Category Archives: Deanna Greens and Garden Art

Jan1

Let The Good Times Roll

Posted on January 1, 2016 by deannagreensandgardenart

Many of you catch glimpses of our lives on Facebook and Word Press. Thank you for the continual contact. And we love hearing your news as well! So we wanted to summarize 2015, and tell you what we are hoping for in 2016. Wow, 2015 was like no other Dean and I have experienced. In 2015, the first half included 2 sunny vacations, and the second half we worked through details regards housing, floods, and the beginning of restoration.

In February we lapped up sunshine in California and came back to Missouri’s bitterly cold winter. Dean’s father celebrated his 80^th birthday with family and friends. We had another Gall wedding celebration in April. Yes, that would have been the 4^th in less than 9 months with the extended family. We planted and harvested lots of herbs,peas, and beans this growing season. During the summer we vacationed in our beloved Minnesota with my sister and our dog, Midnight. Throughout the year we frequented local music venues. But in December we ventured to Nashville thoroughly enjoying the Amy Grant and Vince Gill holiday concert. We ended 2015 with a bang at the Pokey LaFarge concert on the Delmar Loop.

Dean and I’s government jobs keep us occupied, and we are thankful for them. My quiet husband does not share his own accomplishments, but I will boast on his behalf. Dean received a promotion and raise late this year, and it is well-deserved. He loves the research and the customer interactions at the National Archives, and it shows. This raise will be handy as we work towards an investment property in 2016. I keep very busy at my job with St. Louis County’s benefits office. I am constantly planning ahead, while reminding myself to take a breath and being mindful of the present moment. After years of my supervisors’ prompting, I am public speaking now. My position as the employee wellness coordinator gives me a platform to work from. The series of enrichment classes I have and am developing for the employees are on “resilience and beyond”. I speak from personal experience and with heart.

In July Dean and I visited the German town of Hermann, Missouri for our 5^th wedding anniversary, where we married 5-1/2 years ago. We came upon a “business opportunity”, a cute historic guest house, a late 1800’s cottage-style. Dean and I took a few days to think and pray on this possibility. We decided to act on this dream. The next several weeks brought us a declined loan as it was the wrong type of loan for this property. So we began the process again with a local Hermann bank on November 7, but we quickly ended the process on November 10 after our main water line in our residence burst sending 1 – 2 inches of muddy water onto the slab floor. It was and still is unknown how much will actually come out of our pockets. We anticipate a few thousand for the insurance deductible and upgrades with all laminate flooring and all new doors. The unexpected inheritance from my deceased patriarch was very timely for Dean and I. It is being stretched to meet many needs. So that Hermann historic guest house still needs a new owner as the current owners are hoping to travel with their retirement. They asked, and we continue to pray. See what God has in mind for us. Dean’s 1^st grandchild is due in May. Another girl to spoil! Vacation plans are being sketched, may have us going North, South, and West this year.

This rental house we are in while our house is in renovations has broadened my thought on “home”. “Home” is where you lay your head, and share your heart and blessings with your family. And family comes in all shapes and sizes, this I have grown to understand. One type and size does not fit all. The December record-breaking floods came 3 blocks from our rental house this week. I had to remind myself where “home” is and who “family” really is to get through those stormy nights. So “let the good times roll” and we welcome 2016! Home Sign

New Years Celebration Balloons From Dean and Anna Gall’s home to yours, love and blessings that overflow this 2016.

Dec28

Bigger Portions

Posted on December 28, 2015 by deannagreensandgardenart

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I begin this blog post with the verse in Jeremiah, reminding us each you are set apart for God’s purposes. “I knew you before I formed you … I set you apart.” This year has been a full one once again, full of people, projects, places, overflowing blessings, as well as trials and destructive floods. I still believe most people are good, and if working together we can build a barn quicker than alone. I believe the blessing jar is overflowing as the year ends, and dreams can stay alive as we share what we have been blessed with.

This time of year we each get a full course of people in huge portions just as the holiday foods. An upset stomach, headache, and exhaustion can result. Behaviors such as insecurity, jealousy, backbiting, plotting, exclusion displayed throughout the year will come about during the holidays, sometimes in bigger portions. Difficult encounters can be embraced with a smile and words of grace and truth. Ask for God’s grace! I do. Unless feelings are addressed by each person, little chance for reconciliation in relationships. I still believe in miracles. And I believe in dreaming. I believe a bigger home or second home will come about for Dean and I in 2016. What blessings overflowed for you in 2015? What are you believing for in 2016? I’d love to hear.

Dec21

Amidst Shorter Days

Posted on December 21, 2015 by deannagreensandgardenart

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A couple of weeks ago we moved into a rental house just a mile from home while the insurance company and general contractor debate the renovation of our home. The work finally started today! With our housing situation I have lost track of the days into December. Daylight has lessen considerably, with tomorrow the shortest day of the year. Winter solstice comes in the midst of record-breaking high temperatures. The air feels like spring. Pansies are still in bloom outside the small local shops. The trees in the woods are confused, too. This past weekend plum trees displayed white blooms looking like white holiday lights along the country highways to Nashville, Tennessee.

