Happenings in the Mid-Atlantic Forum#3

Lets continue here for whatever "Happenings" you may want to share in the coming season.

Since winter is coming--there won't be much to post garden wise--so I am
opening this up, as it has been, to any and all discussions you wish to post about.
No limitations....share your Holiday experiences--your seed growing--Cuttings growing--
Happy and sadder things over the winter....Just share!!!!

We came from here:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1146760/

Forgot to add a picture----
How's this? A plant we all love to see during the dreary days of winter...

SOOO!
I am keeping an eagle eye on any broken off sections on the crowded shelf holding potted CC at HD.
Copped about 5 broken off small sections today. More to root.....Either white--or solid, bright pink.

I have given away about 12 of my rooted mini CC's as gifts from me to certain people at work.
A new crop is waiting to be planted and to root....I must be insane!!!!! Does insanity multiply
as more material becomes available? If it does--I will be in the Loony Bin in no time at all.....

ALL for you--my lovely friends on DG....Gita

Here is my crop from last year....sitting outside my front door to get that humidity and fresh air all
plants love....This was taken in June, 2011.
Almost 50% of all these have bloomed for me this November. Maybe more....

Baby plants are addictively cute! I know I was the same way when I was propagating trays of african violets... :-)

I have a white CC in the guest bathroom, very elegant looking bloom, I think. It doesn't give me a burst of bloom, rather it puts out 2 or 3 buds every month or two.

Is anybody else trying to get too many bulbs planted before the weather gets cold? Van Engelen is at 40% off now, and Brent & Becky's is at 50%... both are 10% shipping, but B&B charges shipping on the pre-sale total, so their prices mostly work out to be very similar.

I'm sorting out and potting amaryllises, too. I got some new ones (because I can't resist them, and there are so many lovely ones!), and I've also got all the ones that I dug up out of the garden bed... they've mostly gone dormant, so it's time to put them up also. The new ones will probably bloom by/before Christmas, because they are from South Africa (3-4 weeks to bloom, at least this first year, because of the difference in seasons).

Gita, your Clivia is just getting bigger and bigger! It's definitely more vigorous than the little yellow one I got at a co-op a couple of years ago. I think this one could win prizes at a flower show when it blooms... with all those leaves, I bet it's going to put out an amazing flower... eventually... tap... tap... tap...

Thanks for the new thread Gita- well done!

Last year on Now 27 I ordered mini amaryllis pots on clearance from Bloomingbulb.com, which were a hit with my MIL and dad. Not so huge (read: tolerable for non plant crazy persons!) but still very pretty.

My Clivia looks great too!

Jill

The Clivia I gave you already bloomed last winter--usually end of February-beg. of March.
More than likely, you will get one scape with blooms.
I think that little care-paper I gave you has very adequate information on it.
I got that from a customer who brought me his large Clivia to keep.
We had been talking about Clivias in garden. He said he had some...
He went home and came back with this big pot and gave it to me--along with the "How-To"
page that I also gave you.

My Clivias are sitting in the shop. If I remember--I keep the shop light above them on all day
and off at night. Mostly they are dry....Now and then I will water them a bit.
Yours should live, happily, in that pot for several more years. They like to be crowded....

Amaryllis???? I un-potted mine and they are all still sitting in a shallow box in the Shop.
One of the "pressing" must-do things....
The other is to separate all my rooted Brug cuttings and get them planted in individual pots.
Right now--I stuck 10-12 in a lg. pot. They are all growing--amazingly! I think they love
being under my grow-lights.
BUT--The most "must-do" thing today is to unload my big freezer downstairs--remove the back
panel inside and get rid of all the layer of ice that has collected on the bottom floor of it.
I really don't know what is causing this freezing up. Must try to, somehow, clean underneath
in case the coils are VERY dirty.
When the small hole freezes up--the water from the defrosting just collects below the basket in the bottom.
It takes a long time to sit there with a hair dryer blowing on the small troth that directs the water
into the itsy-bitsy hole which directs the water to the drip pan below the freezer.
Then--pouring very hot water down the little hole until it is thawed out and free to run again.

Then putting all my frozen stuff back in....UGH!!!!!!!

This is a huge, unpleasant job. Not looking forward to it. But--today is my first, totally free day in almost 2 weeks.
Must "bite the bullet".......

Here are my leafed out Brug cuttings....every one of them 'took".....
Hope many of you will want some next spring....
This is a multi-cutting pot of the pink Brug. It is such a massive, strong grower....

Here are three 5" pots of the largest pink Brug cuttings.

Crazy!!! I just took the cuttings in October! It is like they are on steroids!
May also help that I bought a bale of pro Mix at Richardson's ($18.99) and all my cuttings
are planted in that. First time....

