"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands........" 1 Thessalonians 4:11

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Meet Mirella

During the long hot summer months, Mirella lounges in the warmth of the small garden that surrounds the greenhouse. Now that the nights have gotten quite chilly, she has taken up residence on the far corner shelf inside of the greenhouse.
Mirella came to live here a year ago, handed down to me by a dear aunt who was moving. I have had a small Alovera plant now and then, but nothing quite as big as Mirella. I could tell she had been taken good care of. My lessons in the care of succulents would soon be taught to me by Mirella. The first thing I learned was that Alovera plants bloom. As Mirella showed me with her beautiful long orange spike. The next thing I learned, that even though hardy, these plants can still freeze, which most of Mirella's offspring did, because of the greenhouse being too cold this past winter. Mirella, herself, almost did not pull through.
She did, however, growing quickly and sprouting 20 offspring, which I spent a good part of the day separating from her and planting in other containers. I did not realize how many of these plants can come from one plant! Now, the back shelves of the greenhouse are full with Mirella and her clan. I have no idea what I will do with all of them........decorate the porches in the spring and summer perhaps, find other homes for them maybe. Have any of you worked with an Alovera plant like Mirella? I would love to hear!

With October passed, I feel that fall has already gone, even though there are still warm pleasant days here. The garden has pretty much died away. All that is still hanging on is the wall of morning glory that surrounds the garden grounds......although it is also looking tired.



Even with the cold nights, many of the flowers are still budding and blooming here on the farm.


The large patch of Vinca, my husband brought home to me in early April, is still crisp and budding with colorful purple and white blooms.




The marigolds are showing off their fall colors in every flower garden and container.





The garden grounds look tired and weary. It is time for me to till and turn over the earth and give the spaces a rest.







Only a few small pumpkins remain to decorate until Thanksgiving. But there is still a garden growing in my mind! Plans on what is to be planted and where are forming in my imagination for next year's gardens. How about you? Are you glad to just get some rest with these long cold months ahead? Or are you looking forward to new plants, new gardens and new possibilities? I would love to hear!







15 comments:

Debbie said...

I'd be ashamed to show you a picture of my own alovera plant. I don't know how you do it. I just keep a small one in the house for medicinal purposes:)
Gardening is compulsive for me. I would gladly give the labor of it over to a gardener who knows what they're doing. But alas, we can't afford that. Each year my pride will not allow me to just let it go. That said, then I have to rip out whole areas and change them around and take out things that have overgrown and move more things so that they can spread and.....
Well, you see my dilema. I'm just glad it's winter and I have an excuse to do something else!
Debbie

Laura Frantz said...

Kathleen,
Your still blooming flowers are a delight to the eyes:) Looking at your lovely Miss Mirella makes me miss my own feeble aloevera which bit the dust several years ago. It was so good to use for little boy burns and such. Hmmm. May be time to find another. You have a beautiful place - I can just look at your pics and see God's hand in everything you do!

Nancy M. said...

I haven't seen an alovera plant in a long time! I didn't know they grew that much! I am glad Mirella survived last year. I am sure others would love a small alovera plant. It's nice you still have beautiful flowers too!

Julie Harward said...

I'm not very good with plants..hope you'll still like me anyway! LOL Yours are just beautiful though!
Come say hi :D

Patty H. said...

reminded me i need to bring in a few plants. jsut need to make room for them and give them a good spray to kill off the bugs.
I have some mums that need planting too. I love flower gardens but I have to confess, I'm not much to keep one up.

Sunny said...

I am still picking fall lettuce from my garden and my fall pea vines finally have peas on them! I lost the zucchini plant to frost, but there are a few broccoli plants that may yet produce? I have lots of mums blooming, but some are on their last flowers. I brought my daughter's avacado plant from tne deck into the sunroom last week that is almost 5' high now.So we have plenty still going on in the plant department. I told hubby this morning "its November, so the seed catalogs will be arriving soon!" LOL

Jen's Farmily said...

There's been a couple of times I've almost bought an aloe vera plant. I'd love to be able to split them off like that!

Anonymous said...

I was interested to learn about your aloevera plant. I did not know about the blooms. You still have some pretty colors. I have one Encore azalea that is blooming; that's about the only color we have. I am glad for a rest and will spend the cold months planning and browsing catalogs for next Spring. Hope you have a great week.

Connie said...

Your flowers still look pretty to me, Kathleen. Most all flowers here have been done for a while now. That aloe vera plant is amazing!

KathyB. said...

My Aloe Vera plants are huge, and like yours, prolific. However, I have never had a bloom on them...maybe next year! My Aloe Vera's thrive in my sun-room and on occasion I have snapped a leaf open to apply the 'slime' to a clean wound or burn of mine. It works.

Mirella is a forgiving plant, isn't she?

My Vinca seems to survive anything, and still blooms nicely later on in the new year.

Even though plants seem to be dying, it is so nice to know they are just resting and getting ready to spring into leaf and bloom in a few months.

Julie said...

Oh, YAY, Miss Kathleen!
You got your greenhouse so snug and warm! I'm so happy for you (and your plants!)
Your flowers are still beautiful. I wonder - do you know how blessed you are to be so knowledgeable about gardening? If you could just come be my mentor for a week, month, year??????
Many Blessings,
Julie

DayPhoto said...

BEAUTIFUL! I have nothing blooming now. Although I have enjoyed the fall leaves very much this year.

Warmer here today 50* and the snow is gone!

YEAH!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/

Gingerbreadshouse7 said...

Kathleen, your flowers are beautiful ..you have such a green thumb :o)...I don't seem to do very well here with plants..I think my house is too dark!...I do have a corn plant that stays near the window and it has grown to the ceiling..and soon has to be moved, I've repotted it twice and it needs a still bigger one..Ginny

Eggs In My Pocket said...

Richard said...
I am still picking fall lettuce from my garden and my fall pea vines finally have peas on them! I lost the zucchini plant to frost, but there are a few broccoli plants that may yet produce? I have lots of mums blooming, but some are on their last flowers. I brought my daughter's avacado plant from tne deck into the sunroom last week that is almost 5' high now.So we have plenty still going on in the plant department. I told hubby this morning "its November, so the seed catalogs will be arriving soon!" LOL
November 1, 2009 3:06 PM

Lanny said...

You have inspired me this morning as I read this, thank you so much for this post. You are a dear treasure to me.