We usually don’t have an accumulating snowfall in December here in southern New Jersey. We did over the weekend, and I had the joy of being young at heart and creating a snow lady in the backyard. Happy Winter, everyone!
Author: Timelesslady
Married with children and grandchildren. Reader, writer, painter - maybe a bit of an artist. Gardener... Led by the Spirit.
Phriday Phlowers – Torenia/Wishbone Flower
Torenia are one of my favorite flowers to grow in the summertime. They are low-growing and perfect for the front of a border or in pots. They don’t appreciate constant sunlight but are a good choice for half-sun, half-shade areas. Torenia flowers come in many varieties and colors, but the common thread for each flower is the wishbone inside. One of my favorite uses for Tornenia is flower pressing, and they are a staple in many of my pressed flower design cards.
Torenia holds onto its vibrant color for years when pressed. You can see the wishbone in a few of the flowers above. I use porous paper for pressing. This was an old, discarded college catalog I bought for 25 cents at the local library.
A few more examples of the color of Torenia available in many garden nurseries.
Will I ever change my mind about growing a few Torenia flowers every summer? Never!
Adding this post to Floral Friday Fotos link-up.
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Product & Play – Card Games for Christmas Gifts
Christmas is quickly approaching; in two weeks, we will awaken to another year of celebrating the Lord’s birth and spreading good cheer and gifts to those we love. I’ve included a short description of three games we learned to play this past year. They are easy to understand and very enjoyable for two people or better, a group. If you still need a few gifts under $20.00 and the recipient loves games, consider these three card games, still available in stores and online.
FIVE CROWNS is a rummy-type game. After you become familiar with the card count bumping up by one each round, the game is very easy.
SKYJO is a fun game of collecting, replacing, and ending with the fewest points for the win.
PLAY NINE is a card game with a golf theme. Drawing, discarding, trading, and sabotaging the player next in line is a wonderful way to spend an hour or two with family and friends.
Even better, we found good tutorials on how to play the games on YOUTUBE. I’ve included the links below to give you an idea of whether your gift recipient might enjoy the games.
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Phriday Phlowers – Signet Marigold
Yesterday, while walking in the yard, I was amazed by the blossoms of a lemon signet marigold. The plant is still going strong even though we’ve had several hard freezes and the weather is consistently cold now, as December always is in the Northeast. The plant grows along my back patio and is really not sheltered any more than something planted in the middle of the yard.
I sowed signet marigold seeds late in the summer season to fill in holes left by the annuals that came and went quickly. The seeds are from Botanical Interests, a very reliable seed source, one of two seed sources that I use every year. I just looked up the seeds in the online catalog of botanical interest, and they are once again available for a reasonable price. I also noticed they have received a five-star rating from customers in the reviews. I might add a review, and it will be a 5-star rating too. I’ve never had an annual Bloom so profusely in December.
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Phlashback Thursday – December 4th
If you have blogged, like me, for over a decade, you may be running into the same problem as I have in the past few years: finding unique ideas and themes to post about. I am not a fan of the phrase “circle back,” but in my day-to-day life, I often repeat the same projects, recipes, and outings as in previous years.
In the coming year, starting with the Christmas season, I plan to mine my archives and bring back a few of the better projects, recipes, outings, etc., that might be lost in the never-never land of thousands of posts and photographs.
Paper Snowflakes – I cut close to a hundred this year to cover my windowpanes. I can’t imagine being without paper snowflakes on my windows in December and January.
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Product & Plants
I purchased the Baker Creek Seed Catalog from their website, Baker Creek Seeds, a few weeks ago. The 530-page magazine/catalog arrived in my mailbox and has been a source of delight anytime I open its pages. The illustrations and variety of seeds are stellar. I enjoyed reading about the employees featured on the pages and the founders’ children. I was also very touched by the inclusion of beautiful quotes and Bible verses on the pages.
I can’t wait to try a few of the new varieties and plan to peruse every page over the next few weeks.
Here is my testimonial about Baker Creek Seeds. Baker Creek Seeds is my number one choice for the best, most reliable, and perfect customer service seed company. Shipping is free and quick. All items are perfectly packaged and include a packet of free seeds. If you have a gardener on your Christmas list, consider giving them a Baker Creek Seeds catalog.
