I want some American Beautyberry bushes in my yard!!!

I found a plant while driving yesterday. I stopped to take cuttings. After reading about it online, the berries are wonderful bird attractors, and they love to eat them. The berries are not harmful to humans or pets, and some people claim to make jam with them. You can rub the leaves between your hands, then rub your skin for a natural mosquito repellant!!!!! The plants are drought tolerant, and love nutrient poor soil!!!

In south Florida we basically have sand for soil, so this thing is a God send!!!!!

I am trying to get them rooted in water. I read that the seeds are hard to get going. Wish me luck.....I feel fairly determined at this point. Am also checking local plant nurseries who specialize in native plants.

Beautiful new orange rose!

I love all the layers....it is much prettier than all the rest!

Mom and baby going home from hospital today! All is well.

Xoxo-Julie

A Finnish embroidery, and a new granddaughter!!!

I had taken a picture of this embroidery piece when I visited a Finnish nursing home a few years ago and had meant to post it on my blog then. This photo does not do it justice. The white flowers were so 3D, I just fell in love with it.

Here is my new granddaughter, Audrey. Born this morning. Mom and baby doing well, and little Audrey is such a doll.

Hi everyone.  Just a quick note to tell you that I am going to be a Grandma again on Monday!!!  It will be a scheduled delivery, and at 7:30am!  The two grands that live with me will go over with my husband and I and daughter, to meet their new sister...yes, a girl....whenever protocol allows at the hospital.  Everyone is excited. Thank goodness it is a holiday weekend and they are off school Monday.

Big day scheduled at the park tomorrow (Sunday). Staying busy.  Sorry no pics this time, just wanted to tell you the news!

xoxo- Grandma Julie and Cousin Doozey!  LOL!

Funny little advertisements on table today!

My daughter and I stopped for a sushi lunch, and I found this flip style advertisement for alcoholic drinks on the table. It was so cute, and each one had a little something to say. It was 12 noon, and I seriously contemplated buying a bottle of the one called Bek Se Ju!!!!! I hope you can read them, as I am posting on the cell phone.

The tire garden today

Well, minus a few tomatoes that are not quite red yet. These pics are out of order. You can see my new orange rose in my hands.... Mostly still all buds. It is so beautiful. I bought 2 roses bushes ( teeney-tiny) online from Hirt Roses, that have red and white striped blooms! They need some time to grow, and I should have some really cool flowers to show!

I have my yellow, red (although at the end of it's bloom time, having developed the white edges). I think they look cool like that. The white one I got a month ago or so has bloomed, but none right now. The white one actually is edged ever so slightly in a blush pink, and is so delicate and beautiful. Have I mentioned how much I am loving the darn mini roses???

You can see the one shot of the inside of one of the mauve colored bell shaped blooms on the kalenchoe. It has little blue tipped stamens! Oh my gosh, how cute is that?????

You can see three of the white Gretel eggplant growing together there.

Doozey and I say howdy!
Xoxo, Julie

Garden new year surprise!

I am posting on my phone so pics may be out of order. I have these sweetly sprawling volunteer sunflowers that popped up between my tires! They started opening up on Jan. 1, and this is how they look today. So cute! I put a couple of my roses in here too... the pink drift rose has this beautiful spray on it this morning.

The red and white begonias I bought separately and they were all near dead at Lowes a few months ago! I knew I could clean them up, fertilize, and have blooms by Christmas, and it actually happened! That was fun.

Will be at Disney World with friends and family next 3 days.....DH staying home with Doozey.

Hope everyone is enjoying the quietness of the holidays being over.

Xoxo- Julie

Happy New Year!

We ended the year by celebrating my brother's birthday. I made him a cherry pie. It was a recipe I have been wanting to try for 2 years! It is the singer, Jewel's, recipe. She hand cuts pie crust decorations for Christmas.....I did stars for New Years! You can find her recipe and a picture of HER pie online at HGTV.
Happy New Year everyone!