No gardening today!!!   Lots of pictures though.  We all love taking snow pix.

 

And look how well the kale held up.  Guess what we're having for supper.  There are about a dozen plants out there that didn't seem to mind the snow at all.  Kale, onions, leeks, and parsnips are all OK.  Arugula, chard, and mustard, not so much!!

 

That's OK with me, we love kale, cooked or raw, potato and leek soup is great, and parsnips just get better as winter progresses.  

 

Check the recipe section for interesting uses for kale, leeks, and other winter comfort foods.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

 

 

You know it's Christmas time when Momma makes her famous cheese biscuits.

 

Here she was last week grating cheese to make the biscuits.  We've had cheese biscuits all our lives.

 

I'll share the recipe because it's so simple.  But don't think for a moment that it is easy.  It takes years of practice, and just the right touch.  Check in the recipe section, under cheese.  ;))

 

I'm sharing this picture today because it's Momma's birthday.  She was born on this date in 1923.  Quick, do the math!!!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Momma!!!!

 

Wow!!  This is in the same yard as the Camellia.  Roxanne must have great conditions in her yard, or she's a magician.  That's what I think.  She's got the touch!

 

I'm not sure if this is an unusual occurrence, or if it's one of those Encore azaleas that bloom in spring and again in the fall.  I'll check with her to be sure.  Even so, December is a little late for azaleas to be blooming.  The best bloom time for them is spring along with the dogwood trees.

 

Azaleas are in the genus Rhododendron.  Lots to blooming shrubs there.  Most are evergreen shrubs, however there are some deciduous azaleas, native azaleas.  We see them on the hillsides in early spring, blooming yellow to deep orange.  They are called flame azaleas. 

 

Most rhododendrons, and azaleas prefer partial shade and acid soil.  Great under the pine trees.

 

I'm looking forward to spring for the best display, but it was fun seeing these bold blossoms in December.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

What an unexpected pleasure to see a Camellia blooming in December.  They normally bloom late winter into spring.

 

This beauty is Camellia japonica, variety unknown to me.  I took this picture on Thursday, December 7th, before the big snowfall.  The bush will be fine, but the blossoms may have gotten burned by the cold.  We might have to wait a while to see more blooms.

 

Camellias are evergreen shrubs with glossy green leaves.  They grow well here in North Carolina.   They love acid soil and our warm, humid weather.  They don't really love full sun, their leaves get burned.  They do best when planted in partial shade.  I've seen beautiful hedges of Camellias, used to screen a parking lot, or unsightly building.  

 

Camellias have been grown in China and Japan for centuries.  And there are about 100 species, and hundreds of cultivated varieties.  The ones we see most often are Camellia japonica, with large leaves and large flowers, and Camellia sasanqua, with smaller leaves and smaller flowers.  Another species of value is the Camellia sinensis, whose leaves are used to make tea (like Lipton Tea.)

 

I hope to see more Camellias in bloom this winter;  they always make me smile.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

 

 

 

I took this picture and wrote this article on Thursday, December 7th.  Overnight it snowed, so I'm not sure it's STILL alive, but the information didn't change.  Thanks for reading anyway.

 

 

Swiss chard is still alive in the garden!!  I planted it last February from seeds, and raised it in the basement until it was big enough to hold its own in the garden.  It's been doing great ever since.  I hope it lasts through the winter, but I don't know if it will survive the upcoming frost.  We've certainly gotten our money's worth out of that $2 pack of seeds.

 

Swiss chard is in the same family as spinach and beets.  The leaves get to be huge, and the stems can be different colors.  Some are white, pictured;  some are red, golden, orange, some are even pink!!  It is SO beautiful with the sunshine coming through it.

 

We use young chard leaves raw in salads, and larger leaves we cook like spinach.  Some people throw away the thick stems, but they are edible too.  The stems just take a little longer to cook.

 

I've read that swiss chard is high in nutrients:  vitamins K, C, A, B, and the M minerals: magnesium and manganese, along with potassium and iron.  There are traces of copper, calcium, and tryptophan.  That's a lot of punch for almost no calories!  Oh, wait, let's cook it in butter, add feta cheese and serve it with pasta.  

