I'm going to say right up front that I do not have a green thumb. I admire people who do. I applaud their devotion and knowledge to all things flora and fauna but can't usually do a lick of good with more than your standard, hardy variety of 6 pack annuals.
Until this year.Last year I had a row of boxwood shrubs taken up from the front of my house. They were 18 years old, woody and UGLY. Plus one had already gone to shrub heaven and ...well, it just didn't look good.
Once they were gone, I enlisted the aide of my BFF who, like a columbine seeking shade, knows her way around a landscape. She is to gardens what Julia Child was to French cookery. She thought and she suggested and together we went out to purchase just the right beginner plants/shrubs.
Most everything survived their first year under my care: The lilacs, the azaeleas, the barberry and the Japanese Heller holly. The lirope and the spira variety called "Lil Henry". The Japanese holly struggled the most and when I asked my BFF her advice she asked "Have you been deep watering"? "Is that anything like deep POV?" I asked.
She gave me A Look.
Um. "Doesn't the water I pour at the bottom take care of watering?"
"No. You use your hose to get to the collateral root system."
"What hose?" I asked.
It took me 10 minutes to revive her.
Fortunately, (or maybe my friend did a survival dance to the garden gods) my shrubs and things survived to this spring. And OMG....they are beautiful! Flowering lilacs, pink and purple azaelas, knockout rosebushes in varying shades of pink. I've accented with purple petunias and white begonias and filled my porch pots with three colors of geraniums and pink hibiscus.
It's beautiful if I do say so myself. It's ignited a desire to do more and learn more. Oh, I'll never get the artistry of borders and formal gardens though I long to have the natural groupings of flowers like they have in Ireland (I think in Ireland the land just calls to the different varieties and they plant themselves :-). It's taken a lot of restraint on my part not to plant my whole YARD in flowers.
All this horticultural revelation got me to thinking about The Lair, the Banditas and the BB's. We all bring our own special and unique beauty to the garden of this community. Every flower has a meaning or correlation to some attribute. Here are some of the ones I've thought about:
Hydrangea
This flowering shrub is a symbol of perseverance. Now this attribute can be attributed to ALL of us but I thought of Suz when I was looking it up. Beautiful and strong and determined, she took a step outside the box with Lacy Morgan and has gotten the attention of contests, agents and editors.
Larkspur. 
Reminds me of Kristen. It means beautiful spirit and hers certainly shines through in all she says and does. (Even her very first headstand with her yoga)
Geranium, the comfort flower.
Jo or JoMama as we call her. She's always there with an encouraging word, a hug and a pat on the back. And the occasional "don't mess with my Bandita" fervor that helps kick the doldrums right out of ya.
Sweetpea.
The shy flower. I matched this one up with Susan. Despite her cool rapper name (Smoov) she professes to be the shy one among us. (Psst...I'm not totally sold on that. We'll see in the bar in DC in July)
Stargazer Lily. 
The ambition flower. This one is our own Kate. Quiet, demure, yet exotic and beautiful this Bandita is on her way. Featured in her NYT debut book, HOMICIDE IN HARDCOVER Kate is soaring to the top in more ways than one.
And then there is me. Now, my favorite overall flower is the tulip but I have been called spirited before so the flower that symbolizes that characteristic is the Freesia.
The Pink Rose. Friendship. Our BB's and our lurkers, our guests and our new visitors. Here's a pink rose for each and everyone of you!
Demetrius has just spread a blanket on the soft, green grass. Have a seat, enjoy the picnic basket Marcus brought and sip a cabana boy....er, I mean some wine and contemplate the garden of The Lair. What other flowers do you see? Which Bandita do they represent? Why? What type of flower would you be and where would you be planted? What is attracted to you? Bees? Butterflies? Sven?
167 comments:
I am totally taking the bird home with me!
Oh, Kirsten, you wotten wooster napper, you! I was just about to dive in and get him again - seeing her was such a gentleman yesterday - and you beat me, you wicked Bandita, you!
Joan, what a beautiful post - and I'm not just saying that because, thank the Lord, it's not about food. I would have had to buy a whole new wardrobe if the calorie-rich posts had continued much longer! And what a lovely description you give your Bandita friends. I love the idea of Suz as a hydrangea - it's got that lovely lush strength (no, I'm not calling you a lush, Suz) that suits her down to the ground. Your garden sounds lovely. I've got a garden here but really I only just keep it going. I don't really do anything creative with it. Fortunately in Queensland where I live, things tend to grow. And grow and grow and grow. Pruning is a constant. Perhaps that's why I never get around to doing any planting!
lol I was too distracted discussing opening a bakery with twitter friends to check the blog in a timely manner :P
I love flowers. My parents both have green thumbs. My sister and I once counted, growing up, and we had more than 80 houseplants. I personally am very fond of violets - but certain ones. They don't seem special, but I loved them because wild ones grew in our backyard as a kid. And gladiolas, irises, who doesn't love a nice rosebush? And I like tulips because they're one of the first signs of spring... snapdragons...
Great post! (I have no idea about a flower for me/others though :P and I don't want to pick the wrong one which has a "bad" meaning.)
Congrats on the GR, Kirsten!
Oh Joanie, that is seriously the sweetest post ever! You're gonna make me cry! I also love my garden, but it gets very little attention these days. Back in the days before children (and before writing, come to think of it) I spent hours and hours in the garden. Now I try for a little weeding every couple of months. :-)
This exercise of matching plants and attributes totally speaks to me. For my wedding, I made watercolors of flowers for each of my bridesmaids, and tried to match the flower with their essence. I had an iris, a calla lily, a California poppy, and a sunflower.
Oh, and the faerie book I just wrote features faeries who are born into a flower, and they are of course, symbolized by their flower. The rose, the lily of the valley, the black-eyed susan..you get the idea!
Meanwhile, I just love the idea of being the larkspur! I can't think of anything I'd want to be more. thanks!!
Whoa, Kirsten! Come in there in an unexpected grab for the bird!
You go girl!
Joanie, what a beautiful post! I love all flowers. Hmmm. I think I'd be a moonvine. They bloom at night. Me and my nocturnal ways are never parted.
I WISH I were a morning person. But alas, I am not. Moonvine. That would be me. And lessee...I guess I'd attract the luna moth. Hmmm. Dunno if I like that or not....hmmmmm.
Actually I should clarify. I think luna moths are GORGEOUS and I love to see them flying about. It's kind of rare, here, to see them. But my goodness they're HUGE.
Kirsten I did not know you were a watercolor artist! Now I wanna see your paintings.
Oh, Joanie, how sweet, and I do LOVE Hydrangeas. I would love to plant some here if I thought Rocky the Wonder dog wouldn't...you know...raise a leg in salute of it!!
Has anyone in the South every heard of a Blood Root? It has the most lovely white flower, but if you dig up it's roots, they are as red as blood. Hence the name. My daddy brought one back from Tennessee and planted it in his garden because he and my mama loved them as kids growing up.
Suz said:
Has anyone in the South every heard of a Blood Root? It has the most lovely white flower, but if you dig up it's roots, they are as red as blood. Hence the name. My daddy brought one back from Tennessee and planted it in his garden because he and my mama loved them as kids growing up.
