Oxygen Gardens and Bonsai Tips

 If I live to be 102 (which is highly doubtful, given my reckless ways,) I will never understand why people feel so negatively toward winter. Though, I suppose part of my bliss comes from the good fortune of living far enough south that winters are ~ most often ~ warm, bright, blue bird days.

Even on the chilliest mornings, I step out onto my deck, breath the chill air and feel more alive.

Sure, it's cold. But, the coffee warms my bones. And, those mountains never fail to warm my heart.

I'm not alone..

The quadrapeds love winter, too. Horses, dogs, cats, everybody feels a wee bit frisky, kicking up their heels, at the sight of the freshly fallen snow.

I was soooo delighted to see this little Paper White this morning! I had purchased these bulbs, with big, big plans of squeezing them into the Amaryllis pots. But, lazy is as lazy does. I dumped them on the dining room table, ignored them all last week.

When it came time to finally clean off that dining room table, whaddyaknow, they've all sprouted, growing in the bag. So, I potted them up and introduced them to the herd...

This window is the one and only reason why I purchased this house. One would assume, with a million dollar view, you could do an about face and tour a million dollar home. That is sooooo not the case.

A more accurate assessment would be that there are a million things wrong with my home. Broken this, aging that... though I'm blind to those troubles. Because of this window. An indoor gardener's dream.

I grow lotsa goodies in my sunny window. And, some weird ones, too. Like this Bonsai Schefflera, growing in a lava rock. He's 4 years old next month!

Most homes don't offer a window such as this. And, so, most of my friends lament the fact that they cannot grow everything under the sun. News flash! The sun is not all that necessary.

If you don't have a big sunny window, carefully follow these instructions and pretend that you do:

1. Buy a grow light.
2. Plug it in! 

Early morning, out the window ~ My sleepy little town, under the bright Hunter moon.

TIP ~ Moisture: The Key to a Happy Bonsai 

• Keep your bonsai slightly damp. Mist her in addition to watering. They enjoy the feel of a spring rain. Misting cleans her leaves and helps moisture absorption. 
• Once every couple of weeks immerse the entire plant, pot and all, in a bowl of water. They love it! 
• A super slow release (6-40-6) granule fertilizer is ideal. Every other month, dig a tiny hole between the roots and bury one granule.

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