The Banana Trees are Alive and Thriving

A couple weeks ago, I posted that my banana trees from Burgess Seed and Plants arrived.  When we unpacked them, they were a little worse for the wear.



You will remember this sad picture.  I told you at the time that the trip from the greenhouse to Crest Avenue was particularly hard on them, but that with time, they would come back strong.  As long as the root system was not damaged, we could expect to have nice, healthy plants.  So I am happy today to share with you that we do, indeed, have two nice, healthy banana trees.

There are still some dead leaves hanging on to them, but you can see they have begun to unfurl their banana leaves.

The one on the left is clearly the healthier of the two.  Although you cannot really see in this picture, the plant on the right is healthy and just beginning to send up its first banana leaf.  In the background of this picture, behind the fern and the begonias, you can see the gigantic leaves of the already existing banana tree.

Every day it unfurls yet another leaf.  It is already over my head and I am 5 feet 10 inches tall.  I know this banana is at least six feet tall at this point.

In addition to the banana tree, the ferns have done well this year.  This one on the front porch is particularly beautiful.

And another in a tall planter beside the front door.

I Made Liz Smith's Column on The New York Social Diary

That's right boys and girls.  Yours truly is quoted on today's issue of The New York Social Diary.

www.newyorksocialdiary.com.  My quote is under Liz Smith's column on What people are reading, ... talking about, ... Seeing on the Big and Small Screen, ... and Recalling.



The Wonderful Liz Smith



My quote was about the beautiful and talented Rebecca De Mornay;



Rebecca De Mornay and Family



and the wonderful and charismatic Elaine Stritch,



Gorgeous Elaine Stritch



both of whom I adore.

Give it a read.  I read The New York Social Diary everyday and I always stop by Liz Smith's column.  She is a divine woman and I am happy to know her. 

I Made Liz Smith's Column on The New York Social Diary

That's right boys and girls.  Yours truly is quoted on today's issue of The New York Social Diary.

www.newyorksocialdiary.com.  My quote is under Liz Smith's column on What people are reading, ... talking about, ... Seeing on the Big and Small Screen, ... and Recalling.



The Wonderful Liz Smith



My quote was about the beautiful and talented Rebecca De Mornay;



Rebecca De Mornay and Family



and the wonderful and charismatic Elaine Stritch,



Gorgeous Elaine Stritch



both of whom I adore.

Give it a read.  I read The New York Social Diary everyday and I always stop by Liz Smith's column.  She is a divine woman and I am happy to know her. 

Arranging Flowers is SO Easy!

Everybody likes to have fresh flowers in the house.  I know I certainly do.  And I keep fresh flowers in different rooms at different times of the year.  I think some people are afraid to try to arrange flowers because they think it is something best left to a professionally trained arranger.  That is certainly true if you are sending flowers to a special event or to a loved one who lives many miles away.  But if you want to add a little flare and/or color to your home, you can easily arrange some fresh flowers in a vase.  Many times I pick up fresh flower assortments at my local grocer.  This arrangement was made from 3 bunches of alstromera and daisies and one bunch of greenery from my local Giant.



These are in a beautiful red and gold fired Italian Glass Vase I got from Pier One a few years ago.

Beautiful green and red Italian Glass Vases from Pier One

We love Pier One (www.pierone.com) at Crest Avenue.  Speaking of Pier One, I think I need to go there this weekend.

To help protect this vase from water damage, I place a glass water tumbler in the bottom filled with fresh water and a drop of Clorox liquid bleach.  This keeps the flowers going for a long time.

So when I got home I had three bags of flowers and a fourth bag of greenery.  A little while later, this was the creation I put together.  Spend a little time with it.  As you continue to do it over and over you will get better at it.  

Arranging Flowers is SO Easy!

Everybody likes to have fresh flowers in the house.  I know I certainly do.  And I keep fresh flowers in different rooms at different times of the year.  I think some people are afraid to try to arrange flowers because they think it is something best left to a professionally trained arranger.  That is certainly true if you are sending flowers to a special event or to a loved one who lives many miles away.  But if you want to add a little flare and/or color to your home, you can easily arrange some fresh flowers in a vase.  Many times I pick up fresh flower assortments at my local grocer.  This arrangement was made from 3 bunches of alstromera and daisies and one bunch of greenery from my local Giant.



These are in a beautiful red and gold fired Italian Glass Vase I got from Pier One a few years ago.

