5 Tips for Caring for Mums

Happy Wednesday friends!  I freshened up the Boat House 

and around the grounds with a few chrysanthemums. 

They add a charming amount of color to the fall landscape, 

and the Boat House is a great little retreat for fall.

When the days are warm, the nights are chilly 

and the leaves are just starting to think about

turning to those pretty fall colors...

then it is time to add some mums!

From the Boat House to the Front Porch, Mums add fall color 

and dress the landscape in the charm of the season. 

 Fall is appearing around the house as well.

It is hard to do, but when selecting your Chrysanthemum plants, 

look for ones with buds that haven’t bloomed yet. 

They should only have a sneak peak of color 

to confirm what color they will bloom. 

 Most mums will be have cramped roots, 

and  to get the most out of your plant,

 you should probably plan on repotting 

it in a larger vessel once you bring it home. 

If you repot your mum, use potting soil or we have

 manure from the barn that is nutrient rich. 

Mums like sun, so try to tuck your pot in a sunny area.

I have had to learn the hard way to water thoroughly and watch over the coming days to see how long it takes for the soil to start losing its moisture for you don’t want the soil to be soaking wet.   Watch daily for you don’t want it to dry out either. In my case, I water my mums every other day when it’s hot and every 3-4 days when its cooler. Again, the key is not letting the plant dry out but not to overwater either.

When blooms are sagging and are looking like they’re spent,

 clip them off so the plant can focus its energy on other blooms.

Somehow spending time in the autumn

 garden is especially satisfying this year.   

With just a little attention, your mums 

should last beautifully through the season. 

I hope you are all doing well and 

enjoying some peace and beauty

during these troubled times.  

Welcome Fall, 2020 .... Hugs!

Pssst: Did you know Alda's Magnolia Hill  is on Instagram? 

You’ll find me on Instagram here:  Alda's Magnolia Hill 

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Remembering the Legend of the Dogwood

 There is a legend, that at the time 

of the Crucifixion the dogwood 

had been the size of the oak

 and other forest trees.

 It was chosen as the timber for the cross

 as it was strong  and tall.

To be used for such a cruel purpose

 greatly distressed the tree, 

and Jesus, nailed upon it, sensed this, 

and in His gentle pity for all sorrow and suffering said to it: 

"Because of your regret and pity 

for My suffering, never again shall the dogwood tree 

grow large enough to be used as a cross. 

Henceforth it shall be slender

 and bent and twisted and its blossoms 

shall be in the form of a cross. 

...two long petals and two short petals.  

And in the center of the outer edge of 

each petal there will be nail prints, brown with rust 

and stained with red,

 and in the center of the flower 

will be a crown of thorns. 

All those who see it will remember." 

                                    

                                                                                       - author unknown

Even though this is just a legend, 

I appreciate the reminder 

of my Savior's sacrifice for me 

when I see these blooms.

Somehow every year by Easter, 

our Dogwood tree has been in full bloom. 

The purple Wisteria on the dock  is in full bloom

 at the same time as the Dogwood trees.

In my lifetime, I have never missed

 an Easter  church service...

but this year is certainly different. 

In honor of all the health care workers, 

especially those that have passed

 though our Magnolia Hill gates...we are staying home. 

 Healthcare workers are literally risking it all to save us.

They say,  "We also have family but we can't stay home...

Be responsible and STAY HOME because I can't"

Especially pretty in spring, but also in the fall,  

 as swirling scarlet and purple leaves 

add to the fall landscape's  autumnal palette.

Colored red berries on both the white and pink dogwoods 

attract songbirds through early winter. 

The pink dogwood is an American classic. 

This pink Dogwood was given as a gift in

  honor of my mother as she lost her battle with Breast Cancer. 

These legendary trees have long been part of our native landscape 

and provide an aura of magnificence in a 

100% North American native cultivar that ranges

coast to coast.... from Maine to Florida 

and from the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific Ocean .

America's founding fathers were big dogwood fans too.

 George Washington planted them at

 Mount Vernon and Thomas Jefferson planted them at Monticello.

And we too,  love the Dogwood trees at Magnolia Hill.  

It has been an amazing week hasn't it? 

Buddy and I hope you have a blessed Easter

 and see God in the flowers and trees 

or where ever you celebrate. 

As Max Lucado says, "With God's help we 

will get through this!"

Pssst: Did you know Magnolia Hill  is on Instagram? 
You’ll find me on Instagram here:  Alda's Magnolia Hill 

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Summer Garden

Hello everyone, It is a beautiful sunny day here today 

 and I am enjoying a few fresh flowers in my garden walk this morning.  

Zinnias seem t be blooming like crazy in their bright summer colors.   Hummingbirds love the bright colors but I can't seem to catch one still long enough to snap a picture.  Zinnias are always a staple in my garden for it is the memory of my grandmother's garden full of zinnias against her white picket fence,  that I treasure.

Ever wonder what to do with all those slivers of soap leftover besides just 

throwing them away?  I slip thin slivers 
into an old worn sock , tie a knot and then 

tie it to my water spigot outside. It is a convenient

way of washing hands after gardening. 

It is always nice to have a place to sit and enjoy the sounds of the water fountain.  

"I like to think of nature as an unlimited radio station 

through which God speaks to us every hour,

 if we will only  tune in."  _George Washington Carver

Kind hearts are the gardens. 

Kind thoughts are the roots.

Kind words are the flowers.

Kind deeds are the fruit.

Take care of the gardens, 

and keep them from weeds.

Fill, fill them with flowers, 

kind words and kind deeds.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Hydrangeas bloom and are perfect for cut flowers ..

"more than anything, I must have flowers, always, always."

-Claude Monet

Just a few photos from my patio

and visiting  with a few friends.

Coming in the house I put a few roses by the kitchen sink. 

I hope you are enjoying these beautiful summer days too!  

blessings always, 

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