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Quote – Romans 12:18
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Phlowers – Mexican Sunflower/Delight & Dilemma
Outside my window grows a spectacular plant that causes me delight and a sense of impending dilemma. The Mexican Sunflower, Tithonia, was grown by way of Winter-Sowing, and has thrived both in its milk carton birthing room, and in the rich soil of the patio garden. The plant has attracted every type of buzzing pollinator, hosted hundreds of butterfly visits, quenched the thirst of hummingbirds, and now that it is setting seed, drawn in goldfinches, in drabber Autumn colors, but goldfinches, nevertheless. What could be more of a delight?
A newly hatched Monarch Butterfly spent hours fueling up for its flight to Mexico, circling the Mexican Sunflower continuously for hours, sipping nectar as it went round and round.
A pollinator’s view of the nectar-filled florets and pollen.
One dilemma is the size of the plant. I measured today, October 13th, and the height was eight feet. The plant is at least five or six feet across at the bottom. Next year, I’ll need to plant near the back wall of the house. I have other Mexican Sunflowers, but none reached quite the size of this beauty. I have collected seeds and look forward to growing them again next year with a few amendments.
The first I already mentioned. Keep the Mexican Sunflower at the very back of the garden, but still near enough to enjoy the up close and personal look at the nature it draws in with its nectar and pollen. Second, once the first lush leaves have fallen off, giving rise to many branches with smaller leaves and more blooms, consider planting some fast-growing vining plants at the base to grow up and add a bit of lushness to the sparser foliage by midsummer. A fast-growing scarlet runner bean would be a great choice.
The third dilemma is my indecision over whether to cut it down when it is entirely defoliated and flowerless or to leave it up as perches for the winter birds. My husband and I discussed decorating it by stringing popcorn and other goodies on the branches throughout the winter for the birds to enjoy when food is scarce. I will update later if we do this.
A photo taken today, a Mexican Sunflower, still blooming in mid-October, braving the rain of a N’or Easter. If you have room, consider growing this amazing plant.
An appreciative goldfinch gathering seed was the perfect signpost backdrop for a quote from the poet Robert Browning.
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Quote – Matthew Henry/Evidence
Matthew Henry (1662—1714) was an English Presbyterian minister and Bible expositor best remembered for his Commentary on the Whole Bible, a verse-by-verse, devotional commentary spanning every book in Scripture. His biblical exegesis profoundly influenced British revival leaders like John and Charles Wesley and George Whitefield and, consequently, evangelical churches throughout the world. GotQuestions.org
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Phlutters – Monarchs
Photographed today, Monarch Butterflies in different stages of development. The one who eclosed today is ready to begin its adventure of flying to Mexico for overwintering. Later in the morning, the one on the left also emerged.
I nurtured the caterpillars on my screened porch rather than leaving them outdoors because they fall victim to predatory bugs that are not affected by their poison. Many created their chrysalis beneath the coffee table that held the milkweed they fed upon.
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Phlowers – Rose of Sharon Topiary
Years ago, a blogging friend sent me seeds from her Rose of Sharon. I nurtured one sprout for years and now it stands in our backyard garden border as a Rose of Sharon topiary.
Growing bushes that normally sprawl in many directions as a topiary saves the garden bed beneath the branches for annuals and perennials. In the vicinity of the Rose of Sharon grow vinca, violets, iris, gladiolus, and two Knockout rose bushes; all have enough room and sunlight to thrive.
The color of the flowers is a lovely lavender accented with a band of red in the inner recesses of the petals. The stamen is interesting, and I have seen bees and hummingbirds dip into the center. One of the pests that can attack these flowers is Japanese beetles, but so far this year, the beetles have not appeared.
I love the way the petals glow when the sunlight illuminates them from above. I used this flower as my blog’s August header. Today’s photographs are part of Skywatch Friday and Floral Friday Fotos.
PS Another wonderful aspect of this plant is its ability to self-seed. On either side of the tree, and a bit further down the border, I have identified seedlings that are a year or two old and growing well. When it is time, I will bring them to topiary size too in the coming years.
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Photo Challenge – One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge/August 2025
I haven’t taken part in Xingfu Mama’s One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge for a few months and thought this rather drab background behind my sunflowers might be worth perking up a bit.
I processed the photo three ways with an end vision in mind. I first cropped a bit and then used Ribbet to create a focal color with black and white.