Suz, I have bloodroot growing in my yard. I have a bed of woodland wildflowers I've grown since I was ten, and these are plants I've moved from that bed at my dad's farm. Bloodroot has a gorgeous white flower in early spring, but it's VERY brief in its bloom time. You'll miss it if you aren't quick to look. The leaves are attractive, though. Interesting multi-lobed leaf shape. Likes moderate to heavy shade and moist, well-drained soil. You have to simulate mixed-hardwood woodland conditions to do well with bloodroot, goldenseal, wild ginger, or other plants like these.
Hmm. I see Anna C. as a trumpet lily, fragrant and exotic with hints of naughtiness. I see Jeanne as a sunflower, always smiling. And Trish, with her perserverance, as a daylily - that comes back again and again. Caren would be a flowering dogwood, that lives in the South. Anna S. would be an English rose. Donna would be a saucer magnolia, because she's just a bit saucy herself! And since Joan claims not to be a gardener, she can be a hardy daffodil, that keeps coming back year after year. That's all I can come up with for now -- what a fun idea!
Oh JoanieT --what a gorgeous garden you have going and what a lovely and sweet post!!!
I adore gardening. I don't have my mom's gift for it, and the life of my plants is definitely more a gift from the garden gods and my patient husband with the hose, since I have a horrible habit of planning, planting, then forgetting *g* But my garden is purty. I have roses, lilacs, lavendar, irises, gardenias, jasmine, pansies and petunias and any number of things in between. This year, for the first time, we planted some vegetables, too.
I'm so intrigued by the energy and essence of flowers and love how well you've matched Bandits to their posies :-) What a lovely honor!!
Goodness, Becke, I'm nowhere near gorgeous enough to be a trumpet lily but thank you, that's a lovely thought!
Way to grab the bird, Kirsten!
Joanie, what a beautiful post and I'd LOVE to see your flower garden! My mother and grandmother were great gardeners! I swear my grandmother could plant a hoe handle and it would sprout. My mother had a HUGE fuchsia bush growing next to the front door. When one out-of-town visitor commented, "But fuchsias don't GROW here!" My mother said, "Shhh! It doesn't know that."
Alas, Aunty inherited NONE of their green thumb abilities. About all I can grow is weeds, so I suppose that would be my flower. I'd say a prickly thistle but that's the symbol of Scotland and well, THAT won't do!
So I guess my symbol would be a jimson weed. Now before you go ICK! Google Georgia O'Keeffe and jimson weed to see one of her gorgeous paintings of it.
AC
Beautiful pictures Joan.
I love orchids. So many colors and varieties of shapes and sizes. Just not something I could ever grown.
As a kid my mom helped me grow my own flower garden full of pansies. I remember how soft they were, like velvet. They look delicate but are actually easy to grow.
Congrats Kirsten on grabbing the GR. :)
I went to a garden party to reminisce with my old friends...
Hi Joan..congrats Kirsten!
Fave flowers...uh, peonies! I love orchids too, especially the really freaky weird looking ones. Anthuriums and hydrangeas and daisies.
Wow, Joanie, what a lovely post. Your garden sounds beautiful and I love the way you've connected banditas to a flower.
My in-laws have acreage and all different kinds of gardens, a bit like an English country house. I wish I had a tenth of their handiness in the garden. One day, when I don't have so many demands on my time, I'm going to learn.
Yay, Kirsten got the rooster! Have fun:)
Gardenias, they're beautiful, delicate, a creamy color and smell like vanilla. The dark green leaves contrast with the lighter flowers. The plant usually has lots of flowers open at one time.
I also love the colorful birds of paradise... yellow, red, blue and purple. They seem more independent and strong.
Congrats Kirsten have fun with him
Joanie yes I am going to say it as well what a beautiful post so thoughtful and true about the flowers.
I wish I had a green thumb I do love looking at gardens but alas I seem to kill almost anything I have planted over the years so I don't even try anymore. I do have a few roses and some geraniums growing and some bird of paradise all of which are hardy and have lasted a long while.
My grandmother always had a lovely garden and grew really lovely hydrangeas so they always remind me of her.
My favourite flowers are roses and carnations but I also love orchids
Have Fun
Helen
Aunty Cindy, I had you pictured as a snap dragon EG
Hey, Joan, this is a beautiful post!
I had a Bandita "squeeeeee" moment this morning for Kate! I was digging through a pile of clean socks this morning, trying to get the girls out the door (yes I am an amazing housekeeper-snort!) and listening to our local morning program. They brought on the weekly "book I recommend" person and I start gripping--I'm still ticked off because all these summer lists I'm seeing posted in magazines never have romances--and I'm sure they're going to start jabbering about some depressing literary read.
Then the lady started waving Homicide in Hardcover around! She said it was a great book, sucked you right in and was perfect for all the rainy spring days we're having. They did a close-up on the title! So I'll say Kate is a morning glory flower, since she's had her moment of fame here in small town Kansas. :)
Oh Joanie - how lovely! Your post sums up how I feel, being back in our home after 6 years renting, and able to plant things in our own garden.
Sadly no green thumb either. My secretary once gave me a plastic plant on the grounds that I couldn't kill that one. I did. It was an accident.
Our garden was very boring and in terrible shape. Lots of green bushes, but no colour. Now, we have rhodedendrons, azaleas, a lilac, a Montana clematis, aquilegias (columbines) and so on. Can't wait for the dahlias to grow. Yay for colour!
Congrats Kirsten - and I love the sound of your faerie book!
Lime - that's why I love daffodils and snowdrops. they bring colour back to the landscape after a long winter.
Fo - snork at calling Suz a lush ... sorry, not calling Suz a lush!
Aww Becke - how sweet! Me? An English Rose!
When I was little, I hated being part foreign, looking different, having a different kind of name etc etc. I dreamed of being a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl called Elizabeth. LOL. I grew up and now rather enjoy being different!
My favourite flowers are red gerbera daisies - bright, colourful, cheerful. No idea what they mean.
I have a recommendation for the GR's flower............the cockscomb. :)
Ummmmmm....{stretches and takes a seat on the lovely quilt the glads have placed on the lawn} Good morning all!
Isn't it a beautiful day for a garden free for all...er, I mean party?
What's this Marcus? I new invention of yours? A chocolate chip ice cream.....mimosa?
Ummm...
Oh, it's made with Bailey's added. Allright.
Yep I'm looking around The Lair's garden and glad to see it starting to fill in. As to our own larkspur grabbing the chook, I raise my glass and say "Bird of Paradise!"...That's a garden salutation for Magnificent!
Down here in Big D we have whole areas planted with Texas wild flowers. It was a pet project of Lady Byrd Johnson, you know, LBJ's wife. Anyways, they come in bloom about oh mid April. It's a mixture of Texas Blue Bonnets, paint brush and Indian primroses.
Great post, Joanie! And I'm with Fo in being glad we're "not going there" with more calorie-laden posts. Grins. The ice cream fest yesterday nearly put me over the limit! ha!
Kirsten, snagged the fowl from Fo! Go ON with your bad self!
JT, your garden sounds lovely. I adore flowers and gardening. I even like mulching and weeding. LOVE it. :>
Becke, I adore you for saying I'm a gorgeous, tall, sunny sunflower. Its a wonderful thing to be.
As to what flowers I can see, dogwoods and azaleas, my peonies - love those too, PinkPeony! -are about to bloom. My cherries, plums and peaches were gorgeous this year as were my daffs. For some reason my tulips didn't make the same showing this year as they usually do. *frowny face* All my irises, my fav flower, are bursting out ready to show their stuff. I'm so excited to see a new one I put in last fall that's flame-y red/orange. That one reminds me of KJ - fiery!