Gaylord Grand Ole Opry Resort Christmas 2015 While in Nashville we visited the Grand Ole Opry Resort, dazzled by the lights of Christmas among a jungle of green foliage and the marble white nativity contrasted in the December darkness. Amidst these shorter days, God’s love shows bright despite the world’s darkness. I will focus on His Light of Love these long nights.

Nov12

Turbulent Winds And Flooding Waters

Posted on November 12, 2015 by deannagreensandgardenart

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Turbulent winds are howling through the tree limbs, whistling through any crack or crevice in the window panes. The weather front woke me to my life’s turbulent state. The main water line broke underneath our house on Tuesday, forcing muddy water into our home covering every inch of the slab floor at least 1-inch deep. Life changes in a moment. This wee hour of morning I awake in a Residence Inn not too far from home. Different bed, surroundings, sounds in this studio hotel room. Yet some things remain. My husband alongside. Dean is snoring his cares away until morn. In a few hours we will get back to our house to sort through and decide what we need immediately, what we need for at least 3 months while in major renovation, what needs to be in storage, and what needs to be pitched from water damage. Blustery winds will continue throughout the day and into the night with the cold front. Loving relationships remain. My foundation is in God, my Father, Jesus, my Savior, and the Holy Spirit, my guide. No matter what is going on underneath the foundation or above, the foundation remains the same. Thank you, Holy Trinity. You provide, save, and comfort me and my loved ones.

Oct18

Seasonal Home

Posted on October 18, 2015 by deannagreensandgardenart

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The threat of frost for two nights this weekend kept Dean and I busy moving plants into their seasonal home Friday evening. Deanna Greens And Garden Art geraniums, perennials, succulents, and tomato plants were placed into their cold season home, our semi-heated garage with plant lights on a timer. Our countryside greenhouse situated on Boone Hollow Farm near Defiance still does not have electricity running to it; therefore, no heat or fans blowing. Greenhouses are naturally designed for solar source, although not adequate enough for heat in 1300 sq foot during Missouri’s winter. We still want to invest in solar panels for added heat and run fans. The prices for solar keeps declining, so maybe in the next year or so we can justify the expense.

On Saturday I dug up our herbs in the greenhouse bed. Terra cotta pots of chives, parsley, sage, and cilantro set in my kitchen for culinary use. We had two volunteer grape tomato plants thrive in our compost bin late this summer into the autumn. They are loaded with fruit. The bin is huge and sets just outside the screenhouse side of our structure. Overnight Friday the frost nipped the upper branches. While at our greenhouse on Saturday, we dragged the bin into the all plastic side, protected from the crispy cold frost. It is to warm up again this week, so not quite ready to hide under our make-shift tall tent of clear poly. With our gardening experiment, we hope to eat homegrown grape tomatoes all winter. See what happens. If it works, maybe next summer we can build those cold frames in the greenhouse with more homegrown organic veggies to eat throughout the winter. Seasonal homes come in many forms. In a few short days I will share about a seasonal home for Dean and I and our guests … Exciting stuff!

Sep30

Silence Is Golden

Posted on September 30, 2015 by deannagreensandgardenart

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Ahhh, a breath of the evening’s fresh air. No stars or moon to be seen as clouds blanketed their light. The silence of the countryside, silence from urban noises was calming this dark evening. Crickets replaced the buzzing traffic and voices of people. It was just Dean and I and our labrador, Midnight at Boone Hollow Farm . The pink and orange sunset came and went by the time we pulled up next to the greenhouse. I harvested the last of our basil and cilantro by the lantern light. Next weekend I will transplant our organic chives, thyme, and sage plants into terra cotta pots for the kitchen. My indoor herb garden will flavor many a soups and casseroles this autumn and winter.

Sometimes the silence of nature is like that blanket of clouds. The audible or written word is insignificant. The silence speaks on its own. Mindful of the surroundings, green and bug life, my heartbeat, my breath. Autumn is here. I am at peace. Golden indeed. And mighty indeed. I thank You God that the same spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead dwells in me. I can accomplish the tasks which You have called me to do one day at a time.

Sep14

Weekend Projects

Posted on September 14, 2015 by deannagreensandgardenart

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The crisp air is welcomed, as autumn surely is around the corner. The weekend has been most lovely. The aroma inside the kitchen was roasted squash and sweet potatoes and a classic red sauce lasgana. The outdoor fragrance was that of harvest as an amber glow aluminate the fields. On Saturday afternoon we peeled away from our kitchen and garage projects to have time with two of our daughters and their families. We attended a Tai Kwan Do birthday party for one of the grandsons and had a late afternoon picnic dinner in the neighborhood park. The five grandkids ran and yelled to their hearts’ content. A breath of fresh air and laughter was shared with everyone.

