It's freezing outside and the hard wind's a blowing

The trees are a swaying  and it's lightly snowing,

But tomorrow the sun will be shining,.......... you'll see,

And all of this bad weather will be just a memory.

 

That's Texas weather..........we are all used to..........

We stay snuggled in, one day, nothing  to do,

But by the next morning, we're out for a while,

With the warm sun shining, making us smile!

(Kathleen)

 

If you are freezing today............

hope tomorrow, the sun will shine and warm you up!

 

 

 

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now. ~Chinese Proverb

The old mesquite tree in our backyard..............no matter how weathered and tattered it may look...........I love it!

 

 

 

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
~Joyce Kilmer,

 "Trees," 1914

 

This is a lovely Oriental Gazer Lily

that was given to me on Valentine's Day. I love the speckled pink petals and the pollen filled anthers in the middle...........looking at them in indoor light you would expect them to be a dark.........purplish color............don't you think?

 

However, when brought out into the light, you can see the vibrant orange color that anthers possess and the purple of the stigma! The pink color of the petals is even more vibrant.

This "light" revelation always reminds me of how differently we can look at our circumstances...............

when they seem their darkest

 

Even the dry and silent brown death of the prairie plants seem to radiate a beauty when the light strikes them . I sometimes think that God uses nature in this way to speak to us  ................

Especially when storm clouds gather and darken our spirit.

If we can just remember the  comfort of the warmth that comes to us from our heavenly Father during our darkest moments, and having faith that He will be with us through it all, the light will soon break through that cloud of doubt and we will see the brighter side of things.

I wish for you a brighter day when storm clouds gather over you! 

A splash of bright cheery yellow grows among

the brown and gray stillness of the grounds,

and catches my attention each time I walk about.

 

The Italian Jasmine is now in full bloom and full of buzzing honey bees.

I love this heirloom plant and how it gracefully drapes over the stone yard wall..

The wind blows it's cheery petals all along the walk way.

I hope some day to meet God, because I want to thank Him for the flowers.

 ~Robert Brault

 

I always think upon this quote when I see cheery flowers like this.

How about you?

Are you underneath snow?

Or is a blanket of flowers showing themselves to you?

I would love to hear!



Whether or not the groundhog

saw it's shadow.............

spring will arrive in just a matter of a few weeks.

 

There are a few tips for things to do in this month of February...........

that I will share with you, along with some photos of what is growing in my greenhouse.

I was cautioned as I purchased this Camellia, that it is a very picky plant to grow. It does not like cold and it cannot tolerate alkaline water...........which is the kind of water in my area.

However............look at how it is blooming!..........in February..............

I keep it warm in the greenhouse...............

and I gather rain water............when it rains........... to water it with.............I store rain water in milk and liquid detergent jugs..........that have been washed out.

Look at this bud!

I am hoping that this will grow to be a very large shrub!

 So anytime, you can get a good rain..............grab a bucket..........or a barrel of it............just one good rain can give  quite a few jugs of water to store up.

You might be under a blanket of snow..............place a bucket or barrel where the snow melts and drips off............it's the same as gathering fresh rain water for your plants!

my Geranium is so vibrant at this time!

 

SHRUBS and TREES

　

You still have time to transplant young trees from one area to another area as long as they are not showing signs of budding

It's time to deep feed existing trees by punching a series of 1-2 inch holes two feet apart around the base of the tree where you water, and fill with an appropriate food. A mulch of well composted manure is also an excellent treat for your tree.

Mid to late February is the time to fertilize shrubs and evergreens. Use an all-purpose fertilizer to feed roses and other deciduous trees and shrubs. If you use dry type fertilizers, be sure to water it in thoroughly.

 

Prune your summer flowering shrubs that have not started budding yet. Pruning to improve the shape of the plant, as well as to open up the center of the plant to good air circulation and sun exposure. Always start your pruning by removing all dead, decayed or broken branches.

Trim back any branches that were damaged by the ravages of winter.

PERENNIALS, ANNUALS and BULBS

Plant day lilies, bleeding hearts, and plantain lilies this month

Vines such as honeysuckle should be pruned and shaped.

Most perennials may be divided and moved up until they begin to show new growth.

Thin last years tangled growth on your climbing roses, fruit trees and vegetables.

Water all bulbs during times of growth and especially during foliage and bloom development. Irrigate summer-flowering bulbs during dry weather.

Fertilize tulips as foliage appears and make another application after flowering. Fertilize all other spring-flowering bulbs after flowering. Apply 2 pounds of 5-10-10 or 6-12-12 per 100 square feet. Daffodils and tulips should be fertilized again in early to mid-August.

If you heavily mulched marginally hardy bulbs to survive winter, pull back the mulch toward the end of winter. This prevents premature growth as the sun warms the soil.

The Aloe Vera is blooming as well!

FRUITS and VEGETABLES

 

I have tomatoes growing and blooming in the greenhouse!

Rhubarb, horseradish, asparagus and artichokes can be planted this month.

Kiwis and grapes must be pruned by Valentines Day to prevent sap 'bleeding'.

Strawberries can be planted as soon as they become available.

