Friday, May 30, 2014

My Answers To Your Questions

I got so many questions about my air plants that I decided to do this post to answer them! Thanks for your interest! Mine are still alive!

Q. Are they dangerous to pets?
A.   They are not poison, and are totally safe for cats and dogs. On the other hand, your poor plant may not be safe around your cat or dog! I keep mine out of reach.

Q. Where can you buy them?
A.  They sell them at greenhouses or garden centers. But not all have them, so you should call around first. I found them in two garden centers, they had them by the cash registers!

Q. How big do they grow and how fast?
A. There are literally hundreds of varieties, including Spanish Moss and Bromeliads! And they come in all sizes, from huge to tiny. I got tiny ones and don't think they will grow much. But they do have offshoot babies, called pups. When the baby gets half the size of the mother plant, you can snip it off and you have a new one.

Q. Care?
A. All they need is plenty of air circulation, light, and you need to mist them good about twice a week. Then put them in the light to let them dry within four hours.

Q. Are they all this cheap?
A. there are lots of different sizes. Here, the tiniest ones are about fifty cents, then the price goes up with the size. You can get a decent medium size with big wide leaves for five dollars. I will get the bigger one if I can keep these little test ones alive.

Let me know if you have any more questions!

“God addressed Job next from the eye of the storm, and this is what he said: “I have some more questions for you, and I want straight answers.”



Thursday, May 29, 2014

The Music Of Joy











“Life is like playing a violin solo in public and learning the instrument as one goes along.” ~Samuel Butler

Last night, I had the joy and pleasure of watching sweet Ella play her first violin recital. Mind you, she is only seven! She carried herself and played like a professional adult. I couldn't have been prouder! Be still my heart.

“As fiddles and mandolins strike up the tunes, we’ll sing, oh we’ll sing, sing, for the rest of our lives in the Sanctuary of God.”
Isaiah 38

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

All They Need Is The Air That They Breathe






Well, here are the three plants that I bought. They look like spider plants, but did you notice that they were not planted in dirt? They do not need any dirt. The live on air! They are called Epiphytes, or Air Plants. And since they were less than a dollar apiece, I couldn't resist! They sold ones that were much larger and had different leaves, but they cost more. They are able to absorb all their nutrients and water through their leaves. You can lay them anywhere, a saucer or just a table. All they need is some decent light and sprayed with water once in awhile. No dirt or potting. If these do well, I may go back and buy some bigger ones.Here is what they look like as a kaleidoscope.


“I wonder why you care, God— why do you bother with us at all? All we are is a puff of air; we’re like shadows in a campfire.”

Psalm 144


Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Mystery Plant



Pretty green is what you see.
But what on earth can these plants be?
Is there a reason they stand out?
What is it they are all about?
So take a guess and let me know
Just how it is that these plants grow.
On my next post I'll show and tell
And until then I wish you well.

Monday, May 26, 2014

The Day After












The day after Mother's Day, at the end of the day.

“God’s Word vaults across the skies from sunrise to sunset, Melting ice, scorching deserts, warming hearts to faith.”

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Flanders Field

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

John McCrae










“Your finest fighting men will be killed, your soldiers left dead on the battlefield. The entrance gate to Zion will be clotted with people mourning their dead— a city stooped under the weight of her loss, brought to her knees by her sorrows.”

Thursday, May 22, 2014

The Odd Couple

If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...





Then it must be a duck. Actually, a Muscovy duck, very different from all others. First, the face...a mask of red bumps called carnucles. Muscovys are from South and Central America. This is the only domestic duck that is not derived from Mallard ancestors. They live for seven or eight years, but can live up to twenty! I am glad I spotted this couple to show you.

 “There is an odd set of people scattered through the provinces of your kingdom who don’t fit in. Their customs and ways are different from those of everybody else.”



Wednesday, May 21, 2014

A Little Visitor

We had a little visitor to the Spanish Bluebells. Buzzing along merrily, sticking his head right up inside the bells!




I thought the scene could not possibly be prettier as a kaleidoscope, but gave it a try anyway.

For song of bird, and hum of bee; for all things fair we hear or see, Father in heaven, we thank Thee! ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I’ll contemplate his beauty;
    I’ll study at his feet.
That’s the only quiet, secure place
    in a noisy world,
The perfect getaway,
    far from the buzz of traffic.

Psalm 27

Monday, May 19, 2014

Spanish Beauties





Now I want to show you another kind of bluebells, Spanish Scilla, or Spanish Bluebells. And yes, they are from Spain and Portugal! See how different the little bell is from the other bluebell? This one has a rather scalloped edge, where the other bells were smooth. These are sometimes called "Fairy Thimbles" and are rung to summon the fairies to their conventions. They are also symbols of humility and gratitude.

“Dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline.”

Colossians 3

Garage Greetings

 Want to know why this is so different? It's a garage door! This is the latest Christmas decorating thing around here.