Gardening! In this weather?

Lovely pics :o)

Great blog Cat.....Your center Christmas Cactus is huge. Too bad there aren't many buds. Hopefully they will come a bit later. It must be a sight to behold.

Thank you TT..
Gilli it is old and it is very big..before David and I were married..he used it for his Christmas tree a few times..lol

Maybe it just needs a repot and some fresh soil Cat. That might spur it along if it is old. I had a friend who used his Xmas cactus as a tree too. LOL

Lovely Cat. It's nice to be all cosy inside with the rain at your window. Your dogs look fed up though lol.
Aren't your cacti great ? They look like puting on a good show this year.

Nice blog Cat. Love the pics of your Cacti and the watercolour. Poor old Sophie, she looks really disappointed. Pheobe seems to have the right idea curled up in her bed. Doesn't she have a face just like a fox? Both Pheobe and Sophie are gorgeous but were is your other one?

I love the Christmas Cactus CatF they look huge :)

Love the photos Cat. Phoebe looks like she’s thinking no Mum don't take me out in the cold and Sophie's saying Oh pleeese mum lets go out. Lovely blog.
My Christmas cactus is in full bloom but is only babies compared to yours!

~ fantastic cacti Caroline!Your seedpods on the Clivia are huge!
~hope you stay warm and dry and out of the wind ~although your dogs won't be happy if they don't get a run!
I was just out now into the woods and there is a tree down with the roots sheered off and a very large branch down from another!.
Chas said that when he was out yesterday he passed a branch that had been hurled into the ground like a javelin so we are all being just a bit careful!

Snug as a bug in a rug Cat ! Lovely pictures of outside and in, especially the last two ! :~)))

Batten down the hatches and keep warm and snug with your lovely cacti until the wind drops Cat. You have a fantastic view from your deck. Wonderful!

Oh just look into Sofie's sad, sad eyes! ".....we're not going for a walk today? Don't you love me any more?..." How guilty does that make you feel??!!!! lol

It's blowing a gale here too Cat - the weathervane I can see from the office window doesn't know which way to spin next!

Gilli...I bet it is so root bound...you know all David ever did was feed I think? Greenthumb..is the one to tell me on this. May have to send him a p.m. to come and look! lol I have only been watering them and they have been in this area where I have kept the heat off. I only come upstairs on rare occasions, just too much space for me. Love my little area downstairs...just fine and it is easier to keep the rest of the house ready for either week-end renters or people wanting to view the house to buy.

Hywel..Thank you..I am looking forward to seeing them all in full bloom and yes my girls are fed up...lol..Phoebe would not particularly enjoy it to be sure..she is a fair weather flushing dog while Sofie will stay out in any weather and laugh her self silly over it.. :o)

Toto..Munchie was with my daughter and my granddaughters..I take care of him 3 days and nights a week while they are all gone..my daughter and her husband both work 24 hour shifts at EMT's on the same days and nights..so he is back again now..my grand daughters stay with another relative on those nights. Yes Phoebe has been accused of being a fox many times as she runs out of a thicket after flushing..some poor little creature into a tree..lol
Thank you, I found those water colors a long time ago at a sceond hand shop, I like shopping as this particular shop because the money they raise goes to building homes for the less fortunate..I fell in love with them..they go great with the colors I have in my house now..but they will not be staying here when I sell the house!

Thank you Jacque, I love them too...!

Hi Sue...they are huge and that is why they are in the room they are in..I have no room where I spend the most of my time! But they seem to be loving it..so it is a good thing..and I think you have my girls pretty well pegged...lol..Thank you Sue. :o)

Arlene..yes the clivia is fun to watch..so gload the buds are still on with all the moving around it has seen!
The wind here blew over some big ladders last night and knocked my garbage can over..I could not get sofie to come in this morning and it was dark..so I turned on the back porch light..little scavenger was going through the garbage that had spilled out...I am thinking when the daylight comes I will be dawning my gloves and have a big mess to clean up..I am sure the racoons ahve been there too..! At least the wind is down even if it is wet and cold out..

Thank you Sue...it is so nice we get to do these blogs on here about things we love doing..with like minded folks.

