This post is a little bit of a Hodge-podge of topics. A conglomeration of a couple of interesting things and one maybe no so much for you (but something I can whine warn you about!)
Sunrise
This morning we had a gorgeous sunrise that highlighted the early morning clouds. I snapped I picture from our upstairs bathroom window. It’s a small narrow window up high above the tub so I had to be creative with my picture taking but it’s what I had to do in order to actually get the sunrise photo from above the neighbor’s trees!
Plant Propagation
Today you might say I’m giving you a hand with your plant propagation techniques! Yes I know that’s a bad pun but it was irresistible (and you know the worse the pun is the more irresistible it becomes). What is actually in my hand is a rooted cutting from my winter blooming jasmine. The cuttings easily grew roots in just a couple weeks with nodal cuttings taken with aerial roots. You can see more by looking at my how to propagate winter jasmine post. It really doesn’t get much easier than this!
Here’s a closer look at the roots:
I planted a few winter jasmine cuttings in 4 inch pots along with other cuttings of catmint and hydrangea. The hydrangea was sent as a potted plant from relatives for my father‘s funeral. I planted the hydrangea for my mom in her garden and took a couple cuttings for myself to add to our garden.
My Left Foot
Alright, this may be going a little out there for a post about garden but there is a reason for me talking about my left foot. Sunday evening I was finishing up weeding just before I went inside for dinner. I was back in the shed gardens which was getting choked out by crabgrass, Johnson grass, and all kind of other weeds. I pulled a few weeds from the front of the garden then moved toward the inside areas of the garden where I suddenly felt an extremely intense pain on my ankle. I looked down and couldn’t see anything immediately but I knew what had happened as I heard the buzz of a wasp fly by my head. Apparently I stepped near where a wasp was and unknowingly agitated it, and you know they don’t take kindly to agitation. I remembered a similar pain two years ago and raced hobbled inside as fast as possible to get some sort of treatment. I’m not severely allergic to wasps, bees, and other critters but you don’t need to be to get this result (please excuse the ugly foot picture you are about to see – farmer’s tan and all):
The swelling has gone down considerably after a doctor’s treatment and I can walk again without pain. If I actually was allergic to stings this could have been an awful situation. Just heed this word of warning – watch where you walk in the weeds!
Incredible sky photo, wonder what position you were in while taking it? Healthy roots on your cutting..I do hope the hydrangeas root for you, what a wonderful memory for your gardens. Oh and that foot! What type of wasp was it? I hope you took some benadryl and iced your ankle straight away. Glad to read the swelling has gone down.
Darla,
We got ice on it asap and benedryl came next! The doctors put me on steroids and antibiotics. I hate taking medicine of any kind but sometimes it's necessary. I have no clue what kind of wasp I only heard the buzzing and recognized the sound. I'm wondering if it was one of those large cicada killer wasps or a yellowjacket.
I am visualizing you standing tall on the toilet to get that picture of the beautiful sky. hee hee…
Being missing on blogging this summer, I checked out your links. I am sorry to see where you lost your father. That must have been a very difficult time in your life. I enjoyed reading about your time spent together and I must correct you on one thing. You said that a swing set/play area for the kids has nothing to do with gardening; well I will say you are so wrong on that one. I grew up with a swing set in the backyard and I was surrounded by peony, iris, roses, wisteria, a veggie garden, apple tree, etc. I am sure some of those views from a child playing on a swing set into my brain somehow. I am sure your children will be soaking up that surrounding beauty as well and take that into adulthood. So, I say a swing set does have something to do with gardening…
I gave propagating a try but flopped. I was so busy with the bath/closet renovation that I did not give the twigs the attention they needed. Now that things have settled down a bit for me, I plan to give it another go. You are my inspiration with your know how….
Oh and ouch on the sting! That happen to me the first time I stepped into a fireant hill. I never had that reaction from them again though and have been biten… And I still say the 2 dozen or so stings I had from last year contributed to a case of the Hives….
Loved your sky pic. Must have been something you twisting around to get it.
I sure hope your cuttings make a wonderful plant for a tribute to your dad.
Glad to hear that your foot is better. An old remedy was to {gross} spit on tobacco to make a poultice. This would draw the poison out & not too much of evidence of a sting. Of course you had to have a smoker around. Now if you take meat tenderizer & make a paste with water it will work to take the poison out. Sounds like it was a yellow jacket.
Look, yellow jackets suck!! They are so dangerous. Glad you acted quickly.
Scary! I got stung by a yellow jacket when I was 7 and ended up at the ER. Haven't been stung yet but I am awful careful this time of year when they start nesting in the ground.