Kirsten, your fairy book sounds divine. Someone mentioned woodland violets. Love those and have a lot in my yard.
There are so many flowers I love that I don't know which one I'd be or where I'd be planted. Partial shade perhaps since I'm not a sun worshiper, or in a woodland garden so I could hang out with Kirsten's fairies!
Gillian! HOW COOL!!! I'm so excited that Kate's book was a feature and that you saw it! Whoohoooooo, Banditas!
Suzanne I was thinking the Narcissus for the GR for obvious reasons! And I do love that flower.
Great job on swiping the Wooster from under the nose of La Campbell, Kirsten.
I have five acres and I would SO love to turn it all into a lovely garden. I simply don't have the time. I have a huge embankment of azaleas that I have let grow unchecked. As a result I have some that are over six feet tall and eight feet wide. I have perhaps six different colors and they really are gorgeous when they are all in bloom. I have rhododendron too - something they said would never grow here. Then there are dogwoods everywhere.
My climbing roses are the best - speaking of that English rose Anna S. I have one pink Queen Elizabeth climbing rose that covers an entire side of the house. The other, a Will Scarlett, covers half of the trellis where my grapes are being trained to grow.
Now my Mom has a camellia bush that she planted 38 years ago. It started out as a little shrub in a pot and is now as tall as her two story house! We call it our other brother - Bubba - because he has been in the family so long. When it is in full bloom it is incredible with deep hot pink blooms.
And drat whoever was "singing" the garden party song. Now it's stuck in my head.
I've seen Suz at the bar, Fo..
Kidding my sweet little hydrangea...
There are so many beautiful flowers that signify attributes common to all the Banditas it was difficult to figure them all out. Despite the character associated with each blossom I was searching for the one bloom that..fit everyone. Started with a few and hope that all ya'll will help me plant the rest of the day.
Anna (aka Fo) What flower do you see yourself as? I know Oz has loads of beautiful ones down under.
As to food themes...you're darn lucky I didn't DO the bread (and butter) one :-)
Hey lime! Sorry about your lack of green digits. Ditto for me, though as I said, I think I'm starting around the left thumb a bit.
(Nothing's died yet)
Here have a scone. Lucien makes the BEST scones. They have Grand Marnier in them :-)
Hey Kristen...don't cry though....if you did you'd be the first self watering flower :-)
I think your wedding sounds beautiful and LOVE the fairies born in flowers!!! Love. It.
Mornin' C. The glads have a special wine all ready for you. I mean you're a moonvine so this morning is really the end of your night.
Luna moths? Really? I thought they only existed in Japan? Do those tiny little Japanese twins come with them?
:-)
Hey Anna S! Gerber Daisies are my daughter's favorite flower and she had them for her wedding flowers. She carried a bouquet of white, the bridesmaids carried ones of yellow and her sister, the maid of honor carried pink. We had wild daisies in the boutineers and corsages and table center piece. She refused roses, but as her mama, paying the bills, I insisted the mothers get them in their corsages.
Scones! Yeah! Thanks, Lucien, and yes Demetrius, I'll have one of those mimosas.
grins.
Suz, if you had your hydrangeas you'd have self FERTILIZING flowers :-)
Seriously, when I visited you last month, I thought Dallas had some BEAUTIFUL flowers. Never did find those Kroger ones.
Now, I know you've been feeling a bit poorly, so Demetrius has a nice cup of Irish...coffee. That'll knock that cough down :-)
Oh, Treethyme! What lovely correlations. Yes, that Donna can be a bit saucy (as can her heroes...with mink paintbrushes) and dogwood fits Caren beautifully!
Trish as a day lily. Definately, trying to figure out what color though. I'm leaning toward a vibrant orange...hmmmm
And beautiful Anna S. or VA as we Banditas call her. Sweet and delicate indeed...until she watches a hockey game....then her exuberance makes her petals flare.
Um, that didn't come out right :-)
What about you? A garden wouldn't be complete without a tree? What type of tree? Or herb (thyme?)
Sip on this goblet of mead while you think about it...
Yay, Kirsten, go girl with the chook. Hmmmm, he seems to be wanting to invade the Bandita homes. Watch that rooster; he's a tricky one!
Joanie, what a great blog. You had me LOL at your BFF's reaction to your non-green-thumb comments! And what a great comparison to the Banditas.
I live in what used to be a little railroad town where the roses ran wild. They still grow like crazy here just about everywhere you go. Nearly every yard in my neighborhood has roses flourishing like mad.
Last year Dr. Big planted a rose bush that has the loveliest peach color, dark at the edges and pale at the center. It's truly gorgeous and reminds me of Bandita Trish with her beautiful, clear complexion and wide-eyed startled, but a little distracted, look.
Tawny, I'm still conteplating your blossom....Something beautiful with a hint of exotic. A bloom that waves in the wind with a bit of flirtation......
What do ya'll think? What type of flower would Tawny be?
Oh, and good luck with the vegetables. Growing any artichokes? Saw a whole FARM of those when we did our tour in CA
Now, I know you've been feeling a bit poorly, so Demetrius has a nice cup of Irish...coffee. That'll knock that cough down :-)..
Can I have it without the coffee? Just some whiskey in tea, with like lemon?
When one out-of-town visitor commented, "But fuchsias don't GROW here!" My mother said, "Shhh! It doesn't know that."....
LOL, what a cool thing!
I'd have to look up jimson weed so I won't discount it out of hand. It best have a bloom though.
Did ya'll know dandelions are considered a "flower" of friendship.
{poof} Watch out fot the fluff.
Leslie, pansies are the most delicate beautiful flower and hardy!
They grow practically all winter here in KY..except during ice storms...NOTHING grows during ice storms
PPeony and Christine, welcome to the picnic/party. Sven's been waiting for you.
Those English gardens are gorgeous and peonies are beautiful. I wish, wish, WISH I had the talent to plant mixed borders in the right combination of plants and colors.
Maybe when I buy my Irish cottage I'll hire a gardner...black hair, blue eyes, twinkle
Laurie,
Gardinias are gorgeous aren't they?
And I didn't realize Birds of Paradise came in different colors.
Helen? What colors are yours?
Lurve me some gardenias, Laurie and Joan. Beautiful! I used them in my wedding. They smell so lush and delicious!
Joanie, add a magnolia tree to your garden. They grow like crazy down here and the scent as I go for my walks is wonderful!
Now Diana...just because of the crop...
But Cindy does have a delightful bit of "snap" to her....and talented and beautiful to boot!
What about you? What do we plant to represent Diana in the BB section over by the babbling brook?
Gillian!
How cool!!! Kate deserves this and a whole bunch of "Star" Gazer lilies!!!!
She is one of our stars!
Anna S,
What I like most about my garden are all the new, different, unique flowers I found this year! Mixed in with the traditional they add a flavor and spice and gorgeousness to the whole scheme...like you.
I tried growing columbines but discovered they don't much care for almost 24 hours sun and Southern heat. {sigh}
And gerber daisies are fantastic too but I've found here in KY they bloom a couple of times and then pfftt
Well, help me drown my disappointment...Dem...grab that hockey hunk and ask him to bring the tea. No, Scotch will do..
For me, Joan, the common white-with-a-yellow-center daisy. As Meg Ryan's character says in You've Got Mail: "I love daisies...Don't you think daisies are the friendliest flowers?"