Yes Claire, for now I do have a very nice view, my husband did a great job when he built this house.....thank you and yes..that is one thing I do like about this sort of weather..nothing cozier than a warm blanket a warm furkid and staying snuggled up.. :o)

Yes Sarah..lol..I am just feeling so guilty...NOT...stay dry and warm. xx ~Cat

Great blog and photos

wow you christmas cactus are awesome....i rescued a few from outside yesterday they are loooking so sad......thanks for the photo of the clivia pods.....ive left the last flower on now to see if i can get some...its so windy here today too. ive been busy doing nothing all day....lol

lovely pics and views cat.. is that your garden over looking the balcony, its huge, maybe they are smuglers in the bay lol sofie and pheobe are lovely :o))

Our Christmas Cactus is JUST breaking into flower ( a bit early! ) Cat...it's nearly as big as yours! It came with my husband, 27 years ago, and it was just a 'nipper' then! I always wish that the CC were red and not that vivid pink! It clashes with my Christmas decor!!!!

Clarice thank you..glad you enjoyed.. :o)

Sandra..the Cactuses seem to have enjoyed the no heat going on..I am wondering if the clivia pods will split in the cool or not..sure is something to be waiting so long now...lol..since last spring I think.

Sandra B...Thank you...what garden you see in the photo is that of my neighbor..lol..and you know that sort of boat used to be used many years ago..they called them rum runners in the days of prohibition of alchohol. he he

B.Scott...It is very silly pink for a CC isn't it. I have always liked the Thanksgiving one pretty well..for it's colors.. :o)

well cat even though its not your garden you still have the lovely view for free to :o))

lovely photos thank you

LOL..Sandra..these are not my friendly neighbors..at least they have a nice back garden...
Thank you Donnah... :o)

And Thank you to all the one's who have given me likes..they do something I have noticed as to showing the most popular blogs..it stays at the top of the list longer with the likes.....I appreciate that.. thank you!

Blustery Weather, the pets don;t look happy. :-) I love the cactus, they look wonderful. Agree with Gilli, maybe a new pot will get that big one going again. Still looks like you'll have plenty of blooms. All mine are now, probably noone to clash with christmas. great blog. :-)

LOL..thanks GT..I just wish you and Gilli were here to help re-pot that giant! Now that would be some fun! :o)

Great pix of the pups, you captured personalities there!
Have never had great luck with CC. Love them, but I guess I just haven't learned the knack of caring for them. I may have to try again now that I am older and wiser.... Am too! ...Well, at least older. :-)

LOL....these were all your brothers Mam... :o) he made them bloom way better than I know how...

They're easy to grow from cuttings Cat - just pull a piece off and stick it in the compo ;-)

Seems I remember David doing that...he was so good with houseplants...even my Mom was impressed with him and she taught me so much about them...
I have always loved houseplants but she and David could take on the more challenging ones and do such a wonderful job with them..David was not much for the outside gardens. That was my greatest love and still is.. :o) He did do a mean Sweet 100's tomato patch however..he built a special tall glass house..just for them..the wind blew out the glass after he became ill and could not take it out on his own..so I used the frame as a bird feeder and for little plants in the last few years.It has been moved from where it stood for so many years now. Tomatos will not grow without a glass house, so now I may try to figure out how to grow some inside..will have to hand pollinate perhaps..has anyone done that?..

I've nevered tried toms in the house - got them in the greenhouse and they'll grow outside in a good year. You can get miniature cherry toms specially bred for compactness that I think would be best for a window sill.....and yes, I think you'd have to hand pollinate.

It does look cosy in there with your beutiful Christmas and Easter cactus. My Christmas cactus refused to flower one year but after that it was fine. :o)

Sandra :o)

Sarah...I saw hand pollination being done for vanilla beans in the South Seas.. that was so interesting..no bees there at all in French Polynesia. May give it a try ...when can you start tomato seeds in side? Does it matter?

Sandra, I am going to take some more pictures of the Thanksgiving Cactus..it is really looking beautiful I noticed yesterday when I went upstairs to check yet another noise caused by the wind knocking things around..it had scooted a bench I have up on the upper deck across and into the outside wall!..
I may manage to get a new picture on GOY, if I can haul myself upstairs instead of sitting down here in my most cozy little space,which, on thought perhaps I could take a picture of as well. I do have a nice little aparagus fern living with me in here..

Hi Cat - good morning to you! Well, I must confess I've never grown toms from seed before - I've only ever had space for a few at a time so it was too much hassell to grow from seed when plants are so cheap. But I suppose about March or April indoors would be ok? I wonder why there are no bees in South Polynesia...?

