This is Mahonia aquifolium, also called Oregon holly grape.  It's not a holly, but the leaves look a lot like holly;   and it's not a true grape either; it's in the Barberry family.  It grows 2-5 feet tall, and is a nice border plant, or specimen plant.  This one is about 4 feet tall, and stands alone. It is beautiful.  

 

I've had my eye on this bush in Meeks Park for years.  It's near the bridge by the Tate Mill Wheel.  We notice it every time we walk in the park, because it is striking at every season.  Right now it has set next year's flower buds.  See the spiky buds?  They will open in early spring with clusters of bright yellow flowers, and in summer those flowers turn into bluish, black grapelike fruits.  You can't help but notice it then!!!

 

Last year the flowers opened early in March, then we had some freezing weather.  We saw that most of the flowers got frostbite, so there weren't many blue fruits on it last summer.

 

Everything I've read says the fruits are edible.  I've never tasted them, but I'll get back to you whenever I do.

 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the perfect time of year to see mistletoe in the trees.  

 

Look up, and if you see clumps of green in an otherwise bare tree, it's probably mistletoe.  There's a bunch in our neighborhood. Down in the meadow across from the haybale turkey, er... the haybale.  There's also some in one of Lee's trees;  that's where I took this picture.  And lots up top.  

 

I remember hearing stories of my grandmother shooting it out of the trees with a .22!!!  Can't imagine that, but I love the story.  

 

My favorite horticultural story is that the berries are sticky, and when birds eat the berries they have to clean their beaks of the sticky residue.  They scrape off the sticky mess on the branches of the trees, thus REPLANTING the seeds!  The ultimate gardeners!!

 

When we were in Kennesaw yesterday, we saw a short tree with a ton of mistletoe.  I took up-close pix.  Let's see if I can load that picture here for you to see.  Give me a minute........

 

 

OK 30 minutes....  Anyway this is what it looks like up close.  See the white berries?  

 

When we bring it into the house we make sure there are no berries on, cause they are poisonous, and we don't want Ranger to get ahold of any.  He's smart, but....we don't want to take any chances.

 

So that's mistletoe, look up!!  Hope you see some in your travels.

 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

 

 

 

And the word is:  crepuscular.  That's right:  crepuscular.  I don't know when you will ever get to use it, but we might, cause we have a cat.  And this word describes him perfectly.  Meet Ranger.  

 

Crepuscular refers to twilight.  Cats are notoriously crepuscular, active at dawn and dusk.  That's our Ranger, active beginning about 3:30 am, sleeping ALL day, then active again in the early evening.  We've seen this behavior for the last 15 years;  I just didn't know there was a word for it.  

 

Well, now I know, and you do too.

 

Learn something new every day!!!

 

HAPPY DECEMBER!!!

 

 

 

I didn't do it, but somebody transformed the jack-o-lantern haybale into this cute turkey.  

 

We all wish you a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

 

 

 

 

It seems kinda late in the year, but the Bradford pears are just now displaying their fall color. 

 

This is one is up on Stonebriar, above Al's house.  It's so pretty right now, I thought you'd like to see it!!

 

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!!!

 

BOY!!!  What some people will do to feed the birds!!  

 

This is my friend, Nick.  He is standing in the windowsill, about second story level, filling the bird feeders.  The feeders hang outside this window, too high off the ground to fill from below, without a ladder.  So he opens the window, and stands IN THE WINDOWSILL!!!!!  

 

We have spent many hours sitting here watching the birds on these feeders.  It was Momma's favorite room in the house; she could sit there all day watching the cardinals and titmice and other birds coming and going. We've seen woodpeckers, an owl, and lots of other feathered friends.

 

See the canister of birdseed on the table?  Nick calls those "birdseed silos."  My friend, the wordsmith.

 

Did I mention that he is a senior citizen?  Old enough to know better, but still young enough to not care!!  Gotta feed the birds!!!      and the squirrels!  ;P

 

HAPPY BIRDING!!!

 

 

 

Now that it's time to decorate for winter, what are you going to do with those beautiful pumpkins? Better do it soon, before they freeze. 

 

They are more than decorations;  they are winter squashes, (read: food.)

 

I started cooking mine.  I cut it and removed the seeds and strings, and put the big pieces with a pint of water in my turkey roasting pan.  I set the oven to 350* and let it cook for an hour.  

 

Meanwhile, I had some that didn't fit in the roasting pan, so I peeled it and put it in a pot on top of the stove, with some water.  The stovetop method took about 15 minutes and then I used a potato masher to smooth out the pumpkin.  I used 2 cups of the pumpkin, added some sugar, pecans, flour, eggs, and spices.  Now, we have pumpkin bread!!!  

 

And a roasting pan full of pumpkin that still has to be peeled, cooked down, and mashed.  AAK!!!  

 

Stovetop method is my new choice. 

 

Go to the recipe section on this website, (it's under Neighbors sharing.)  You can find my recipe for pumpkin bread there.  Other good recipes too.  You might want to add one yourself.  

 

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!!

 

 

 

A couple years ago a friend asked me what those yellow and red berries were.  I had to go over and look at them, and realized she was talking about Bittersweet.  I'm not sure this picture does it justice, but if you are heading up Five Forks Drive, look to the right just past Solitude and you'll see these yellow and red berries vining up in the trees.

 

Climbing Bittersweet, Celastrus scandens, is a woody, twining vine, and in the fall has beautiful berries.  The berries are red, inside a yellow capsule.  When they are mature, the yellow capsule splits, and the bright red berry can be seen.  I've seen the vines with berries for sale in florist shops and places that sell home decor.  They are often used in winter bouquets and mantle decorations. 

 

I'm not sure about stability or toxicity, so I've never used them for decorating; we have a cat.  But they are sure pretty growing in the woods.  Nature's decoration.  

 

Look for Bittersweet now, in its autumn splendor.

 

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!!

 

I couldn't help myself!!!  I had to take this picture.  I think it was in August of this year....but...

 

We were walking the loop, and saw Mark out working in his yard, sweating up a storm.  Even his sweat shows that it all comes from the HEART!!!!!  And he is ALL heart!!!

 

Thanks, Mark, for being such a good sport!!!!

 

Hey, Linda, this is our friend, Mark.  Cute, huh?  Told ya.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!!

 

 

 

While we were walking the loop the other day, I had to keep stopping to take pix!!!  The trees were SO BEAUTIFUL.  Here are more Red Maples for your viewing pleasure.

 

You're welcome!!!

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!