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Sunday, November 24, 2013

Blue Macro Monday, November 25, 2013

Welcome to my Monday post, this week I am linking with-

Blue Monday hosted by Smiling Sally

Mandarin Orange Monday hosted by Lorik

Macro Monday 2 hosted by Gemma Wiseman

I Heart Macro hosted by Laura

This is the last of my kitchen tile photos, we actually put the tiles over a cream formica counter and backsplash with metal edges, on the end having a slant we had to cover.  The counter has granite tiles, black with blue "butterfly wing" flakes in it.  The glass tiles, AO 'Blue Topaz', were thinner than the other tiles, so I came up with a fix, I put plastic weed whacker cord under them to bring them up level.

I basically started with the blue crazed tiles, Grazia Rixi craquelle finish- 'Reef', and finally found some more 5" tiles, an unusual size, to go with them- Florida "Tam", and I got mostly the Ivory tiles, then supplemented with 5 of each of the other colors, Opus Ivory with the small faux tiles, Forest, Desert, Copper, and one Ivory with a cutout and Metal Cherry Insert.   In this photo the work is in progress, still being grouted on the left.  I didn't like the brown grout with the blue tiles so tinted some white grout blue for that part of the tiles.   I used most of the odd darker colors of tile on the stove wall below the rectangle (actually not visible behind the stove), and also on the windowsill of the window over the kitchen sink.  As I said last week, the black rope tiles around the rectangle I bought as bisque and glazed.  The ivory rope tiles and narrow beige tiles are from Home Depot.  You can see a photo where the iridescent tiles are picked up by the light here, scroll down.

You can tell you are a gardening fanatic if your cabinet pulls look like something from the garden, I love these, they are easy to hang stuff on-

I tried a wonderful annual for the first time last year, Browallia americana.   It bloomed like crazy all summer and fall, so I saved one in a pot and brought it in to my aquaponics grow bed before frost, where it has been happy and blooming still, my camera likes to invent beautiful colors-




Here is my last remaining Shubunkin, Miss Furshness, with a mysterious little two-headed turtle shadow, after she is gone I am going to start using hydroponics fertilizer which will be more balanced in nutrients, fish wastes are low in phosphorus needed for fruiting-

Meanwhile, outside, the temps went below freezing for several days-



I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving, I have much to be grateful for to my Creator, who also likes to garden.

Hannah

I enjoy your visits and especially comments, and try to return visits, but if your comment section requires google + only or other restrictive set-up, I find I am unable to comment.  Consider an open comment section in addition.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Blue Macro Monday, November 18, 2013

Welcome to my Monday post.   Today I am linking with-

Blue Monday hosted by Smiling Sally

Macro Monday 2 hosted by Gemma Wiseman

I Heart Macro hosted by Laura

Ruby Tuesday too  hosted by Gemma Wiseman, now updated

More blue tiles from my kitchen, this is over the stove, the black rope tiles around the perimeter I glazed and fired myself.  When taking the photos I got to thinking maybe I should have tried to match the cherry tile glaze, but that might have been difficult.  See the counter tiles with iridescent glass here.

This is Amber Ghost, the early leaves are amber with red veins, amber green in summer, then becomes more amber again in autumn until it becomes a glorious flaming red.


I missed a couple of flowers for Garden Blogger's Bloom Day the 15th.  Eupatorium (Conoclinium) coelestinum, Blue Mistflower, is blooming still in its first year, but I have it under a plastic plant umbrella for protection, hoping to let it ripen seeds.  The Blue Mistflowers I have posted are progressively more open, some here are turning brown, hopefully ripening seeds.   It likes moist to wet soils.  Butterflies and other pollinators like them.

Achillea millefolium 'Cassis' is also blooming in the open.  We have had some frosts.

So there are flowers after frost, for a while at least.   I am also restless to get some plants started for next year so they will bloom earlier, and also have some seeds that need to be stratified in the refrigerator for a month or more, so I am already sowing seeds and will report on them as they come up.   -Hannah

or cameras are macro

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Favorite Plant Pick and Foliage Follow-up, November 16, 2013

Welcome to my Favorite Plant Pick of the week, linked to the Danger Garden blog hosted by Loree, which is also my Foliage-Follow Up post, linked to the Digging blog by hostess Pam Penick.  Check the comments sections for more posts on these topics from other gardeners.

