Category Archives: home

Oct29

My Words Are Few

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Autumn Leaf in the Rain My words are few, but my thoughts are many this month of October. At the close of the 2013 growing season for our greenhouse and outdoor plants, as well as the close (or the genesis, I cannot tell yet) of the wellness incentive program at my full-time job has brought me to little words. “Exhaustion” would be one word to sum up how I feel. Dean & I took a week off work and visited our Missouri family in the Kansas City and Branson/Springfield areas. Change of scenery did us both good. Still need more time to unclutter my mind for next growing season’s plans and next year’s wellness incentive plans for 4,000 employees.
Dean & I have been deep cleaning. Our trash dumpster has been overflowing for every pick-up this month. And more junk to get rid of. Functional items are going to the Goodwill. How do we collect so much unwanted, unnecessary items? We border on being hoarders, and that habit has been broken this month. We are shedding the old like the trees this autumn. We prepare our house now for the autumn holidays. Gourds and pumpkins replace the color near the front porch as most of the leaves have fallen off our trees and our tropicals are housed inside. The rains come to water the earth this week, with the last of the leaves to mulch the ground underneath. How soon will a blanket of snow cover those leaves? The lyrics of the song, Autumn Leaves written by songwriters Joseph Kosma, Jacques Andre Marie, and Johnny Mercer:

The falling leaves drift by the window
The autumn leaves of red and gold
I see your lips, the summer kisses
The sunburned hands I used to hold

Since you went away the days grow long
And soon I’ll hear old winter’s song
But I miss you most of all my darling
When autumn leaves start to fall

Oct24

Autumn’s Alter-Ego

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A hard freeze tonight is in the weather forecast. Up until this week, we wondered when autumn was here to stay. Each night it gets colder. Farmer Dave from the 550 AM radio show says the growing season is offically over in Missouri. We have moved 95% our plants to the shelter of our home and garage in the past 2 weeks. The gourd vines are almost all dried up, so the big gourds will come off their shriveled, withered vines. They will sit in the screenhouse to collect mold on their skin to complete their curing process for future crafting projects during this winter. The little gourds will go to the farmers’ markets this weekend. Great autumn decorations for your harvest table. Our roma tomato plants will die off after tonight’s freeze. We have three huge tomato plants in portable planters, so they now grow under the plant lights of the garage. I wonder how long we will have our organic tomatoes this autumn and winter?! I forgot about my terra cotta planter sitting at the corner of our 1/4-acre plot at Boone Hollow Farm, greets us when we come up the hill to the greenhouse. It houses a solar light post and plants. The geranium, swedish ivy, and vinca may live their last day today. We will not make it the greenhouse tonight with our work schedules, watering, and securing light source for the other plants. But then maybe the solar light will provide a bit of heat to keep temperatures above freezing near the terra cotta plants? Dean and I learn more about caring for plants during the experience rather than just reading about it. Hands on learners. Our plants are science experiments. This blog is our gardening journal. With the crisp nights and early mornings come the glowing autumn foliage. This weekend is to be the peak color weekend. Autumn has an alter-ego I can live with.
FavoriteColor

Oct9

The Best Is Yet To Come

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Hello, followers and Word Press blog browsers! My days have been so occupied with my full-time, exempt position as the employee wellness coordinator for 4,000 employees. I hope they appreciate their wellness incentive. Just 15-minute lunch breaks, though today I decided to take my 1-hour break and write. I need it! At home Dean & I have been deep cleaning the house, one room at a time. The garage is this week. Oh my! More than 1/2 way done with this deep cleaning. We hope to be painting a fresh coat of color on the interior walls of the living room and kitchen by the end of October. With the cooler nights our tropicals and succulents have been moved inside the house. Greenhouse/screenhouse plants will be moved into the semi-heated garage soon. Anyone in the St. Louis area interested in a houseplant or two, contact Deanna Greens And Garden Art before the autumn and winter are completely settled in. An end-of-the-season sale is underway!
Onto another mental preoccupation … I have had two co-workers commit suicide within 10 days of each other, and one at my full-time job and another at my part-time job. It’s horrible, and heart-wrenching to say the least. Shortened lives. One wasted to an alleged criminal scheme. The other wasted in a wreckless lifestyle. Love and goodness wins, always.
The federal employee furlough seems minor compared to the loss of these two lives. Though to 800,000 employees (my husband included), their lives are turned upside down. Daily routines drastically changed, adjusting household budgets, taking on temporary jobs or part-time jobs, filing unemployment, and praying the politicians put into practice “compromise”. But most of all federal services that so many depend on are cut-off right now! Didn’t we as parents arrange for our children to work it out behind closed doors when the bickering continued? Can we lock all politicians in a huge room until they “work it out”?
Despite the bleak news and seemingly hopelessness … “the best is yet to come.”
The Best Is Yet To Come

Sep24

Her Reflection

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I so relate to this allegory, the life of a tree and my life. Please read it! Lovely blog!

