CLOSED: Birthday Club For Cards Only in 2012

After much consideration I have decided to go ahead and change the way the Birthday Club works. I think in deference to the economic times we are in I am going to change this from a gifting kind of thing to CARDS ONLY. This change will go into effect starting in January 2012. I think that is the most fair way to do it so that the people at the end of this year who have played along nicely all year will still get their gifts from everyone.

So everyone that has a birthday starting in January will get a card from each of us in the birthday club sometime the month of their birthday. It is really a lot of fun to get snail mail these days anyway since we all live in such an electronic world. If you are so inclined to want to include a pack of seeds or something flat in with the card that is strictly up to you and should not in anyway be expected by the birthday girl.

I am hoping that this will encourage some of the people that have left us and some that would like to join, but are unemployed, to jump in and make this grow. Just think about getting 10 or 20 or 30 cards in your birthday month! So spread the word far and wide and lets see if we can make some new friends and have a sort of old fashioned pen pal arrangement.

We still want to chat and joke and know what is going on in everyone's life just like before, but at least this should remove the financial burden for a lot of people. Organized people can even get all their cards at the beginning of the year and get them all set up to go during those slow winter months.

Thanks a bunch to all of you for hanging in there and trying to make this work. I don't want it to go by the wayside. I have left the likes and dislikes lists attached for any new members that come on board as well as us old folks to look at so that we can send that extra special card. Everyone has special interests and we should remind ourselves of them now and then.

Current Members:

Rouxcrew (Joy) Jan. 15 http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=8142063
Irisluvr0252 (Debbie) Feb. 25
ClanCampbell (Chris) Feb.28 http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=8057458
Carolyn22 (Carolyn) April 3
AmandaEsq (Amanda) April 6
FruitoftheVine- (Susan) April 9 http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=7958412
Mud_Elf (Kris) May 10
GAgirl1066 (Paula) Sept. 1 http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=8039522
Ridesredmule (Charlene) Oct. 1 http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=7896427
Rvnsbrk - (Juanita) Oct 9 http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=7886786
GardenQuail (Michelle) October 28 http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=8242576
Cville_Gardener (Carole) Nov. 30 Effective on 1/2012
Dahtzu (Faye) December 25
Hope43 (Hope) Dec. 28 http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=8005430







This message was edited Nov 27, 2011 9:40 AM

Welcome to November. May we have less snow than we did in October. :0)

Off to the races. Be back to chat later.

Winter is on it's way,
Think I'll watch the ocean
made of clay.
And hope I see the real one,
one day.

Thanks for the new thread, Neener, big help. ^_^

Pretty, pretty, Charleen. What got you into the fish pond and ocean scene-making mode?

I love the ocean, But I love to see if I can make things to look real.
So glad you like it Carole.
Want me to make you something????
This pond is shaped like Texas.

Oh, that's really nice, Charleen. If you get my name in Fruity's Christmas/Holiday Swap, you could always make me something. I hate to ask you otherwise. I really wasn't hinting. :-D)))

lol... love the hints

^_^ You too, Elfie.

?????

Link for Green leaf man
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1228096/

Hi, all.
Faye, I'll be watching for the package and will let you know when it arrives :)
Those of you who have been in the group for a while may recall that I have some scented purple iris that I had planned to transplant. Well, this probably isn't the best time of year to do it, but I finally transplanted the poor thing! Divided it into six pieces and untangled a mass of roots. Would have kept the smallest piece attached to the other segment, but I didn't realize it was growing leaves until it was too late. But it does have some roots and the leaves are just starting to grow, so I planted it. Will have to see if it makes it. Anyway, the iris didn't flower this year, so I guess I could have transplanted it in the spring after all. Isn't hindsight great? Would have transplanted it in August or September, but things got too busy. So, decided to do it now. Figured it would be happier after it was transplanted where it would have room to spread out its roots and grow than it would be to stay cramped up in the little pot it's been in since I got it.
Well, it's late, so better go for now. Take care, and stay safe!
Michelle

Green leaf man is very cute!

Leaf man is so cute!! Is the other one that small? He looks so much bigger!! It must be hard working with such small pieces. I don't think I would have the patience. Great work!

Char I've been meaning to ask you what you are using as a glaze on your pieces. Just curious.

Morning, y'all! :)

right now I'm using Sculpy satin glaze. Like it better than the sopray I was using, doesn't get sticky. I've even brushed it on some of the sticky pieces and they come out great...

Ahhh, So that is why my stuff is sticky,, darn...

