Terra

Camellias are blooming at our house, beginning the first week of January. The kind in these photos is mainly white petals with nice streaks of pink. These bushes are next to our patio and are about nine feet tall. Camellias grow in zones 7-9, like a sheltered location with not too much sun or wind, and can be grown in colder areas in containers where you protect them from deep freezes.If you Read Full Story

Star Gazer Lily Close Up Originally uploaded by photoartist3What is your secret to finding happiness for a few moments?Please share it here.One of mine is to visit a local plant store, and buy a few seeds or bulbs. Seeds and bulbs are so full of HOPE for the near future. They promise a lot.Today I bought a pack of 3 Star Gazer Lily bulbs and planted them in a big blue ceramic pot.In zones 8-10 Read Full Story

Monet's Garden Originally uploaded by -a. I love Monet's paintings, and have spent quite a bit of time in a museum in Paris, looking deeply in to his paintings of his pond at Giverny. I like this quote of his, giving directions to his head gardener in February 1900. Maybe this will inspire us all today. "Sow approximately 300 pots of poppies, 60 pots of sweet peas, approximately 60 pots of Read Full Story

A friend gave me this red cyclamen at Christmas time, and I put it on our kitchen windowsill, where the sunlight illuminates it and the glow brightens the room. Yesterday I bought six cilantro plants, and put two in pots and added them to the sill. I planted the other 4 outdoors in containers. What plants do you have in your kitchen? Read Full Story

Dog Looking at and Listening to a Phonograph, "His Master's Voice", The Original RCA Music Puppy Dog Logo Symbol for Advertising Originally uploaded by Beverly & Pack Are you going to choose a word for 2012? Last year I chose "shine" and for 2012 I choose "listen". This dog is listening intently. My word will remind me to listen to friends and family, and to listen when I pray. I know God Read Full Story

Peacock Originally uploaded by Arizona Parrot Well, close to wordless Wednesday. I adore the beauty of peacocks so this photo is a change of pace after Christmas. Read Full Story

Close-up of baby jesus Originally uploaded by wrenoudI looked for an empty manger photo and found this beauty showing the Holy Babe, Jesus.His light is shining, do you agree? Read Full Story

I promised photos of my Razzle Dazzle Amaryllis when it fully opened, and here they are. The name suits the plant as it dazzles and razzles :) I bought a big fat bulb at a garden center about a month ago, planted it in a small pot, watered it occasionally and it gives back a lot of beauty. In the second photo is a Christmas cactus that is three years old, and a new miniature rose my stepmom Read Full Story

We love to use our cooking stone to cook one inch thick pork chops with plenty of fresh rosemary branches from our garden. We spray the stone with oil, then set the pork chops and rosemary on it, and cook pork chops and rosemary for 45 minutes at 350 degrees F. If you do not have a cooking stone do not fear! This works well in a glass pyrex oven proof rectangular dish. Bake potatoes in the oven, Read Full Story

Hi Friends, The first photo I took today of my Razzle Dazzle Amaryllis which will have red and white flowers. It fits the Advent season as it gets ready to open, and I wait impatiently to see its full beauty, just as we await Christmas Day.  Do you see the pretty Christmas cactus in the background? I included the two bottles of Martinelli's Sparkling Apple Juice to show the height of the Read Full Story