We really need to work out this greenhouse/holiday thing better. Right now, we're doing all the things we do to get ready for Christmas. But, we're also putting the garden to bed, setting up greenhouses and moving tender plants in anticipation of a freeze in the next week or so. Yes, I realize some of you are reading this in front of a fire on a cozy, white winter's day...but in TX, the grass still needs mowing.
I spent both weekend mornings in the yard, getting plants ready to go in the greenhouse. I've learned this lesson. I can't just drag them in and expect everything to be fine. I have to clean them up, take out dead leaves and branches and take the fall leaves out of the pots. If I don't, I get mold in the greenhouses that can take years to recover from.
We've been doing our usual "it looks like Santa and his reindeer exploded in here" level decorating.
This is the Li Bien tree. The ornaments are theoretically hand painted from the inside. The older ones probably are. Anyway, we'd go shopping at Pier 1 close to Christmas when they were on sale, sometimes buying 5-6 a year for us, and we gave them as gifts. When Pier 1 closed, World Market started to carry them, but they're not the same and they're a lot more expensive and they don't go on sale as far as we can tell, so the collecting is probably done. They make a nice tree, tho. But, we forgot to change the quilt behind them to the Christmas quilt. Oops! On top of the china cabinet, there's a small wire tree hung with vintage ornaments from my parent's first holiday together and from my Grandparents.
Rob puts these spring curtain rods in the windows and hangs vintage "Shiny Bright" brand ornaments from them. But, first, he had to clean all the windows. And, I got him to clean the kitchen window too, while he was at it. Thanks, dear!!!
This is the ceramic Christmas tree Rob's Mom made. He had strong memories of this, so before he got this one from her, we'd bought another at a garage sale (where the lady didn't know the value, so Rob paid her double what she was asking...talk about surprised!)
Every year, Rob creates a new display...that's how we've gotten here. I bring you this year's display (drumroll). He found these glass shelves when he was cleaning the garage and built the display around them. When he was building it, I asked why it needed to be temporary. I can certainly think of things I could display here, so it became a permanent installation. The little ceramic tree in the bottom right is the one from the garage sale. It needs a brighter light.
This is the swag that hangs across the living room ceiling. Every year, I say I'm not going to put it up and every year, I do.
To really appreciate it, you have to look close at the variety of red ornaments. Rob and I have been collecting them for 25 years.
There's candy and cardinals, Santas and apples, reindeer and snowmen and every other kind of red ornament we could find. Before I got the ornament collection from my Mom, we did red trees with white lights and a white pearl garland. That was lovely too.
Okay, couple pictures from the garden and I'll let you go. I stopped in the middle of setting up the greenhouse to build this trellis for the blackberries. Rob asked if I had time to stop and build a trellis and I explained this was part of putting plants in the greenhouse, but I think he was still skeptical. Anyway, it took a nondescript plant and made it look really nice. I hope it still looks this good when it comes out in spring.
And, this is the Japanese maple, doing exactly what I always hoped it would. Last year, I put it in the greenhouse too early, while the leaves were still green, and they just browned and dried and clung to the branches. That usually means a tree is dead. When I pulled it out in spring, I pulled the dead leaves and set it to the side to see what happened and it leafed out, so I was very happy. This year, I've left it out and the leaves have turned purple/red. Loving it!
Everybody have a great week! My boss is in town tomorrow, so I'll be in the office and will have an after work dinner. Yay. Not sure who all will be there, but it should be an interesting day.
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