emerging, I cut down to the green base. If there is no green, I usually leave at least 8" on the base of tall grasses such as miscanthus.

I hope this nice weather holds for the entire week! It's good to be spending the day outdoors again.

Story and photo by Freda Cameron

Brugmansia

BrugmansiaJanuary 14, 2009Overlooking one of the grottoes in Hollis Garden (Lakeland, Florida) was an amazingly beautiful flowering shrub with huge, drooping trumpet shaped flowers. Unfortunately I could not get close enough to see if they smelled as heavenly as they looked. When we arrived home I did a little research to identify this flowering shrub. I would love to grow this pretty shrub if

Hollis Garden (Lakeland, Florida)

Hollis GardenJanuary 14, 2009During our recent vacation to the sun and warmth of Florida our friends who vacation there for the entire winter (lucky them) took us sightseeing. One of our stops was Hollis Garden. This beautiful 1.2 acre garden that was donated to Lakeland is located on the south side of Lake Mirror Park in Lakeland. It is home to thousands of flowers, trees, shrubs, vegetables

Cityofoceanshores.com Newsletter ~ 02.2009

Springtime at the Beach!
Well, it's not really here yet (one can wish!) and apparently a little gopher or groundhog or whatever he is decided to give us a few more weeks of winter. However, there are no groundhogs out here at the beach, so it doesn't count! Plus, it sure doesn't feel like winter around here as it's been sunny and warm most of the past week...

Real Estate Update

January was one of the strangest months in real estate that I've ever seen out here on the beach. Usually, in these winter months, when a buyer comes to town to look at houses or lots, usually, they're ready to buy now because it's kinda cold & windy and not many people go house shopping in the winter unless their ready to buy. This isn't really the case the right now. Sure, I've got a few deals going with some current buyers who've made offers and such, but I (and I'm hearing the same from other agents as well) have had a lot more buyers than usual for this time of year looking now and then planning on buying later this year. I'm not sure if they're waiting for prices to fall, hoped that prices had fallen more already or perhaps they're waiting for better interest rates... Either way, I think it's a sign that something's changing... A lot of people are looking... and that's a start. Here's some other news regarding the current state of real estate....

"Senate approves $15,000 tax credit for homebuyers"
The Senate voted Wednesday night to give a tax break of up to $15,000 to homebuyers in hopes of revitalizing the housing industry... http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090205/ap_on_go_co/congress_stimulus

"Home sales show surprising strength in December!"
Sales of existing homes posted an unexpected increase last month, closing out the worst year for the U.S. real estate market in more than a decade on a surprising up note. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28856057/from/ET/

"Pending home sales post increase of 6.3 percent"
Buyers wade back into market as prices fall along with mortgage rates
An index that tracks signed contracts to purchase existing homes rebounded in December, as buyers snapped up properties at deep discounts... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28994648/
Looking for a deal? Here's a list of Sweet Deals for Sale at the Beach!
Upcoming Events

Four-day razor clam dig approved starting February 6th
Clam diggers have received the go-ahead to proceed with a razor clam dig starting Friday, Feb. 6. Three evening digs are scheduled at Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks Feb. 6-8, while Long Beach is scheduled for two digs Feb. 7-8. As with previous openers, digging will be allowed only during the hours between noon and midnight.

Harvesters are allowed to take no more than 15 razor clams and must keep the first 15 they dig, regardless of size or condition. Each digger's clams must be kept in a separate container. A license is required for anyone age 15 or older. Any 2008 Washington state annual shellfish/seaweed license or combination license is still valid. Another option is a razor-clam only license available in annual or three-day only versions. Descriptions of the various licensing options are available on the WDFW website at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov. Washington's beaches, which are managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, are considered state highways and all rules of the road apply.

Opening dates and evening low tides:
Friday, Feb. 6 (3:55 p.m., -0.1 ft.) Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks
Saturday, Feb. 7 (4:50 p.m., -0.4 ft.) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks
Sunday, Feb. 8 (5:39 p.m., -0.6 ft.) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks

Beaches scheduled to open are:
Long Beach, which extends from the Columbia River to Leadbetter Point.
Twin Harbors Beach, which extends from the mouth of Willapa Bay north to the south jetty at the mouth of Grays Harbor.
Copalis Beach, which extends from the Grays Harbor north jetty to the Copalis River, and includes the Copalis, Ocean Shores, Oyhut, Ocean City and Copalis areas. Mocrocks Beach, which extends from the Copalis River to the southern boundary of the Quinault Reservation near the Moclips River, including Iron Springs, Roosevelt Beach, Pacific Beach and Moclips.