The Front Porch Homestead's avatarThe Front Porch Homestead

Her Reflection ~ From a Montana Front Porch

She watched herself age in the reflection year after year. Not every year stands out in her memory clearly, but moments do.

The first time she realized that she was tall enough to catch a glimpse of herself in the water. Oh the excitement she felt!

The year she realized that she was tall enough and her branches full enough to give shade to the deer of the field. Such a wonderful feeling of being needed!

Then were the years she welcomed her very own seedlings. The pride as they grew! And the sadness as some couldn’t. With this time came the realization that most things were not in her control. She didn’t like that knowledge.

She grew through the seasons of rain and sun and rested through the snow and cold. Each spring she anticipated the ice melting so she could once more see her reflection and all of…

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Sep19

House Warming Planters

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Rain, rain, and more rain! We need it so. The plant life is saying “ahhhh!”. After such a lovely weekend, the most beautiful for Missouri that I have experienced in many, many months! And I hear we will have another one this upcoming weekend. I took last weekend off from working at the spice shoppe to enjoy the weekend with my kids and grandkids. My oldest daughter and my chef son-in-law bought a 100-year old house full of history and character in Farmington, Missouri about an hour and 45 minutes south from us. My granddaughters, Hannah and Ella helped in making some planters using kingston ferns, hibiscus, asparagus ferns, and succulents as house warming gifts. The planters bring life to their wrap-around porch, well more life. The kids do plenty of that, too! The planters will warm their house when the air gets cool, and the summer warmth will follow into their new home.
Suddenly, Dean & I’s house is empty! After 7 people living in a modest 3-bedroom home for 9-months, the house is in need of deep, deep cleaning. We are determined to conquer 1 room each week for the next 6 weeks, carpet and upholstery cleaning this evening, with wall washing, dusting, and shining the windows in the living room later in the week. We will rearrange the furniture for a pleasant change. After the deep cleaning, a fresh coat of paint will liven the rooms again. Soft hues on the walls with sparkles swirled into ceilings. Cannot wait. Autumn’s arrival will bring our houseplants and tropicals back into our home after growing taller and fuller in our landscape this summer. Their lovely green leaves will bring a nice contrast to the walls and wood furniture.
So what are some of the benefits of having house plants? Plenty. See below.
Health Benefits From Houseplants
Contact Deanna Greens And Garden Art for your houseplant needs!

Sep10

Aging With Grace

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My home church of All Saints in St. Peters, Missouri celebrates its 190th year as a parish. A homecoming day with donkey rides, an inflatable jump house, BBQ dinner, and a concert with rising country star Candy Coburn and her band brought the parishioners and locals together Saturday evening. After dinner my mother and I strolled the church grounds. Zinnias, marigolds, and geraniums sown in our greenhouse now bloom with vigor. In contrast to this lush plant life, across from the flower beds is the cemetery. Cedars and shade trees of old shelter a bed of familiar family names engraved on stone in the 200-year old burial site. Mother and I talk about some of those people from our younger years, who now rest in the presence of our Lord.
While at Sunday Mass, we sang the Servant Song by Richard Gillard. My reflections went to what God has called me to do, just one of His many servants. And so many before me did the same.
Brother, let me be your servant.
Let me be as Christ to you.
Pray that I might have the grace
To let you be my servant, too.
We are pilgrims on a journey.
We are brothers on the road.
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load.
I will hold the Christ-light for you
In the night time of your fear.
I will hold my hand out to you;
Speak the peace you long to hear.
I will weep when you are weeping.
When you laugh, I’ll laugh with you.
I will share your joy and sorrow
Till we’ve seen this journey through.
When we sing to God in heaven,
We shall find such harmony
Born of all we’ve known together
Of Christ’s love and agony.

In His Presence forever whether able to serve or not due to aging or circumstances. Live in the grace He freely gives you, and I will do the same.

Sep2

Gourds Galore

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Deanna Greens And Garden Art has gourds growing, gourds galore! We started from seed, planted our seedlings in our freshly made rich organic soil from our kitchen and plant scraps and recycled organic soil. Birdhouse, long dipper, tri-color, and hard-shell bowl varieties were planted. But some seedlings did not live more than a week after the transplant in the summer heat, while others have thrived. Survival of the fittest. Growing gourds is new for us, so not sure if the hard-shell variety survived yet. The others are huge, and seem to grow 1 – 2 inches a day along with their broad leaves and vines. These are growing on a teepee shaped trellis behind the greenhouse. The delicate white blossoms of the birdhouse variety attract the bees. An autumn harvest is not too far away. Next year, we are considering this inside our greenhouse. Colors and textures in contrasting green vines. See the photo below.
GourdsGalore

Aug30

Reminder Signs

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The annual AARP envelope made its way to the junk mail pile and then the trash this week. Every year it is a reminder I am not getting any younger. Another birthday … this one met with many challenges with my full-time job. The annual benefit open enrollment season underway, the wellness program deadline, flooding work conditions with the construction issues, and office politics escalating into a scandalous FBI investigation are more than I want to handle. It’s my birthday week, dog-gone-it! Can’t a 53-year woman have some peace and celebrate a day?

