Back to the Garden

I went back and forth about doing another container garden this year. Last year's garden was OK, not spectacular. But ultimately, I decided to try it again after a recent trip to Home Depot and visit to its garden center.

This year's garden consists of two types of tomatoes, basil, rosemary, and mint. I placed the pots in between the master bedroom windows, where they would be protected but get several hours of sun in the morning and early afternoon. We'll see, but so far so good.

While I'm on the topic of gardening, I thought I'd provide a some more information about Christmas cactus after Patricia posted some comments from Australia. Of course, "Christmas cactus" is a common name for this plant and may be marketed under different names in other places. They normally appear in North America as a flowering houseplant at holiday time, so having blooms this time of year is a bit unusual. The tag on the plant I photographed noted that it's a Zygocactus or Schlumbergera. Another one that also has its tag is a Rhipsalidopsis. Perhaps this information will help you locate Australian varieties.

By the way, I'm still sewing too! My current project is a prototype of a summer top from Simplicity 2254. I'm working out the sizing and trying to simplify the construction process. Like so many patterns, the instructions seem unreasonably complicated for this type of garment.

Happy Birthday to Me...

Yesterday was my birthday.  My coworkers brought breakfast treats and a carrot cake. My husband sent a floral "cake" to my office, which you can see on my desk above. Isn't it cute? Then, he took me out to dinner at our new favorite restaurant,  Torino's@Home. All in all, a lovely day.

Christmas Cactus

I enjoy Christmas cactus, but have not had a lot of luck getting mine to bloom after bringing them home. This spring I decided I would put them outside after the danger of frost had passed, just to provide a spot of green here and there.

Because they had been inside, I put them in a shady spot on the patio that still provides plenty of light. The spring was unusually cool this year, so one of the cacti has provided a surprise! It decided it was time for "Christmas in June" and is in the process of blooming.

These will be staying outside until late fall, so I hope I'll get another blooming for the Holidays. And perhaps the others will get blooms too!

June is Here

...but what happened to May? Another month in a blur of activities.

Since returning from a weekend in Chicago, I've been sewing some. Since several other bloggers have already posted great photos and comments, I will provide a round up with links instead of a full-blown blog post that would just repeat what everyone else already said. As they say, "stay tuned."

I've also done some sewing so I'll be sharing what I made, hopefully very soon.

Summer is here in the Southwest, and we have been spending a lot of time outdoors. We are in the process of getting furnishings so we can enjoy our expanded space. DH bought us a swing. I had my doubts about it. But it's really quite comfortable and a pleasant place to hang out.

I will like it better when it's level, but it's still workable in the meantime. I'm also planning on adding a couple more pillows and some side tables for better functionality.

We have a hammock on order for the eastern side yard, and I have been tasked with buying some furniture for the western side yard. It's the side that's also my view from the Sewing Cave, so it's gonna be on me if I don't get it right. No pressure or anything (ha ha)!