The Blind Side and Cottage Gardens

Belle Cox


'Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.' Abraham Lincoln



We saw Blind Side yesterday. Show of hands, who's seen it? I thought it was an amazing movie. And the theatre was every bit as crowded as it was for New Moon. Part of that may have been due to the Thanksgiving Weekend Crowd. But I wonder if a lot of folks did like I did, caught New Moon when it first came out and Blindside the next weekend. I was told one reviewer slammed it because of the rich white and poor black issue. But so what. It wouldn't have mattered if it had been a rich pink family and a poor purple young man. What it all boiled down to was lending a helping hand and being enriched because of it.


If you haven't seen it, and want a feel good movie, I recommend it. I don't think you'll be disappointed.



Cottage gardens are a wonderful conglomeration of textures, colors and scents. You can find perennials, annuals, herbs, vegetables and wild flowers all growing side by side in this cosy garden.

Happy Thanksgiving

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"Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence."

Erma Bombeck

I found a rose still blooming on Thanksgiving.

The tree is up. You probably can't tell from the picture but the tree topper is a cat that someone gave me. Surprise huh.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving to those that celebrate it and to those that d

on't, have a wonderful day.

Mom and Scented Geraniums

"My mother had a slender small body but a large heart--a heart so large that everybody's joys found welcome in it, and hospitable accomodation"--Mark Twain

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Chocolate-scented Geraniums have large, fuzzy, deep green leaves that produce a chocolate aroma. The scented geraniums are grown more for their fragrance then their floral appeal.

Orange-scented Geraniums have leaves that smell like Mandarin Oranges.

Coconut-scented Geraniums are vine-like and smell like pina colada.

Have you grown any scented Geraniums?

Reading, Butterflies and Living Wills

Give me a man or woman who has read a thousand books and you give me an interesting companion. Give me a man or woman who has read perhaps three and you give me a dangerous enemy indeed. Anne Rice, The Witching Hour

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Perennials that attract butterflies: Aster, Bee Balm, Coneflower, Dame's Rocket, Hollyhock, Phlox, Sedum and Verbena. Are there any more perennials that you're aware of, we can add to the list?

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Living Will

Last night my kids and I were sitting in the living room and I said to them, "I never want to live in a vegetative state dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle. If that ever happens just pull the plug."

They got up, unplugged the computer and threw out my wine.

Moves and Gardens

We are heading out to watch Edward and Jacob's moves.

Enjoy your weekend.

Annual Gardens: Annuals are flowers that die back at the end of the season. However, several annuals reseed themselves. Gardeners plant them because of their continuous summer blooms.

Friday

Hang on till Friday......Wait a minute. It is Friday!

Flowers, Cats, and Giveaways

Your Garden

Nothing is more soothing and guaranteed to relieve the day's stress than walking through your fragrant garden watching the butterflies flit from flower to flower and listen to the whir of the hummingbirds. In gardens we meditate, restore our spirit, create and envision our future. There are many gardens to choose from. One is the birder's garden.

Birder’s Garden

If you would like to plant flowers that attract birds, try the following:
Black-eyed Susan
Bachelor Button
Cockscomb
Coneflower
Daisy
Goldenrod
Shrub Rose
Snapdragon
Sunflower
Zinnia
Flowers that attract hummingbirds:
Bee Balm
Butterfly Weed
Columbine
Coral Bells
Evening Primrose
Nicotiana
Hollyhock
Foxglove
Petunia
Pineapple Sage
Salvia
Zinnia
Most of your flowers will thrive in a sunny location but you will want a tree or two or possibly some tall shrubs on the perimeter of your garden for the birds. This will also give shade to your columbine and foxglove. If you let your plants die back instead of deadheading (removing the dead blooms), the birds will enjoy getting the seeds. They will be especially appreciative if you have a nice clean bird bath in your garden filled with fresh water.

Just for fun: This week I’ll be having a daily drawing to give away a vintage-style, handmade bookmark by artist Meghan Cox. To enter: all you have to do is send an email to sandracox1@gmail.com and put bookmark in the subject line.