The best stuff I ever used and it is the cheapest is Future acrylic floor wax. I think they still make it. It is liquid in a plastic bottle at the grocery store or Wally World. It is nice because you can pour a little out in a container, dip your item, shake off the excess and let it dry. You might want to try it. Especially since you are making little items. It would be a lot easier and cheaper and it doesn't get sticky even if you use several coats. Just tryin' to help you all out. :))

Can you wash your brush out with soap and water, This stuff I use is that easy. I really like it.

Sure can Char. Clean up is easy. You don't even need the brush.

I am getting some today!!! lol

Hey peeps.

LOL @ Carole!

You have made the great state of Texas proud, Char.

Look at this from your mother plant, Faye. Looks like the buds will be opening soon. Thanksgiving Cactus?

Dang Fruity,, everytime I try to grow one of those they just die!! Christmas Cactus hates me.. Hen and chicks love me,, weird huh???

A cutting from a recent trade already has buds. Don't know yet if the blooms are going to be White or Yellow.
Don't feel bad, Elfie. I've loved both Christmas Cacti and Hens & Chicks to death by over watering, and no telling what else I've lost under watering.

It won't be too much longer before our garden centers have Poinsettias. I love the White ones but have never have had any luck overwintering them or the Red ones.

Elfie it makes two kinds of glaze, one is satin and other is Glass, both sculpty.
Thanks Fruity...

I have the Sculpy glaze. It is pricey and have to drive 50 miles to get it. So it is better to try the Future Floor Wax for me. Sure would love some more Hen and Chicks here. I may try to trade some of my mini's for some??

Susan, love your Cacti Buds. The mother plant is full of blooms.

Thank you Nita for this cutting in 2010, LOL looks a lot like yours Susan.
Hugs everyone!

That's great Faye!! Mine haven't budded up yet. I'm a little concerned because they are usually going full tilt about now.

Mine are now too Nita. I think I have4 colors now....Do hope the Yellow made it.
Love & Hugs to all

Hi, all.
Isn't it fun to have flowers blooming even when winter is starting to come? Bet they're pretty :)
Been enjoying my paperwhite blooms. The first bulb to bloom has a stalk with six flowers. And there are more to come :)
Faye and Char, thank you! Received your packages :) Faye, yours arrived Friday, and Char, yours arrived yesterday. I'm hoping my husband can take pictures later today.
Faye's card has a picture of a luscious birthday cake, and she sent an evergreen-scented wax pottery bowl from Habersham Candle Company. That wax bowl is really cool!
And Char, all the Charleys made it safe and sound! Char sent 3 of them: a Charley head, a magnet, and an ornament. She also sent a couple of other ornaments (a little angel and a dog surrounded by bones and balls), 3 plant pokes (one that has a dog with a butterfly, one that has a sunflower with a face and necklace, and one that has a butterfly and a flower with three green petals behind it), a box of soap petals, a towel that expands when you put it in water, a doggie magnet to put on a screen or window, two knitted/crocheted items (a towel and dishcloth?), and a Peacock Orchid bulb.
My guide dog thought these boxes were really neat, too. Faye's smelled interesting to him with all that evergreen scent in there! But Char's box really got his attention! :) LOL It was really funny watching him. He kept sniffing and sniffing it! And when I opened it, I knew why: Char had put a bag of dog treats in there, too! So while my husband and I looked at all the other cool things in there, he had fun enjoying one of his dog treats. He's quite happy to have received a little birthday present, too. He sends lots of tail wags your way, Char :)
Well, must go for now. Been transplanting some amaryllis seedlings from seeds I started earlier this year. And now that that is done, I need to get more seeds planted! One of the Amaryllises that I got from Maguires late this summer ("Showcase") decided to grow seeds after flowering! I didn't intentionally try to pollinate the flowers because the bulbs are still recovering from all the travelling, but since it volunteered, I'm more than happy to try growing them :) And I'm watching another ("Forest Fire") to see if it decides to grow a seed pod, too. Not sure how the seedlings will do as it is getting much colder in the window where I grow them, but I'm certainly willing to try the experiment.
Take care all, and have a great week. I'll get the pictures (or links to them) posted as soon as I can.
Michelle

This message was edited Nov 6, 2011 6:27 PM

Oh, Char, I forgot to ask you a question about the Peacock Orchid. I'm not familiar with this plant, so I did a little reading online. The info I found says that the Peacock Orchid is actually in the gladiolus family. So, from what I read, I can plant this in regular potting soil and I don't have to use orchid bark. Is that how you grow them? I also read that the bulb/corm is to be planted 3-4 inches deep. Is that what you do? Also, should I wait to plant this until the weather starts to warm up a bit again, or is it better to plant now? We're getting rain now and the temps are in the 40s and 50s (sometimes into the 60s), and it will likely get a bit colder than this before winter is over (possibly as low as mid-20s or 30s). Any other tips that would be helpful would be much appreciated.
Michelle

Sounds like you got some nice goodies there Michelle! Bet that candle smelled yummy!