Beautiful green and red Italian Glass Vases from Pier One

We love Pier One (www.pierone.com) at Crest Avenue.  Speaking of Pier One, I think I need to go there this weekend.

To help protect this vase from water damage, I place a glass water tumbler in the bottom filled with fresh water and a drop of Clorox liquid bleach.  This keeps the flowers going for a long time.

So when I got home I had three bags of flowers and a fourth bag of greenery.  A little while later, this was the creation I put together.  Spend a little time with it.  As you continue to do it over and over you will get better at it.  

Baxter Takes a Nap!

I was thinking the other night that Baxter does all of these intriguing things all the time and I never get any of it on film.  So I grabbed my Android and thought I would follow him around to see if I could get some really cool stuff.  Well, that didn't work quite as expected.  He was tired.  He was not interested in doing anything intriguing.  So I put him in bed and we started watching tv.  Needless to say, he fell asleep.  So I thought I would get a picture of a sleeping Baxter.



I ended up with this rather overexposed shot of him, sound asleep.  At first I thought, ugh, that will not work.  But the more I looked at it, the more I liked it.  It reminds me of something Andy Warhol would have done.  So I should get four copies of this made.  One in red, one in blue, one in green and one in yellow and group them all together.  What a neat idea.  Anyway, a quick post of a picture of the best boy in the whole wide world fast asleep. 

Baxter Takes a Nap!

I was thinking the other night that Baxter does all of these intriguing things all the time and I never get any of it on film.  So I grabbed my Android and thought I would follow him around to see if I could get some really cool stuff.  Well, that didn't work quite as expected.  He was tired.  He was not interested in doing anything intriguing.  So I put him in bed and we started watching tv.  Needless to say, he fell asleep.  So I thought I would get a picture of a sleeping Baxter.



I ended up with this rather overexposed shot of him, sound asleep.  At first I thought, ugh, that will not work.  But the more I looked at it, the more I liked it.  It reminds me of something Andy Warhol would have done.  So I should get four copies of this made.  One in red, one in blue, one in green and one in yellow and group them all together.  What a neat idea.  Anyway, a quick post of a picture of the best boy in the whole wide world fast asleep. 

A Wine and Cheese Evening with Friends

We had a little wine and cheese gathering on Saturday evening at Crest Avenue.  A small gathering of the very core of the core group - me, Steven, his brother Bob and everybody's best friend, Mark.  We have all been friends for so long that it no longer warrants lavish, over-the-top preparation.  I nice cheese plate and a few other munchies, a bottle or two or everyones fav wine, and you've got a wonderful evening all planned.  I served a Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve.  I have been drinking these Robert Mondavi wines recently and I really like them.





And a Sutter Home White Zinfandel.



This was a wonderful combination cheese plate - yellow and white cheddar and port wine.  Port wine cheese is a favorite of mine.  My mother would buy it frequently when I was young, so it brings back fond memories.  I especially remember it during the holidays.  And, of course, the cream cheese boats are a tried and true favorite from many years ago.



You can use your favorite crackers with any cheese plate you put together.  There is no right or wrong selection.  You will decide over time which crackers you like best with which cheese.  These crackers were very buttery and that helped enhance the flavor of the cheese.

I used these little felt flower petals on the stems of the wine glasses so everybody would know which glass was their assigned glass.  You know, after a glass or two, that can become difficult to do!!

These came from Crate and Barrel.  

Finally, I used my new "Rabbit" wine opener.  If you enjoy a glass of vino every now and then, you must, must, must get one of these.  Oh my gosh!!  Until now, I had been using a regular corkscrew to remove the cork from the bottle, and that worked just fine.  At least I thought so.  I mean, you can't miss what you've never had.  I would use a knife or a safety razor to cut the foil and then use the corkscrew.  Most times I would just leave the cork on the corkscrew because it was too difficult to remove it while it was still wet.  That was what I USED to do.  With this handy opener, you get the round foil cutter (at top of picture.)  You simply place that on top of the bottle, squeeze it and turn the bottle.  It cuts the foil perfectly.  Then you lift the handle and place the Rabbit fully over the neck of the bottle.  Hold it tighly and bring the handle down and then back up.  Voila.  The cork is out.  You bring the handle down and it dispenses the cork.  No house should be without one of these.

So that was Saturday evening at Crest Avenue.  About the cream cheese boats - I like them.  But I want to try something new.  I have an idea that I want to try that I think will add some interesting flare to them.  Give me this week to test things out in my kitchen and hopefully I will have a new recipe for you next week. 