These are reminder signs for this journey called life. The top left one is how I really feel, hibernation from life. Though I have too much to do to hibernate. The other signs spur me on my way. All about the attitude …

Aug25

Succulents And Lanterns

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This Sunday I rest in the comforts of my own home. Feeling a bit under the weather, either late summer allergies or a summer cold. Hot coconut mango tea sweetened with agave nectar and lots water to drink. I decide to do some online research and networking. Planning for the Labor Day weekend, Deanna Greens And Garden Art returns to the Lake Saint Louis Farmers’ Market and Chandler Hill Vineyards Farmers’ Market after a 2-month sabbatical. We have enjoyed some weekends off during July and August, time with family and friends.


Established succulents such as the color-changing ghost plant and solar Mason jar lanterns will be featured. Here is some information on one of our succulents called the mother-of-pearl ghost plant: “Graptopetalum paraguayense Walther 1938 (Ghost Plant) – This species has rosettes of thickened, ovate purplish-grey leaves on thick, sprawling stems. Leaves fall off readily and may be used to propagate new plants. Small clusters of white flowers, with tiny red spots, are produced in the Spring. Known from a single locality up to 2500ft in the Mexican mountains and moderately hardy. The leaves are edible and used in Taiwan traditional medicine to regulate blood pressure.” This information is referenced from http://www.succulent-plant.com. Deanna Greens And Garden Art has pots and more terra pots of these. We also have a variety of Kalanchoe that has grown long and lanky, needs to be pruned. We will take those trimmings and propogate into more plants for next year. Our Christmas cacti have bloomed several times this year, and hope they will bloom during the holiday season this year. We were given a monster size aloe vera plant. This same above-mentioned website expands: “Aloe vera Burman fil. 1768 Syn. A. barbadensis, A. officinalis (Medicinal Aloe) – This species has been so widely naturalised and grown as a medicinal plant that its exact region of origin is a mystery. However, it’s origin was probably within the Arabian peninsula. Aloe vera is probably the best known Aloe and is of considerable economic importance. Extracts of the gel from the center of the leaves are included in all manner of pharmaceutical preparations for the skin, treatment of burns and for ingestion. However, some people have allergic reactions to substances in the yellow sap under the epidermis. The large (2 ft) blue-green, tapered, fleshy leaves forming a loose stemless rosette, have prominently toothed margins. The leaves of some clones are marked with white spots but this is a variable feature. The 2 – 3 ft inflorescence is a spike of golden-yellow tubular flowers. Some clones have orange flowers. Roots are fibrous and form a symbiotic relationship with mycorrhizal fungi.” Deanna Greens And Garden Art does not guarantee the medicinal claims of the above-mentioned website. We have a couple more jade plants as well. Our Mason jar lanterns are in design and hope to have a few finished for sale at the markets next weekend. Decorative art and alternative, a functional light source for your patio, yard, or garden. Come visit the Lake Saint Louis and Chandler Hill Vineyard Farmers’ Markets next weekend. Our Farmers’ Market page has the times and locations listed: https://deannagreensandgardenart.wordpress.com/farmers-markets/.

Aug20

Brick Road, Skyscrapers, Suburbia, & Howling Coyote Country

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What do all these have in common? M’waw! In any given 15-hour period I can be all four places: historical small town main street, bustling city streets, tree-deprived urban avenue, or a country dirt road. The brick road, Main Street Missouri’s first state capitol of St. Charles, global skyscrapers towering over financial hub Clayton, urban neighborhoods sprinkled throughout St. Charles and St. Louis Counties, and the countryside near Defiance’s howling coyotes and wildlife; each culture is within 15 miles from my home. Today, the contrasting changes were apparent to me. Sunday, I spent 8 hours on Main Street in St. Charles, Missouri selling herbs, spices, and other food items at a niche market with literally hundreds of people during the Festival of the Little Hills, shopping at leisure and a slower pace. Early Monday morning I entered into a landscape of skyscrapers after bumper to bumper traffic at the fast pace of a city freeway. Suburbia is entered on several occasions as I get off the freeway as soon as I am able, finding quieter routes through residential areas and strip malls. And then to the greenhouse, winding down as I go out of the city, then suburbia, onto a state highway, county highway, and finally taking the dirt road near the weathered barn up the hill to our greenhouse. Most evenings we hear the owl’s hoot and the coyotes howl. Currently, I co-exist in these four cultures. Though two of them I am most at home with. Guess which two? Adaptability and flexibility have been engrained into my character these past five years while working for St. Louis County Government. Will I thrive for another 11 – 12 years in the city and its commute? Or is small town main street calling us home? More words on that subject at another time. Praying to see what God has in mind for Dean and I these last years before retirement.