Been having a fun, creative weekend here. DH has been out both days playing golf so that has allowed me to do my thing unimpeded/ :0) Finished a bunch of projects that werwe already in progress and then started a few more. Tomorrow it's back to the real world. Will be splitting wood most of the day with the new splitter. Assuming my partner remembers how to get it started.

Michelle, I sent you the peacock Orchid It has a very nice scent. I wanted to send you something special. I put mine in potting soil in the spring and let it grow. You may be able to let it grow year round in Ca. The leaves are long and narrow like gladiolas but it is the smell that got me to send it to you. I sure hope it grows for you. Let me know, please. i knew I wanted to send your Dog something for taking care of you. I have three dogs so he may have smelled them two.
My little dogs love those Beef basted bones. Hugs and kisses
Love and mulenuzzles too!!!

Hi, all.
Char, I'll plant it once we're past our expected frost dates (mid-February), or perhaps I'll wait a bit longer than that. We've been getting some frost later than usual lately. We don't get the hard frosts like some parts of the country, but we do sometimes get light ones. If I wait til April or May, it's more likely to stay warm after I've planted it. We often get some warmer weather in mid-winter, but then it typically gets cold and rainy again. From my reading, some sources say that I could keep the Peacock Orchid outdoors year-round, but others say I shouldn't let it be exposed to temps below 60. So I think waiting to plant it would be the safest.
Char, what size container is your Peacock Orchid in? Do you need to stake the flower stalks?
Oh, and I'm sure my guide dog could tell you have dogs (he's excellent at that!), but he was especially interested in those dog treats :) Won't he be excited to discover there are more!?
Well, my dog thinks all our clocks are set wrong again. He'll think this until we go back to daylight savings time Poor thing thinks dinner was late... I tried explaining it to him, but he didn't believe me LOL
Still haven't gotten to planting those amaryllis seeds yet. Perhaps I'll get to it this evening.
Take care all :)
Michelle

Same way with my Donks and mule. I'm feeding them at 2 instead of 3. Poor things.
Michelle, I had mine in a hanging basket. But I am going to put it in a pot. Probably about a Gal. size, they need plenty of drainage but they like moisture when they are growing.
I know you are going to like it.
Hugs and longear nuzzles...

Hi, all.
Char, it sounds like I have just the container for the Peacock Orchid then :) Originally got it in case I wanted it for my amaryllises, but haven't used it yet. So, I think I'll get the Peacock Orchid planted in there (dry soil for now) and keep it in the garage for now. And when spring comes, I'll move it to the deck where it can get lots of sun.
My husband is taking pictures of my gifts from Char and from Faye this afternoon, so I'll post the links once I have them. Was hoping to figure out how to get the pictures posted directly on here, but I haven't had much time to work on the Mac lately. Been getting a bunch of work done in the garden before/between rain storms, and still have a bit more to go.
Be back later to post picture links :)
Take care all!
Michelle

Some of my Amaryllis have set seeds but either gave or traded them away. You've got me wondering if I should keep the next ones, Michelle, and how you start yours. I have a few Amaryllis pups that still probably won't bloom for another year or two, and can't imagine the patience it must take growing them from seeds. What lovely gifts you got there from Faye and Char.

Gotta take pics of the two Thanksgiving Cacti that are blooming. One's pink, which I thought would be blooming shortly after I posted the pic above with buds, and the other one is such a delicate white with a pink throat that was a total surprise.

Hi, all.
Susan, some years ago, we got the Advanced Propogation System (APS) from Gardener's Supply. We originally got them for starting other seeds (like veggies and such), but I've been using a couple of these to start the seeds. I keep them in there until they've gotten a few leaves, and then I transplant them to other containers. I've found that the APS with 4-inch square cells allow me to keep them in there longer before I need to transplant. I grow them in a mix of vermiculite and peat moss, but I'm experimenting with the ratios as the ratios I started with held more water than I want. I can plant several seeds in a single cell, and then I cover them with a very thin layer of vermiculite. It can take up to a month for seeds to germinate, and then several years for them to get big enough to flower (around 3 to 6 years, depending on how they're cared for, etc). But it's sure exciting when they start blooming! I've only had one of my seedlings bloom so far. I'm hoping more of them will bloom this coming spring. I was surprised to discover that some of my seedlings have made offsets even though they haven't bloomed for the first time yet! Let me know if you decide to give it a try.
Next message has links to pics of gifts from Faye and Char...
Michelle