{SHATTERED Winter Dreams...}

Literally a dream of enlarging our greenhouse for the purpose of keeping our potting plants frost free in winter, SHATTERED last week on August 23. Pieter had so keenly repurposed our tempered glass sliding tub doors and also the tempered glass storm door from our veranda, which we never used. Come walk with me to our greenhouse...

This is on Monday, August 26, after two days of sunshine and NO rain...

You get the picture of how it looked with the rain; still very muddy here!

Our potting plants are luckily all on the brick patio in front of the greenhouse.

This wooden walkway leads to the greenhouse patio...

This was our Winter Dream; repurposing the 3-part sliding tub doors, made of tempered glass.

On Friday, the 23rd one of those 3 had suddenly SHATTERED...

SHATTERED literally into a thousand tiny pieces...

Maybe from the vibration caused by heavy THUNDER? 

Pieter did search the entire area for some object but there was no evidence to be found that might have hit the glass...

Also the tempered glass storm door had SHATTERED, it was not even on the greenhouse extension yet.

So now husband Pieter is trying to patch up those frames with some acrylic sheets, that of course are not in the correct size for that length... Quite a puzzle!

It would have worked so well for protecting our potting plants from the freezing winds...

Before we used thick plastic but that becomes brittle and deteriorates.

Just trying to patch things together...

It nearly is impossible for collecting these tiny shattered shards of glass...

SHATTERED Winter Dreams...

Well, most shards have been scooped up, together with some soil. Near our creek we had a sandy beach so lots of sand available to haul off in the wheelbarrow.

Only a door needs to be build, the acrylic side panels are done.

Summer is barely over and already plans for winter...

Related link:

{Fall & Winter Preparations} | previous post by me showing a plastic version of the greenhouse extension

{Our Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum 2013}

Our fragrant Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum was blooming on August 1, in Our Garden, here in Georgia/USA. 

Here I have cut off one stem with no less than 8 flowers. Some were still buds but nevertheless!

Looking perfect in this tall Baccarat crystal vase.

• They are of the Amaryllidaceae familly. There are supposed to be varieties that originated in South America and also in South Africa. 
• The link South Africa and Indonesia is a very logic one, since both countries belonged to The Kingdom of The Netherlands.
• Lots of Javanese people were brought to South Africa from Indonesia, to cultivate the fields as they were very adept and natural gardeners. 
• With that, of course plants and bulbs have gone back and forth as well. Enjoy our Indonesian species of fragrant white Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum:

A very green lawn we have this year due to all the heavy rains.

The sky is again looking pregnant with rain here...

There was no way to make any decent photos inside the home so I used this table on the patio outside our Rose Suite.

The second link below this post will tell you more about how we got this Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum from Indonesia, where we worked and lived.

We are sure glad we did bring a bulb from our Indonesian garden home with us!

They are such a reward each year. 

Highly fragrant too!

Here they are, in their big planter in front of our greenhouse. Under the left blossom you see the steps of our gazebo...

This photo is from August 18, when other blossoms had opened up.

A very happy and healthy plant and we're so glad for having something from the country where we used to work and live...

Related links:
{Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum in Our Garden} | previous post by me
{Our Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum in Wonosobo, Indonesia} | previous post by me
{Heavenly Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum} | previous post by me
{New Heavenly Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum} | previous post by me
{Our Tropical Patio with Orchids in Indonesia} | previous post by me

{Our Weeping Pussy Willow Nearly Drowned}

On February 17 of this year, we proudly came home with a beautiful and healthy Salix Caprea Pendula - Weeping Pussy Willow. Below this post you will find a link about it from a provious post. Husband Pieter did plant it close to the creek as they love to grow near a stream. 

Here it is, straight from Trader Joe's where we bought it and looking very healthy.

On August 6, I took this photo, near the creek where it already endured quite some abuse by the roaring waters that went way over its top.

Look for the red < chevrons > for locating our Weeping Pussy Willow between some weeds.

You barely can see it... struggling for dear life and several of its branches had lost the leaves from the current of he waters...

Pieter did rescue it on August 18 and it went back into a pot and inside the greenhouse, sheltered from the heavy tropical thunderstorms.

Such a sad Weeping Pussy Willow...

The above photo I took at 2:45 PM 

Only 5 hours later at 7:45 PM I made this photo from our flooded greenhouse after another tropical thunderstorm had passed over.

It made us feel happy for having rescued it and yet, still it was in the water.

Below I will put again the special poem that came with it in February:

The Story of Salix Caprea Pendula

The weeping pussy willow is among the most graceful of trees.

It is connected with all that is feminine-dreaming, intuition, emotion, enchantment, healing and revitalization. 

The willow has long since been recognized as a sacred tree by poets, philosophers and religious leaders because of the flexibility of its twigs.

The willow's flexibility symbolizes resilience and inspires us to move with life rather than resist what we are feeling.

Magic has it that willow is bestowed with magical power capable of fulfilling wishes. 

For a wish to be granted, ask permission of the willow explaining your desire. 

Select a pliable shoot and tie a loose knot in it expressing your wish. 

When your wish is fulfilled, return and untie the knot.

Remember to thank the willow for your gift.

Related link:
{Salix Caprea Pendula - Weeping Pussy Willow} | previous post by me from March 2, 2013