I'm a typical Midwesterner, friendly and outgoing, so it's always been my flower. I even feature a daisy on my website. And the dishes I put on my bridal registration were a pattern called "Sculptured Daisy." Still have them, too.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_x908CSKJhI4/STSl7dTMdXI/AAAAAAAADpw/IWl61oVuIwc/s400/Tablescapes+Metlox+Poppytrail+Sculptured+Daisy+006.JPG
Oh, Tawny - with her blazing hot books, I see her as a "Queen of the Night" tulip:
http://www.geocities.com/frudrake/queen-of-the-night.jpg
And Loucinda is a kind of Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) called "Irish Eyes"
http://z.about.com/d/gardening/1/0/S/P/Rudbeckia_IrishEyes_Kieft.jpg
Oooooo...Jeanne. I can just see KJ as a fiery iris..spearing her way out of the earth to erupt in success!
Sorry about your tulips. Despite my love of them, they never do well around my house. Rabbits I suspect.
And I'm thinking I'll investigate Kirsten's garden too. Wonder what I'd find in a Bells of Ireland plant/flower? Hmmmmm....
Now, sit down on the blanket m'dear. Marcus has enticed DQ to make a special blizzard in your honor..it has all the type of ice cream you like in it!
Ok, so it weighs about a ton...enjoy!
Louisa,
I'd love to see your towering azaelas!
When I first moved to my house, I planted those loose lavender type...they get sprawling and woody real fast.
Last year I planted traditional purple/pink bushes...and this year they were maginficent!
In Ireland, in June they have rhodendrons blooming ALL OVER THE COUNTRY! Can we say....gorgeous!!!
I even like mulching and weeding. LOVE it. :> ...
NOW you tell me after I coerced my brother into two weekends of helping me!!!
{Throws back another choc chip mimosa}
Kirsten, congrats on taking home the bird. Maybe you can further reinforce the picking up after himself pattern Fo started yesterday!
JT, what a beautiful post. I think you pegged the banditas very well. I would never presume to assign myself a flower because all I ever do is kill them. The fact that our rose bush is blooming prolfiicially is a testament to its natural inclinations, not to anything we do. Plus it's 12 ft. tall, so we can't reach the blossoms. We never think to prune it until there are blossoms we can't reach.
Suz - I had gerbera daisies in my wedding bouquet too. They had some lovely ones which were red with yellow tips.
Roses are beautiful, Jo.
My Mama had this gorgeous magenta colored rose with the BEST scent. It was over 50 years old when my brother dug it up. I briefly contemplated transplanting it to my house...but it was old.
I am surprised and pleased that a minature yellow rose bush I bought at Kroger's last year (and almost killed in the pot) that I planted in the ground is HUGE and FULL of blooms!
Joanie - ROFL about being sweet and delicate. OMG Snorking about the opening petals!
As for dandelions - don't know about friendship - more like PITA!
I've been trying to figure out which Banditas haven't been matched with a flower yet.
Beth's books have a sweetness to them that makes me think of lilacs.
And for Christine, I think I'd go with hibiscus -- for some reason, it makes me think of her.
I see Nancy as a tall purple iris:
http://www.ancientrootsresearch.com/Hap-I/Chivalry-iris.jpg
After reading Christie's Every Night I'm Yours, I'll have to give her the passion flower:
http://www.viableherbalsolutions.com/images/herbs/passion-flower-bsp.jpg
Haven't read KJ's books yet but she strikes me as someone who's not afraid to kick ass, so I'll go with orange coneflower for her:
http://fineartamerica.com/images-medium/orange-cone-flowers-suzanne-gaff.jpg
And I know Kate has already been assigned a flower, but I'm going to have to go with Monkshood for her, because it's poisonous, and often used in mystery books:
http://sunriseseeds.com/images/monkshoodmine.jpg
Oh forgot fuscias. Love fuscias. And magnolias - though our new one is looking a little yellow *sigh*
And Becke - that is one of my favourite lines from one of my favourite films. Along with the one about a bouquet of pencils ... and the butterfly on the subway.
Louisa, your post reminds me that we also have a camellia bush (unpruned ever and now 12 ft. tall; lucky for us, it blooms all over and not just at the unreachable top). It's one of the pink ones with white splashes on the flowers. We took the advice of someone who does not kill her plants and put it against the house on the south side, so I don't see it much. But the blooms are beautiful floating in a bowl of water with little candles. That makes a nice centerpiece.
My parents had camellias and azaleas. When they sold the house, I tried to take a cutting from each, but my lack of plant skill kicked in, and they never rooted.
We have a pink azalea in the front yard. It and the holly bushes in front of the porch do get trimmed because I believe in being able to see the porch as we approach and having the front door clearly visible to passers by for security reasons.
We had a pink dogwood tree in the back yard, but dogwood blight killed it a couple of years back, alas.
Kirsten, I didn't know you painted! That is so cool, and what a fabulous bridesmaid gift. Being a bridesmaid usually just got me a dress I'd likely never wear again.
Your fairy book sounds great. And I know your YA will be. Looking forward to reading both.
D'ya think you could spare some watercolors for the lair?
What a lovely blog, Joanie. I'm afraid I have no green thumb. Don't even have a single plant in my house. I do have one in my office I inherited and I've kept it alive for a year and a half now. That's very good for me.
If I had to pick mine I'd say I'm a cactus. Nearly impossible to kill and blooms every once in a while. Very understated. :)
And I'm not buying the Susan being shy thing. She had me laughing so hard my sides hurt at the Bandita party last year. Nope, not buying it.
I'm not sure what Tawny would be but I'm certain it would be something described as a "hot house flower". LOL!
Limecello, the way you bake, I can see why you're thinking of opening a bakery, even if you're just kidding around with it.
I bake somewhat better than I cook and way better than I garden. Which, unfortunately, isn't saying much. :-)
Terrio wrote: I have no green thumb. Don't even have a single plant in my house. I do have one in my office I inherited and I've kept it alive for a year and a half now. . . .
I'm impressed about the plant. When I was in college, people put plants in their window sills. The only reason mine lived was that I had plant-skilled roommates. I even tried the supposedly hardy African violet because I had vague memories of my grandmother having lots of them. It died really fast. *sigh*
So good for you on keeping that plant going!
Hey, I just realized--we had two blogs about food and now one about gardens. Which makes the blog sort of like having a big meal and then going outside to walk it off!
I like that analogy, Nancy!
Kirsten! With the rooster! YaHOO! Show that bird some lovin' NW style, heard?
And awwww, Joanie, what a post! You had me all sniffly & stuff. And that's not easy. I may be a little shy but I'm not a crier.
Sweet pea. That's what I call my kids. *sniff*
And I think spirited suits you VERY well. And I adore freesias. I adore you, too, so it's a match.
Mmmmmwah!
Terrio wrote: And I'm not buying the Susan being shy thing. She had me laughing so hard my sides hurt at the Bandita party last year. Nope, not buying it.I'm a picky sort of shy. :-) I don't care to walk into large gatherings alone, & I hate making new friends. It's just so HARD, you know?
But when I meet somebody I like right out of the gate, somebody engaging & fun & chatty? Well, stand back, because we're about to MAKE FRIENDS.