I wondered if the original would look better boosted and posterized in Ribbet, but decided against using the brighter version for the final version. I might use this for another project. I like the chunkiness of the color blocks in the leaves and petals.
I next loaded my tweaked photos into Adobe Express and created a background of blue sky to really make the sunflowers stand out. I downloaded a flipped version of the image and removed the background, adding a second layer of the same sunflowers to the composition. I was happy with the finished product and decided it was perfect to use for a poster for my Signposts blog. Thank you to Xingfu Mama for this fun challenge.
HEAVENLY SUNLIGHT
BY
Henry J. Zelley
Walking in sunlight, all of my journey,
over the mountains, through the deep vale;
Jesus has said, “I’ll never forsake thee,”
promise divine that never can fail.
Refrain:
Heavenly sunlight, heavenly sunlight,
flooding my soul with glory divine:
hallelujah, I am rejoicing,
singing His praises, Jesus is mine.
Shadows around me, shadows above me,
never conceal my Savior and Guide;
He is the light, in Him is no darkness;
ever I’m walking close to His side. [Refrain]
Shadows around me, shadows above me,
Never conceal my Savior and Guide;
He is the Light, in Him is no darkness;
Ever I’m walking close to His side.
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Project – Buttercup Lucine and Driftwood Wind Chime
We visited Sanibel Island in June, and I brought home quite a few seashells. One of the more common varieties was a clam called a Buttercup Lucine (Anodontia alba). I love the color yellow, so the gold edging on the interior appealed to me, and I collected about three to four dozen of these clams in different sizes. Happily, they were easy to transport back home as they stack together nicely for traveling.
I probably wouldn’t have brought so many back home if I didn’t have a specific project in mind, a wind chime. We found a piece of driftwood on the banks of the Delaware River that resembled a bird’s beak and head. It was just the right size to create a mobile with the Buttercup Lucines.
I was glad I had extra shells because one out of every three cracked when I drilled it with the Dremel tool. I had success with many and had enough to create the chime.
I left the beak a natural color for contrast and added a graphite and colored pencil eye. I painted the rest of the bird-shaped driftwood a golden yellow to match the inner colors of the shell.
As far as ease of making this project, I’d give it a five out of 1-10. The painting and the stringing into screw eyes were fairly easy. The hardest part of the project was drilling the seashells. Whenever I look at my project, I remember the joy of collecting shells on Sanibel Island.
I used waxed hemp thread/cord for the stringing material. It is sturdy and very easy to knot and tie off.
PS My husband made a keen observation that I had to agree with: the chime is more of a clacker than a chime, but hey, it sings the song of the sea, and that is definitely music to me.
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Quote – Prayer
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Photo Challenge – Simply Red Squares/Enthusaism
I love the enthusiasm of children. Even strips of paper thrown in the air are great fun. My grandsons are all older now, and I miss the fun of their young years, but they have grown into wonderful young men. I am blessed.
This post is part of The Life of B blog, Simply Red Squares.
I had a great deal of fun and was filled with enthusiasm myself as I participated in this wonderful square challenge. Thank you so much Becky for hosting.
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Photo Challenge – Simply Red Squares/Rick’s Cafe
Everything in Jamaica has more color. The fenceposts are brilliant, half coral/half red. The pigeons have rosy feet, and one seems to have red eyes. My photograph of a fence at Rick’s Cafe in Negril, Jamaica, is part of The Life of B’s Simply Red Challenge.
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Photo Challenge – Simply Red Squares/Hulk Hogan
Both of my sons are now in their mid-forties. No longer boys, but grown men with families of their own. This photo is a reminder of how they loved to mimic boxers and wrestlers when they were young. They would set up rings in the backyard, gather friends, and put on their own wrestling matches. Oh, of course, there were sometimes bumps and scuffles, and perhaps some hurt feelings amid defeat, but I am so glad they spent a good portion of their childhood outside, rather than being glued to a screen.
I was sorry to hear that Hulk Hogan passed away on Thursday. He brought a lot of joy to many little boys, as well as just as many grown men and women. Rest in Peace, Mr. Hogan.
My wrestler with his pop of red gloves is my choice for today’s Simply Red Squares.
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Photo Challenge – Simply Red Squares/Zinnias
A parasol of zinnia petals, illuminated by sunbeams, glow like stained glass. A different perspective on what we usually view from above. The beautiful zinnia is part of today’s Simply Red Squares and Skywatch Friday.
