A Rose by Any Other Name

Today I tackled cleaning my computer/dumpster room. It gets really bad around a holiday when there is just so much to do and important stuff just gets put in there to be filed another day. Well, that day was today and will be tomorrow. It is shocking how much we have to take care of. My papers, his papers, his folks' papers, some papers for our kids and on and on it goes. I got rid of a lot of clothes and shoes I love but can't wear any longer because of the tendonitis in my foot. Oh well, I hope they are loved in their new homes.

My cousin is coming over tomorrow and after thinking maybe I'd cook something I decided maybe we would pop out for some Mexican food. It will still be coolish tomorrow and I need an enchilada fix. She, my cousin, was all up for that..so great minds do think alike. We are going to pore over seeds and decide where we are going to plant them. NW-1, I saved a few of the "naked ladies" for her. We planted them in some empty gallon containers for her until I got them over to her house. They have been put away during the cold weather and will go home with her tomorrow.

I'm starting to long for a trip to Brenham to The Antique Rose Emporium. I read somewhere yesterday that roses should be spectacular this year since we've had such cold weather, but some comments on the web seem to indicate the place has become very run down. How sad. The antique roses were pest resistant, hardy as all get out, and no problems with leaf spot. They had been found around old homesteads and churches that had been gone for ages. They were cultivated from the shrubs and have been in great favor for a long time. I'm truly disappointed if it is the case the nursery has fallen onto hard times. Maybe we can just visit the Blue Bell ice cream factory. Or even better get some Blue Bell ice cream here and buy a bunch of my new favorite rose-Knock Out Roses-a small shrub with vibrant red roses that bloom from spring through summer until fall. I just love them. They are also very strong roses that have few problems.

But mainly we are going to start some seeds for planting in the garden later in the spring. However, chives, onions, greens, and lettuce can be planted now outside. They are cool weather plants and love cooler temps. Maybe not quite as cool as it has been lately. I have an egg carton that held 18 XLarge eggs I'm going to try to start some seedlings in.

I think I have some seed pods from the butterfly bushes to give her and there are lots of pepper seeds and lots of purple cone flowers, also known by the name of Echinacea purpurea. I have both white and pink to trade with her. I may try some Shasta Daisies this year. We are getting our garden back from so many years of neglect when I was working. Hubby is good to mow, but doesn't get it about the whole flower business part of gardening. Pedro has been such a help to us this past year.