What's Up With That !

Now what is up with this bulb? It seems that
my experience with amaryllis have been sort of
hit and miss this winter.Mixed up bulbs and now
this little bulb puts out a deformed bloom.





When the stem started coming up it was all
bent over and funky looking so I kept it turned
to the light hoping it would straighten up but
knowing it was not probably going to happen.





Then when the blooms started coming out on
the bent five inch stem I knew it was one messed
up amaryllis.





So meet amaryllis Grand Cru.
It is a beautiful deep red bloom and would have
been a beauty fully grown but maybe next year.

I have one more amaryllis yet to bloom for
this winter and my fingers are crossed to see
what surprise is yet to be unfolding after the
mix ups they have dealt me so far.





One of the Gloxinia's is blooming now but
the blooms this year are spindly and the red
one decided to die on me so all I have is this
not so lovely spindly one.





In fact it is a pretty ugly bloom. I have sowed
some mixed seeds to grow more so maybe they
will be prettier. They are suppose to have double blooms.





A major winter storm is hitting us as I am
posting this. Sleet is falling and is almost a
half inch thick with 6 to 8 inches of snow to
follow. Then Tuesday of next week another
storm is suppose to hit us so winter is
going to hang on with a vengeance.
Maybe it will be winter's last hurrah's.
One can hope anyway.

Today is also Fertilizer Friday so join us
with Tootsie over at Tootsie Time and
Flaunt those Flowers!
Thanks Tootsie for the fun contest you
sponsored for the beautiful garden sign.
I was so excited and thrilled to be the winner!
It will go into the friendship garden bed I
am planning to make this spring.
Every time I see it I will think of you.
Thanks!






Visit Tootsie and look at all of the Flowers!




Also everyone visit ' Hopalong Hollow Gazette '.
It is a new blog to Blotanical and the illustrations
and drawings will just blow you away.
Visit with the talented Jeri Landers.
She is also in the process of building
Mamseys potting shed.


Happy Gardening Everyone !

Time For Gloxinia's To Come Out

It's time to take the Gloxinia plants out of the dark.
After spending a dormant spell where they were kept
in the basement in the dark this Summer the Gloxinia's
were taken from the basement last week to the sunlight
once again.
They got their watering, a fertilizing and some sunlight
and they are welcoming it by sprouting once again.



While most may grow theirs in the Summer and let them
rest in the Winter I do just the opposite and enjoy their
colors in the dull days of Winter to get my flower and
color fix. They are easy to grow and can be grown under
artificial lighting or partial sunlight and in fact do not like
direct sunlight so they are perfect for a Winter infusion
of color. The same rules of growing them applies as with
those of the African Violets only the Gloxinia needs a period
of rest. So if you want some color this Winter you may want
to try growing your own from seed now.
Here at Grownotes.com is some growing and care tips.



The "Invasion" that was mentioned before about the
dreaded Asian Beetles is in full swing.
When they started coming into the house, as bad as
one hates to, the whole outside of the house had to be
sprayed to stop most of them from coming in. No matter
what kind of house you may have and how air tight you
may think it is, believe me they will come inside somehow,
someway. They are drawn to light so when the sun hits
the side of the house or garage that is where the majority
land to get in. As seen here on the side of my house---
See all of those little beetles, now picture them in the
hundreds all over your buildings.



This is just a small pile that were swept up from my front
porch the following morning to show you how many
there really are. Now imagine a pile like this all around
the foundation of your buildings where they die and fall.



When they first showed up here in Ohio they were
in masses and despite spraying and businesses having
to call in exterminators to be rid of them, their numbers
are not dwindling.
Even if you are against insecticides you will have second
thoughts when they migrate into your state and they are
on the move having started on the east coast.
We women have a hard time allowing bugs to stain
our window curtains, walls and stinking up the place.
I do not know how the restaurants deal with them.
Be aware that that crunchy bacon bit in your salad might
well be a beetle. YUK!



Enough of the stinking pests!


This week is the Circleville, Ohio Pumpkin Show.
It is the largest free fair in the state and was started in
1903 as a few small stands where Farmers showed
off their crops and pumpkins in the Fall.
Now it has grown and the show vies every year to see
who grows the largest pumpkin. States compete against
each other to break the records for the largest pumpkin.
Yesterday at the weigh in Dr. Bob Leggitt won the
first prize spot amongst the participators by having a
record winning pumpkin of 1,635.5 pounds.
The World record is 1,725 pounds so it was a little short of
the record. It was a great attempt though.
This is the size of the pumpkins I grew this summer,
just pumps on the Circleville pumpkin in
comparison ;-)

So with the pumpkins being the name of the fair there is
everything eatable imaginable with pumpkin in it.

Including pumpkin: pie, ice cream, fudge, cookies,
cake, butter, bread, donuts, waffles, brittle, pancakes,
taffy, elephant ears, brownies, cheesecake, pizza,
chili and pumpkin burgers. Which is just a sloppy joe
but they are really yummy.

The local bakery bakes a 400 pound pumpkin pie that is
6 feet in diameter and takes six hours to bake.
You cooks will appreciate this recipe:
100 pounds of pumpkin
40 pounds of sugar
26 gallons of milk
15 dozen eggs
4 pounds of corn starch
1 1/4 pound of pumpkin spice
1 1/4 pound of salt
42 pounds of dough

Now that is a pie!
Here is a link to the worlds largest free show:
Circleville Pumpkin Show



Happy Gardening Everyone!