{Cloudy Day versus Sunny Day}

In our garden things look more golden and bright on a Sunny Day, versus a Cloudy Day. But we do need the cloudy days and the rainy days, for keeping our trees, shrubs and plants alive. The last couple of days have yielded some long awaited rains. Not enough yet, as the soil has a very poor water holding capacity but any amount of rain helps. Let's look at the same trees on a cloudy day, followed by a sunny day... We ourselves probably look different too on our sunny days! Sunshine makes us all feel happy and light, putting a spring in our step. Cloudy days and rain do drag us down and make us feel heavy... Or is anyone feeling the opposite?

• The watering hose is always on standby for when it does not rain. This is such a cloudy day with heavy overcast and the trees do have different colors. The 'Quercus Vigriniana Grand View Gold' to the right is not looking real golden... With our Palm tree it looks quite exotic.

• The Grand View Gold looks a bit tarnished...

• Our Acer Negundo Kelly's Gold Yellow Box Elder on a cloudy day, next to the Acer Rubrum or Red Maple.

• Our Acer Negundo Kelly's Gold Yellow Box Elder on a cloudy day...

• Again on a cloudy day, but a bit closer with our 3rd bridge in view as well.

• Our Acer Negundo Kelly's Gold Yellow Box Elder on a SUNNY day!

• Acer Negundo Kelly's Gold Yellow Box Elder on the left and the Acer Rubrum or Red Maple to the right in full sunshine... Our 3rd bridge across the creek is visible here too.

Below you can see our newest, replaced 1st bridge across the creek.

• We end with a '24 karat' Golden Live Oak, Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold,  on a SUNNY day...

Quite a difference... 

Related links where this stunning Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold, can be seen:
Wow...I think this deserves a thread! Golden live oak! | GardenWeb discussion...
{Lush Green Garden} |previous post by me
{# 1111 - Our Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' changing color} | previous post by me
{Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' in Sunshine at its BEST} | previous post by me
{Our Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' with Catkins} | Previous post by me
{Our Mrs. G. G. GERBING Azaleas} | previous post by me
{Our Patio Tiles in the Front} | previous post by me
{RARE Icicles in Our Garden} | previous post by me
{Energy Efficient GREEN Roofing Arrived} | previous post by me
{My Powder Blue Escada Jeans Suit} | previous post by me showing me in front of Grand View Gold
{Our Lovely Lilac Clematis 'Silver Moon'} | previous post by me showing young Grand View Gold

{Blooms on our Windmill Palm - Trachycarpus fortunei} | previoius post by me 

{Our Golden Live Oak has LOTS of Acorns!} | previous post by me

{Our Different Oaks} | previous post by me

{My Silk Quilted Vest Creation and YOUR Opinion Requested...} | previous post by me showing golden oak

{Our Live Oak got a Haircut}| previous post by me

{Blooms on our Windmill Palm - Trachycarpus fortunei}

The Trachycarpus fortunei, or Windmill Palm, is one of the most cold hardy of the Palm trees. It also looks striking when it blooms. So those pictures I want to share with you here. This is actually a Chinese fan palm ←click it.

First picture is taken on March 24 against the back drop of our Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold or Golden Live Oak. 

On March 13, this is how it started with the blooms still inside a big bud.

March 24, with again in the back drop, to the left, our Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold or Golden Live Oak. Sacha-girl, our cat is on the driveway.

Amazing what all comes out of such a closed bud!

Resembles sorghum here...

Very exotic!

March 28 now, more and more palm blooms.

Mother nature works wonders...

March 31...

A day with over cast on March 31, but what a colors. Below are some other links where you can see this beautiful palm, even in wintertime, during the ice storm.

Hope you enjoyed looking at one of our exotic looking evergreen trees.

Do you have palm trees? 

Related links:

{Our Garden White & Icy Today as Snowstorm Slams South} | previous post by me

{Our Different Oaks} | previous post by me

{Summer Fade-Out & Fall Fade-In + Update} | previous post by me

{Your Silver Belt Loop Jewelry} | previous post by me

Related links where this stunning Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold, can be seen:
Wow...I think this deserves a thread! Golden live oak! | GardenWeb discussion...
{Lush Green Garden} |previous post by me
{# 1111 - Our Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' changing color} | previous post by me
{Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' in Sunshine at its BEST} | previous post by me
{Our Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' with Catkins} | Previous post by me
{Our Mrs. G. G. GERBING Azaleas} | previous post by me
{Our Patio Tiles in the Front} | previous post by me
{RARE Icicles in Our Garden} | previous post by me
{Energy Efficient GREEN Roofing Arrived} | previous post by me
{My Powder Blue Escada Jeans Suit} | previous post by me showing me in front of Grand View Gold
{Our Lovely Lilac Clematis 'Silver Moon'} | previous post by me showing young Grand View Gold

