You know I am always looking for something pretty to write about.  On our walk one day, we stopped to talk to a neighbor, and I noticed his Nandina showing this beautiful fall color.  I knew it was a dwarf Nandina, but I couldn't remember the variety name.  I thought it was Firestorm, or something like that.

 

I looked it up in my North Carolina Gardener's Guide and found it:  Fire Power, with a note that says it gives the most winter color.  I love that about Nandinas:  they are beautiful all winter.  

 

I hope you see some in your travels.

 

HAPPY WINTER GARDENING!!!

 

This is one of five kales left in the garden.  They are all hanging in there.  We should have enough kale for the winter, and then in the spring they will bolt, sending up flowers and making seeds.  

 

Until then I will work hard to keep them alive.

 

 

HAPPY WINTER GARDENING!!!

 

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!!!

 

I hope Santa visited your house last night.  We didn't actually see him, but I know he was here, because our home was filled with love, and hope for the new year.  Oh wait, that didn't require Santa's touch, our home is always filled with love.  

 

But this morning, we felt that extra something special.

 

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

 

 

 

We are ready for Santa.  The cookie jar is full to the brim of gingerbread men, and we will put out a few for Santa tonight.  

 

I hope he comes to your house too.

 

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!!!

 

 

I picked up this branch with lichen growing on it when we were on our walk.  It grows all over the place.

 

My Seek app called it Bushy Beard Lichen, or Usnea strigosa.  That is about all it told me. So I looked it up in Wikipedia, read about it, and still don't understand much more than I did before.  

 

So I am just going to share this picture of some very cool lichen, and let you explore on your own.  Let me know if you understand any of it.  ;)

 

 

HAPPY WINTER!!!

 

Now that the leaves are off the trees, we can see the mistletoe.  Look way up in the trees, and you can see big clumps of green.  That's the mistletoe:  the leaves are green, and the berries are white.

 

If you bring mistletoe inside, make sure you remove the berries because they are poisonous. And you don't want to take the chance that any berries fall to the floor to be explored by cats or dogs or children.  You probably don't want to step on them either, grinding them into the carpet.  Just sayin.

 

I am sending you little kissing sounds right now.

 

HAPPY WINTER!!!

 

 

 

I tried my hand at flower arranging using Christmas greens.  This is what I came up with to cheer my friends who are going through a tough time.  I made two of them, and they were beautiful on the long wooden dinner table.  

 

HAPPY DECEMBER!!!

 

 

I saw this on Facebook, and it made me think how fortunate I am that I don't know anybody who would do such a thing. 

 

Looking for snow in the mountains.

 

HAPPY DECEMBER !!!

 

When we walked the loop on Saturday, I noticed this Bradford Pear tree hanging onto its leaves, STILL!!!

 

I guess these last few days of 60 degree weather isn't sending the right message to the trees that it's time to drop those leaves.  But I have to remember that they know exactly what they are doing, and I am just a casual observer.   

 

HAPPY DECEMBER!!!

 

Patty's Nandinas are in full berry mode, looking a lot like Christmas to me.   

 

There are about 6 or 7 bushes like this across the back of their house.  A couple winters ago when it was so cold, we thought they were dead.  But they have come back, and are beautiful again.

 

 

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!!