My Blue Plumbago

My one blue plumbago I am allowing to grow as it will. It is really lovely

you can see how it's growth chokes out my roses,hardly a dramatic display

well you can almost see this rose and the blue color isn't quite what I was looking for . It needs to be a little deeper blue.

Every Victorian had a special place reserved in their heart for flowers. In fact many times when one thinks Victorian,  flowers especially roses pop into your mind.
On a trip back to my former home in upstate N.Y. I saw the most fabulous display of plumbago neatly trimmed in a rounded cone shape and profusely blooming brilliant blue flowers. Between each plumbago bush was growing an equally beautiful magenta colored rose bush. The blue just made the roses pop. I t was a feast for the eyes.
I have made an attempt to produce that in my own garden. I've been waiting and waiting for this display to produce itself but ...not so easy. The plumbago doesn't seem to bloom in the cycle that the roses bloom and at first grew very slowly and then shazam! they were sprawling all over the place...not only that,  those little blue devils were crowding out my roses.

my meager attempt at pruning, oh well maybe I. can shape them as they grow

maybe I should have chosen these magenta lantana instead  of roses. They sure wouldn't let those bully plumbago get the best of them. 

Today I made an effort to trim my plumbago back to a more orderly appearance  though not in a perfect rounded cone shape.Alas now all the blue flowers are gone. I guess every gardener will interject here that you need extreme patience in gardening. In the meantime I'll enjoy the one plumbago that I am allowing to grow as it will.

M-m-m-m Majolica

Majolica in the form I appreciate is of purely Victorian origin. It developed as a more economical form of decorative table ware than the current expensive porcelain or china. Being enraptured by things of nature the Majolica theme was usually of just that,. nature. Some of the most ugly ones are also now the most expensive. Platters,compotes, etc. were mounded with bugs,snakes,frogs and and a plethora of creepy things. Even if I found one of those pieces,I would hesitate to buy it.
The colors of this pottery on the other hand are vivid and very appealing from deep cobalt blues to ethereal teal blues and turquoise.This is due to the tin glaze used in firing.

A true victorian lady and a treasure box plus a majolica lea?shell? as a backdrop

displayed on my cupboards

don't think vase with handles on right is majolica,let me know if you know it's origin

more top'o'cupboard display note lemon and pineapple pitchers

one of my favorites

basket with mushroom on top casserole

This is bottom of jardinare that I use as a vase, my most expensive at $45

As the clay is in the potter's hand ,so are ye in mine hand.Jer.18:6b

Many are not marked but also many are marked made in Italy,Portugal and also England. Minton was the one well known manufacturer although many others followed suit.The most desirable mark is George Jones in case you should happen upon one such.All of  these pictured, though more valuable, were purchased for miniscule amounts...only two were purchased in an antique shop.

Oh Goody, Another Chandelier

a great deal at $45 ,lovely detail

built the candle holder around candel screw- in base

I found another chandelier!..A decorative element that is really in but thought again because of expense would never indulge in. This one is old probably early 1900's and is gold washed brass. My husband is not fond of having large holes in the ceiling nor did I want to pay an electrician for rewiring so as before I took all the wiring out.
I happened to have on hand some flicker battery operated candles. They supposedly would burn for 700hours which should be quite suitable as they wouldn't be on except for special occasions.The cups that would hold the candles however were too shallow to hold them securely...what to do? Then I remembered my favorite product epoxy,the kind that is doughy and you rub it between your hands to mix it.

original candles had a celluloid that fit nicely on replacement candle

the finished product

I built the candle holders up around the bottom of the candle,(which could be unscrewed,)  with the epoxy and then applied an antique gold color to epoxy called Rub'n Buff. It is a really neat product that you just rub on with your finger. It's lucky I have my husband to restrain me because I like the way this stuff looks so much that I would be probably layering antique gold Rub'n Buff all over the house.

Wouldn't You Just Love to See a Close up of My back yard Moon?

Praise ye him,sun and moon:praise him all ye stars of light.Psalm 148:3

In case you haven't read my earlier post I created this lunar spectacle for my back yard. Such fun!





A moon for my Garden

                                  When I consider the heavens,the work of thy fingers,the moon and the stars,which thou hast ordained.Psalm 8:3

there's my moon,hovering over my back fence

the 2 half circle sconces made of translucent marbleized material that makes it moon like

glued together forming a full moon, note permanent bars allowing a place to secure it to a pole and also secure the solar light

While watching a TV tour of ahome of a famous person ,I was entranced by the fact that the home had a light in the shape of a quarter moon that would turn on at night. I thought that would be really neat in my garden.All I had to do was figure out how to create it. Well while on vacation in a thrift store I found 2 .half circle sconces that were kind of marble looking...that might do the job.I could hardly wait to get home to get to work on them. I didn't even yell at my husband for driving too fast.
Once home ,armed with my zip ties and liquid nails I glued the 2 halves of my moon together and fastened them to a pole. That being done I positioned a couple of solar lights inside my moon(they each had a crossbar in them already, convenient for securing the lights with zip ties and also securing my moon to the pole.Zip ties again came in handy to secure the moon behind a bush on my back fence.I could hardly wait for darkness to see the fruition of my scheme and there she was hovering over my back fence.I could hardly take my eyes off her!

This Week Is R and R Week Victoria is in the Desert,(in case you didn't notice)

Today a trip to Borrego Springs. To tell you the truth it is all a blur to me, My husband's idea of an excursion is get there as fast as you can ,see what you want to see and get back as fast as you can. There was some really beautiful scenery on the way but couldn't coax my husband to stop for foto's.

scenic little church on the edge of town

mural in the town mall

there's about 11 stores in the mall

guess this was a hideout in the early days, no wonder,tho beautiful very desolate

rugged terrain on the way

more rugged terrain

Salton Sea about 25 mi. from Borrego Springs

Borrego Springs is a very sleepy little town very close to the Mexican border. I was all excited to find an antique shop there but alas it is only open on weekends.I had a nice talk with a couple of people there and was inquisitive as to how these businesses stay open. I was informed that the major portion of the population arrives  in October from Montana,Oregon and Washington. I was also told that at that time the millionaire per ca pita was probably highest of any city. It seems they like to come there for the anonymity it offers...Sorry millioniares,your secret is out.

THESE GUESTS MADE MY DAY

I've been trying to get a closeup of the resident ducks. Today was my day. I had spent many days trying to get a closeup of one the colorful drakes in the water by our condo. This morning as I was out on the patio searching for an opportunity 2 female ducks came waddling right up to the patio!Had God answered my prayers? And then miracle of miracles the drake came flying right up next to the 2 others. It was then I noticed chips being showered down from the balcony above, they were feeding the ducks.This is a no no but I was certainly going to take advantage of this opportunity! I guess that makes me an accomplice.

Lunch at The River,Rancho Mirage

IN THE MIDST OF THE DESERT A PLACE OF REFRESHING. AMALL WITH A RIVER AND FOUNTAINS THROUGHOUT.vERY PLEASANT

IN THE MIDST OF THE DESERT A

HAVEN'T STOPPED HERE YET BUT WILL BE

Highly recommended,great dining inside or out.Beautiful ambiance compared to home this area is very economical!
"Piero's Aqua Pazza"

A Few Welcome Visitors



mom and dad duck out for morning stroll

very surprised to see this fellow

these fellowa have plenty of munchies around here and nobody bothers them. I have a few at my house that I would like to transplant

He is a majestic fellow even though his brother ate all the fish out of my pond

I don't think anyone can see me