 

However you serve it, Swiss chard is good for you, and a joy in the garden.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

 

 

 

One of our kind neighbors sent me this picture of our place on Dec 8th around mid afternoon. It explains why we are still in Atlanta this weekend. Those of you that ran to Florida missed out on a nice dusting!

 

Oh, and Yes, the idiots all came out and drove all at once in Atlanta as soon as the first inch of snow came down. :/

mark

 

Here's the arugula this morning!!!!  What a beautiful surprise!

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

We still have arugula in the garden.  This is our third crop this year.  It grows from seed, gives us leaves for salad, then goes to flower then seed, and we start all over.  We grow arugula from March to December.  

 

Arugula is in the same family as mustard, kale, broccoli, cabbage:  Cruciferae.  But arugula has a character all its own.  Baby arugula that you buy in the produce department of the store is the same thing, but tastes SO different!!  We let the leaves mature a bit before we pick them, and the flavor is spicy, peppery.  We add it to salad greens, soups, grilled cheese sandwiches, OK, everything.  When you cook it, it tastes milder, like spinach.

 

I'm hoping to harvest as much as I can before the weather changes to winter, like tomorrow.  It should last a couple more days in the fridge, then we just have to do without until March.  That's OK, we love it while it lasts.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

 

 

 

Not much going on outside these days, so let's look at indoor plants.  Of course, they grow outdoors somewhere, but I'm thinking of indoor plants HERE.  

 

I'll start with Sansevieria because mine is blooming right now.  They bloom erratically, so I'm thrilled with this picture.  My sister gave me this plant years ago, and it has bloomed only three times.  I just read that after it blooms, that particular section stops growing new leaves.  But new leaves will grow from the underground rhizome.  

 

Thinking like a plant, (as I sometimes do) I figured it blooms when it feels threatened, and it hurries to reproduce itself.  But then I read that they bloom erratically, so there you go...they bloom when they feel like it.

 

Sansevieria is known by several other names.  Some people call it Snake plant, or Mother in law's tongue.  Whatever you call it, it makes a great houseplant.  It likes bright light, but will tolerate low light.  It also requires very little water,  and only wants to be watered a couple times ALL winter!!  I'd call that "thriving on neglect."  I love that in a houseplant. 

 

Better still, sansevierias remove 4 out of the 5 main toxins from the air.  Great for indoors. 

 

Warning:  we need to be careful with sansevierias around children and pets, because it is POISONOUS if ingested.  Really though, I would keep ALL PLANTS out of the reach of children and pets.

 

Thanks, Linda, I love my Sansevierias.  Especially when they bloom!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

 

 

And while you're down in the meadow, be sure to look up!!!  

 

There is a ton of mistletoe in the trees.  Well, the green bunches are mistletoe, the brown ones are probably squirrel nests.  Let's talk about mistletoe, though, not squirrel nests.

 

Botanically, mistletoe is in a family by itself:  Mistletoe Family, Viscaceae.  

 

The mistletoe we are seeing is Phoradendron leucarpum (I looked it up in my Wildflower field guide.)  It is epiphytic, and grows parasitically on deciduous trees.  That means it uses the tree for support AND some of its nourishment.  Mistletoe doesn't steal all the trees' resources;  it just uses what it needs, without killing the tree.  AND it gets plenty of light when the tree drops its leaves.

 

It has sticky seeds that are POISONOUS to humans, but birds such as cedar waxwings and bluebirds love them.  The birds spread the seeds through their droppings and by scraping the seeds off their beaks, which then stick to tree branches and grow there.  It's usually found up high in trees in open places.

 

I remember hearing stories about our grandmother shooting it down with a .22!!  Is THAT how they do it?  I'm laughing!

 

I don't have a close-up picture, but we've all seen mistletoe at Christmas time.  I love spotting it high up in the trees and making kissing sounds for fun!!  That's safer than hanging it inside the house.  

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!