Passing Beauty Forward~

Tue. morning I went up to the greenhouse to find that one of my mini geraniums had a bright red, new bloom!  I've managed to get five starts from the two plants I had left at the end of last Winter.  They've all done great & the two mother plants are both healthy & growing.  I clipped off the bloom & took it with me on my way to lunch with friends in Snohomish.

Brilliant Red~

Machias Nursery was on my way - I stopped & showed the bloom to Chris & Dennis.  They were both impressed!  Finding a germanium with a clear, red color isn't easy - but mine are.  That they are small petite blooms that almost look like roses only adds to their appeal.  As luck would have it - Dennis is building a propagation shed.  We'd talked before about the responsibility that I'd taken on years ago - to keep this unknown variety of plant alive & how many times over the years I've almost lost them...  Then - I opened my mouth & offered to bring one of mine to Dennis for his new project.

Chris accepts one of my Mother plants :-)

So, today - as Butch & I were heading out for lunch & hog fuel, we stopped by the nursery & I presented Chris & Dennis with the nicest of the two hardy survivors.  It was akin to sending a child off to boarding school!  Sweet relief to know that I've placed it in good hands & that by spring - I'll be able to see new young & healthy starts that will be propagated over this coming winter.

If you've yet to visit this nursery - now is the time, with a Great Fall sale going on & some stunning plants with tons of Fall color & Winter interest!  Next spring - you might - just might be one of the first to be able to buy one of my geraniums for your own garden!

Night Lights!

It's dark early!  It's Cold all day long!  It's frosty & the frost lends a touch of white to early mornings & late afternoons!  All this is our clue that it's time to light things up!  Of course - we do keep some lights up year around - I enjoy the glow.

Cottage & Bridge at Squirrel Tail x-ing

The lights on the wood shed are called "Celebration" & they actually twinkle.  Not the obnoxious twinkle that is more of a blink - I can do without those.  We've not been able to find any more like them.  I found them in the bottom of a box of lights - never used until we put them up last season & they're still working!

The red bucket above was one of those real finds that you're always so happy that you went ahead & bought!  We found it years ago in a junk store in Arlington - I think we paid maybe $5. & I've never seen another like it.  Every year it goes up on the wood shed.

Barn & Sequoia

We planted the Sequoia for our 25th wedding anniversary.  It's first year in the ground, it lost almost half of the new growth - we were so worried about it's survival that we checked back with Machias Nursery.  They assured us that it would survive & thrive.  Now, it's getting large enough that in another few years, it will own the hill!  They are almost impossible to decorate, the limbs are so soft - but Butch managed it & the result can be seen over the top of the cedars at the bottom of the pasture & down to the main road.

Twig Tree

Finally, the little twig tree with it's antique bell ornaments lights up the front porch.  The wind sock we bought in Redmond back in the 80's.  Since it only flies once a year - it's held up well.  I hope you've enjoyed your night time visit to the Homestead during the holidays!