Questions on the Floor
Fall is here in Chicagoland. The trees are turning and I finally had to cut the furnace on. I actually had to turn it on on Sunday, October 5th for about 6 hours because It was 56 degrees in here and even with a sweater on (the pink sweater that no one but me likes) over my microfleece, my nose was running from the cold. But I was able to shut it back off until this weekend.
I trimmed the shrubs today - which is way late, but I never got the chance to do it earlier. So, they won't bloom next year, but least the one viburnum at the corner of the house doesn't look like Don King anymore. I would have gotten more done, but I stepped on a nest (hive?) of yellow jackets. They burrow into the ground! My cousin and I thought we killed them, but we didn't. So, I had to stop or risk getting stung. I went to the store and got some foam stuff that will be spread tonight. Apparently they all sleep once it's dark and you don't get stung. I'll have to move away the mulch to find where the nest really is, and then I'm spraying it. Wish me luck!
It was a day of errands - a haircut and multiple trips to an apartment I have on the market to make sure everything's in order as the weather gets cooler :-) I even got to spin for an hour or so!
Anyway -there are two questions on the floor.
First: Yarnsnob wants to know how I grow my plants and if they would grow in a place that doesn't have a lot of light.
Well, African violets like the same conditions humans like. Not too cold, not too hot, not in a draft. A lot of bright indirect light, and they don't like to have their feet wet for any great length of time (the most prevalent cause of "violet death" is over-watering). So, if you have a bright Northeast window, that's usually a good bet. A South or Southwest window, not so much. In the winter it would probably be OK, but it would be too direct for most of the rest of the year.
And how do I get my plants to look like that? Well, I grow for show, which means I forced the plants to bloom on my schedule in hopes that they would have great heads of bloom for the show. This usually works pretty well - I use a 12-week pre-show schedule that gradually increased light and uses a couple different types of fertilizer, usually including a bloom-booster for a number of the weeks. Also, I grow my plants on light carts (they cost a lot more now than they used to) so that I can control their environment better and regulate how much light they get. My plants were good, but they've been better. I didn't take as good care of them this summer - mainly because I had too many! I currently grow about 47 varieties.
Next, Michelle wants to know where I carry my "stuff" if I don't carry it in my wallet. I haven't carried my driver's license in my wallet in years. I have a separate case for it and a select number of cards. I actually read an article recently that said you should never carry everything in your wallet. I also generally don't bring everything with me when I travel - put that stuff in the vault and take only what you need. I mean, really, if you're going to Mexico, you don't need your JP Penney card, or your local sandwich shop punch card (you get the picture!). That way, should the worst happen, you don't lose everything. I'm quite thankful that I didn't lose my driver's license nor my main credit card because only my wallet was taken. Been interesting this week operating with an old wallet - it's empty :-D
There's knitting happening - finished a pair of socks, and am more than half way through another. I also found what I hope is going to be a great Christmas sock pattern! Cross your fingers :-) Oh, and I'm SO tempted to fall off the stash-busting wagon, because look at what's coming to The Loopy Ewe: Polar Fleece Yarn!!! How kewl is that???!!!
I trimmed the shrubs today - which is way late, but I never got the chance to do it earlier. So, they won't bloom next year, but least the one viburnum at the corner of the house doesn't look like Don King anymore. I would have gotten more done, but I stepped on a nest (hive?) of yellow jackets. They burrow into the ground! My cousin and I thought we killed them, but we didn't. So, I had to stop or risk getting stung. I went to the store and got some foam stuff that will be spread tonight. Apparently they all sleep once it's dark and you don't get stung. I'll have to move away the mulch to find where the nest really is, and then I'm spraying it. Wish me luck!
It was a day of errands - a haircut and multiple trips to an apartment I have on the market to make sure everything's in order as the weather gets cooler :-) I even got to spin for an hour or so!
Anyway -there are two questions on the floor.
First: Yarnsnob wants to know how I grow my plants and if they would grow in a place that doesn't have a lot of light.
Well, African violets like the same conditions humans like. Not too cold, not too hot, not in a draft. A lot of bright indirect light, and they don't like to have their feet wet for any great length of time (the most prevalent cause of "violet death" is over-watering). So, if you have a bright Northeast window, that's usually a good bet. A South or Southwest window, not so much. In the winter it would probably be OK, but it would be too direct for most of the rest of the year.
And how do I get my plants to look like that? Well, I grow for show, which means I forced the plants to bloom on my schedule in hopes that they would have great heads of bloom for the show. This usually works pretty well - I use a 12-week pre-show schedule that gradually increased light and uses a couple different types of fertilizer, usually including a bloom-booster for a number of the weeks. Also, I grow my plants on light carts (they cost a lot more now than they used to) so that I can control their environment better and regulate how much light they get. My plants were good, but they've been better. I didn't take as good care of them this summer - mainly because I had too many! I currently grow about 47 varieties.
Next, Michelle wants to know where I carry my "stuff" if I don't carry it in my wallet. I haven't carried my driver's license in my wallet in years. I have a separate case for it and a select number of cards. I actually read an article recently that said you should never carry everything in your wallet. I also generally don't bring everything with me when I travel - put that stuff in the vault and take only what you need. I mean, really, if you're going to Mexico, you don't need your JP Penney card, or your local sandwich shop punch card (you get the picture!). That way, should the worst happen, you don't lose everything. I'm quite thankful that I didn't lose my driver's license nor my main credit card because only my wallet was taken. Been interesting this week operating with an old wallet - it's empty :-D
There's knitting happening - finished a pair of socks, and am more than half way through another. I also found what I hope is going to be a great Christmas sock pattern! Cross your fingers :-) Oh, and I'm SO tempted to fall off the stash-busting wagon, because look at what's coming to The Loopy Ewe: Polar Fleece Yarn!!! How kewl is that???!!!
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