Foto Finish - Leaves

This week for Foto Finish,

our optional theme is

 

LEAVES.

 

 

I know it's that time of the year, in

North America at least,

when the leaves are supposed to turn all those

gorgeous fall colors.

 

But I live in Southern California.

We rarely follow the rules here.

Well, at least not at my house!

 

I took this picture of the leaves on one of the rose bushes

in my Tortured Rose Garden

yesterday.

That would be

Friday, October 12, 2012.

 

 

While they do have that cool, Fall color scheme,

is isn't because they're getting ready to drop off,

but rather because they are

 

Brand New Growth!

 

Join in the fun -

click on over to Foto Finish at Cat Patches

and share some of YOUR leaves!

 

Enjoy,

 

sue



Tortured Rose Garden

I know people who love to garden.

 

 

That's not me, however.

My Dad told me that not being a gardener is in my genes.

It seems that my Great-Grandfather, Jerome Laughton, left the Orkney Islands in Scotland, in part because he didn't like farming.  He emigrated to Toronto, Canada, and then my Grandfather, Herbert Laughton, came from Canada to California, and was a reed furniture maker.

Dad, a carpenter, construction inspector, and builder, also didn't like to do yard work.

My Mom, a Smith, on the other hand, loved to work in the yard & always had lovely gardens.  Both of my sisters do too.

Not me.

I'm all Laughton in this regard!

When my Mom wanted to move back to So. Cal, I found a place for us that had lots of flowers & a decent yard.

Then she decided she wanted her own place

& I was left here with 13 rose bushes, a plethora of irises, and various other growing, flowering plants.

 

 

I haven't watered or fed them in years.

My gardener prunes them back for me once a year

(I instantly scar if scratched by a rose thorn).

 

This year he was a bit behind on the pruning part -

it was actually done just about 6 weeks ago.

 

During the last 6 weeks, we've had about 5 weeks of temperatures in the 90s - 100+.

YUCK!

 

All that just to show you these photos

that I took yesterday (Friday):

 

 

We had a good rain finally, on Thursday.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing what the irises get up to now!

 

Not bad for not being a gardener-type, huh?

 

 

Happy Autumn!!

 

sue



Nosey Parker in the Neighborhood ~~~ part 1A

OK, when I did my original

Nosey Parker post,

I couldn't use the photos I had taken

of my house because the ones I had looked like things look when I'm not wearing my glasses!

Yesterday afternoon I the sun came out for a while, and I was able to get some pictures -

clear pictures!

So, this is my mobile home.

Here's the carport side.

On the right are some succulents,

Amaryllis, Agapanthas, Naked Ladies,

a small Date Palm & some things I don't know the name of.

On the left are a few of my roses and waaaay in the back, there is a Night-Blooming Jasmine going over the chainlink fence.  It smells heavenly when it's in bloom!



On the left side of the house is my front door & deck.  More roses & another Date Palm.

These roses are all part of my

Tortured Flower Garden.

I call it that because they pretty much only get watered if it's foggy or rainy, I don't give them fertilizer or food.

Across the front of the house are blue irises.

Right now they need to be trimmed,

but since it rained a tiny bit last week,

there is one blooming,

but I didn't have time to get a shot of it.

So,

now you know what a

mobile home

looks like!

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

sue

Foto Finish - Spring

This week, the theme for Foto Finish is SPRING!

This is from my "Tortured Flower Garden"...
so named because I rarely water or feed -
I let Nature take care of it!

If you want to see some terrific photos of Spring,
or if you have one to share,
click over to Cat Patches for Foto Finish.


~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
GIVEAWAYS!
*
Check out the Spring Giveaway at "The Other Side of Me" -
she's giving away 6 luscious fat quarters and the book
"Quilting - 20 Fresh & Fabulous Projects", by Karol Kavaya and Vicki Skemp.
Just click on her button over here on the side ---->
*
There's a chance to win a beautiful Quiltbox hand-crafted by Dave Grunenwald
over at Pig Tales & Quilts.
Check it out & let her know I sent you!
* ~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~


Have a great week!

sue