For my favorite plant pick I have an evergreen large shrub that I enjoy immensely, Elaeagnus x ebbingei 'Gilt Edge'.

The evergreen leaves are always attractive and also make an excellent filler plant for flower arrangements-


Here it looks great with Berberis berries-

In the early fall it blooms, tiny blooms with a powerful fragrance that wafts, I look forward to it blooming every year.

For some additional foliage plants I am enjoying now, who needs flowers when you can have a Nandina for some color interest-

Nice ground cover plants I grew from seed and that also produce fruit are some Alpine Strawberries-

Red fall color- Amber Ghost Japanese Maple-

So much color for such a short while.   -Hannah

Friday, November 15, 2013

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day, November 15, 2013


Welcome to "What's Blooming Now?"    To see what is blooming in other gardens now see hostess Carol's May Dreams Gardens blog.

There is still one rose blooming, usually it is more at this time, Sea Foam, an excellent "ground cover" type rose.


Another blushing white flower is Camellia sasanqua 'Apple Blossom', which took quite a few years to begin blooming for me but now has quite a few blossoms.  'Yuletide', bought at the same time, has yet to bloom.   Maybe someday,



My new this year Hydrangea macrophylla 'Endless Summer' seems to be living up to its name, still bringing forth flower buds, and retaining the old flowers.   It looked a little bedraggled after planting but
will hopefully put on some growth next year and look more upright.   It is supposed to be hardy for zones 4-9.   All my old Hydrangeas died a couple of years ago from an unusual cold snap.


Also still blooming are Geranium Rozanne, Alpine strawberries, Rosemary, etc.  The days are getting shorter and shorter, brrr.    I'll be glad when they start getting longer again.  Hannah

Monday, November 11, 2013

Blue Macro Monday, Veteran's Day, November 11, 2013

Welcome to my Monday post, Remembering our heroic Servicemen and their families on Veteran's Day, with gratitude that can never be enough.   Linking with-

Blue Monday hosted by Smiling Sally

Macro Monday 2 hosted by Gemma Wiseman

I Heart Macro hosted by Laura

From the Farm hosted this week by timbercreekfarmer

Mandarin Orange Monday hosted by Lorik

Monday Mellow Yellows hosted by Gemma Wiseman

Gluten Free Tuesday hosted by Easy Green Mama

These are winter radishes from Kitazawa, Daikon radishes either Luo Buo or Big Time, though the package illustrations look more elongated than round.

This is a turnip, 1.75 lb, I started getting inexplicably large turnips-

I made a soup with it, or could be a stir-fry, adding celery and below, onion, oyster mushrooms, ginger diced, and garlic-

I seasoned it with Braggs's Liquid Aminos (or use soy sauce or tamari), ground seed mix (dill, caraway, anise, fennel, coriander, etc), turmeric powder, and lemon pepper.  Serve over rice or buckwheat.

A close-up of some of my blue kitchen tiles, with iridescent glass tiles, we did the tiling ourselves-

A wonderful evergreen shrub that gets quite large and has fragrant wafting flowers in the fall, Elaeagnus x ebbingei Gilt Edge, it also makes an excellent filler in flower bouquets-



From The Farm Blog Hop

I find the cool season vegetables very rewarding and carefree.

-Hannah

or cameras are macro

Monday, November 4, 2013

Blue Macro Monday, November 4, 2013

Welcome to my Monday post, today I am linking to-

Blue Monday hosted by Smiling Sally

Macro Monday 2 hosted by Gemma Wiseman

I Heart Macro hosted by Laura

Mandarin Orange Monday hosted by Lorik

Harvest Monday hosted by Daphne


I noticed some very pale aqua blue Lichens in the garden, fall doesn't seem to faze them-



Frost has hit and killed some plants, while others seem unscathed.  The Cocozelle squash plants were blackened, but I found a fine 5.5 lb squash.   Here it is cut in half to show the still-tender interior  with no developed seeds.

Most regular beans have given up but the cool-loving Runner beans are still slowly developing, 3.5 lb-

Raindrops on Acer-

Birthday cake for granddaughter #1 and only, Marzipan-

Small cake for candles-

Happy Birthday, Zoe!   -Hannah

or cameras are macro