The other day, Laura and I were talking while we were walking. It was a full out walk and talk. I was telling her how I was looking at pictures of Naples, Florida online and how there were some pretty good looking beaches there. It’s really hard for me to tell Laura about places I look at online because she always assumes I want to move there. I suppose I have somewhat of a track record in that department.
As we continued our walk, I kept telling her how I just wanted to walk up and down a beach for a good long time and how good of exercise I though that would be. She seemed to agree, once I mentioned the sport of it. If it’s just a regular walk, it’s no good. If there’s something in it for us, I guess so.
I kept on talking about different places and their benefits when I turned to her and said, “I think I just need a vacation.” I instantly thought of Turks and Caicos. For those of you who have never heard of that, Turks and Caicos is a small cluster of islands in the Caribbean. They aren’t all smothered with resorts and hotels yet, that’s why you may not recognize the name. I have been thinking about visiting Turks and Caicos for years.
When we got back to the house, I let Laura loose on the computer. I told her to feel free to find a nice vacation for us. She came back with some options, but nothing really floored me because there weren’t many “all inclusive” options on those islands. Thinking back to Punta Cana, all there was were all inclusive resorts. The biggest resort on Turks and Caicos is Beaches Resort, and it’s all inclusive. It looks great, but it may be a little too “family friendly.” Much (or all) of their marketing is geared towards kids. I’m talking Sesame Street stuff. Although, they do have those big floating tricycles and a water park. Hmmm.
Anyway, for the past few nights, I have been trying to locate an all inclusive resort on a nice beachy island. I want some place that’s not overbuilt and preferably with white sand beaches. I want to walk out into the water really really far, so the shallower and bluer the better. I am getting a little depressed as the search goes on, because there is so much to look through and all the islands have so much to offer. Punta Cana was easy…all the resorts were all inclusive and the beaches were awesome. There was nothing to think about. Fly down, get on a bus to the resort and get drunk. Now, that’s what I’m talking about.
Okay, I’ll get to the point of this post. During my search for the ultimate Caribbean island, I have browsed through many pictures and videos. Just a few minuted ago, I came across a rather unique video offered by Best Destination Travel TV. As I watched it, I started thinking about how well the commercial (or whatever you want to call it) was written and though out. I just had to share it with you. Take a look at it and let me know what you think.
I have a few more photos of flowers for you. I have three identified, but am having some difficulty with the fourth.
I just found a website that helped me identify the Mountain Bluet. I already knew what the Bailey’s Gold was, along with the Rose. The last one is a little troubling. I have actually never seen this flower before. I am going to write a description of it below the photo in hopes that someone with know what it is and leave a comment.
Dianthus barbatus – Pink flower with white specks and spiky green leaves
As you can tell, it’s that last one I am having trouble with. I wrote down that it has pink flowers with white specks and spiky green leaves. It’s a pretty cool flower. I just wish I knew what it was.
UPDATE – I have learned that the last flower is a Dianthus barbatus. Thank you.
As many of you already know, I have a little trouble with flower identification. Actually, my next post has a few flower photos in it.
I wanted to tell you that I found a pretty good website that has a bunch of flower pictures. I found one of the flowers I was trying to identify and another one that someone else identified for me. If you are looking to figure out what type of flower you have growing in your garden, give this site a try.
This is becoming a little tradition for me. Every year, I take some nice photos of the first Bearded Iris to bloom.
This purple and white beauty bloomed yesterday. A few more came to life today and I expect the rest will start showing their colors tomorrow. When the entire row is bloomed, I’ll take some pictures for you.
The bearded Iris is, by far, my favorite flower. The flower stems are like small trees. They are tall and strong. Although the flower itself has a short life, it’s really good looking. The best part of all is that the Bearded Iris multiplies, so you can pretty much expand your garden as far as you would like throughout the years. I have these flowers growing all over the place here.
I took a few pictures of this bearded Iris today. I tried to get a regular shot, one from the top and another close up so you can see the pollen. Lastly, I got a photo of another plant’s bud.
Purple and white Bearded Iris
Purple and white Bearded Iris viewed from above
Up close picture of a Bearded Iris yellow pistil and pollen
Last Autumn, I dug up about six rose bushes from the hillside out front and transplanted them to a more reasonable area down in the front yard. I am now mowing the hillside and having those rose bushes with their sharp thorns is really a thorn in my side (haha). I get snagged all the time and I don’t enjoy it much.
Initially, I didn’t know if they were going to take, meaning survive. Well, this Spring I noticed a bunch of new growth on some of the branches, but mainly from towards the bottom of the bush. I pruned out all the dead branches and the rose bushes are beginning to look pretty good. This is surprising because I wouldn’t say I did a great job of transplanting these things. I almost just ripped them out of the ground and plopped them in a dug out hole.