Ocean Shores Antique & Collectible Show - Feb 14-15
The 7th Annual Show at the Ocean Shores Convention Center. Show hours are Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is a $2.00 donation to local charities and nonprofits. Over eighty vendors will offer a wide variety of antiques including dolls, glass, furniture, American Art pottery, vintage baseball cards, postcards, and much, much more. Hourly Door Prizes. Available on site will be food booths and Roy's Glass and Crystal Repair Service.

Beachcombers Fun Fair - March 7-8
Event features exhibits, seminars, information booths, and vendors on Saturday and Sunday; a kid's science fair Saturday morning plus beach walks on Sunday morning.

Razor Clam Festival - March 27-28
Put on by the Ocean Shores Chamber of Commerce. 360.289.2451. We'll have a lot more info next month as it's not available yet.

Shorebird Festival - April 24th - 26th
Discover the incredible variety of shorebirds that pass through Grays Harbor in April at this 14th annual event. Multiple locations for viewing around Ocean Shores include Protection Island, Damon Point and the North Jetty! Join scheduled watching tours or set your own birding agenda and enjoy the view!

News
Again, this is the beach and we don't really make news. We do have a Mayor though and he likes to talk.

Mayor & City Union at Odds
In a story titled "Unions Reject Pay Concessions" in the January 15th The Daily World, Mayor Bunkers "announced that making pay adjustments to city employees' salaries doesn't seem to be an option to help ease the city's ongoing budget crisis," he says. He goes on about how he hoped that the pay adjustments could generate $300,000 for the city. "They said no, but it's fine," Bunker's also said. "It's their prerogative." Bunker's then adds that he's not sure how he will recoup the $300,000 if it won't come through pay adjustments." Then, he adds "I'm still not comfortable with the budget as it is," Bunker's said. "I don't want to have to lay any more people off." That must be a negotiation tactic...

Mayor & State Auditor's Office at Odds
Also in TDW, an article on January 24th titled "Utility fund will have to wait," the latest audit report of the City revealed that they had not taken any action to repay the $1.9 million overcharged to the utility fund between 2001 and 2006. The State Auditor's Office has recommended that the city pay back the fund as soon as possible. "We be laying off people to do that at this stage of the game," said Mayor Bunkers. With a budget in crisis, the city recently laid off eight employees. Until the budget situation improves, Bunkers said repayment will have to be put on hold. "We'll just have wait and see how our revenues turn out," he said. Warning: traffic tickets = city revenue...

Jeff Daniel
Associate Broker
Coldwell Banker Ocean Beach Properties
749 Point Brown Ave NW/PMB 1568, Ocean Shores, WA 98569
1.360.581.9020 (cell) - 1.888.469.3100 (toll free) - 1.360.289.3111 (fax)
PROPERTY SEARCH: http://cityofoceanshores.postlets.com/
PROPERTY SEARCH: http://www.coldwellbanker.com/local/jeffdaniel
OCEAN SHORES INFO: http://www.cityofoceanshores.com
OCEAN SHORES BLOG: http://oceanshoresrealestate.blogspot.com
OCEAN SHORES BLOG: http://activerain.com/jeffgdaniel

Winter Thyme for Crocus

Much to my surprise (and delight) a yellow crocus is in bloom today!

The crocus is planted in a ground cover of creeping thyme inside the cottage garden. We were sitting on the front porch, sipping coffee and basking in the winter sunshine when I noticed the tiny yellow flower.

Thyme is a forgiving ground cover for bulbs. It doesn't choke them out, so bulbs can easily emerge from underneath the thyme.

I tend to forget about these tiny flowers until they appear in February. Like the daffodils, the early crocus cheer me up as a reminder that spring isn't too far away.

This little crocus girl isn't alone. A few more of her family members will emerge within a few days. That said, I realize that I don't have nearly enough for a great display!

Growing in zones 4-7, this early variety needs to be planted in fall so that the bulbs chill out before bloom season. With all of my bulb planting this past October, I forgot all about planting more of the tiny crocus bulbs. In my quest to take note of winter color, crocus bulbs will be on my fall shopping list!

Story and photo by Freda Cameron

~*Tweaking My Tweaking*~

Yes, blogging friends....I tweaked my tweaking. The first picture shows how it looked the first time. I felt that something was missing in the middle...the salt and pepper shakers looked too small...while I felt it was okay, it just wasn't right.

While browsing a new blogging friend's blog, Lisa from A Cottage To Me had posted about her new candle from Wal-mart. The style is what I was looking for.
So I found this great candle, thanks to Lisa (I got a different scent though). I also got this wooden candle holder that was on clearance and decided to use it, too.
Thanks for stopping by to see my tweaking! I love your visits. Have a wonderful weekend, dear blogging friends and thank you for all of sweet comments on my previous post about my "tweaking".