A Wine and Cheese Evening with Friends

We had a little wine and cheese gathering on Saturday evening at Crest Avenue.  A small gathering of the very core of the core group - me, Steven, his brother Bob and everybody's best friend, Mark.  We have all been friends for so long that it no longer warrants lavish, over-the-top preparation.  I nice cheese plate and a few other munchies, a bottle or two or everyones fav wine, and you've got a wonderful evening all planned.  I served a Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve.  I have been drinking these Robert Mondavi wines recently and I really like them.





And a Sutter Home White Zinfandel.



This was a wonderful combination cheese plate - yellow and white cheddar and port wine.  Port wine cheese is a favorite of mine.  My mother would buy it frequently when I was young, so it brings back fond memories.  I especially remember it during the holidays.  And, of course, the cream cheese boats are a tried and true favorite from many years ago.



You can use your favorite crackers with any cheese plate you put together.  There is no right or wrong selection.  You will decide over time which crackers you like best with which cheese.  These crackers were very buttery and that helped enhance the flavor of the cheese.

I used these little felt flower petals on the stems of the wine glasses so everybody would know which glass was their assigned glass.  You know, after a glass or two, that can become difficult to do!!

These came from Crate and Barrel.  

Finally, I used my new "Rabbit" wine opener.  If you enjoy a glass of vino every now and then, you must, must, must get one of these.  Oh my gosh!!  Until now, I had been using a regular corkscrew to remove the cork from the bottle, and that worked just fine.  At least I thought so.  I mean, you can't miss what you've never had.  I would use a knife or a safety razor to cut the foil and then use the corkscrew.  Most times I would just leave the cork on the corkscrew because it was too difficult to remove it while it was still wet.  That was what I USED to do.  With this handy opener, you get the round foil cutter (at top of picture.)  You simply place that on top of the bottle, squeeze it and turn the bottle.  It cuts the foil perfectly.  Then you lift the handle and place the Rabbit fully over the neck of the bottle.  Hold it tighly and bring the handle down and then back up.  Voila.  The cork is out.  You bring the handle down and it dispenses the cork.  No house should be without one of these.

So that was Saturday evening at Crest Avenue.  About the cream cheese boats - I like them.  But I want to try something new.  I have an idea that I want to try that I think will add some interesting flare to them.  Give me this week to test things out in my kitchen and hopefully I will have a new recipe for you next week. 

Miss Kitty!

We have some regular visitors at Crest Avenue and I like to keep fresh food and water out for them.  So, on Saturday I put out a bowl of fresh water and kibble for them to enjoy.  In the background you see the whiskey barrel liner that I rescued from the "big trash" pile some weeks ago.  When the whiskey barrel finally disintegrated after years of service in the landscape, I was left with this large black plastic liner.  For years it set inside the whiskey barrel, filled with garden soil and presented us with beautiful mums, geraniums, petunias, etc.  Now it serves as a rain barrel of sorts.  This area of the landscape is located at a point on the house where there is a valley where two roof slopes meet.  This area catches a significant amount of rainwater and deposits it into the gutter at this particular point causing the gutter to overflow.  This liner has been sunk into the ground and filled with pea gravel to catch the overflowing water.  There is a small hole in the center and eventually the water makes it way through the hole and into the surrounding ground.  Much better to do this than to allow the overflow to collect and pool on the ground next to the foundation.  To the right of the rainwater barrel are tiny sprouts of mimosa trees.  I plan to carefully remove them from the soil and transplant them into smallish clay pots.  Who knows.  We may be able to care for them and eventually have some healthy, mature plants for the yard.  I love mimosa trees.  We had one at home when I was growing up.  My sandbox was positioned underneath it.  I spent countless hours in that sandbox building little houses using bricks from my grandfathers garage.  Then I would nail two pieces of wood together and sit them at an angle atop the brick to emulate a roof.  A piece of a roofing shingle buried under the sand and then swept clean in certain areas made the perfect driveway for my Matchbox cars.  Funny I can remember that all these years alter.  I guess I knew my calling from an early age!

Miss Kitty!

