Season Salutations
On a personal leveI Christmas 2024 was much better than 2023. Last year I was sick on Christmas Day and several days after. It's been a relaxed holiday season here with visits from friends and family. We were very pleased to have the Carolers return this year complete with a ukelele, harmonies and candy canes!
The neighborhood luminary event took place in spite of limited access in the park (lead and heavy metals testing has put a large part of Northgate Park in limbo for awhile.) I think the whole thing has been blown out of proportion, but here we are. The concern is linked to incinerator ash that was deposited in some city parks over 70 years ago. The Durham Health department has confirmed that there is no data to support that heavy metals in these parks have affected the health of people using the parks although some test samples revealed levels of metals that are concerning. (Keep in mind that they dig down several inches to find this.) It's quite ironic that every year the city allows a crew to spray herbicides along the Ellerbe Creek that runs through the park to control invasives. I'm much more concerned about that.
The weather in the Triangle area has been mild with a few cold snaps this year. Many deciduous trees like maples still have their leaves, but they are completely brown. The viburnum leaves didn't acquire their lovely red hue until Dec.
WRAL has reminded us once again of climate change with this very arresting title: "Climate Change is Stealing Winter in North Carolina". Here's an important excerpt:
Driven by human-caused climate change, winters in Raleigh are now 5.6 degrees warmer than they were in the 1970s. The warming trend has resulted in 18 more winter days above normal temperatures and a loss of nine days with minimum temperatures below freezing.
On the bright side, our camellias should get happier and happier. I think we might end up with a climate like Charleston, SC in the winter. I've joked about it, but was surprised by how much change we have experienced already. Zone 8 is really here.
This year Ian planted a combination of micro clover and grass seed in late November. The backyard is covered with grass blankets which is pretty unattractive, but hopefully soon we can remove this. We sometimes have covered grass seed with straw, but a neighbor offered a free "blanket" as a curb alert the same day that Ian sowed the seed. Serendipity at play!
It's a drizzly gray day here with more rain on the way tomorrow, Dec. 29th. We've been watching the backyard birds at the feeder. These two white-throated sparrows (they over winter with us and leave in April) provided a very nice garden moment when they perched in the paper bush.
I have a couple of indoor garden items to share. Our Christmas amaryllis from last year has set a bud. Yay! I put it outside this summer. It's green fronds did very well until the temperatures dropped. This is perfectly normal of course. At that point I cut the green fronds back and put the pot and bulb in the laundry room for a brief dormancy period. When it started to grow new fronds I placed it in a sunny condition on the dining room table. This week we saw the new bud. I moved it to the kitchen for this photo. It's very dark in the dining room today.
I'm starting to get a good garden theme going in the yoga/reading room upstairs.
Uh oh. The humane bug catcher is in the photo. We'll just call it a candid shot.
I was very happy to see that a bloom stalk is forming on one of the orchids in this room. I've learned that the orchids produce buds about once a year. It's similar to a perennial. If I keep them alive they will rebloom eventually.
The fairies and elves have a small gift for you this year.
It's an easy cinnamon cookie recipe that I found online:
My sister, Annette who is a fantastic dessert baker really enjoyed them. She even asked for the recipe.
Oh, I thought of another tidbit. I'm sitting here with a bag of fresh roasted peanuts from George and Amos at Stone Bros. Garden Center. While Annette and I were there on Christmas Eve day, Eugene gave me a great tip. I had slightly burnt the tips of two fingers on the oven grill. (I can be dangerous when cooking.) He suggested that I put honey on the area. It worked a treat! It took the sting out pretty quickly. I also think the area healed quicker. Country store garden centers are fun and helpful!
I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I'm looking forward to bright January days with hellebores starting the parade of blossoms for 2025.
Love your mantle decorations - and the birds, including the cardinal at the feeder!🐦