Love, Kim

How to Post Blog Photos Side-By-Side

When I have several photos to use in my blog, I place them side-by-side and sometimes in multiple rows. Not long ago, I posted these snow scene photos on my blog.

These photos are in one table of three rows with two photos per row. If you think of a spreadsheet, the photos are like the data in each cell of the spreadsheet.

Here is the same code, only instead of photos, I typed text "photo n" for each cell. I put a border around these cells to emphasize the table. The border is an option with the table tag. In other words, this is how you create a text table in html!

photo 1	photo 2
photo 3	photo 4
photo 5	photo 6

These photos were first uploaded to Picasa instead of directly into Blogger. I wanted to use the "medium 400px" size that is available in Picasa.

There are three html tags that I used, as shown in the tag definition box. I defined ONE table, THREE rows (tr), and TWO photos (td) per row.

The coding is nested. The table is the largest element, so it is the outer wrapper. The rows wrap the data. Wherever you see a "/" in the tag, that is the end tag.

In the next box, you'll see that the code runs together. Because Blogger adds a hard "return" at the end of a sentence, the code has to wrap. This makes it difficult to read. It takes getting used to, but after you've done this a few times, the coding will not be that difficult.

This is the actual code for the snow scene photos.



If you write your code and the photos are not aligned, then you may have to delete blank spaces between every tag.

As you get comfortable with using tables to align photos, you can try different size photos as I did when posting three photos in a group for a recent Garden Inspiration story.

Here is a link to my favorite html table resource. I hope this is helpful.

Photos and instructions by Freda Cameron

Herbal Remedies

If you're tired of coming out of the doctor's office with an expensive prescription every time you visit, you may find some relief . . . in your kitchen cabinets. Herbal remedies have been around for centuries, and modern science is rediscovering the wisdom of many of these treatments. The three examples below will give you an idea of scope of herbal cures and show you how they can help you

~*Tweaking*~

Good morning sweet friends...I hope you all are well. I am doing good, but getting a little cabin fever. I live at a place called Snowball Hill and believe me, it is living up to it's name! We've been getting snow, snow and more snow here in southwestern Pa. I'd be willing to make a deal with any of you dear readers who do not have snow and would like to take some of what we have off of our hands!

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Cabin fever leads to a little tweaking...now, I didn't do much, but I needed to see some greenery. While at the grocery store I picked up a few ivy plants.

Below is the before and while I love how it looks, I wanted to look at something green.

Sorry for the pictures not being too clear...not sure what the problem is...maybe it's because I took them at night...I don't know...anyways, I found these milkglass flower pots at the thrift store a good while ago and thought they'd look nice with the ivy.

This is the way it is for now...I'm thinking about adding a nice candle...I'll keep you posted.

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Thank you all for stopping by to visit me! I appreciate all of the visits and sweet comments from my last post, "Where I Blog".

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Please keep the following dear blogging friends who recently lost loved ones: Adrienne at With A Grateful Heart and Becky at Sweet Cottage Dreams.

How to Add Captions to Blog Photos

Do you want to include captions with your garden blog photos? There are two ways this can be done. One way is to use purchased software and the other way is to write free html codes.

Most of the time, I use a software program (ImageWell by Xtralean Software) to add a caption before uploading the photo.

By adding the caption to the photo before uploading, the two are attached. So, if someone copies the photo, the caption is part of the image. Using software, it is very easy to change the font size, font color and position of the text.

However, it's difficult to use a hyperlink within the caption. Also, note that in the photo below, the caption is small. When I uploaded this photo, I selected the "small" format and Blogger adjusted the entire image.

Photo by Defining Your Home Garden

In the second photo, I added the caption using html codes. I also included an optional hyperlink to my blog.

To use html codes for captions, first upload your photo.

In the code below, the red text shows you the html "table" tag that I used to anchor the caption with the photo in the blog. I also set the font style, size and position of the caption. I kept this caption short enough to fit under the photo because I don't want to complicate the coding.

By using the "table" tags, I am treating the photo as one row of data and the caption as another row of data.

The "tr" tag represents a table row.
The "td" tag is used for table data.


The green text indicates the caption wording. The blue text indicates the hyperlink coding. I set the link to open in another window by using the "target" option.

The text in black was generated by Blogger when I uploaded the photo. I just wrapped the Blogger code with my table tags.

You can copy these pieces of code to play around with your own photo captions. The downside of using html codes is that it is a bit tedious. However, if you store these wrapper pieces in a text editor and then cut and paste the code around your photo code, it is a bit easier.

With the winter days keeping most of us indoors, this is a great time to share non-gardening tips. Next time, I'll show you how to use html to position two photos side-by-side.

Photos and instructions by Freda Cameron