vi·tal·i·ty
the state of being strong and active
Every morning on my walks here in our South Texas park, I pass this poinsettia plant.
Because it’s so full and lush and perfect, I wondered if it’s real.
A few days ago I checked and sure enough, it’s as real as you and I.
To see the bracts still as red at the end of February as they were at Christmas time made me think of the word vitality.
Once I was finished with ChatGPT assisting me with indoors, I decided to take it outside to see how it would do with landscaping.
On the positive side, the app was able to follow my directions: compact growth, drought resistant, minimal care, hardy in zone 10a, and starter plants available nearby.
Where we ran into issues was: The first rendition wasn’t even our house in the background.
The next issue was that once our actual front was back in the photo, the labels on the plants were skewed and all wrong.
Next issue was that I did not want a prickly pear because it’s not in the compact plant category. I’ve seen here how it takes off to become almost a tree. Also, the red yucca was too tall. When I entered these comments, this is what I got back.
It was “just ok” but looked bulky to me.
I then asked for a switch to potted plants.
These were the suggestions:
I didn’t mind these, but these huge pots, especially the Mexican Talavera ones (which I love) would cost me a fortune.
Which of these five do you, my readers prefer?
This project is down the road, as next year, the house is getting new siding, the soffit under the deck roofing will be replaced, and the deck will be jacked up to straighten it. All of that needs to happen before I even consider landscaping in this spot.
While friends and family at home in southern Saskatchewan, Canada are battling strong winds, icy roads, and hazardous driving and outdoor walking conditions, I feel very blessed to be able to walk outside our front door door here in south Texas to practice my floral photography on our neighbour’s repeat blooming climbing rose.
It’s the time of year again, when the delicate pink and white blossoms of the honeysuckle shrubs, with their sweet heady scents, welcome us to the walking paths.
The sight and scent of these purple blossom clusters always take me back to our early marriage and our first home. The property was bordered by a lilac hedge.
Thanks to my blogging friend Betty for reminding me of the tree man in our yard long ago, before we sold our home and retired to condo life.
Do you draw inspiration from other bloggers?
The Regina Floral Conservatory is a hidden gem in our province’s Queen City.
This is one of many Peace Lilies housed there.
I thank you for your patience as I work on getting everything operational on my new blog theme …
Peace ✌️
Radically Retired 