Roses in December? OK!

 

OUTSIDE – for the 2021 Holiday Photography Challenge (See sidebar for full list.).

 

Here we are, midway through December and just a few days before the Winter Solstice, and I have tea roses blooming in my garden in Wisconsin. At least, they are trying valiantly to bloom.

 

That’s just plain weird, but I love it.

 The sun is shining. The high temperature today is supposed to be 38 (F) degrees. But the wild winds have subsided.

 Maybe it’s time to close out the dozen-plus open windows on my computer screen and step outside for a little fresh air and a mental break. (That sounded better in my head.)

  Ahhhhh.

 

 

Image/s: Personal photo/s. All rights reserved.

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Do decorations ring true?

 

DECORATIONS - for the 2021 Holiday Photography Challenge (See sidebar for full list.).

 

Wreaths are a year-round thing for me. My front door is adorned with a seasonal circle at any time of the year. I have a red floral wreath for Valentine’s Day, a tulip wreath for early spring, a patriotic wreath for Memorial Day … and so on.

 Right now, the front door sports a festive Christmas wreath.

 Lots of people practice such a pattern of decorating.

 

But here’s something I do that might be a little different.

 No matter the season or holiday, I like to hang an ornament inside my front door wreath. Most often, it’s something little with a simple message. It might say, “Joy,” “Peace,” “Love,” or “Welcome,” (I haven’t yet resorted to one saying, “Scram” or “Come back later.”)

 When people step onto my porch to ring the bell, I hope the message in my decorative wreath rings true as well.

 

Because decorations aren’t worth anything without decorum.

 

Image/s: Personal photo/s. All rights reserved.

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A-Z Garden Tips: Pollen Protection is Positively Palatable

Got seasonal allergies? Pollen-sensitivity strikes in spring for many folks. I’ve sniffled and snuffled and sneezed my way through the season for years.

But those allergy symptoms have lessened considerably, since I took a farmer friend’s advice a few years ago. Local honey is the secret.

A spoonful of local honey each day, starting in early March, seems to help ward off the worst pollen allergy symptoms for plenty of people. It has to be local, which means the bees producing it used pollens similar to those found in the same area.

It seems to be sort of like building up immunity or inoculating oneself against the allergens. OK, some physicians may disagree, but lots of people swear by it.

Mass-produced grocery store honeys could come from anywhere, so they tend not to have the same effects.

Know a beekeeper?

Local honey can be found at feed and grain depots and lots of community grocery and food shops. Future Farmer and 4-H groups sometimes sell local honey in season as well.

I’m not rushing out to buy a beekeeper suit, a bee house, or other apiary supplies. But I love that I can enjoy a little honey on my breakfast toast or bagel, or perhaps in a cup of tea, and then step out into my yard without experiencing sneezing fits.

Call it an old wives’ tale, if you wish. But my experience (and that of many others) begs to differ.

NOTE:  This blogger has no affiliation with any product/s mentioned in this post and received no remuneration from the manufacturer/s or product promoter/s for this post.

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Easy fixes: Don't cry over window screen tears

Autumn is here. Colder weather beckons bugs indoors, especially when window and door screens have tiny tears or rips. These unwelcome visitors tend to creep in, especially at night, when indoor lights draw them through open windows.

Replacing screens on windows and doors can be costly. Is there a simple fix?

If a screen contains a tiny tear or rip (not an actual gaping hole), a little clear nail polish can do the trick. Just paint it on, and let it dry. It may take a few coats, but it works.

Hey, it works for nylon stockings and pantyhose too. Why not try nail polish on a torn window screen?

Or you could purchase a clear repair adhesive product, made specifically for such jobs.

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What if your window or door screen has a small hole?

For a small screen hole, a little hand sewing can work. It may not be pretty, but it will close up the gap. Try using black or dark grey thread, and choose a sewing needle that fits easily through the screen mesh. Follow the grid pattern of the screen, and sew a few rows past the open hole.

Larger screen holes must, of course, be patched. Purchase a window screen repairkit, screen repair tape, or a small piece of screen mesh, and hand-stitch or staple it over the hole in the door or window screen. Or take the entire screen to a hardware store for a total replacement, if absolutely needed.

Autumn is the ideal time for mending torn window and door screens, as many folks are switching to solid glass storm doors and storm windows (or at least sealing windows with insulating layers) anyway.

Why not fix those ripped screens before storing them for the winter months?

Image/s:

Public domain photos

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