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Posts Tagged ‘succulents’

Friday’s Fresh Five! (9/4/15)

Posted in About me, Art and Crafts, Creativity, Environment and Ecology, Gardening, Helping Others, inspiration, Photography, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 4, 2015| 2 Comments »

September 4, 2015 EditionSucculents don’t suck. They just suffer from a lack of appreciation. However, all that is changing. With drought conditions existing in the United States, versatile succulents are rising in popularity. Sporting a wide range of colors, textures, shapes, and sizes, succulents add striking beauty to gardens. In an effort to cut back on water usage, I replaced almost all of my potted plants with succulents and I am so happy that I did. Succulents also produce spectacular flowers, like the trumpet-shaped one above that graces my front porch.

#1 – Crayon Initiative
Saving Crayons: Crayon Initiative While celebrating his birthday at a restaurant, Brian Ware learned that the crayons given to his children to occupy themselves were discarded after use. This led to the formation of the Crayon Initiative. Mr. Ware collects used crayons from schools and restaurants, melts them down, remolds them, and distributes them to hospitals throughout California for young patients to use. Says Mr. Ware, “If these crayons give them an escape from that hospital room for ten minutes, we did our job.”

#2 – Where Magic Happens
Visiting Illustrators' Studios A while back, when I chaired Author Day programs for my children’s schools, my family had the privilege of visiting the studio of Ruth Heller, children’s book author and illustrator. That is where magic happened, where her books came to life. Photographer Jake Green visited the studios of well-known illustrators of children’s books. Here’s a peek at some of his notes and photos from his visits in Where Magic Happens: Children’s Illustrators Open Up Their Studios.

#3 – Who’s the Cutest?
Who's the Cutest? Zoologists and animal experts from around the world took to Twitter to compete in a “cute-off” to determine which animals are scientifically the cutest. To see photos of some of the entrants, check out Scientists On Twitter Agree: These Are The Cutest Animals That Exist .

#4 – Propagating Succulents
Propagating Succulents Whether you plant succulents in the ground or in pots, you will need to keep them in shape. Many varieties can get “leggy” and need to be pruned back. Almost every part of a succulent can be used in propagation, so why not propagate while pruning? Needles + Leaves has an great tutorial on Propagating Succulents. You’ll be amazed at how easy the process is and how many plants you can get from one “mother” plant.

#5 – To Plant a Garden
“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”
Audrey Hepburn

Now go and spread joy!

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Planting Succulents in Vintage China

Posted in Art and Crafts, Creativity, Gardening, Gift Ideas, Recycling, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on June 2, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Planting succulents A centerpiece using teacups and terrarium-sized plants gives my dining room a light and whimsical feel. So, why stop there? Teacup Floral CenterpieceRecently, I came across some hand-painted rice bowls and teacups that belonged to my grandmother. Noticing that a rice bowl and a teacup each sported cracks, I decided they would make perfect containers for succulents, my new obsession. Sorry Grandma, but it’s a great way to repurpose unusable china. I think my new little planters are pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself. Planting Succulents in Vintage China

SUPPLIES
Containers: teacups, bowls, ceramic pots, etc.
Succulent cuttings or small potted succulents, proportionate to the size of the container.
Lightweight potting mix for cacti and succulents or a 1:1 ratio of high quality potting soil and Perlite
Aquarium gravel or small pebbles

DIRECTIONS
1. If the container you are using does not have drainage holes, pour a good layer of gravel in the bottom of it to enhance drainage.

2. Fill the container with potting soil to within 1/2″ from the top edge, allowing enough space to plant the cuttings without the soil overflowing.

3. Plant the largest specimen first and then working your way down size-wise, fill in the remaining areas. Remember to balance your arrangement by height, shape, texture, and color.

4. Top dress with aquarium gravel or pebbles. This prevents the Perlite from floating away, helps the cuttings stay in place, and keeps moisture away from the base of the plants.

Enjoy!

