Frozen in Time

Frozen in Time is a fitting Violet to introduce to my flower fans a few days before Christmas. It is freezing outside. My door to the deck was frozen shut this morning from the recent snow fall and a little melting that occurred recently.  I never had a violet with these colors. Notice the tips of the leaf are etched in white and the blooms are a faded white with green tints. How unusual, how intriguing to the eye. This flower has bloomed so abundantly for me; it is the rich soil that has made this happen. It is so simple, yet the average house plant person has no clue where to get good soil. You make it. Comment to me if you have questions.  

Here is a closer view of the blooms and the white etching on the leaves. Can you believe how plentiful the blooms are? You too can have abundant blooms. It is so simple a child can do it. Write me to tell me what your experience has been with violets. You might like this blog about African Violets. 
 http://www.nsavctc.blogspot.com/

Ma's Melody Girl

You would not believe the size of the cutting I received that resulted in this mature Violet called Ma's Melody Girl. It was not more than two inches across. And now look at it. From leaf to leaf it is probably 10 inches across. How about the healthy leaves? Look at the rich greens; light and deep green. So lush. You too can grow magnificent violets. The recipe is simple. You need rich soil, watering from the bottom and indirect lighting.  Voila! Amazing blooms charming your life and amazing your imagination. Always something bright to look forward to.

Deck Day Dreams

When the dreary clouds of late autumn and early Winter pour out their buckets of rain for days on end, don't you just day dream for the time when your deck will be once again dotted with beautiful blooms, with colors galore?

This is what I am dreaming of::  flower pots filled with  deep pink, fire engine red, and bright white geraniums overflowing in great abundance. The picture below is one example of what we saw this past summer immediately out our back windows overlooking the deck and thick woods.  The spike plant adds a nice variation of texture and complements the charming rich green leaves of the geranium plant. One of the amazing traits of the geranium is the fragrant scent from the leaves. My memory of this scent goes back to my childhood, when we used to plant geraniums on my Gramma and Grampa's graves, every year on Memorial Day. 

Do you take advantage of the hardy geranium as you adorn your deck with color & beauty? Properly planted in rich soil, you will have a bounty of blooms all season long. The key is to dead-head the spent blooms to make way for the new buds that are just itching to begin multiplying. Geraniums are a staple of our summer Deck Decorum.  Don't heed those little rain puddles huddled on your deck; Day Dream with me. It won't be long and you can start your geranium cuttings for next summer.