For the past week, George and I have worked VERY hard raking and blowing leaves out of our yard. In fact, almost everyone in Fairfield Glade has been doing this... WELL---yesterday afternoon, we completed the ENTIRE yard. AND--it looks so pretty. Since there are some leaves which haven't fallen yet (not too many), and since rain (from Ida) and winds are ON the way----WELL--we aren't sure the yard will look this good tomorrow or the next day... SO---we took some pictures around the yard to share with you today. Above is a picture taken from the driveway looking across the front yard. You can see that some of our Roses are still blooming. Note also all of the BARE trees. Below are more pictures.
Here is a close-up picture of what is left of our Autumn Joy Sedum.. As you may remember from previous posts, the Sedum changes colors throughout the Fall. Now--it's a dark purple and in some lights, a rusty brown color. The leaves turn yellow this time of year.
You can see that the Begonia (on the stump) is still blooming. The small rock bed (where the Autumn Joy Sedum are) still has a few Hosta alive. AND--the English Ivy and Periwinkle are doing GREAT there.
Here is a picture of the other side of the front yard. This is the 'lower' side with an empty lot next door. Note those few leaves still left on the Redbud tree.
This is our front porch --still decorated for Autumn. (I always leave our Autumn decorations up until Thanksgiving---since we are still celebrating HARVEST.)
Can you believe this little beauty????? This is our CHRISTMAS Cactus. I've had this plant since 2000---and it has bloomed every year for Christmas--until last year (when it bloomed for Thanksgiving). WELL--this year, it is blooming NOW.... What's up with that???? My Christmas Cactus needs a new name!!!!!! Goodness Gracious!!!!
I'll post six more yard pictures tomorrow.
Hugs,
How lush and green the grass is!
ReplyDeleteI leave up my 'harvest decorations' as well until the day after thanksgiving. I was bad this year, didn't even buy my pumpkins til the day after Halloween. Sure save a bit of cash on my pie pumpkins. They had them 3 for $1.
It used to be my husband didn't allow us to listen to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving dinner, this year he has already pulled out 1 of the holiday movies! I laugh and tell him he is as bad as the stores. They have had Christmas out since a few days before Halloween!
I can't believe how lovely your roses are for November, really pretty.
ReplyDeleteMy Christmas Catcus blooms at weird times, seems like anytime except Christmas.
We have raked and raked but you would never know it! Your yard looks really great!
Sunny :)
HI Betsy - It's a Thanksgiving cactus. For the first time in many years, I finally have a Thanksgiving cactus - not a Valentine's Day cactus or a mid-summer cactus! Seems as if the plants go crazy in the downtown condo relative to blooming schedules!
ReplyDeleteJane
I do love the seasons. Your fall yard looks so nice, just in time for Thanksgiving. Time sure is flying by this year it seems even faster.... whew... The Christmas cactus is beautiful. My mom has one that came from my Grandmother (her Mom) and it blooms at least a bloom or two for every Holiday. Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter... Hmmm..... "Thankeastmas" plant... (smiles) Blessings to you and yours. Love and Light, Nina P
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYou have a lovely and green yard, Betsy. I can see why you love Tennessee so much! We should have a lot of green grass by the time IDA finishes with us LOL...xoxo
ReplyDeleteDo your roses do good in the pots?
ReplyDeleteI took a picture of Christmas cactus this weekend. It is just now getting it's baby buds.
What a pretty neighborhood you live in. Raked all those leaves?? Betsy! You and George have got to be sore. We blow all the leaves out into the open and then mulch them with a mower. By the time we are done you can't see anymore leaves.
ReplyDeleteYou have such a lovely yard!
ReplyDeleteMaybe your Christmas Cactus was confused by our weird spring weather??
Betsy, it's a Veterans Day Cactus...how appropriate for this year...it's patriotic!!!
ReplyDeleteLoved the photos of your yard...
I have really enjoyed your Fall and now the bare trees. It is so different from here. Your yard is looking great and green. Another name for your Christmas cactus is Zygocactus,ours flower in Autumn and Winter and come in all different colours. So we couldn't call them Christmas cactus because that's in summer. It is a topsy turvy world. You can see a pic of mine here:
ReplyDeletezygocactus
Well the falls work your lower body in hiking and Fall works your upper body raking. Fall is your personal fitness trainer.
ReplyDeleteYour yard still looks lovely and I am surprised at what you have still blooming.
Bet your neighbor's husbands hate George for their wives must nag them all the time to be more like "George." He sets the bar high.
Guess were 'ALL' getting down to the bear bones!!! We just have ONLY the larger Oak leaves to fall now...Their the worst...
ReplyDeleteDreaming of New additions to add to our yards through the Winter months
May you have Happy Dreams of Spring...
Always~Marilyn
Very nice looking yard, Betsy! My Cactus that looks like yours, usually blooms at Thanksgiving. However, it may never bloom again because I let it sit in water and nearly drown it!