It appears I may like you, Terrio. :-)
Fair warning to all the other BBs I may run across in DC--I'll be flying solo this year (my first nationals without my beloved CP Kirsten) & I will most certainly be desperately lonely & sad. I may very well glom onto the first friendly face I see & hang on until I am rudely dismissed. I will not take this personally, however, so take whatever measures are necessary to save yourselves.
:-)
Right, right, right, Smoov. Not buyin' it. You'll be right in there with all the Bandita's yakkn' away, calling Kirsten to fill in all the deets, but never a lack for convo or lunch-buddies.
Trust me.
You Got's a Posse, Babe.
Joan - What a wonderful post!
I wish I had a green thumb. I keep telling the garden store that I need survival plants, but they keep selling me ones that require water. Fortunately, I live in walking distance of a beautiful botanical garden. It's a great place to visit when I need that sweet color fix without any of the hassle.
Becke - thank you for the saucer magnolia - those are gorgeous. Queen of the Night tulips fits Tawny's blazing stories just right.
AC - definiately a snapdragon (with a tiny little whip). Diana -Coxcomb for the GR is perfect.
Louisa - I think we should move this garden party to your five acres! Azaleas and rhododendrons growing unchecks sounds gorgeous. We just planted a rhododendron by the house. Fingers crossed that it "takes."
What fun digging in the dirt with everyone *g*
Treethyme, thank you! I love irises (ours died, as usual, though they did last a couple of seasons), and the purple ones are my favorites.
My grandmother had irises like the picture you posted, purple ones and white ones and yellow ones, in her garden. Even though her dementia had set in by the time I was four or five, my grandfather kept up her garden as long as he lived in that house.
Suz, your magnolia comment reminded me of something. You probably know that if you touch magnolia blossoms, they turn brown.
A friend of mine claimed to have read a novel by a very big name author, who was not from the South, in which the Atlanta heroine came downstairs for the prom with a wreath of magnolia blossoms on her head. ??!!
A magnolia blossom would not only turn brown if handled but would be almost as big as her head! I never looked that up, and now cannot remember the book title. My friend is, unfortunately, deceased and so cannot tell me. But it seemed a prime example of not doing quite enough research!
Actually, Nancy, I did know that! From experience. :)
Nancy wrote: (ours died, as usual, though they did last a couple of seasons)Nancy! You, too?? I've killed more irises. I tried planting the bulbs shallower, deeper, giving them more sun, more shade, more water, less water. They just dislike me & refuse to grow.
In a possibly related note, my tulips came up this year but only the leaves. No stems, no blooms. Just the big, wide recognizable leaves that makes you think, "Ooooh, we're going to have tulips!"
Only no tulips.
Huh.
I like roses. The kind that actually have some kind of scent.
Aikakone - Keltainen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYjMTeUKWXI
MAARIT Tuuli & Taivas (Wind & Sky)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDf5NDRRUoU
KEVÄT JA MINÄ - TOMMI LÄNTINEN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FV8cRMmMAFY
Neiti Kevät
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwIgXd6avWY
Pave Maijanen - Lähtisitkö
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLlNe6vyokI
Tomas Ledin - Sommaren är kort
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVdGOz_ptDg
Susan - Unlike daffodils, which multiply, tulip bulbs grow smaller over time and eventually die (if the deer and other critters haven't eaten them first). You aren't killing them; it's just how they grow.
Jeanne wrote: You Got's a Posse, Babe.
And that's the only thing keeping me from utter, weak-kneed panic.
I loves me my banditas & buddies.
But I'm totally drunk dialing Kirsten from the bar anyway, as promised, if people want to buy tickets.
Suz wrote Actually, Nancy, I did know that! [about magnolias turning brown if touched] From experience. :) . . .
That's how I learned it, too. :-)
Susan and Treethyne, I had a similar experience with tulips, and a plant-savvy friend advised us that they don't produce many seasons.
The first year the dh and I were married, we put in a lot of bulbs in the fall. Most of those have now died, but a few hardy daffodils and hyacinths (I love the scent and look of hyacinths) are still hanging in there, if a bit scraggly-looking. Every fall, we mean to plant new bulbs, and every fall, we get busy. Maybe this year!
I've been promised a hybrid dogwood, which our nursery guy says is best planted in the autumn, and crepe myrtle to replace the dead dogwood. Most crepe myrtle here are sort of a deep pink, but they also come in white. That's what I want, a white crepe myrtle and a pink dogwood.
I'm having one of those Sally Field "you like me!" moments. LOL! I like you too, Smoov! And I'm the extravert that is always happy to have another tag along. Feel free to find me. Oh, and I'll buy one of those drunk dial tickets. I can't drink a drop anymore, so I'll be the sober one who tells you about it the next day. *g*
Nancy - My guess is I have a tough plant to kill. The little card says Golden Pothos. No flowers but pretty leaves. And when it totally wilts from lack of watering, it comes right back after I drown it. LOL!
This is a good place to announce than in addition to moderating Mystery and Garden book clubs for BN.com, they just hired me to write a regular garden blog for them, three times a week.
Not sure when it will first appear, but I think it will be found with all the blogs on the Unabashedly Bookish link at BN.com. (I use my real name there: Becke Davis)
Michelle Buonfiglio just joined BN.com as a romance blogger, too!
Treethyme said: Oh, Tawny - with her blazing hot books, I see her as a "Queen of the Night" tulip:
Oooooh, I likey!! I have black irises but haven't had any luck with tulips. How gorgeous (thank you *g*)
and does this mean I'll grow smaller with each season? I can get on board with that!!!
Congrats on your gig at B&N Becke :-) Thats great!!
Nancy said:
Susan and Treethyne, I had a similar experience with tulips, and a plant-savvy friend advised us that they don't produce many seasons.
Okay I haven't read through all the comments, and this may have been said already. Tulips don't do well for y'all because tulips don't do well in the heat. They need cool seasons to do their best. They're also borderline here. They'll bloom great the first year, but then in subsequent years you'll get fewer and fewer flowers. The foliage from the tulips sits there after flowering and builds the bulb for the following year. But if it's very hot while this is happening, they just can't do it. They need cool to build that bulb and get ready for the following year. So if you're in the south, you have to treat tulips as an annual, and plan to replant each fall.
It's the same reason for Joanie. She could grow them (on the borderline even where she is) but she has full sun and full exposure to the heat fairly early in the year. So they'll just dwindle away.
Susan said:
In a possibly related note, my tulips came up this year but only the leaves. No stems, no blooms. Just the big, wide recognizable leaves that makes you think, "Ooooh, we're going to have tulips!"
That's odd Susan, as you're far enough north that you should be able to do well with tulips. It may be the variety. You might check around at your local garden centers (the ones that are there year-round, not the summer-only ones) and ask what variety does well where you are. Get #1 bulbs and try it again. You should be able to do decently with tulips. You do have to plant them DEEP though. Most people want to plant tulips much too shallow.
terrio said:
My guess is I have a tough plant to kill. The little card says Golden Pothos. No flowers but pretty leaves. And when it totally wilts from lack of watering, it comes right back after I drown it. LOL!
Golden pothos is indeed a tough plant to kill! It's a great plant for people who forget to water, and it grows in somewhat lower light! Good pick!
Cassondra wrote They'll bloom great the first year, but then in subsequent years you'll get fewer and fewer flowers. . . .
That's exactly what happened. As a stopgap, the dh has filled the bed with pansies, which make a nice view from the kitchen window. We probably are not organized enough to replant every year, but I'll bear that in mind.
Thanks for the pink rose selection for the BBs and all!