{Cloudy Day versus Sunny Day}| Previous post by me
{Our Golden Live Oak has LOTS of Acorns!} | previous post by me

{Our Different Oaks} | previous post by me

{My Silk Quilted Vest Creation and YOUR Opinion Requested...} | previous post by me showing golden oak

{Our Live Oak got a Haircut}| previous post by me

{ROSES}

Just a short post with some photos taken by Pieter on October 25 with our Canary Island Date Palm. All of you know for sure that I LOVE roses and angels... So these photos are part of that love. Usually I don't like to wear anything red but the ROSES did change my mind in a hurry.

Escada silk blouse with Escada wool stretch skirt. Charles Jourdan "1921" shoes. Wolford Individual 10 soft control top panty.  Always do I call in: Wolford  @ Woodbury Commons Premium Outlet, Central Valley, NY  1-845-928-5818 for a great discount!

When we used to work as consultants in Connecticut we would drive to the Woodbury Commons Premium Outlet and shop there. 

There now also is a Wolford Outlet at Sawgrass Mills Outlets - 1700 Sawgrass Mills Circle -  33323 Sunrise, FL 

They also do have an Escada Company Store in Central Valley, NY and at Sawgrass Mills!

Learn from Mariette about YOUR CLOTHES, ONLY BETTER!

Here you also see the Eco Friendly Tree Ring around our Canary Island Date Palm.

Our verbena is still blooming here!

Escada wool cardigan with roses and the same, but larger, buttons than the blouse has.

Color, style, fit and more! Sure I can help you restyle your existing wardrobe to create a fresh, new

look that's right for you. For that, I will peruse your existing wardrobe and suggest ways to alter

selected garments for a better, more flattering fit. It will also provide personal shopping advice, giving

tips on shopping with thrift and quality in mind.

Wool starts feeling good again...

Do you have a favorite flower too?

Related articles:
{Our Canary Island Date Palm + Eco Friendly Tree Ring} | previous post by me
Wolford Fashion | FB Page link

{Summer Fade-Out & Fall Fade-In + Update}

Just got home today from a fairy tale wedding in Toronto, Canada. Quite a trip for getting home, the day after the wedding, but we made it to Atlanta by coach, plane and car. Now catching up at home and first having a good night sleep! As soon as I do have some official wedding photos I might post some, but in general we do respect other people's privacy and for that reason we ourselves did not make any. Leave it to the different professional photographers and it's up to the bride and groom for granting permission to publish any. Hope this does answer some blogger friend's request for posting wedding photos...

What do YOU think about this?

As I'm worn out, I will post just some Summer Fade-Out and Fall Fade-In photos from us in our garden.

Dear husband Pieter on August 16, near our Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei) and our feline girl, Tiggy-Tiger, to the left.

Only a small section of the Variegated Ground Ivy Glechoma hederacea 'Variegata' is alive, due to the scorching heat.

Did you lose some of your ground covers or perennials this summer?

Tiggy-Tiger our feline girl is next to the palm tree...

Our soft leave Agave Attenuata or Fox Tail Agave is drought tolerant! This photo is from November 6 and it did very well as you can see.

Do you have any type of agave?

Of course, this pot has to go inside for the winter season!

Wearing my rib cord Newsboy cap, similar to a French beret.

One of my several Hats...

Woolen gray pants are from Escada as is the orange blouse.

On October 20, with gardener Pieter, next to our evergreen oak. To the right you can see the Agave!

Until next time and I would love to hear from you about those questions...

THANKS for taking the time to reply!

{Our Canary Island Date Palm + Eco Friendly Tree Ring}

Here I like to show you our Canary Island Date Palm in a planter. We got it for years now and during winter time it goes inside the garage. With our seven felines it was hard to keep them from scratching the soil in the huge pot. Pieter found an Eco Friendly solution for that, at Walmart and it is made from recycled rubber and measures 24" in diameter for only $ 9.87. Walmart seems to have introduced this already in 2008 and now for $ 19.95. Water goes through this recycled rubber tree ring so it works perfect. Pieter had to adjust the size a bit for making it fit inside our planter. He did place the slice he did cut off, on top of the ring as you will see in the photo. The planter came from Home Depot.

This planter stands next to the retainer wall with the fiberglass window boxes with the verbenas. Hopefully for the duration of the month November and than indoors again. For years we could not get a canary island palm due to some diseases but this one I guess is almost twenty years now.