Cane fruits (raspberries and blackberries), with the exception of ever bearers should have all the canes that produced fruit last year removed.

The vegetable garden should get its first tilling (if weather permits) to allow the weather to aid you in breaking up the dirt clods. Exposed weeds and seeds hopefully will perish

OTHER TIPS

You can begin feeding houseplants

Don't forget to put feed out for the many birds that will be visiting.

Prepare your garden tools. Get your mower back in shape as well.

Turn the compost pile.

a cactus that was only about 6 inches high when I purchased it a few years ago, has now grown to almost 6 foot!

February Home Maintenance Projects

Trim branches around the roof line to keep squirrels, roof rats and other pesky animals off the roof.

Inspect all vents, repair as needed, and remove any debris blocking air flow.

 Clean condenser coils or fins beneath or behind refrigerator according to the manufacturers’ instructions. Make certain there is adequate air flow around the appliance.

 Using binoculars, inspect roof from the ground (walking on a damp or wet roof can be very dangerous), looking for loose, missing or damaged roofing materials. Repair any damage. If you have access to the underside of the roof, check during a heavy rain for leaks.

 How about you?

Are you looking forward to spring's arrival?

What are your tips during this month?

I would love to hear!

 



Does reading your daily newspaper, with all of it's bad news,

shocking stories, 

 

and predictions of doom and gloom............

leave you feeling like this??

Do you feel like you just want to tear up the whole paper and not read it again until something good comes from it??

Well, you can do just that!!

That's right, after reading your daily horror story, simply shred or tear that paper up...............every page............into nice little shreds.

Take it all and mix it with  a wheel barrel full of leaves and weeds from the grounds.................

add a good amount of donations from your horse,

chickens or what ever other kind of barnyard friend you have................

work and look like this...........it's important to enjoy the process..............

and by the end of the season...........

you will look like this!!!

 

Now,  I hope I have cheered you up and taken you away from your daily dose of drama...........

here are some wonderful tips on composting and the benefits of working it into your garden grounds.

The first important ingredient for any good garden is good soil.

Building your soil from using organic matter for compost, instead of chemical methods, is a sure way of gaining garden success.

Chemical fertilizers quickly boost the soil activity but it is only a quick fix..........not to last.

Your plants will respond by having quick growth but as soon as they use up the fertilizer, their growth is over. So you have to keep buying expensive chemicals to add to the plant. In the long run, the chemical fertilizer reduces the soil's viability because it winds up killing the important microorganisms that live in the soil and make it healthy. When you feed the soil with organic matter, you are feeding the microorganisms as well.

Organic matter is stuff that once was alive.

Newspapers, cardboard, manure, straw, leaves, weeds from your grounds, potato peelings, vegetable peelings,  coffee grounds, and egg shells are all good ingredients for organic compost.

The 4 important ingredients for compost are:

Green material

Brown material

Air

Water

 

The best way to get compost to decay and to turn into a rich matter to add to your garden is by having a balance of

1 part green material

to

4 parts brown material.

A moist compost pile rots faster than a dry one. So sprinkle water onto  the pile........do not saturate.......

and then give the pile air by tossing or rotating it every week.

I often run my garden tiller over the pile............this adds dirt and really breaks up all of the various materials in the pile.

How about you?

Do you compost ?

Have you had wonderful results from doing so?

I would love to hear!

 

 



There are several flower beds

surrounding the house and along the grounds

 

and already some things growing in them are starting to awaken and sprout.

I love cheery daffodils and I cant wait to see these blossom!

 

Although it looks a little ragged, green leaves are starting to appear on this Italian Jasmine,

 

as well as it's buds and small yellow flowers. I rescued this plant from a death of a paved lot being made in town and transplanted it out to here in the country. It has flourished.

Now is the time that the chickens will not be allowed to roam the grounds freely any longer. They love to dig in the beds and can destroy the growth starting to sprout

and they have been venturing off into the woods to lay their eggs. This has started to bring coyotes up into the grounds, risking the flock's safety. So it's time for the chickens to stay in their own penned yard.

This year I am focusing on the flower beds close to the house.

One in particular has this wonderful piece of vintage fence in it. It is just a short piece, but is wonderful for growing vines.  One side of the fence gets morning sun and stays shaded during the heat of the day, because of an old mesquite tree growing next to it. This side is perfect for  Morning Glory.

The other side I have placed bags of fertilized soil along. The ground is covered in grass that is hard to get rid of, and I hope the bag gardening will work.  This side gets a lot of sun during the day. It will be perfect for Zinnia, Marigold, and other blooming flowers.

 

There is a flower bed that runs up to and along side of a shed on the grounds. This bed is shaded during most of the day, and I always find this the most challenging.  I have not decided on which plants I want there, but will do research on the best for shade.

 

An  arch way is at the front of this space and I already have a young Wisteria  planted beside it,  which I am hoping that it will grow and climb.

The old twisted mesquite tree makes a great growing support for Ivy that I hope will grow up and along it.  It all looks very bare and un- impressive at this time.............

However, with the help of the computer...........for right now,

I hope it will look this colorful by the time summer has arrived.

How about you?

Have you any spaces that are both perfect and challenging for growing?

What do you like best for shade?

I would love to hear!