My life with Poinsettia - second year

If you remember my Poinsettias from last year, you don't need to click here to see how it looked like last Christmas and after Christmas. I kept it since then, it got 1 month dormancy period end of March and here it is! Tadadam! No special tricks applied - it turns red free willingly. No cartons to put on it, no closet to stick it for the night. Nothing. Only water and sunlight in the day.
Isn't it beautiful? Isn't it wort to be kept and taken care after Christmas?

This is Blooming Friday, so hop over to Katarina and have a look what's blooming today in different countries.
If you would like to overwinter your Poinsettia check here how to do it.

Decluttering house and garden – HELP needed!

Help! There is a mess in my garden – this is not related with the autumn mess created by dead plants. This is real mess. Too many different plants and sometimes chaotic planting – it needs to be corrected.

I have deep need for simplifying my surrounding, decluttering my life. I see myself in better, simpler, less cluttered place – it doesn’t mean I need to go somewhere, rather I need to make true order.

Decluttering is not one time job, this is a state of mind and it needs continuation on daily basis.

It might be easy, if approached with proper attitude. Now it is easier to do it at home, because I already have a plan – everyday I will spend 15 minutes on decluttering and throw away every little thing that I don’t love or TRULY need. This is systematic war declared – I start from the entrance door and continue place by place.

Deep inside, I fear arriving to my wardrobe – how to throw away my clothes. I know, the rule is – donate every piece you didn’t use over a year.

Rule is rule – life is life, so HOW to decide?

Luckily clothing section is upstairs, so it will take some time until I arrive there.

If I continue as I decided, it seems I will be done for Christmas and ready with fresh space for new year. Writing here about it, will help me to stick with it – are you interested in reading here about the progress?

Second rule of my private decluttering war I am applying is “2 for 1” - I decided to throw away 2 things, if I buy 1 and bring it home.

I have already a good candidate – my shopping from 2 days ago: sweet new cap, gloves and broche. If I am serious with myself on decluttering and my new life, this means I need to throw away 2 caps and 2 accessories items. Gloves are usually getting lost natural way, so no need to throw them away.

Now we arrive to real issue and main reason for this post – THE garden. How to start decluttering? What rules to apply?

You guys are awesome – I saw it many times already - and I know you have an idea how to start decluttering the garden. How to approach it? Any practical solutions you like to share?

Beautiful flowers or common weeds? Cathedral bells

This beautiful flowers belong to cathedral bells (Cobaea scandens) - perennial climber in different continents, annual in Poland. In some countries its beauty is admired and wanted, in other you may find it on the list of common weeds (New Zealand). Pure relativity.

See also The Flower Recipe Book

See also The Flower Recipe Book 

See also The Flower Recipe Book

November flowers - GBBD'09

Sweet brugmansia flowers went to compost heap together with all the leaves and some stems - completely naked, still in the pot, she will be stored without water until February.

November flowers need to be in orange color, which is so desired now. Vibrant and spririt uplifling. When days are getting shorter and shorter... Here at 4.30 p.m. is already pitch black outside - was it like this previous years? My husband says no - but how is that possible? What could have changed?

Do you remember my poinsettia from previous year? I keep 2 of them growing. They got nice dormancy period, pruning and now slowly new leaves are naturally growing in red. It looks like she will be red for Christmas, without any additional effort.
Does it count among November flowers today?

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GBBD is hosted by Carol at May Dreams Garden - so if you are interested, just hop over there to see blooms from all over the world.

Grow Grapes website discovered

I just came across an interesting site called “Grape Growing System” that I believe you’ll all be interested in. Few weeks ago I have signed up to free materials and because I value them a lot, I decided to share it with you.
If you also want to grow grapes the correct way and would like to sign up for free information, you only need to fill the little form on the right. It is worth it - every incoming e-mail is full of tips and ideas. So if you want successfully grow grapes, this is the site and this is guy.

I will share with you my story. I have tried once to grow grapes and it was truly grand ‘grow grapes flop’. My first grape plants got sick very fast after being planted not in proper place and not taken care of. I searched for help and nobody could give me any sensible advice at that time, they were all mainly advising different strong chemicals for treatment. Sorry! But no. I am organic gardener, so I didn’t want to spray them with pesticides. I looked for much more than information with what to spray them. I believed there are better ways.

If the plant is offered not proper growing conditions, why should I additionally punish myself, my family and all living creatures in my garden with deadly and dangerous chemical? I already felt sorry for the plants. I have planted them in a wrong place, wrong way and my grape plant suffered, but this is not a disaster – it’s only mistake caused by lack of knowledge.

It is exactly the same as with learning how to walk, write, how to drive or anything else – you learn by making mistakes. You learn faster if somebody is helping, right?
I was thinking to look for local grape growing gardener, but that is too much hassle. There is no vineyards in the neighborhood - where to look?

I love grapes as a plant – it is so vital and grows such beautiful fruits - planning to grow them again, because beside fruits I'd like to have a beautiful grape arbor in my garden.

If you subscribe to "Grape Growing System" website that teaches how to grow grapes the correct way, share your opinion with me.