Poinsettia Purchase and Care

The Telegraph in the UK has an excellent article on the selection and care of this extremely popular holiday plant.

Dreaming of a red Christmas

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Our large mid-day meal is over and we are all sitting around digesting, printing photos and otherwise playing around with our comptuers....of which we are extremely thankful. More and more people in my family make their living directly from/with computers these days. I am in the Palm Springs area at the moment, at my sister's, our traditonal Thanksgiving meeting place.

Before I left the house this morning I noticed that the azaleas in the front garden had started to bloom and the lavender we recently planted is taking hold very well. All of the roses have perked up dramtically since we had some rain. It looks as if we will have a "rose tide" along the driveway in just a few days.

Lots of cleanup needs to be done before our big, annual Holiday Open House. Mainly this will entail blowing the leaves, picking up sticks blown down by the winds and general neating. It is always a good excuse to do some work in the garden. I seem to need an excuse these days as other activities are keeping me away.

I am thankful for my garden and the joy it brings me and my family. It doesn't take a lot of work to keep it inviting, but sometimes we have to remind ourselves to enjoy it.

As we launch into the holiday season, try to remember that your garden is a gift you give to yourself, your family and your friends. Enjoy it as much as you can!