We have some regular visitors at Crest Avenue and I like to keep fresh food and water out for them.  So, on Saturday I put out a bowl of fresh water and kibble for them to enjoy.  In the background you see the whiskey barrel liner that I rescued from the "big trash" pile some weeks ago.  When the whiskey barrel finally disintegrated after years of service in the landscape, I was left with this large black plastic liner.  For years it set inside the whiskey barrel, filled with garden soil and presented us with beautiful mums, geraniums, petunias, etc.  Now it serves as a rain barrel of sorts.  This area of the landscape is located at a point on the house where there is a valley where two roof slopes meet.  This area catches a significant amount of rainwater and deposits it into the gutter at this particular point causing the gutter to overflow.  This liner has been sunk into the ground and filled with pea gravel to catch the overflowing water.  There is a small hole in the center and eventually the water makes it way through the hole and into the surrounding ground.  Much better to do this than to allow the overflow to collect and pool on the ground next to the foundation.  To the right of the rainwater barrel are tiny sprouts of mimosa trees.  I plan to carefully remove them from the soil and transplant them into smallish clay pots.  Who knows.  We may be able to care for them and eventually have some healthy, mature plants for the yard.  I love mimosa trees.  We had one at home when I was growing up.  My sandbox was positioned underneath it.  I spent countless hours in that sandbox building little houses using bricks from my grandfathers garage.  Then I would nail two pieces of wood together and sit them at an angle atop the brick to emulate a roof.  A piece of a roofing shingle buried under the sand and then swept clean in certain areas made the perfect driveway for my Matchbox cars.  Funny I can remember that all these years alter.  I guess I knew my calling from an early age!

The Gardens

We have not walked through the gardens for a few weeks.  When we had the severely hot and humid weather, we shut down outside work at Crest Avenue.  It was just too oppressive to do anything outside which required any physical exertion other than to water.  Thank goodness we did keep up with the watering schedule.  We have been fortunate not to have lost any plants this year.  Here you see how well the cactus is doing.  You see the new growth on the top of each spire.  It is in a sunny spot and we do not overwater.  The fern next to it was lush and beautiful the day I bought it.  I bought it on my first errand stop that day.  Then I stopped a couple other places and then back home.  It got so hot sitting in the car that the fronds simply died.  The brown curly Q's once had beautiful green fronds on them.  You can see that with care it is coming back.  I was really shocked that this happened.  I've never had that happen before.



Here is a picture of a beautiful butterfly bush.  This is a variety that I am not fully familiar with.  It was a gift.  It attracts butterflies.  They have been all over it this past week.  The flowers are a little different on this one than a true Buddleia.  But no matter.  It is stunning.

Another look at the butterfly bush.  These blooms are a very soft pink. 

And the gorgeous crepe myrtles.  These are the wine colored.  I like them very much.  If I had it to do over again, I would have planted the pink.  But really any crepe myrtle, no matter the color, is stunning when in bloom.  You can see the purple martin house in the background.  I believe we have a few happy families in residence this year.



The crepe myrtles in silhouette.

And the elephant ears.  In the foreground is the black elephant ear.  Behind that and to the left are the standard green elephant ears.  These were planted in the spring, so this is their first year.  Less than spectacular, but with each passing year they should become more showy.  These will require heavy mulching in the fall to protect over the winter.  Ideally, they should be lifted but I am going to try the mulch routine and see what happens.



Finally, a not so pleasant picture.  This weed has invaded my back yard from the property next door.  Each year I cut it back and each year it infiltrates a little more.  This year I decided to address the problem a different way.  I sprayed it with Brush Killer.  You can buy this at Lowe's or Home Depot.  It is specifically for heavy duty weed and brush infiltration.  You simply attach the bottle to the end of a garden hose, turn on the water and spray.  As you can see, it has done a very effective job of killing this noxious weed.  However, I believe a second application would only help the situation.  So that will be something we will be doing again over the coming days.

The Gardens

We have not walked through the gardens for a few weeks.  When we had the severely hot and humid weather, we shut down outside work at Crest Avenue.  It was just too oppressive to do anything outside which required any physical exertion other than to water.  Thank goodness we did keep up with the watering schedule.  We have been fortunate not to have lost any plants this year.  Here you see how well the cactus is doing.  You see the new growth on the top of each spire.  It is in a sunny spot and we do not overwater.  The fern next to it was lush and beautiful the day I bought it.  I bought it on my first errand stop that day.  Then I stopped a couple other places and then back home.  It got so hot sitting in the car that the fronds simply died.  The brown curly Q's once had beautiful green fronds on them.  You can see that with care it is coming back.  I was really shocked that this happened.  I've never had that happen before.



Here is a picture of a beautiful butterfly bush.  This is a variety that I am not fully familiar with.  It was a gift.  It attracts butterflies.  They have been all over it this past week.  The flowers are a little different on this one than a true Buddleia.  But no matter.  It is stunning.