I hope this encourages many of you to take cuttings of your brugs--if you have any.
No extra care needed. Just stick them in a pot and keep just moist...

Lastly---here is the multi-cutting pot of Dr. Seuss Brug cuttings....
I have another multi-pot of the Dr. also with about 12 cuttings in it....ALL in full leaf!

Geez!!! WHAT will I do with all these?????
Have had a request from AR from Linda Raley for one each.

Hope many of you will take some off my hands.....Gita

LOL... is there any way to slow them down over the winter?

My two clivias are in the morning room, in relatively dim light, which they seem to be enjoying. Yours is in slightly stronger light, so maybe I will try moving the yellow one to a different area and see if it grows more quickly.

Oops, posted this on the part two thread.

Hey Buttoneer, Thanks for posting the pic of your display. Took me right back to my craft show days. We made hanging lamps and planters out of old tin cans! We actually made our things at the shows as people watched. Oxy/acetelene torch and tin cans make for quite a transformation. Loved meeting the folks out there and promoting some creative recycling. Started in the New Hope, PA area in the early 70's. Sorry, no pics but here is a link I found just recently to some one doing something similar

http://tincanlights.com/artist.htm

and a picture of one of his candle holders. The flickering shadows that fill an entire room are amazing!

Thumbnail by coleup
Click the image for an enlarged view.

Gita, your brug cuttings are gorgeous! If you need a volunteer, I'll be happy to take one in the spring! :-)

You know, I'm a new gardener and hadn't even heard of brugmansias until you started writing about them on here. Your pictures in October were just gorgeous. And now I can't wait to grow one myself!

ss--
You are not the only one who never heard of them until I posted....There are more plants in that category.....
Same goes for Daturas--Epis---Ric Rac Cactus---Pregnant Onion--Climbing Onion--Brazilian Plume Flower--
S. African Foxglove---the Wintersweet Shrub--and, of course, all the Brugmansias I have grown.
Also--orange-blooming Clivias...
I do not think anyone around here had ever grown these--or heard of them--until I started yapping about them
and posting pictures....I just have the "inquiring mind" that never quits....

ALL of these are available to any of you here for the asking--IF I have any rooted to give away....
I may charge you for any of the Clivias--as they are pricey plants....

Hope you come to one of our two Plant Swaps here. I usually have plenty of these odd things to share....
We usually have one at the mid-end of May--and also in the fall.
We also have a Seed Swap, end of Feruary, organized by Jill, at he Chef Lin's Chinese Buffet in Frederick.
Check the "Happenings in the Mid-Atlantic for more info....

You are SOOO close to all this! Hope you come to some of the Swaps. they are a lot od fun--more like a
pig-out on great food Party.

Gita.







This message was edited Nov 28, 2011 9:24 PM

Gita, I met you at critter's in September! I was the newbie who complained about my clay soil and neighborhood cats :-)

My mother grows clivias, but like you said, reading about it here is how I found out its name. But I'm no good with houseplants... Right now I'm busy prepping my clay soil so it can be ready for some brugs and canna in the spring. Oh, you've got me hooked on cannas, too! I'd only seen them driving around in fancy neighborhoods in DC and didn't know what they were called until you posted your pictures.

YESSSSS!!!!!!

Another victory!!!!

I have a new kind of canna that my neighbor had....It has huge, green leaves and bright orange
flowers. I believe it is the one HD and Lowes sold in pots...

I have never seen anything grow as huge as these two did!


My neighbor was away in Spain and, when she is, I am the caretaker of HER garden. ..
She said I could dig up the cannas--because she never would do it....

GOLLY--GEE! I could barely lift the root masses when I did get them out of the ground!!!!

They had grown triple in size and in the number of stems.....But--they were so gorgeous!!!

I now have them in my basement--and will share them next year--unless my neighbor wants some back....

Here is what this Canna looked like.....

Gita, I am headed out this morning to have my cataract removed. This will be the first one.

Coleup, I have those can lamps. Could be ones you made. I have two made from small cans that are big enough to hold votives and then a larger one that hangs from chains big enough to put a potted plant in. That one has a cut out of a Hummingbird that hangs from the bottom. They are really pretty and were gifts from a friend that frequents Md. craft shows. I will take pics of them when I can. Maybe you can tell if you made them.

Good lucj--Holly----
Be prepared to be in shock when you look in the mirror for the first time....I was!!!!

I could see every wrinkle--every gray hair--and the bags under my eyes--ALL in High Definition....
What a shock!!!! Bad eyesight had all that, somehow, "touched up".....

I am still getting used to NOT having to put my glasses on first thing in the AM.