{YOUR Silver Belt Loop Jewelry}

For spicing up your jeans, shorts or other pants/skirts, I have a great idea. Look for some of your vintage silver charms and combine them with new Italian pieces. On a medium silver key ring from Giovanni Raspini Charms & Co you can hang them all together on a belt loop. Have a look  at: Spectrenoir. See how I have combined them with some of my vintage pieces...
Sorry, Key Rings are ALL SOLD OUT... only some Angel Charms!

An old silver charm with the Statue of Liberty hangs with a P and M Alphabet Angel on a Medium Key Ring from Giovanni Raspini Charms & Co, Italy.

Seen here on my Marc Cain shorts with Escada top...

Here I wear my Apriori 7 top with Marc Cain pants and Marc Cain wedges.

Did combine two of my vintage silver charms with two alphabet angels on a medium key ring.

We love our windmill palm and it is getting some height too.

You see, instead of {My Giovanni Raspini in Vogue Italy - Jeans & Bling Blings} (click it) you can just add a little silver to spice things up!

{Our Live Oak got a Haircut}

Yesterday, Pieter did cut off some thick branches from our Quercus Virginiana Live Oak as it grew with one branch too much towards our home. We planted it on October 14, 1994 and look what a huge tree it has become. In order to make the 'haircut' look symmetric, on the other side a branch got cut off as well. Maybe with more light coming under the tree, the grass will regrow... So here is the new hair cut.

• That left branch got three arms cut off... Our home is again more in view this way.

• Here you can clearly see the three branches that got cut off the BIG branch. Just move to the left and upwards to see the third cut. The gazebo becomes clearly visible again from underneath.

• This is from the other side looking towards the driveway with the Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold also in view next to our Palm tree. Looks like this huge live oak raises both arms up to the heavens... The fig tree is laughing as it now has more freedom behind the vinyl fence.

• Standing back now, it looks more airy from underneath. These photos are taken at 7:30 PM after we just got home from the Business After Hours with the Chamber of Commerce.

Related links:

Wow...I think this deserves a thread! Golden live oak! | GardenWeb discussion...

{Lush Green Garden} |previous post by me

{# 1111 - Our Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' changing color} | previous post by me

{Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' in Sunshine at its BEST} | previous post by me

{Our Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' with Catkins} | Previous post by me

{Our Mrs. G. G. GERBING Azaleas} | previous post by me

{Our Patio Tiles in the Front} | previous post by me

{RARE Icicles in Our Garden} | previous post by me

{Energy Efficient GREEN Roofing Arrived} | previous post by me

{My Powder Blue Escada Jeans Suit} | previous post by me showing me in front of Grand View Gold

{Our Lovely Lilac Clematis 'Silver Moon'} | previous post by me showing young Grand View Gold

{Cloudy Day versus Sunny Day}| Previous post by me
{Blooms on our Windmill Palm - Trachycarpus fortunei} | previoius post by me 

{Our Golden Live Oak has LOTS of Acorns!} | previous post by me

{Our Different Oaks} | previous post by me

{My Silk Quilted Vest Creation and YOUR Opinion Requested...} | previous post by me showing golden oak

{Our Garden White & Icy Today as Snowstorm Slams South}

Only two days ago, I did introduce you to our Home & Garden in the Snow. Today we woke up to a white world again. Not just snow but freezing rain. Schools were closed and as Pieter arrived for his Cardio Rehab this morning he appeared to be the only one there! They'd bet however that Mr. Vedder would show up; he sure did. 

Of course, we're from the snow country that makes us more familiar with the situation.

The world's busiest passenger airport; Atlanta, was closed down...

Our Double Cascade Pink Petunia kept things looking ROSY though...

You can see them in a previous blog about {My Old-Time Spun Glass Halloween Ornaments}

 

The rose spinner, hanging from the Virginiana live oak, you can see in my blog about {White Indian Jasmine the Queen of Flowers}

You can see the icicles hanging from the tree. Just click on the photo to enlarge.

For a previous view of our gazebo without snow and ice, you can go to: {French Floral Pillow Set and our Gazebo}

Our Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei) has its leaves hanging down...

The new leaves are upright, towards the heavens, praying for sunshine.

Icicles on our Rosmarinus officinalis 'Prostratus' or Creeping Rosemary.

Can you make out its blue flowers under the icicles in the center? It blooms year round and usually when the sun is out, the bees are always visiting.

Our Phlox subulata near the driveway had already started blooming... 

Hope this freezing rain thing will soon be over with!