Not the Old Daylily

                                                               A lily a day is a Daylily



Reblooming Day lily



As I have watched my garden bloom this summer, I have seen some flowers thrive and some die.  To me it is sad to see a flower unhappy.  You can not always go by the label sun, shade or sun to part shade. If you have neighbors that have flowers, you can ask them if they have good luck with a certain plant.  The planting zone does not always help either.  We have had the hottest summer in resent history, in lower Arkansas, zone nine.  We watered every four days, if we have no rain, and we have had very little rain.  The roses need lots of water and care.  We plant the most hardy, but the sun was so hot it drew all the moisture out and the roses just dried up.  There are a few flowers that made it fine.  The day lily was among the best.  There is but one draw back, they have a short blooming time.   Unless you buy the rebloomers.  I thought I had several rebloomers,  however now I don't think so.  I have one that is still blooming.  I planted one of these day lilies in 2008, divided them in 2010 and I had eleven.  You need to divide  your day lilies every three years.  I planted most of mine in 2008 and I am dividing them this year. When we think about day lilies, we think they are fairly new and only yellow and orange.  Daylilies have been around since before the written word.  Like a lot of other flowers, I have found in my research for writing my blogs, daylilies came from China.  The Chinese ate the blooms and used the roots for medicine.  The daylily was brought to Asia Minor in 70 AD from China,so you can see the daylily is certainly not new.  In 1752 Swedish naturalist, Linnaeus, published his "Species Planetarium".  However the daylily did not become well known in the US until the 1950s.  When I was a little my mother never had any, had they been well established  here my Mother would have had them.   Only in the past few years through hybridization have we been able to have more than the three colors.  I have found a wonderful place on Internet to buy reblooming daylilies.  Smokey's Daylily Gardens, has a wonder selection, if you spend 50.00 or more you will have free postage, I felt like I got two free.  I ordered ten and they sent me ten free.  I like deals like that, gardening can be expensive, I spend any where from 100.00 to 400.00 dollars a year.  I planted ten today. My daylilies started blooming in May, and one is still blooming.  Hope you will continue to watch my garden grow and will grow one of your own.  Happy gardening to you from me Juanita 



Stella De Ore



'             





I bought this one from a farm outside of Dermott, Ar.



Picot edge



May 19- Aug 29 and still blooming



If you have not tried the new shorter daylily, I hope you will.  I plant them in front of my Roses.

Becoming a Grandmother

Trip to Ashville North Carolina

Silver plane flying through the beautiful blue sky, taking me away.   I love to fly, and watch the fluffy white clouds go by.





Beautiful blue sky from window of airplane

 

Charlotte, my daughter and I flew out of Shreveport, La. Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 7:30AM with a stop over of about two hours in Atlanta.  We changed planes and flew on to Asheville.  I love to fly, before I was 60, I would tell you "If God had wanted me to fly, he would have given me wings."  In 1993 Charlotte and her husband, Don, took me to Orlando, Florida, and we flew, my first flight.   I got a window seat and the sky was so beautiful, I never even thought of being scared.  I have flown many times since.  We landed at 12:30 had to take a taxi cab to the Grove Park Inn, what a ride, and fifty dollars.     



Grove Park Inn




View from our room

  Mr. Edwin Wiley Grove made millions selling a tasty chill tonic with quinine.  His doctor suggested Mr. Grove go to Asheville because of a health problem.  Mr. Grove had a very bad case of hiccups, sometimes they lasted for several weeks.  Really liking the Asheville area Mr Grove decided to build a resort where people could relax in peace an quite.  With the help of his son-in-law, Fred Loring Seely, Mr Grove built the Grove Park Inn Resort.  The Inn was built in 11 months and 27 days, with about 400 men, from July 1911 to 1912.  At that time there were only about 450 rooms. Today there are more than 500.  He did not allow any loud talking in the lobby.   If any one was taking loudly they would be handed a card, that told them they were too loud.     



Sketch by Fred Seely 1912

There have been many famous people to stay in the Inn including ten Presidents from Woodrow Wilson to Barack Obama.  This picture shows just a few. 

File, Firestone, Edison, Henry Ford and Fred Seely

During  world war 11 the Inn was used as an internment for Axes Diplomats. They were allowed guarded trips to town to shop.  This was a big help to the strapped local merchants.  The Navy used Park Grove Inn as a rest and rehabilitation center for the Sailor who went over seas.  The Army used it for rest and relaxation  before being assigned to other duties.  The Philippine Government, while in Exile, stayed in the Resorts Presidents cottage.  A nice quite place to stay and run whatever business they had.

