August Break, Day 18: Jade

August Break, Day 1: Fronds

For the month of August, I will be posting one photograph per day, with no words (aside from this introduction today). I hope you'll consider joining in!

[One Moment]

Today, I was blessed with a few hours of ...waiting... I had my camera with me. Potentially excruciating boredom became a gift of time.

Tis a Gift


[OM] is a virtual meet up created by Linda of à la mode™. Learn how you can participate here.

Equisetaceae is Fun to Say

The thunder is booming and the storm is getting close to directly overhead, but before I turn off the computer, I'd like to leave you with another glimpse of my trip to North Carolina...



Equisetum (or Horsetail) is wicked old. Check it out.

Happy New Year!

I'm signing off soon to celebrate the coming of the New Year. I hope you all have a joyous and safe celebration and a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2010!

As 2009 draws to a close I'm enjoying the snow falling outside and relishing the summery joy of the new plants I purchased at Logee's yesterday. (If you're in Southern New England, you must stop at this greenhouse on a cold day in winter. It's like heaven. The website does not show you how the inside is full to bursting with growing things, warm and humid, with fig trees growing out of the packed earth floor and creepers covering the walls.)

A little snapshot of my day, after filling our little Wardian Case with some Ficus specimens and a dwarf Begonia...

Outside:


Inside:




Sometimes I think I should have been born during the Natural History boom of the Victorian Era. But I am glad to live now, and be able to connect with so many people all over the world.

All the best to you and yours this last day of 2009!

A Chilly October Day

#006 in my 365 Days in Colour... There was a little gap between this one and the last, but the project is supposed to be inspiration, not frustration or stress, so I'm taking it easy on myself.

Preparing a New Generation

Home in Rhode Island

Well, as you know I've just returned from a vacation and friends' wedding in Montana. We had such a good time seeing sights and visiting with some of the best people on the face of the earth. It's always hard to leave them, but it is good to be home. It seems we've brought some actual summer weather back with us - two whole days of sunshine and warmth!! So, after spending some time storing away the luggage and travel things, I took a break to give our sideboard a little summer facelift.



Here's what you're seeing: candles in jam jars, big dahlias from the garden, mums to root and replant, a fabric mushroom I just can't get enough of, a terrarium filled with Logee's plants, smooth white stones from Moonstone Beach, vintage gardening/houseplant books, brass quails, and our Phalaenopsis orchid.

And, even though they didn't quite fit in with the dahlia bouquet, I couldn't resist snipping a few of these little beauties and finding them a home in the guest room...



Hope you're enjoying your July!

Plantaholics Anonymous?

My husband and I have somewhat of an addiction to houseplants. This winter, I cleaned out our bay window and got rid of several that were past their prime. Probably a good thing for those remaining, since now they have some openness and air circulation. We decided we had enough plants in that window.

The thing is, we have lots of other windows in the house... so our collection is growing again. Today we went to that most dangerous of stores, Logee's Greenhouse. If you live in Southern New England, this place is worth a trip - particularly on a cold dreary day. It's like a magical wonderland inside, truly. The whole place seems alive - moss and vine covered walls, the scent of jasmine filling the air, hundred year old trees rooted into the greenhouse floor... And the family has been growing tropical plants since 1892, so they know what they're doing.

As is inevitable when we make the trip to Logee's, we came home with some new friends. Two planned purchases, for a new terrarium, and two not so planned. :-) Want to meet them?

Scott's Spleen (Asplenium ebonoides) and Club Moss(Selaginella erythropus) for the terrarium...


'Diamond Head' Elephant's Ear (Colocasia esculenta)...


and my favorite from today, a carnivorous plant called butterwort (Pinguicula pimuliflora)...


Here you can see the little sticky drops that catch insects


It's quite a photogenic plant, I think!


And now that our new friends are all settled in, I am off to relax and do some housecleaning while hubby makes dinner - Pork Chops in Beer - sounds yummy!