For the Banditas, I would go to the florist and the garden shop.
I would gather one of all the flowers which are available and "build" a great cluster of flowers. To me, that is the Ladies of the Lair: a bountiful, beautiful bouquet!
Pat Cochran
And around here it's time for Eurovision Song Contest again! Finland made it to the finals. Too bad Switzerland didn't. It was one of the better songs.
Waldo's People - Lose Control (Eurovision 2009 Finland)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybbNQnSPseA
Lovebugs - The Highest Heights
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CseWa_d43ck&feature=related
Joan, when I was in Oxford as a student in 1976, I had one of my tutorials (literature) at Baliol College. We often sat out in the quad, which was lined with flower beds blooming in a riot of beautifully coordinated colors. Back then, I had no idea how much work went into creating that seemingly casual disarray.
Pat wrote: To me, that is the Ladies of the Lair: a bountiful, beautiful bouquet! . . .
Pat, how nice! Thank you. Our buddies are a big part of that bouquet, because part of what makes the lair so much fun is the interaction with all our visitors.
Cassondra - That makes total sense about this plant since it never sees sunlight. I have no window in my office so it sits atop my tall bookcase. Florescent light is all this poor thing gets and that only while I'm here.
Pat said:
To me, that is the Ladies of the Lair: a bountiful, beautiful bouquet!
Oh, Pat! What a nice thing to say!
(sniff) Y'all are makin' me cry. (sniff)
Anna I LOVE snowdrops! And I forgot daffodils - my parent's don't have them at their new house :X I really like forsythia too, and lilacs. LOL Joan! I'm pretty good with plants - though I feel incredibly guilty I think I killed a pine tree seedling. :( I'm really sad because it's the first thing that died. I revived it twice, but I think it was just too much. Sadly now I just don't have the time/place for plants - I've moved at least once a year for the past 7 years. Also whenever I get them, if I stop back at home my mom steals them :P
Nancy - haha, thanks. It's very much fun just to discuss!
Nancy said:
I've been promised a hybrid dogwood, which our nursery guy says is best planted in the autumn,Nancy, that's cuz nurseries DIG in the early spring, before leaf break, and in the autumn, after dormancy begins. It has nothing to do with what's good for the plant. That's a myth that's been generated by the needs of the industry. If you find a B&B or potted Cornushybrid that you like, you can plant it any time of year you can dig the soil. Start looking around for one. The more time you have to look, the better bargain you can find. Do not, however, buy one at Walmart unless you want to take your chances. Those plants get abused something awful. (Sorry Louisa!)
Nancy said:
the Atlanta heroine came downstairs for the prom with a wreath of magnolia blossoms on her head. ??!!Nancy, I didn't know that magnolia blossoms turned brown when you touch them either. We are right on the border for growing Southern Magnolia here in zone 6. They get windburn really badly in the winters here, and often don't flower at all. Every now and then you'll find a magnificent one growing in a sheltered spot in somebody 's back or side yard, where it's protected from the wind. I've sniffed and admired the blossoms on a tree before, but they're so few and far between that I never wanted to pick them, so I've never experienced this "turning brown" phenomenon.
You know, there ARE a few magnolias with smaller blossoms, but I bet that author in that book doesn't know that. I admit, I snorked and nearly spewed coffee when I read that--a wreath of magnolia blossoms in her hair--Uh..no.
When you say "magnolia" to most people, they think of the Southern Magnolia. The one with the gigantic blossom.
I read a book like that once in which the hero, returning home from out west to face his demons, "rolled into the mountains around Paducah, Kentucky." Made me want to throw the book across the room. No mountains in that part of the state. It's river bottom land. I think just like your magnolia story, a lot of people just assume that Kentucky is all mountains based on the Beverly Hillbillies or something. :0/
I have a story about lilacs...
MY parents moved into their current home when I was a senior in high school. One of the reasons my mother fell in love with the house was this lovely lilac bush right outside the dining room window. She loved to sit there and drink her coffee in the morning and smell and see the liacs all spring and summer long.
They'd been in the house about 3 or 4 years when one day Mama came home and found to her horror, Daddy had dug and destroyed her lilac bush.
When she asked him why he'd done that, he said, "It's blocking the view of my apple trees." (He had 2 dwarf apple trees and one hugely scraggly one.) AND he couldn't understand how angry she was.
To this day he hasn't replaced the lilac and I doubt she's really ever forgiven him! LOL
But he does bring her the loveliest roses almost daily from his multitude of rose bushes in the yard.
Joanie
I didn't know that bird of paridise came in different colours my one is orange with the royal blue lovely when it is out in flower it grows under the big red flowering gum tree in the back yard in the front yard I have 2 really nice bottle brush trees one pink and one red and a lovely lily pily tree.
Have Fun
Helen
A challenge to you in the Lair: Which flower am I????
(Black rose isn't an option. Nor is the flower that becomes the durian fruit.)
Keira - You are a lovely old/classic rose called 'Reine de Violettes':
http://www.rdrop.com/~paul/perpetuals/violettes.html
And here's a Pink Peony for you-know-who!
http://www.songsparrow.com/2009/plantdetails.cfm?ID=279&type=PEONY,&pagetype=plantdetails
Cassondra wrote: I think just like your magnolia story, a lot of people just assume that Kentucky is all mountains based on the Beverly Hillbillies or something. Ain't it the truth. It's unfortunate that so much of the South's image comes from TV.
I once read a reference in a Star Trek novel to "the Lost Colony of Roanoke, Virginia." Uh, no. Roanoke, Virginia, is waaay inland.
There is no Roanoke, NC, just Roanoke Island, which is probably what threw off the copyeditors, but the Lost Colony was most definitely in NC. As any 7th grade history book would make clear.
Keira, since we have established that I am really not good with plants, I hope you'll be tolerant of this vague answer. There was a small, purple flower we used to plant in our yard, and I can't remember its name. But it was pretty and subtle and hardy. So whatever it is, and I apologize for not being more plant-intelligent, I'd pick that for you.
Oooh, Becke, that Reine-rose is perfect for Keira. I'd have also considered an orchid for Keira - elegant, hardier than they look, exotic. Yep. But that Reine rose is GAWGEEOUS, just like Mme. K.
I love all these garden pix you found and BTW, congrats on doing the garden thing for BN too! Yeah!
Joan said...
But Cindy does have a delightful bit of "snap" to her....and talented and beautiful to boot!
What about you? What do we plant to represent Diana in the BB section over by the babbling brook?I love snapdragons, my mother used to work in a greenhouse and she would bring me bunches of them that weren't suitable for arrangements.
Since my lack of patience regarding soon to be released books maybe you should put in Impatiens with my name on them.
Nancy, I nearly inhaled Diet Coke and choked over that Roanoke reference. Then I LOL over that error.
Suz, if my DH did that, roses or no roses, there'd be an arse-whuppin'
I think Christie would be a geranium. Bright and cheery and long lasting. :>
Cassondra and Nancy, I just re-read the comments on the magnolias. Heehehhheeeeeheheeeee...giggling over the image of some poor girl with these ENORMOUS flowers on her head. Snork.
They do brown easily, although I've seen them used in arrangements. You have to be SO careful with them to utilize them, but the smell...ahhhhhh, heaven.
Caren will tell you that about this time, around NC State and Meredith college in Raleigh, and near the State Capitol it smells like Lemon Pledge. The magnolias are in bloom and that faint lemony-citrusy scent wafts around...divine!
