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Showing posts from December, 2014

Christmas Flowers - Norfolk Pine

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Every year I saw these pine trees in stores at Christmas decorated with red bows. I enjoyed their willowy branches and wished I had room for one. When I moved into a larger home, I decided I would buy one.   It was beautiful, exactly what I wanted, but in the end . . . my house was still not big enough. Within two years the tree was taller than me and I’m 6’ tall!   But if you still want to try one on your own, I’d say go for it.   Its soft foliage makes a pleasant addition to any room. Norfolk Pines are not grown on Norfolk Island off the east coast of the US, but grown on Norfolk Island in the South Pacific and reach almost eighty foot when grown in their natural habitat. They are best grown indoors where temperatures stay above 50 degrees. They need bright light, but never put them in the sun.   Drafts, extremes temperatures, and sudden temperature changes will affect the health of the tender pine. Some keys to keeping them healthy:                **Water about once a w

Christmas Gifts - A gift for Grandma

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Here is another idea I pulled from Pinterest that kids can help with. The same idea can be done on a t-shirt using fabric paints. Again, I take no credit for the design or the work.  I thought it would be a great idea to share.  You can check out the following link for more details: http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Make-Handprint-Art-on-Ceramics .    How to Paint Child's Handprints on Ceramics To get started making handprint art on a ceramic dish, you will first need to gather all the necessary supplies and decide what kind of dish you are going to paint. Be sure the dish has been thoroughly washed and dried. You also need to wipe it down with alcohol and a paper towel to remove any hidden residue. Before attempting to make the handprints, make sure to wash your child's hand. Dirt and oil from his or her hand could potentially affect the quality of the paint. Below are the supplies you will need and step-by-step directions for painting your ceramic platter. S

Christmas Flowers - Poinsettia

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For me, Christmas isn’t Christmas without a half-dozen or more Poinsettia plants decorating my home. I love their deep red flowers against the mass of dark green.   Although there are other colors such as white or pink, I still stay with the traditional variety.   But what stunned me most was when I went to Florida around Christmas to visit my parents and saw just how big they grew. Bushes up to thirteen foot in height loaded with red blooms were as prolific as Lilacs in Ohio.   So if you, like me, love to bring them home or enjoy passing them off as a gift, here are a few suggestions. **Poinsettias are a tropical plant that enjoys temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees F. **So if you need to carry them out into inclement weather, wrap them up, but make sure you unwrap them as soon as you are in to reduce the amount of damage to the leaves. **Poinsettias can last long into winter months if kept by a sunny window and away from drafts (hot or cold). And don’t let the leave

Christmas Gifts for Bird Lovers

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I am always on the lookout for inexpensive gifts to make around the holidays. This is easily made for the bird lovers on your Christmas List.   What makes it even better is you can get the kids to help you!   I take no credit for the idea and I recognize the efforts of the person who wrote the blog. I found this on Pinterest along with some other inexpensive gift items and thought you’d enjoy them. You can look it up at http://www.buzzfeed.com/alannaokun/creative-and-inexpensive-ways-to-keep-kids-busy#391v4c   Ingredients ·         2 packets Knox gelatin ·         2/3 cups water ·         2 cups birdseed   Other things you’ll need Cooking spray Cookie cutters Wax or parchment paper Straws ·         In a small saucepan, mix gelatin and water. Turn on a medium heat and stir until the gelatin simmers.   Add in the birdseed and mix thoroughly.   Pull pan from burner and let cool slightly. ·         While cooling line a

Christmas Flowers – Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera)

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As the Christmas season approaches we sometime purchase plants for neighbors, friends or ourselves to brighten up the holidays.   So, for the next few weeks, I thought I’d cover a few of the more common ones and a few things you should know before buying them. Christmas Cactus or Schlumbergera as it’s known by its scientific name grows in a jungle and prefers semi-shade. Unlike desert-dwelling cacti, it prefers a well-lit and humid atmosphere. You can increase the local humidity by placing the pot in a gravel-filled saucer. Christmas Cacti are easy to grow and non-toxic to dogs and cats. It comes in many colors—red, purple, pink, and white. And it is fairly easy to grow.   It requires little to no pruning, but removing a few of the oldest stems will increase the foliage.   Remove whole leaf segments and root them for additional plants. Problems associated with Christmas Cactus: ***Shriveling stems:   caused by the plant being in a too hot and sunny situation. However it