Thursday I go for another follow-up appt. Will have my eyes "measured" for real reading glasses.
Do you know that you can get reading glasses at he $$$ Store? For a buck--you can get 3-4 pair
so you don't have to look for your one and only ones...Nice frames too! I have 3 of them....
Their "strength is on a little sticker on the lens. I got 2,25 and 2,50 ones--and one pair of 1.75.
You will need them the day after your surgery.....

Tell us what the world looks like in a few days......Gita

are you saying that Holly has bags, wrinkles, grey hair.... tsk tsk LOL

LOL Yes I do. LOL Just cover up that grey with some blond highlights.

I use the "Fanci-Ful Rinse" on my gray hairs. around my face. It is labeled as a "Temporary Hair Color Rrinse".
I tell you--I smush it on at my temples after a shower--then add Mousse--and then dry my hair--and it is
50% gone by then. It does "camouflage" some of the gray.....but it is still there....
Since I have always had brown hair--I use the "Frivolous Fawn" color....
Holly--my daughter, Aina, who was always blonde, found a spray on lightener that is better than any highlighter she has used.
And a lot cheaper too.
It only works if your original hair color was blonde. You can get it at "Sally's".

I cannot complain. At my age (74) I still have 90% of my own hair color.....
Of course--after my lens replacements--I now see a lot more gray than I did before.....

It really scared me!!!!! Gita

Hello, my name is Patti and I am a broken CC rescuer. LOL I was at Wally World the other day and found about 8 sections of broken pieces on the CC display. Well............I just HAD to rescue these little guys from a fate of swooshed into a trash can! I did my good deed for the day. One of them was even below a Y. Hope they make it.

Crit

I just posted your name on the Holiday Cactus thread! We are missing you over there

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1232158/

I just did the same rescue of about 26 pieces and sent them all to Ruby to try her hand with! Good work!

I stopped by at Lowes yesterday--on my way home from work (HD)....It is on the way....

They had a rack of 4" and 6"CC at 50% off.....I looked through all the pots----ahem...searching for
broken off pieces--and got a bunch.....Have them already potted up. Mostly pink ones--I think....

Just wondering if rescuing broken off sections is "theft"???? I do not think it is.....

I have also taken cuttings off of my Salmon CC. Potted up a bunch. Will send the rest to JB.

YOOO HOOO JB--need your address!!!! See my D-mail!

Gita

Hey all ... Here is the link to a new swap I am hosting. (I'm having some help from some of the best hostess' in it!) It is the Sock, Sniff and Sip swap. Please check it out and share it with other threads you visit if you want to. Thanks!
Crit

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1233609/
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1233609/
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1233609/

Thanks coleup!!!! I'll head over there now.

Deep into all the Holiday parties and food everywhere right now....

I have had TWO Th. Giv dinners....one at the HD and the other at my daughter's.

On Dec 10th--we had a HUGE 20th year celebration of our store. ALL the big-shots were there!
We had a DJ and all kinds of awards--all while the store was open for business.
We had a man doing pit beef and all the sides...YUMM! Freebee hand-outs--the Kids Workshop--etc...

Then--a bit later that same day--I went to this man's house that works in hardware for his and the wife's
Annual Christmas party at their house..... I was so stuffed from the food--I had had earlier that day because it was
hard to eat any more....I just nibbled.....

At work--we will be having our annual Christmas Party at a Firehouse Hall this coming Sunday--12-18-- Always good!
More food!!!! Music--a DJ--Catered Buffet....you get the idea?

Then--the "Front end" (service desk, returns, phone center, etc). will have our annual mega brunch--again....more food!

Then--on the AM of the 24th--I head to NJ for my sister's families get together...MORE FOOD!!!!!

Then I wonder why my pants don't fit after the Holidays!!!!

Luckily--I do not do anything at New Years....Just a quiet evening at home.....

Overkill! That's what the Holidays are!!!!

Gita

That is a lot of partying! I now realize its good to have Xmas early in winter so we can do all these special things without too many weather worries.

BWMC, formerly North arundel Hospital, in Glen Burnie, opened the cafeteria to free for all. I don't think they advertised it but that's a nice gesture to all who work, volunteer, or visited there yesterday.

WOW Gita...... so many parties! Lucky you!

The Chevy dealership my DH works at does NOTHING for them for T Day or Christmas. I think that really sucks. Those guys work HARD all year, the least they could do is give them a turkey or ham. Sheesh! Of course, I'm not working so the only party I get to have is the one I do myself. lol

HEY! Y'ALL---

I just want you all to know that HD does NOT, necessarily, pay for many of these festivities.....
Much of the expenses are covered by the EFC (Employee Fund Committee).

HD does give $15 or $20 per associate towards the Christmas party. The rest is covered by the EFC.
The EFC tries VERY hard to raise funds throughout the year. However--because the employees come and go--
not all of them know what, exactly, the EFC does or stands for. SO--they do not support all the fund-raisers.
The dinners and Lunches--for $5--which we have throughout the year.