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (4/10/15)

Posted in About me, Aging, Art and Crafts, Creativity, Environment and Ecology, Gardening, Gift Ideas, inspiration, Photography, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 10, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Water Drops on Succulent Cradled in the leaves of a succulent, drops of water shimmer like jewels. Throughout time, succulents have survived their arid conditions by adapting. They store water in their fleshy parts – leaves, stems, and roots. They evolved to survive. Will mankind evolve quickly enough to survive a potential megadrought? Will mankind learn to value water and treat it like the life-saving, shimmering jewel that it is?

#1 – What’s The Difference?
The Difference Between Cacti and Succulents Do you know the difference between a cactus and a succulent? Just in case you need to know, here is what U.C. Master Gardner Denise Levine wrote about the topic:

All cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti. Succulents (from the Latin word “succulentus,” for juice or sap) are defined by their moisture-storing capacity and come from many botanical families. Medicinal aloe veras and familiar Chicks and Hens are two examples of succulents many of us are familiar with.

Cacti have small, round, cushion-like structures called areoles from which spines, branches, hair, leaves and even flowers grow. While many succulents may look like cacti in every other respect, if they don’t have these circular areoles, they are not in the cactus (Cactaceae) family.

Another distinction is that succulents are native to most parts of the world, but cacti are only indigenous from Alaska to Chile in the Western Hemisphere. Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine have never found a native cactus, but Canada has found several that have evolved to survive Canada’s freezing winters.

#2 – Oldest Living Things
The Oldest Living Things in the World With my birthday approaching next week, I started searching for other old living things. This search led me to Rachel Sussman’s photographs of “The Oldest Living Things In The World.” After viewing the photo of 12,000 year-old Mojave yucca plants, which are succulents, and her other incredible photos, I suddenly felt very young. Everything is relative.

#3 – Miniature Fairy Gardens
Miniature and Fairy GardeningHere’s a project for the young-at-heart. Check out Naturework’s photos of Miniature and Fairy Gardening. You’ll put transforming a broken clay pot into a fairy garden on your “Creative To Do” list.

#4 – Rock Cacti Garden
Cacti Made Of Painted Rocks This cute and clever idea suits people like me who have sparks of creativity, but also have brown thumbs. Be on the lookout for perfect rock formations, so that you can make your own Cactus Made of Painted Rocks.

#5 – Sit or Don’t Sit
“The world is full of cactus, but we don’t have to sit on it.”
Will Foley

Now go and spread joy!

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (8/1/14)

Posted in About me, Art and Crafts, Creativity, Gardening, Helping Others, inspiration, Travel, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 1, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Seagull The bird soars through the sky, occasionally swaying to the left and swooping to the right. The cool ocean breeze flutters his feathers and lifts his wings. Other than eating, he has no plans for the day. He does what he wants, when he wants. Landing on a beach, he enjoys the warmth of the afternoon sun. He wanders across the sand, pecking for food here and there. A few of his colony friends approach and squawk-talk with him. After a bit, he bids them adieu and takes flight. Up, over the cliffs, out to the sea, and then back again. If birds could smile, this bird was smiling. Oh, to be free. To be free as a bird.

#1 – Be Real
Genuine Self? Do you “live life according to your true self” and how do you know if you are being genuine? Read 6 Signs You’re A Truly Genuine Person to find out.

#2 – Shut the Door!
Beautiful Doors from Around the World One of the first things someone sees as they approach your home is your front door, so why not make it interesting? Check out these 25 Beautiful Front Door Designs from around the world. Some are pieces of art and some are classically understated. I’m sure the homeowners remind visitors to “shut the door” so that their doors can be better appreciated.

#3 – Succulents 101
Succulents 101 With drought conditions in so many areas of the world, succulents are more popular than ever. People looking for low-maintenance and water-saving ways to bring color and texture to their gardens have discovered the world of succulents. Me included. Tired of unsightly drip lines running up into potted plants on my front porch, I started planting succulents instead. For those of you wanting to learn more about planting succulents, here’s a link to Succulents 101: A Beginner’s Guide.

#4 – Paying It Forward
This Thai commercial, made for a communications company, illustrates how kindness and giving goes around and comes around.

#5 – A Thousand Invisible Threads
“We cannot live for ourselves alone. Our lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads, and along these sympathetic fibers, our actions run as causes and return to us as results.”
Herman Melville

Go now and spread joy!

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