Another look at the butterfly bush.  These blooms are a very soft pink. 

And the gorgeous crepe myrtles.  These are the wine colored.  I like them very much.  If I had it to do over again, I would have planted the pink.  But really any crepe myrtle, no matter the color, is stunning when in bloom.  You can see the purple martin house in the background.  I believe we have a few happy families in residence this year.



The crepe myrtles in silhouette.

And the elephant ears.  In the foreground is the black elephant ear.  Behind that and to the left are the standard green elephant ears.  These were planted in the spring, so this is their first year.  Less than spectacular, but with each passing year they should become more showy.  These will require heavy mulching in the fall to protect over the winter.  Ideally, they should be lifted but I am going to try the mulch routine and see what happens.



Finally, a not so pleasant picture.  This weed has invaded my back yard from the property next door.  Each year I cut it back and each year it infiltrates a little more.  This year I decided to address the problem a different way.  I sprayed it with Brush Killer.  You can buy this at Lowe's or Home Depot.  It is specifically for heavy duty weed and brush infiltration.  You simply attach the bottle to the end of a garden hose, turn on the water and spray.  As you can see, it has done a very effective job of killing this noxious weed.  However, I believe a second application would only help the situation.  So that will be something we will be doing again over the coming days.

A Bag of Flowers on the Subway

We got word yesterday that Steven does not have cancer on the right side of his neck.  We are very pleased to hear this.  On my way home last night I picked up this arrangement from a street vendor at the Farragut West Metro Station.  I thought it was time to bring some beauty and something uplifting into the house after a week of waiting and wondering what the test would show.  Happier days are ahead.  I am certain of it.

We are rainy and overcast in Washington this morning.  And humid.  The humidity has returned but not as severe as a few weeks ago.  This weekend is supposed to be beautiful, so I hope to get a lot done.  There are some outdoor projects to be finished that I want to share with you.  And I'm thinking of a new dining room arrangement.  The days of the formal dining room are waning.  We just do not live like we used to.  And that is OK.  The only constant in life is change.  I certainly am not entertaining these days like I used to.  I couldn't tell you the last time I had a sit-down.  Things are usually done buffet style.  That seems to be the trend of the day.  I have been to many sit-downs over the years and I've had quite a few myself.  They can be daunting.  One can feel forced into making conversation when maybe it's an off night.  I never took my seat at any sit-down without at least two cocktails.  Whether I had them at the cocktail hour preceding the dinner, or I had them at home.  For me, there was a two martini minimum before attending any sit-down.  We will talk more about this over the coming weeks as we decide exactly what we want to do with the dining room space.

Tomorrow is my electrocardiogram.  I will leave early in the morning and the preparation for the test, the test itself and all things included takes about 4 hours.  Add in driving time to and from the hospital and you've got a full day.  I may not post anything tomorrow.  We'll see how I am feeling once this is all done.

A Bag of Flowers on the Subway

We got word yesterday that Steven does not have cancer on the right side of his neck.  We are very pleased to hear this.  On my way home last night I picked up this arrangement from a street vendor at the Farragut West Metro Station.  I thought it was time to bring some beauty and something uplifting into the house after a week of waiting and wondering what the test would show.  Happier days are ahead.  I am certain of it.

We are rainy and overcast in Washington this morning.  And humid.  The humidity has returned but not as severe as a few weeks ago.  This weekend is supposed to be beautiful, so I hope to get a lot done.  There are some outdoor projects to be finished that I want to share with you.  And I'm thinking of a new dining room arrangement.  The days of the formal dining room are waning.  We just do not live like we used to.  And that is OK.  The only constant in life is change.  I certainly am not entertaining these days like I used to.  I couldn't tell you the last time I had a sit-down.  Things are usually done buffet style.  That seems to be the trend of the day.  I have been to many sit-downs over the years and I've had quite a few myself.  They can be daunting.  One can feel forced into making conversation when maybe it's an off night.  I never took my seat at any sit-down without at least two cocktails.  Whether I had them at the cocktail hour preceding the dinner, or I had them at home.  For me, there was a two martini minimum before attending any sit-down.  We will talk more about this over the coming weeks as we decide exactly what we want to do with the dining room space.

Tomorrow is my electrocardiogram.  I will leave early in the morning and the preparation for the test, the test itself and all things included takes about 4 hours.  Add in driving time to and from the hospital and you've got a full day.  I may not post anything tomorrow.  We'll see how I am feeling once this is all done.