Also--having food in the break room or in the Training room available--as in many of these occasions--is hardly a "party" .
You get to eat better when it is your lunch hour--that's all. Then--it is back to work.....

Money is tight no matter what Co. you work for. Even the World's biggest Retailer. (Hmmm--I think that is Wallmart?)
SO--HD is second? Still--a VERY tightly run Company so everyone can survive.

AND--IF I may break some of your "bubbles"--HD DOES NOT have an employee discount!!!!
Never has--and never will!

Gita

I work for the county library- We don't get a discount either LOL

And we don't get 15$ a head for an xmas party. We potluck it. 'Company' polo shirt or summer program T shirt- we have to buy if we want them.
We are a seriously tight department. If I'm lucky I get something on the donation shelf which i can take home without paying the 50 cents or dollar for it. Don't anybody accuse AA Co Library of waste.

What a fun read this was. I loved hearing of all the festivities and events that everyone is involved in. I can report that I didn't do my usual bah humbuggish bit and stay home while sending hubby on his way to to gatherings we were invited to. I bit the bullet on Sunday, the 18th and actually attended two neighbors open houses. One couple I had never met but had heard a lot about from John who met them last summer at the Farmers Market. Man, what a gorgeous mountain side home they live in. Glass everywhere so a person could look in any direction and see outdoors. Lovely decor inside the home as well. The husband part of the team had prepared between twenty and thirty ooey gooey desserts for visitors. A lot of fun and nice to finally meet them.

Afterwards I attended a party given at the home of another neighbor who I have met when they have come to our house on several occasions. There I was able to meet more new to me neighbors that John had already told me many stories about and the events that he has attended at their homes with out me in the past. I finally figured out one of the reasons I have so often gone missing from get togethers is that for several years John has worked at home. That means that he is in and out of the house all day long. This is so horrible to say because those of you who know him know that he is a really great guy......but I would often send him to people's houses where we had been invited and I would stay at home and bask in the quietness and the few hours of uninterupted time. He has been working outside of the home again for some months now and I actually miss him now and want to spend more time with him. So, I dressed up and attended at these two get togethers. I am glad that I did. I met a direct next door neighbor who has lived here almost two years and I hadn't met before. I really liked her and hope that we can spend some time together in the future.

I plan to go out later today and deliver some late gifts. I had the deliveries on my to do list for three or four days running, and still ended up being a day late. Oh well, what do they say? Better late than never.

Happy New Year to every one.

Ruby

LOL Ruby, Everyone needs a little time alone. I think Ric really liked when I worked as it got me out of the house and left him here alone for sometime. I like when he runs errands and my time in the morning before he gets up. He stays up late at night and I get up early. Took some getting use to when he retired as we had worked different shifts for so many years.

Ruby, glad that you enjoyed those parties!.
I agree, having a spouse around the house can just make you feel obligated to be available for him/her, rather than have freedom to do your own thing. Coincidentally I was pondering this earlier today. I thought I'd try to plan ahead for things we'd be doing together like watch a movie at home, and then remind myself I have time for me now, since I'd know we are having our us time later.

I am so glad that you folks understand what I was trying to say. Yes Sally, on the days that he is here and in and out and in and out, I don't get much accomplished at all it seems. I feel the same about being available to listen to his stories though I must admit he is often speaking to me from my side as I set in this chair and read and write. My bad.

Thanks for letting me know this type of thing is pretty common.

Ruby

LOL!
Mark can be looking right at me and still mentally somewhere else! ROFL!
Whereas we women are good at taking in information from two places at once. Really- I did read that somewhere, multitasking.

But back to gardening- I took Mark and showed him where and how I get manure, at a local horse place. Maybe he'll make it a hobby. (wish wish !) We got enough to heap it on my asparagus bed.

I have a feeling that Mark can't be around you too terribly much with out catching the gardening bug you have Sally. It seems to be much too important to you for it to not involve him to some level on some occasions. It was I who originally started the gardening interest at our place some years back. It didn't take too very long before John surpassed me in his interest and involvement in all aspects of it. I suppose he figured he might as well join me, because he couldn't beat me, and so often his strength was needed in order for some of the projects to be done.

I am glad that he developed the interest and is a willing partner in all of this. He has certainly made a lovely yard a reality here. I could have worked the next twenty years and never accomplished all that he has done in a very short few.

Anyway...gardening is such fun. Currently from the looks of things, our gardens are under a nice sprinkling of snow. Don't know what is expected here today, but enough cover the ground has fallen so far. Hope that those of you north of me are at home and not on the highways if you are having the same sort of weather.

Ruby