My seat partner

    



On the plane this nice lady set by the window, and I was on the isle seat.  I hope she does not mind me showing her picture.  She  is a designer for the Electric company.  I had my computer, and I was going to get my pictures in order.   As I was working she was watching, so was the lady who sat on the other side one seat back.  What we had was a flower show.  I enjoyed their ohs and awes all the way to Atlanta.


Arrangement in lobby



In the lobby while Charlotte was getting us registered I stood by watching all the people, I like to just watch. We had to wait for our room a couple hours so the Bell man stored our belongings.  Of course I took my camera.  I love the arrangements below, the vase must have been a least four to five feet tall.  The flowers were another two or three feet higher, and the ceilings had to be ten to twelve  feet above that.  The fireplaces  were very pretty had flower arrangements in them.  In the winter this place would be a winter wonder land.  Cosy up to the fire. 







The fire places were just beautiful.  arrangements in some of them.



 


We walked around and I took pictures of just about everything except our room, which was large and beautiful.  Potted arrangements were everywhere. The light fixtures were huge and different from any I had seen. 



  A wall of stone was outside and pots with arrangements sitting on top, and I took pictures of every arrangement  for future reference.  Maybe one day I may have great potted arrangements.  Right now I am still buying to plant in the ground.

View from the Sunset Restaurant



Arrangement at the front door



   I plan to take them to my nursery and buy what I need to make them.  Most of them had the pink petunias and the bright green sweet potato vines.  The grounds were quite lovely, flowers everywhere.  we went to our room around 4:00 pm.  Put our things away and went to eat.  We ate at the Sunset Terrace Restaurant.  They  said they have a beautiful sun set from there but the whole time we were there I never saw the sun set.  It rained or was cloudy or a haze was over the place.  Never got a clear view of the mountains.



Sunset Terrance Restaurant



Pink petunias seem to be a favorite



The grounds were  lovely and we met up with a friend of Charlotte's.  And  we took more pictures.

 


These Oak Leaf Hydrangeas where really               beautiful.  They really had a lot of different             hydrangias.  This is really a big place and complete   with shops and  food service is wonderful.  I       give this Park Grove Resort a 10

On Friday we spent the day in the Spa a wonderful relaxing day. First I got a much needed facial, after I neglected cleaning so long because of the nerve pain.  It felt great.  Then we went in the hot tub with a water fall.  I let the water fall on my shoulders, soooo relaxing.  Then I sat in a chair and read and napped all day.  Every woman should go to this place.  I think we all need a vacation every once in a while.                              



The golf course is beautiful and looked  like a good sized one.  Here are some pictures I took from the terrace I think my camera did really well.



Even got a picture of the little men walking around. The resort has tours around town but we did not take  one.  I really think we were both tired and needed a complete and total shut down and this place was perfect.  This place is truly a place to  return to.

I have a little story to tell you about Carrel and I.  We both have our own money.  He pays most of the bills but not all.  I buy my own personal items, most of the time.  Carrel buys groceries at Walmart.   I buy from Schwans.  Thank God for Schwans.  They really have some good food and I do not waste so much.  We were in Walmart and I thought about Charlotte telling me I needed a bathing suit.  I saw a rake with  a sign 15 dollars for bathing suits.  I said that is not much for a bathing suit that I will only wear one time.  However the one I choose was marked 35 dollars.  I took it up to the cash register and the man said 35 dollars. I told him about the sign. A lady at the next register took it back to the department head and asked her if this bathing suit was on sale.  She said over ride the register all the bathing suits were 15.00.  I said I will take it.  Carrel in the mean time had gathered the items that he needed.  I put my bathing in shopping cart.  Mr Sheffield inform me he would not pay for a bathing suit.  Another customer was watching us and I informed him I did not need him to buy me anything!  I think she got a kick out of this.  I told him I was not stingy I paid for everything in the cart. Well, when we got home Mr. Sheffield said I would have to try on the bathing to see if he would let me wear it.  Let me wear it.  At seventy five some one is going or not going to let me wear something.  Don't think so.   I tried it on and Mr. Sheffield said it looks good, he let me wear it.   Hope you enjoyed this post and you will continue to watch my garden grow and will grow on of your own.  Happy gardening to you from me.  Juanita 









I really liked the blue spruce.  They will not live here.