Joanie, what a beautiful garden and what lovely flowers everyone has added to it today!
I've progressed from a black thumb to a light brown but still have a ways to go until I reach green. If that ever happens. :)
I have beautiful red geraniums in pots on my porch and deck. I've always loved them and they seem to be one plant that manages to withstand my efforts. Most poor plants cringe in terror when they see me approach. My late dh used to joke that I could kill a silk plant. LOL!
I have no idea what plant would represent me. Anything that manages to stay alive in my sphere, perhaps?
Hey guys!
Sorry to have been MIA. Just got in from the racetrack. Won $144 on one race!
But the horse named Edit This didn't finish...had to stop and do revisions I guess and Justamatteroftime...lost track of it and must have stopped at a pub or something.
Nancy, I think there's a flower out there for you. Wisteria...there's a gorgeous one symbolizing steadfastness.
Anna S. said: As for dandelions - don't know about friendship - more like PITA!...
Not if you designate them mutatnt daffodils... :-)
If I had to pick mine I'd say I'm a cactus. Nearly impossible to kill and blooms every once in a while. Very understated. :)....
Good choice Terrio. Some of the most exquisite flowers come from cacti...
Hey! Who put that gazebo up in the garden? Is that salsa music I'm hearing? {squints} What's that emblem over the top?
THE GR HAS A COAT OF ARMS??!!!
BTW, it should come as no surprise that the GR's plants (which he's placed liberally around the perimeter of the garden) is the "cockscomb"..
He likes...red..
Sweet pea. That's what I call my kids. *sniff*....
Awww, you're welcome...sweetpea...
Actually...and I'm going on pure memory here....I think the sweetpea may be April's flower and that's my birthday month.
but they keep selling me ones that require water. ....
See! See, Donna! My BFF thought I was the only one who didn't embrace this..
And sorry if I missed that Diana's already identified the GR's flower....though I um, didn't think it was spelled with an X :-)
I like roses. The kind that actually have some kind of scent. ...
I know, Minna! Several years ago I invested in this deep, deep red rosebush. I nurtured it, it grew and when the blooms came I ran my nose right up to them only...nothing.
I thought WT....
WHO knew they made scentless roses?? Who???
{Squints} Whose running electrical cords across the petunias? What Demetrius? They're bringing in the industrial blender? Jeanne Marie!!!!!
To me, that is the Ladies of the Lair: a bountiful, beautiful bouquet!...
Awww..thanks Pat!
Here, have one of Jeannes industrial margharitas...being a garden we should be able to find a wheelbarrow big enough to carry the glass...
Joanie, I love wisteria. It's so pretty!
Gazebo? What gaze--oh, my stars and garters! There really is a gazebo in the yard, and, seeing as how the gladiators and cabana boys are unlikely to do something that makes even more work for them, I think we know who to blame--but how did he do it? The bird has been at Kirsten's all day. Or he was supposed to be.
You don't suppose he actually got his hands on money and hired workmen, do you?
PJ,
I had picked out the camellia for you...symbol of graciousness and festivities!
And known to be turtle resistant
:-)
You don't suppose he actually got his hands on money and hired workmen, do you? ...
Either that, Nancy or he's got something on the hired guys...
Hmmm....Marcus, Lucien and Demetrius are digging around that corner over there (Yes...it IS a nice sight :-) They're weeding their special patch of the garden.
Gladiola's! The flower of the Gladiator representing strength of character! All different colors!
Who'd have thought they'd have that much time what with training, rubbing down the Banditas...er, serving the Banditas...er, providing security, yeah that's it. Providing security for The Lair.
They are so CUTE with their loincloths and garden gloves :-)
Congrats Kirsten, for nabbing that bird. I think it was your turn!
What a beautiful post and I loved the flowers and there meanings. I really loved the Hydrangea's meanings it really fits the bill today! Thanks for sharing this with us.
Joanie, your post is making depressed. My front yard has nothing right now, except where I planted some very small azaleas by the driveway. Hopefully, we'll start the landscaping soon. I can't wait to get some shrubs, trees and flowers planted.
PJ,
I had picked out the camellia for you...symbol of graciousness and festivities!Aww, I like that! Thanks, Joanie!
And known to be turtle resistant
ROFL!!!
Virginia!
So...what do you think of the garden? What type of flower would you be? I like snowball bushes..beautiful fluffy white blooms....
And Christie...I'm sorry. Here...have a violet....
I never knew how many choices of plants/shrubs/bushes there were until my BFF stepped in. Before that, I thought there was only boxwoods....
I am LOL over the snapdragons! I ALMOST said that but then realized that snapdragons have NO TEETH! Whereas jimson weed IS poisonous...
My gramma grew lots of snapdragons (and zinnias which the butterflys were mad over) and my sister and I picked the blossoms and made them "talk."
Becke those "Irish Eyes" Rudbeckia are very pretty and the correct color for this Irish Protestant, but more accurately they should probably be a RUDE-beckia for Aunty! :-P
Pat, thanx for the lovely compliment! We are a huge and varied bouquet here in the Lair. And that new gazebo out in the yard is really nice. Did anyone notice the spa/hot tub?
AC
Hey, JT! Did you have fun at your gambling party? Grins.
Vvvaaaaroooooom! Doesn't that industrial blender work well? The Glads have been planting..well, glads. I've also had them planting peach trees. Homesick, you know?
Besides that means peach daquiri's later in the summer!
Did anyone notice the spa/hot tub? ....
Indeed I did, Aunty.
Did you notice the new cabana boy Aiden in it?
Niiiiiice.....
I did indeed, Duchesse. But I wasn't just wagering on those beautiful horses...Churchill Downs is famed for it's flower gardens. And they did NOT disappoint....
OF course winning that exacta helped bunch :-)
I've also had them planting peach trees....
The boys mentioned that to me. They were reluctant to say anything but Marcus finally spilled that while they did not mind helping one of the Banditas out, your constant urging of "Sweat! More Sweat" was disconcerting...
*blushing* Well it made them glisten so nicely...
Suz, if my DH did that, roses or no roses, there'd be an arse-whuppin'..
I'm surprised there wasn't! IN fact, to this day I think he's still clueless how angry she was over that lilac bush!
blushing* Well it made them glisten so nicely......
The thoroughbreds were glistening too and received a loving rubdown..... {cocks questioning brow in Duchesse's direction}
Awww, I love roses! Actually, I love all different kinds of flowers...though maybe not all together...that would make for some really odd smells.
I don't have a green thumb and I have very much luck with potted plants. I tried to save an african violet plant once that someone was going to throw out. I killed it. Then someone gave me the cutest little tiny potted spider plant(I think I named it Bob) and I was doing so well with it till I let a friend plantsit it over the summer. She lost it. She decided to spruce up the dorm's bathroom with plants and someone took it.
The only thing I seem to be able to keep/keep alive is dandelions. That's probably what I am. ;)
Joanie said: The thoroughbreds were glistening too and received a loving rubdown..... {cocks questioning brow in Duchesse's direction}
You would not believe the way I read that last, parenthetical sentence. SNORK!!!
As to a rubdown, if our thoroughbred gladiators would like one...I have plenty of towels, and oil...
Aw, now Pissenlit, why not a Peace Lily? They're easy going, let you know when they need water...
Beautiful. :>
Oh, Pissenlit.....poor Bob!