Let's see your Spaggy Fern then ;-)

The islands are very far in the middle of the Pacific..not sure why..seems they could have come in on a hurricane as they sure do get them there...but the bees just never made it. When the light is good..it is still dark right now..I will give it a try..on the Spaggy..lol

We have some problems with the tomatoes pollinating here too, aren't they self pollinating? Okay... I went and read. They like to be pollinated by bumblebees who land and vibrate their flight muscles shaking the flower, apparently honey bees don't have the right technique. Wind will work, (maybe not gale force winds like you get there sometimes;) they suggest tickling them with an electric toothbrush...no kidding... I just give the flowers a gentle shake and usually they will set on fruit. There is a product named blossom set that keeps the plant from dropping blossoms, Gilli probably knows all there is to know about this subject... I'm a little out of my element here, but we did have plenty of tomatoes this summer.

Electric toothbrushes at the read girls! lol

lol

I'm armed and ready - are you, girls?

I will do what ever it takes Sarah..! oh dear..I have never owned an electric tooth brush...mmmm...hmmmm..wonder what brand will work best...

Cat, I think one with a Super Hero on it may be best! Tomato Pollinators Unite! Armed and ready. There won't be an unpollinated tomato blossom in the land! We'll feed the world with our tomatoes, no one will ever be hungry again! YAY!

I give each of my tomato flowers a little rub with the same finger each to help move the pollin from one flower to another. Works very well. I don't have much of a bee problem but I've never gone without fruits.

how on earth do you keep from knocking the blossoms off..you must have to do that very gently...do you just use one finger ? or a pinchy type finger move? GT...this is very serious now..I need to know..if I am to pollinate my tomatoes correctly..

GT sounds to have perfected the little known Ninja Tomato Polinator move - lightening fast, vibrating at the same frequency as a bee and never knocking off a blossom. Takes alotta practice does that LOL

I have never owned an electric toothbrush either (still using a birch twig and salt in our house), but can defo borrow one.

I can probably find one at a second hand store..for my tomatoes......"So Sid"..question...if I am to plant tomatoes say that I can harvest that will never be outside...only in my temp controlled home...when should I plant them...? can I plant them anytime? do they need special temps to cause blooms..? etc. etc. do I need a grow light even though I can give them tons of light ...do they need heat ? high heat? hmmmm...maybe I need to go find a hothouse book on growing tomatoes...

EEeeewwww - second hand toothbrushes...... :-P

Hmmmm......the problem I think with your toms will be with daylight hours...plants know what time of year it is by the amount and strength of daylight.....I suppose you could fool your plants by using lamps......I bet that's how it's done in commercial operations.....you would need to prevent the nighttime temps from getting too low......and you'd need to ventilate to stop botrytis setting in...........

So-Sid..second hand toothbrushes..right above you are borrowing one! LOL...

oh well..thanks for the info..onthe light etc. might be best to wait for the daylight to change and grow in a pot that can move into a warm area or something..perhaps manage a green house affect when I can keep the doors open..in the spring and summer..

Yeah - I'd give it back when I'd finished pollinating with it!

I bet you would too Sid..! lol

You don't really need the fancy electric toothbrush. I just give the branch a few little gentle taps or I do what GT does. Seems to work just fine for me. I have also just used a soft paintbrush but that is not as successful with tomatoes as it is with peppers.
You can start your tomato seeds inside about the beginning of April. I start mine under lights but you should be able to do it on a sunny window sill. They are easy and quick to germinate.
Are you sure you can't grow them outside Cat? I used to grow them when i lived in Vancouver. Just make sure they are in full sun and are out of the wind.

My brother grows just a couple of toms in one of the upright greenhouse dealies that you've got Gilli. He just takes the shelves out.

It is the mountains all round us Gilli...our summers are never warm for any length of time and it cools too much too soon..green houses of some sort are what we have to have..I used to grow them always in Southern Washington had great success..but not here at all..no one grows them unless they are in a very sheltered and warm spot...my bed in the front where my roses love the after noon heat would be about the best spot to try..they are banked up against he house which hold warmth into the evening I am sure in the evenings..as it is a west wall and gets a hot long afternoon dose of sun. If I am here next summer may give it a try there to see what happens..would have to put up fishing line to keep the deer out..do they like tomatoes?

How'd you think the myth of Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer started? ;-)

Oh thanks Sid..that really answers my question...........sheesh....Rudolph...he gets blamed for everything...