Happy Birthday Carolyn

 





A lot of Mothers with only Sons are not happy with their Daughters-in- law, I am.  She is sweet and I know she is happy with me.  I mind my own business, which is what a Mother-in-law should do.  Carolyn is very smart, sweet and generous.  Frank, my son helped her through college, then when he lost his job at Malone and Hyde, because they moved their warehouse to Tennessee, she helped him go to back to school.  Helping each other is what a man and wife should do.  Carolyn was over the OT department at St Francis in Monroe, Louisiana when Frank finished college.

She went to NLU as a teacher in the OT department, and Frank got a job in the OT department at St Francis in Monroe, Louisiana.  In order for her to teach at NLU Carolyn had to have her PHD,  she finish this year.  I am very proud of her and my son.  They have a wonderful family.  I know it has been trying on her because my son is too much like his Mother.  However better like me than his Daddy.  Hope you have a Great Birthday.  Love you girl you, are a great Daughter-in-law.  You have made my son happy, which is the most important thing you could ever do for me.  Carolyn and Frank gave me three lovely and fine grandchildren, Josh, Lauren, and Jordon.  Lauren is now married to Larry McCarty.   Hope you will continue to watch my garden grow and grow one of your own. Happy gardening to you from me.  Juanita     

Frank and Carolyn Murphy



Lauren, Larry  McCarty and Chewy








Josh

 


Jordon and Lauren



Crape Mytle Tree



Crape Mytle Tree 06/21/2011



06/21/20011



 It is belived that Marco Polo discoverd the Crape Myrtle tree in the Orient and brought it back to Europe.   The Grape Mytle is more of a southern tree or bush.  Some Crape Myrtles were planted around the Governor's garden in Williams burg, Virgina and they are still there.  They have a very long life and grow to be about 30 feet tall and about 10 to 15 feet across.  The Crape Myrtle is not a very fast growing tree.  A lot of people commit Crape murder, the way they prune the tree.  You can shape it up but do not cut the limbs all the way back to the trunk, this is called Crape murder by the Master Gardeners.  I only cut off what I do not want to grow.  I decided how high I wanted my lowest limb to be from the ground, I cut off any growth below that.  I never let my tree produce seeds and I am rewarded with another blooming.  My Crape Myrtle bloomed 3 times last year.  I found out they would bloom more that once accidentally.  My girls gave me 5 Crape Myrtle trees when I lived in Marion, La.  I planted them in flowers beds, and did not want them to drop the seeds so sprouts would come up, to me this does not look neat, and it can crowd the other plants.  So when their blooms began to fall, I cut the blooms off.  Low and behold they re bloomed, another plus.  So instead of just one blooming a year I have two or three.   Color last a lot longer.    



Close up of my Crape Myrle bloom

I bought this tree in July,2007.  Charlotte, my daughter and I went on a trip to Charleston, South Carolina.  I always have to go to the nurseries in Shreveport, La. before I go home.  We went to my favorite place and bought several small plants and this tree, we had a hard time getting it in the car. I planted my small plants first.. I remove the dirt from the hole and mix coffee grounds and compost to it, then plant my flowers.  However I have a lot of left over soil to carry  to another bed.  By the time I got around to planting this tree, which was about 5 ft tall, my back was hurting so bad I could not lift the tree.  I have told you in earlier posts how I moved next door to Carrel Sheffield in October of 2006 and we became friends.  So to my friend Mr. Sheffield I went and ask if he would help me.  He smiled and planted my Crape Myrtle.  This was the first plant Carrel planted, but not the last.  He asked didn't I have a wheel barrow, yes, but did not think about it.  I always do things the hard way.  I don't know how many buckets of dirt I carried that day, but my back did.  Hope you have enjoyed this page about the Crape Myrtle, and you will not commit Crape murder.  Try cutting your blooms off and see if you will have an extended blooming time with your Crape Myrtle.  My Crape Myrtle tree has just began to bloom the second time this year, it bloomed three times last year.