Dean and I returned Saturday evening to our garage project. We are making more shelving and organizing our boxed storage items. With no basement, our garage is our storage unit. Unwanted items have been or will be donated or discarded. Next, a corner closet is to be framed in for the off-season clothes and bulky kitchen appliances. As each autumn for the past three years, we will house our tropicals, succulents, and geraniums in the semi-heated garage during Missouri’s coldest five months of the year. These beautiful green plants will be moved indoors under plant lights in about 5 weeks. We are making room as the move will take the better part of a Saturday.

Our asparagus ferns have greened very nicely and have grown larger over the fairly mild summer. These ferns grow like bushes in warmer climates like Texas and California. They are very sensitive to cold breezes, so another project before the cold sets in. Next weekend I will transplant the two largest hanging pots of asparagus fern into a large ceramic pot before bringing it into the warmth of home. The remaining four hanging pots and smaller seedlings will continue to grow under the plant lights over winter. The little berries are easily sprouted in moist soil for more seedlings. We have plenty, and always willing to share our surplus. Deanna Greens And Garden Art continues to evolve..

Sep5

My Cup Overflows

Posted on September 5, 2015 by deannagreensandgardenart

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My cup overflows with green leaves and bursting color-filled blooms. The early morning silhouette shows plump pots, planters, and wagons, crowding the gardens and yards. Whatever vessel the spring plantings went into are now filled with branches reaching for the September sun. The daytime heat has been high this first week of the ninth month, but is to cool down a bit by Labor Day Monday. Yesterday’s evening soak from the garden hose did the green life well. This morning our feathered friends thank me for their filled bird bath while the crickets, grasshoppers, and bug life hum their late summer song.

I stay home with cleaning and cooking this Saturday. Garden fresh green beans, herb-red potato salad, and beef patties on the dinner menu with a dessert pie out so to catch up with some family this evening. The herbs will have to wait at the greenhouse another day. I will sing a tune or two and say a few prayers while vacuuming and cleaning the toilet …

Aug29

Vintage Trouble And Thoughts

Posted on August 29, 2015 by deannagreensandgardenart

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My husband, Dean called me “vintage trouble” yesterday morning while in route to work. The word “vintage” suggests “the best of a past season”. I am the double nickel today, so I took this new name as a compliment as he said I “still have it”. Vintage stock. What I have is an aging body, but a spark, spunk for life that God gave me, and a sassiness to embrace all God has for me.

There is so much to do in this world, help make it a better place for those that surround me, God’s creations. I know who God says I am, and this is all that counts. I am too old to worry about what others think of me, so I will go ahead and say my vintage thoughts …

Criticism and pettiness paints life’s mural gray and black. Such negativism. Why the “accuser of the brethren”? We don’t need the devil to ruin another’s life as people do a good enough job at it. Who needs an enemy when you have family and friends like that. How about seeing one ounce of good in someone, and maybe you will see a pound of it. I would rather spend time alone than with someone who gossips and murmurs about others especially about their family and friends. That constant drip is annoying, and I avoid it. At church a couple of Sundays ago, Father Don talked about living “simply”. No prejudice thoughts or premeditated plans and gossip towards the stranger, neighbor, friend or family member. Simply put, live a simple life. Care for self and those who God has place you with. Vintage heart.

So onto more pleasant thoughts … Dean and I are the midst of a vintage project, resurrecting a childhood dream of mine. We happened upon it this summer. Dean has embraced this dream, and sees its investment advantages well into retirement, our autumn and winter years. It is a bit early to share the details, but it will be shared soon enough on Deanna Greens And Garden Art’s Word Press blog. And another blog will extend from this one. Stay tuned … more to come.

Aug18

New Homes

Posted on August 18, 2015 by deannagreensandgardenart

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Our bromeliads need to be divided as they had been quite busy this past year producing babies. A bay window in shallow terra-cotta pots had been their home. Showy fuchsia edges contrast with the fresh green, these babies needed new homes as they were crowding their parents. Dean and I carted two plants with us to our July Minnesota destination. The bromeliads stayed outside near the cabin and lake for a few days. When the storms brewed up, we brought them onto the screened porch. We hoped these showy plants were accumulated to their new surroundings, when we spent an afternoon dividing and repotting them. Five planters were made and given to our northern friends. We hope these tropical plants enjoy their new homes. We brought to our Missouri home gifts of heirloom tomato plants and streptacarpella, which have thrived well this past month. These tomato plants should produce fruit well into the winter months in the comforts of our semi-heated garage. And maybe the purple-flowering streptacarpella will find their home in window planters in the spring.
We are cleaning out that garage this month, finding new homes for bikes, toys, old furniture, and throwing away those “why did we keep this?” stuff. Our lawnmower and garden tools will go into their new home, a shed built in our back yard this week. We are making room for our beloved plants as the air changed this week. In about 6 – 8 weeks, our planters landscaping the yard this summer will be in their winter home, inside the heated garage under plant lights before the first frost of the autumn season.
Dean and I dream of a new home for just the two of us. The place we call ours, some where between St. Charles and Hermann along the Missouri River and the wine valley. If I chose, retirement from my office job is only 5 years away. But not retirement from living. So much more to experience. See what adventures come as we seek and find God’s will in this approaching season. Wherever we go, green things, art, and hospitality come with.