ReplyDeleteAdvance Merry Christmas Betsy! your CHRISTmas Cactus must be excited for the upcoming merry season. ;)
ReplyDeletehttp://chersanz.blogspot.com/
Your yard still looks so pretty, Betsy. We still have quite a lot of leaves left on our oaks, so we're waiting until they fall to deal with our leaves. We have a good bit of wind up here on the hill so sometimes Mother Nature blows our leaves for us!
ReplyDeleteThat sedum seems to last forever---I'm definitely getting one next year! It's lovely.
The yard looks so neat and tidy.I did have to laugh at those roses,they just don't know when to quit.A plant with almost no leaves,yet some lovely flowers.Hope your day is special.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,Ruth
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYa'lls yard looks so nice and clean. Do you think you could come over and clean up mine?!?!?! It's covered with leaves. No point in raking them just yet. We still have lots of leaves on the trees. Of course, Ida is sending her wind our way today so we may end up with leafless trees.
ReplyDeleteBetsy: Such a beautiful yard, I enjoyed the flowers and decor. Your cactus is just getting to excited to see Christmas in its old age.
ReplyDeleteYour yard looks great, Betsy. The leaves are still not all down here either, although we get a few more down every day. Your Christmas cactus is beautiful even if it is an early bloomer. :)
ReplyDeleteMy Christmas cactus bloomed for Thanksgiving last year too. And it is just about to bloom all over itself!
ReplyDeleteI worked really hard yesterday getting up our leaves. I wrote out a check to the yard guy:)
You've been busy getting all those leaves up and out! Lovely photos. My Christmas cactus isn't sure when it's supposed to bloom either!
ReplyDeleteEverything looks so beautiful! Things are brown and dead here and of course the rain is here again... yuk
ReplyDeletebeautiful yard and neighborhood. you are blessed. I have 6 christmas cactus, that all came from my mothers cactus that she got from my grandmother. When mother died in 1990, I brought her cactus here to Florida. My husband has a really green thumb, so now we have 6 of them, really, really big ones. ours will not bloom until Dec
ReplyDeletebeautiful yard and neighborhood. you are blessed. I have 6 christmas cactus, that all came from my mothers cactus that she got from my grandmother. When mother died in 1990, I brought her cactus here to Florida. My husband has a really green thumb, so now we have 6 of them, really, really big ones. ours will not bloom until Dec
ReplyDeleteHi Betsy, my Christmas cactus is just beginning to bloom too. It just missed being a Halloween cactus:). I've been following Ida's path on the news. Hoping you won't get any damage.
ReplyDeleteMarnie
Yep!! the leaves are down and you two have done a marvelous job of removing them--so---I am expecting you out this way to take care of mine. LOL
ReplyDeleteNow you have a Thanksgiving Cactus--that was easy.
I have one rose still blooming and the hardy fuchsia sill blooming--odd flowers here and there. It makes it interesting. Enjoy! MB
Very nice yard....looks funny with the naked trees and the beautiful green grass!
ReplyDeleteI've thought about planting Englis Ivy but didn't know how well it would do in our climate.
ReplyDeleteMy Christmas cactus bloomed at Thanskgiving last year too and I saw a few buds on it Saturday.
My Mardi Gras plant which blooms fiathfully at Mardi Gras bloomed at Thanksgiving last year too.
Hmm, wonder if some hanky panky was going on? lol ;-)
Such a beautiful yard you have. One can tell how much work you two put into maintaining it!
ReplyDeleteI love how there are little bursts of color here and there, against the background of the (perfect!!!) lawn.
Have a wonderful day!
Your yard looks wonderful! It is obvious to see how much care you both take in it...and enjoy it too. I love your bench on the side yard...so do you think you will ever have neighbors over there?
ReplyDeleteFeeling the ickyness of Ida already...dreary, humid, yucky! I was hoping for some FALL weather.
Your post today seems to capture all four seasons in it!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your leafless yard, if only for a short while. :)
What a lovely yard you have. I am envious of it, such pretty green grass even in the fall. The roses look so nice in their pots, especially the blooming ones. I think this weekend will be the one in which Mark will spend all day raking up leaves, most are down now. Maybe if you and George are interested you could swing by and give us some tips LOL! The Christmas cactus is lovely, must go check on mine now. Its getting prettier and prettier these days.
ReplyDeleteCan't believe your grass is still so green. Looks funny with the naked trees. I love the Christmas cactus. Hope you and George have a good day probably indoors since you will be receiving some of Ida's rain.
ReplyDeleteMy mom has a Christmas cactus & it's soooo pretty, yours is too! I love those plants.
ReplyDeleteYour yard definitely reflects all the hard work you two have put into it. Very nice!
Thanks for posting these pictures, Betsy. You and George deserve a big star, that's a lot of work. My Grandma had a beautiful red and white Christmas cactus. As a child I always wondered why it was that because it bloomed around Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteYour yard and your flowers look beautiful! My front yard is not so bad (only two trees), but the back yard is very crunchy, and will probably stay that way for some time to come. I try to wait on the raking and blowing until ALL the leaves have fallen (some might call it lazy, I call it conservation of limited energy.)