Just beginning to re bloom 07/29/2011

Bees love Crape Myrtles  08/03/2011

Hope you will continue to watch my garden grow and grow one of your own.  Happy gardening to you from me.  Juanita

First born Grandson Jonathan

Jonathan,Ken, Tafta, Ben Joe and Debbie

Jonathan was the oldest child of my daughter and her husband Ken.  The baby boy loved us.  Jonathan never had his feet on the floor for very long around our house.  A very sweet baby always had a smile.  I never turned down the chance to baby sit.  In fact we had planned to go to a movie one Friday night since we now had children old enough to stay by themselves, but Ken called wanting me to keep Jonathan and I said come on.  Frank asked why, I said babies grow to fast to miss a moment with them.  Ken always bought me some candy for Valentines ( they had a hard time right at first so I think he bought the day after to save money I thought that was smart).  When Jonathan was seven months old Debbie and Ken came over ( climbed in the window and just walked in the den)the day after Valentines.  The first thing I noticed was no baby boy.  I opened the front door and there he sat in the dark, just about to pucker up to cry with a box of candy just about as big as he was.  But when he saw his Grandmother he gave me a big wet eyed smile.  Of course  I got him and gave him a big hug.  I have never forgotten that night, hope I never will.  Jonathan was hard to train.  Debbie now had two in diapers.  I was keeping them one day and he wet his pants and I told him I would cut it off if he did not stop.  I did not crack a smile he looked at me so funny.  Jonathan did not wet his pants any more that day at my house.  That night he told his Daddy I can't wet my pants any more.  Ken thought that was great until Johnathan told him " Grandma said she would cut it off if I wet my pants."  Ken called me and ask if I told his little boy that.  Sure did lets see how it works.  As far as I know it did.  Jonathan is grown now , he made his brags about getting a perfect wife.  She would stay home , keep the house spotless and have his supper on the table when he got home and cook his breakfast before he left.  He married a pretty red head Stacy Newman.  



Stacy and Jonathan

One day Stacy and Jonathan were visiting with my Son Frank, I am sure Stacy knew what Jonathan expected from his wife.  I know this was the goal she told Frank that day that she would be the best in the family.  Stacy girl you have arrived you are the best one.  Stacy and Jonathan have made a great couple.  They have a nice home and four beautiful children, two boys and two girls.  Jonathan is a fine young man, I think, a lot like his uncle Frank, my son.  He takes an active part in his town and in his church.  A fine Daddy, Husband, Son and Grandson.  Love you Jonathan and hope you have a great birthday. 


 Hope you have enjoyed this birthday blog page and will continue to watch my garden grow and grow one of your own.   Happy gardening to you from me.  Juanita

Lenora Evans The Woman

Lenora and Max ( Lenora's first grandchild)




 

Lenora is a woman to be greatly admired.  I really did not appreciate Lenora's independents when she was home with her Dad and I.  The girl had a mind of her own, knew what she wanted.  I could buy fabric or shoes for Charlotte and Debbie, not Lenora.  When she was old enough to drive I sent her, to buy her own.   Now that independents is good and it has helped her to make the choices she has had to make.  Lenora married Steve Evans the summer she graduated from high school.  Gave birth to her first child Samantha in March of 1979.   Lenora always loved children.  She was like a little Mother to all the little ones at home. 



Samantha and Jen

Lenora went to college in Monroe and became a Medical Technician and worked for a time at St Francis hospital.  Gave birth to two girls and 3 boys.   Lenora, like me pushed her children to get a good education.  Samantha is a  Midwife in Austin Tex.  But college is not for all people.  Her boys are not that interested, they may be one day.  Lenora and Steve divorced  when David, her youngest was very young, and not yet in school. Mostly, Lenora raised her children by herself.  Oh daddy gave " When he could," but he mostly couldn't.  Lenora decided to go back to school and become a nurse.  But now she is working back in a Lab in Monroe,La.  Lenora is the kind to have lots of projects going at one time, so do I.  Lenora bought the house and 7 acres next door to where her Daddy and I raised our children.  We had lots of creatures around the place and all my children loved that.  Lenora has cats, dogs and chickens, and thinking about a goat.  She sells her eggs, gets lots of them.  When ever her children needed anything if Lenora could possibly get it she did.  Lenora I can not find the words to tell you how much I admire you.  You have done a great job with your children.  Enjoy that grandchild all you can.  I love you dearly.  Happy Birthday.  Hope you will continue to watch my garden grow, and grow one of your own.  Happy garden to you from me. Juanita.

 


David



Steven







  




 



Jeremy and Max



Happy Birthday