Friday Dabble with Shiny Photos

Last week I spent with my sister and brother-in-law in the Kansas City area.  She has a malignant brain tumor and he had to have back surgery.  I took care of her while he was in the hospital and both of them when he came home.  I really wish I could have stayed another week but I was just exhausted from sleeping on the couch and caring for two people who need lots of help.  Their oldest daughter is in and out every day this week.

This is my sister Nancy's new cat, Tigger.  Tigger, though sporting a male name, is a very pretty girl with unusual coloring.  Nancy lives in senior housing and had to get a prescription from her doctor to get to have a cat in their apartment.

We're really tickled with our Topsy Turvy Tomato Thing.  I did a photo essay about planting it and in just two weeks the vine has more than doubled in size and has two marble size tomatoes and many blooms.  We planted two plants the same day.  We don't know what variety of tomato either plant might be.  The one we planted in the ground isn't nearly as vigorous as the one in the Topsy Turvy Tomato Thing.

This is Mariana, named in honor of Gather's Mariana T., and we're very proud of the prolific, huge blooms again this year.  It's a couple of years older than the other perennial hibiscuses we planted, so bigger and more robust.

Here is our first mystery for those who know more about plants than me.  (That would be just about anyone.)  I transplanted some of this from my Mom's yard a couple of years ago, and we have no clue what it might be.  I'd like to order some more.  Each leaf is about half the size of a hand.

As I've said before, we're really proud of our flowercart because all the flowers came up from seeds.  This year there are marigolds, zinnias and moss roses in in.  I think I'll try some more exotic seeds next year.

This is our other mystery plant.  It's huge, probably 6 feet by 8 feet and each leaf is at least as large as a dinner plate.  It's not an elephant ear, as we have one of those and they look nothing alike.  This doesn't flower.  Help!

Marigolds are cheap, common and easy to grow, and in the sun, there's just about nothing prettier.

Still lost in the intrigue of English courts, I'm now reading about Elizabeth I's successor, James I.  This book is written from the viewpoint of his chief gardener.  So far, like all the Philippa Gregory books I've read, is very good.  What a wonderful time it would've been to be a gardener with ships coming back from the New World with all sorts of never before seen plants and trees.

Thanks for wading through my dabble.  I'm going to hang around on the computer for a bit, then it's out to the deck and the swing with my book and a Pepsi for me.  Happy Summer!