If you have not had the pleasure of seeing what the roots of a rose bush look like, let me tell you that they are pretty substantial. Rose bushes grow quite a bit under the ground and I have seen roots longer than six feet. I am not saying that I have seen this in a previous life, I’m saying that I saw this yesterday. Right at the base of the bush, if it is a few years old, you’ll find a gnarly root with a bunch of finer ones all tangled up.
If I had it to do over (which I actually did today), I would first cut the rose bush down to about a foot tall and then transplant it. This way, the plant is easier to work with and I won’t get my hopes smashed as I watch all the nice green growth wilt away.
As I said above, I transplanted six more Rose bushes over the past few days and I did it just the way I said I would, by cutting it down first and then transplanting it. Rose bushes are good at growing very, very fast under the right conditions.
Garden with three transplanted Rose bushes
Closer look at Rose bush transplants
Before I started writing this post, I did a little online research on “How to transplant a Rose bush.” You would be surprised at what I found. On one website, there was about two pages of instructions. They wrote all about the classic, “dig the whole twice as wide…compost…fertilizer” blah blah blah. I read this type of stuff all over the place and really don’t know who writes it. I get the feeling that the faster and dirtier the transplant job, the better things grow. I’m talkin’ pickup truck and chain style. The minute you stop and spend all sorts of time and money transplanting bushes and shrubs, they die.
Here is my advice when transplanting a Rose bush from my own experience:
1. Cut the bush down to 12 inches
2. Dig around the bush to remove as much soil as you can
3. Push the shovel under the Rose bush as much as you can and rock it back and forth to loosen up the plant
4. When it’s nice and loose, grab the roots and pull until you rip it out
To transplant:
1. Dig a hole
2. Plop the bush in the whole and cover with dirt
3. Water a few times a day for about a week
One word of warning for when you are trying to get the Rose bush out of its originating spot – You are going to sweat, get dirty and if anyone is driving by, laughed at.
I found this funny video on YouTube about bottled water. I’m sure you’ve all heard about the negative impacts all those bottles have on the environment, from the creation of the bottles to their disposal. The actual water inside the bottle isn’t much better. Chances are, you are probably getting filtered water from New Jersey.
After I watched this video, I started thinking, “Are people so terrible for drinking bottled water?” You know, half of the time, people drink bottled water when they are on their lunch breaks from work (or similar situations). They are sitting in some pizza place and really aren’t that turned on by drinking a bottle of soda or juice with their food. What’s left to choose from? Water. They don’t want to go ask for a little paper cup worth of tap water from the guy standing behind the counter, so they buy the bottle. They buy it because it’s available.
My feelings are, if you’re going to beat up on the bottled water industry, you better start beating up on the soft drink and juice industry too. I’m not saying this because I like bottled water, I’m just trying to be fair. I don’t think I have ever even bought bottled water. I wouldn’t exactly say that’s because I’m intelligent, probably just because I didn’t want to spend the money.
Costs add up fast in the produce aisle. Save some of that money by growing food yourself. Most herbs and vegetables grow great in containers – so they’re perfect additions to a sunny deck, patio, or balcony.
Not only can insects be a nuisance in your garden, but they can ruin a perfect picnic or hike. Here are a few totally green, home remedy suggestions to repel insects without using toxic chemicals.
250,000 Tiny Greenhouses, Each Containing One Head Of Lettuce
During the early 1900s, Parisian urban gardeners employed the bell jars — called cloches — to protect their plants and raise salad greens early in the season. This was known as a practical guide to “intensive” farming the French way.
Most environmentally aware Americans would love a personal organic vegetable garden, but how many people actually have the time to cultivate one?. Thanks to a San Francisco-based company called MyFarm, Bay Area denizens can pay a weekly fee to have a backyard garden designed and maintained by professionals.
Tea Tree oil is a great multipurpose treatment to use on a number of ailments. Whether you are looking to repel insects in your garden or if you are looking to clear up your acne, tea tree oil is a great alternative.
After we took some pictures of the bird nests this afternoon, I went around and got a few more photos of some flowers that already bloomed and some that are just about ready to bloom. I know I can identify one, think I can identify two and can’t identify the last. I am getting better from last year though.
Purple, pink and yellow Aster or Brachycome
Yellow white flower on long twiggy stem that I can’t identify
Peonies bud
Purple flower bud – has many long thin petals – dark center
It’s that time of year again. Time to take a whole bunch of pictures of the baby birds living under the porch and see which ones come out okay.
I was wondering if these bird families were going to come back this year. Well, they are probably new families, but you get the picture. We have three nests under the porch (two are occupied) and one in the front of the house in a small pine tree. The two occupied nests under the porch have baby chicks and the nest in the front of the house has four little eggs. They are really cool.
Take a look at the photos.
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) chicks in birds nest under porch
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) chicks in birds nest under porch
Empty birds nest under porch
House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) eggs in birds nest in small pine tree