ReplyDeleteWhat you have there is a HOLIDAY cactus. It's beautiful!
Your yard looks so neat. I hope Ida doesn't mess it up!
ReplyDeleteWhat do you do with all your potted roses over the winter? Your November cactus (tee hee)is lovely.
Betsy, Can hardly believe there is still green grass around! We have had 2 snows already and expect more tomorrow. I do NOT miss raking leaves, a good thing about living in the woods! x-c
ReplyDeleteYou have both worked very hard !!
ReplyDeleteWe have cleared the leaves twice now, and I'd say two more times is what it will take before Winter sets in.
The roses are still beautiful, we have had some gorgeous weather, mild and just perfect for Fall. The trees are still spectacular, their colors breathtaking.
You get full marks for your clean up !
Hugs,
Jo ;)
We have a small garden, thank goodness,lol.
ReplyDeleteYou have too much lawn for me too,
I hate to say it but Im no gardener,lol, Can you tell??.
You must be real proud of yours.
Your yard looks wonderful! You would never know you had leaves there to begin with! There are leaves everywhere right now, thanks to Ida. In the streets, lawn, drive, etc.
ReplyDeleteNo way, your Christmas/Thanksgiving/Easter/Birthday/Back to School Cactus is already in bloom!! Maybe it's going through an identity crisis and needs some counseling, lol! LOVE your pictures - and your grass is still so green!
ReplyDeleteYou have such a lovely area where you live. The yard really looks nice, but it is hard work. If you would like to rake more, I have plenty. I cannot rack and bag them anymore. I mow and leave them for mulch. Thanks for visiting again. I am always happy when you or George stops by. Also, if you will refer back to my VTT blog dated 9-16-09, more information on my telephone life.
ReplyDeleteIt looks great Betsy. We only have two trees and I'm always amazed at how many leaves are to pick up just from two trees.
ReplyDeleteWhat a HUGE job that must have been, Betsy. I love your Christmas cactus. I used to have one before I moved.
ReplyDeleteWish our yard was so green! Too much heat and no rain makes ours look bad. Your's look so clean and fresh. And roses still blooming, lucky you :~)
ReplyDeleteWish our yard was so green! Too much heat and no rain makes ours look bad. Your's look so clean and fresh. And roses still blooming, lucky you :~)
ReplyDeleteYou and George do a wonderful job keeping your yard very picturesque.
ReplyDeleteI can't seem to get my Christmas Cactus to bloom when it should maybe it can't read the calender.
You and George have worked hard! Your yard looks so nice and I love that the roses are still in bloom. Is that a burning bush at the side of your house? It's gorgeous!!
ReplyDeleteI too still have my harvest pumpkins and decorations on the front porch. Why not??
Looking forward to the rest of your pics.
Hugs
Oh my! Your yard is so lush and green! I love the roses lining the driveway. Everything looks so neat and orderly. The pumpkins and scarecrow decorations are perfect for fall. That Christmas cactus must love where it is sitting...it is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteGail
Your home & yard looks marvelous. The grass is so green. What kind do you have.
ReplyDeleteI also leave my Fall decorations up till x-mas time. After all we are in the Harvest mode.
They have started to put x-mas up so early by the time it gets here I'm a bit tired of it. It does entertain the kids.
Your yards are still so green and lush Betsy. Autumn is full blown here and now the trees are becoming bare -- I love to walk along as they all fall down on me :-)
ReplyDeleteI have a Christmas Cactus, also, that is almost ready to bloom! I've heard it is a combination of light and temperature that makes it bloom so I wonder why this year is earlier than other years? I like the color of yours ..mine is scarlet.
Happy Veteran's Day!
I don't have time to read all your comments, so part of this may be a repeat. But my mom always put her Christmas cactus in the basement where there was very little light for part of each year. And she barely watered it, if at all. I can't remember for how long, but I know she did it till it would bloom at Christmas.
ReplyDeleteYour yard looks beautiful!
Your yard is looking good Betsy, just look at all that green grass and no leaves. If it's like here when the wind comes it will bring more leaves.
ReplyDeleteYour Autumn Joy looks like mine, I am loving this plant more and more every year. It add so much color to my beds.
Judy
Your yard shows all your hard work. We are lazy and just mulch the leaves up with the mower. I would never get that much raking done. The Christmas cactus is gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteWell, it does look perfect for today. Your fall decorations are so cute. Glad to see the Christmas cactus is doing well for you, too.
ReplyDeleteOk, I'm loving your front door. What a great color.
ReplyDeleteThat is funny about your Christmas cactus. Still looks great though. My mom had one for years. I never have kept up with one. I love them though.
The yard looks pretty. I know all that raking and blowing is hard work.
♥
Joy