Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Welcome to the Neighborhood

Miss Fussy moved again after slumming it on the porch for a while. New location is outside unused kitchen door with lots of sun and great neighbors: Peruvian Daffodills are on the left (and watchout, Gardenia, because they DO bloom, and smell REALLY beautiful) and a large and scraggly Rosemary on the right.




Still lots of buds, and the leaves seem to be responding to the fresh air, sun and rain-not much speckly stuff, green and glossy.


I think there may be a slight change in some of the buds-a swelling of sorts. Is it my imagination?




































Sunday, July 4, 2010

Water Issues

Who knew that the what, when, why, and how of water in the life of a gardenia mattered so much? Well, it does.

Please note the saucer of beach stones and water to provide the requisite humidity. She normally sits atop the stones, but I wanted to show you the shades of pink and gray I thoughtfully selected. (Like she even noticed.)


And if you need a Mister in your life, which gardenias do, he should certainly be green, and definitely gorgeous. My sister Sarah hooked them up-she knows a good catch when she sees one.

However, I'm wondering about the white stuff on the leaves. I thought at first it was dust from its location near a wood stove. Then I decided it was mineral deposits from our minerally well. It was recommended that I try using distilled water in the mister, so I went to buy some at the supermarket, in the beverage aisle, which you already know was all wrong. Then I asked the sister with the street smarts, who directed me to the drug store. I went to the drug store, bought a newspaper, a Mounds bar, and some ibuprofen. Has that ever happened to you?