I had a HUGE spider plant back in the {ahem} 70's. They were the "in" plant to have...had to have something to put in all those macrame "in" pot hangers.
Dandelions are yellow and pretty and as I said (swear I'm not making this up) considered a flower of friendship.
That's what I tell my "perfect lawn" CP when she complains my yard is "infecting" my neighbors.
I'm not infecting, I'm being friendly :-)
Jeanne, wait, what? Plants need water?? ;)
Jeanne Marie.....I ...er, did not realize where the words would come out in that sentence.
PS Lucien loves the scent of sandalwood. I'm just sayin
Water, luv-n-care...some people talk to them. However, I think this is a rumor. Plants really prefer a good talk show, you know? Grins. Ellen, maybe, or Oprah.
And dandelions ARE friendly! I think they're so cheery.
Sandlewood, hmmmm? *making note*
That would be S-a-n-d-a-l-wood
Jeeeeesh!
Water, luv-n-care...some people talk to them....
Are you talking flowers or glads?
Hmmmmm...
Do the Gladiators prefer Ellen or Oprah? Or is Jerry Springer more their speed? Grins.
I mean, they DO have to keep busy while we're busy in the caves and at our DDJ's
What the...? KIRSTEN got the GR? Has the world gone MAD?!
Sorry...um, Joanie I love flowers but I have almost no time for gardening anymore. I used to have lovely flowers every year...then I started writing. All of a sudden, I have no flowers except the most egregiously stubborn of perennials (day lilies, irises, daffodils) and flowering trees (magnolias, azaleas, hydrangeas, crepe myrtle).
I have dreams of removing my dead and dying boxwoods like you did and reclaiming that area in front of the left side of the house. but who has time? My darling son gave me some lovely ageratum and portulaca for Mother's Day. They are sitting in the pots they came in and I feel guilty every time I walk by them. But to plant them, I'll have to find time to do serious tilling and planting. *sigh* I hope I can find the time!
My mother, on the other hand, has the greenest thumb ever AND she's retired. Her flowers are amazingly gorgeous. My sister posted an album of her garden on Facebook. It is so beautiful!
Oh, Becke, I love being a dogwood! The dogwood is the state flower of NC (even though it's a tree, which makes me snork). Thank you for that!
Gillian, that's awesome they recommended Kate's book! Of course, Homicide in Hardcover IS a great book. Everyone needs to read it!
JT, rhododendrons grow to ENORMOUS size in the mountains of NC. They have huge banks of them. We had some in our yard when we first moved in because there were lots of pine trees. The rhododendrons like their feet in the shade and their heads in the sun, so to speak. Well, we had to take out lots of the pine trees so they wouldn't fall on our house during a hurricane...and the rhododendrons died. *sigh* I'd love to have another someday!
PJ, I see you as something both hardy, beautiful and unexpected, like a Christmas cactus! They aren't prickly like other cacti and the flowers are incredibly beautiful, like you!
Hey Caren aka Birthday Girl :-)
I remember visiting Charlotte NC years ago during spring. There was this older, established upper income neighborhood that had rhodendrons and azaelas all in bloom. I took a tour they offered and it was breathtaking!
And...according to the movie The American President, a dogwood is a tree AND a flower :-)
Hey birthday girl! So, did anyone get you plants for your birthday, Caren?
Limecello, I love forsythia. Where I grew up in Nashville, there was forsythia everywhere. It was one of the first things to green up in springtime and the yellow flowers let me know it was really spring! We had flowering vinca minor (which is hard to find here now, 'cause it's not fashionable) and it has the loveliest purple flowers. I have vinca minor here at my house, but only because it was planted 30 years ago. *g*
Wait -- why is it so remarkable that I snagged the bird, Caren? Are you suggesting he doesn't like me? Are my feathers not white enough? Is my little beak not sharp enough?
HMPH!
Keira, I see you as an orange tiger lily. Dependable, exotic, bright, long-lasting and gorgeous!
Oh, and just so you know, Smoov may need a little extra care in DC. Y'all will love her up, right?
I'm starting to worry about her a little...
And this drunk dialing thing has me nervous.
Jeanne, it smells like that in my yard! I have four huge magnolias in the front yard. One is the ONLY tree in that section of the yard. Huge! They are already flowering (as are ones around NC State and Meredith). Really, NC in the spring is astonishingly beautiful. I'm allergic to much of its beauty, but I like to look at it out the windows! *g*
And this drunk dialing thing has me nervous....
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
We all have unlimited minutes....and lots of sangria....
Kirsten, it's only remarkable because...well...you're not usually the FIRST poster of the day, capice? I thought you actually went to bed at night! *g*
Joanie, I got some lovely flowers for my birthday. The older daughter went out and cut the most beautiful of the purple irises and put it in a vase for me. (She also made coffee for me, so MAJOR points today!) Then my BFF gave me a gorgeous mixed bouquet at lunch. She said, "Everyone should get flowers on their birthday." (Note to self, get BFF flowers on her birhtday...) She said she got me the ones that were supposed to be "energizing". I don't know about that, but they're gorgeous!
Kirsten, don't worry about Smoov. We have PLANS for her....
I'm done with my birthday now, so I'm going to bed. Another year older, wiser and richer in friends. Thanks Banditas and BBs! You guys have overwhelmed me on e-mail and Facebook. The best people hang out in the Lair! Mwah!
Those PLANS may be what Kirsten's worried about! Hahaha!
I miss those magnolia's Caren! They don't bloom till later around here, first week of June or so. In Raleigh, I remember it was always right at prom and HS Graduation time. :>
Posh said:
Keira, I see you as an orange tiger lily. Dependable, exotic, bright, long-lasting and gorgeous!
OH, I love this one for Keira. That fits her beautifully. A REAL tiger lily--the one with the black stripes....not the daylily variety that everybody calls a tiger lily. The real tiger lily is all this, plus it's rather exotic.
Happy Birthday, Posh!
Back now from choir practice & just
caught up on the comments. Thanks
for the offer of the industrial
strength/size (?) margarita! Tho'
I would love to indulge, it would
so toss me on my backside for the
next week or so!!
Pat Cochran
Posh, sneaking in to say happy birthday! I know I've said it elsewhere but it bears saying again, doesn't it?
Hope you had a fun birthday, Caren! And what's wrong with being a tree? I'm a tree myself...
Oh Joanie, I'm so late for your lovely post! It brought tears to my eyes, it was so sweet. I'm a little under the weather but I had to drag my butt over here to tell you how fabulous you are! I love all the flowers matched up with the Banditas. And thank you for including me and my stargazer lilies. Exotic? Moi? :-)
Yay, Kirsten!! You wotton wooster wangler! LOL
And wow, happy birthday to Posh! You look mahvelous, birthday girl!
Oooh me, oooh my. Y'all are so sweet.
Posh & Cassondra, the first flower bouquet my husband gave me on our first date were yellow tiger lillies. And I've oohed and aahed over your gorgeous orange RITA outfit often enough that you know yellow and orange are my favorite colors.
I'm always, always, always a sucker for roses. Not particularly the usual red/pink/etc ones, but the ones with the most exotic fragrance and color. So the Reine Rose is fantastic. Thank you, Becke & Jeanne. And with a Duchess in the Lair, how about a Queen, too, eh?
Nancy, just the fact that it's a flower you love that matters. Name's overrated; love's more imp.
Thanks for indulging me folks.
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