The Silver Screen Oasis

Zowie, Moira, look at Gladys! How beautiful she was and remained.

To all the members who posted pictures on page 6 on this thread - thanks for sharing it. I love it ...

JackFavell wrote:Zowie, Moira, look at Gladys! How beautiful she was and remained.

Thanks, JF. Well, I think George's considerable talent was a bit more durable than the delicacy of her appearance, but it certainly would have been interesting to see her act when young. I actually like that Gladys always seemed to inject so much real life authenticity into her acting, all of which showed in her face and made her roles more resonant for me.

Any chance we will see any images of your garden, Wen? Sounds great!

I have some older pics, but they were on my old computer which bit the dust. They're sitting in my hard drive waiting to be transferred over. I'll see if I can figure out our newfangled camera so I can take some new ones. Don't expect greatness, though, it's a jungle out there....

I agree about Gladys' realistic portrayals and her worn down good looks. I just happen to find her very attractive, even when she's playing Madame X or Dana Andrews' step-mom. I think that a certain beauty much more than prettiness comes from those life experiences that show on one's face.

Hey, Wendy. I discovered the identity of that plant that you liked so much. I am talking about the small, bluish, petunia-like flower with a profusion of flowers and leaves. It is apparently a new hybrid annual and is available in a variety of colors. The one I have is "Superbells Blue Calibrachoa [which] is a floriferous variety with loads of violet-blue flowers on trailing 8-inch stems."


Here's the description found on the Better Homes and Gardens' site:

Like a tiny petunia on steroids, calibrachoa (also called million bells) grows and flowers at an amazing rate. Often confused for a petunia, million bells makes a splash no matter where you put it in the garden. It is perfect for containers or hanging baskets but also can be tucked into the front of a border where it will spill out onto sidewalk or patio. In fact, it may be the ultimate "spiller" for container gardens as long as you give it ample water and fertilizer, which it needs to fuel its astounding growth.

Light:Sun
Plant Type:Annual
Plant Height:5-10 inches tall, depending on variety
Plant Width:12-14 inches wideLandscape
Uses:Containers,Beds & BordersSpecial
Features:Flowers

You can see more pics of other varieties of this flower here:
http://www.bhg.com/gardening/plant-dict ... librachoa/

Thanks, Moira! Let's hope I can remember to look here next year when I am getting my annuals together! It's such a beauty.

Help!!! I have a more than bountiful crop of NETTLES, and not sure how to get rid of them. Health issues, though minor, won't let me bend over or sit on the ground to dig them up. Is there a safe-for-pets spray I can use? These are not the kind that send up tall stalks with the thistle flowers, but low to the ground, vicious thorny parts, and very wide in diameter. Any advice appreciated!

The not so constant gardener

This could also be used for knitters, just change the words to knitting and yarn. (Carrying your knitting into restaurants and or the movies happens, but is frowned upon.)

knitwit45 wrote:This could also be used for knitters, just change the words to knitting and yarn. (Carrying your knitting into restaurants and or the movies happens, but is frowned upon.)

Oh, Miss G, you've made my day!!!!!!!

thank you!!!

Um, that list could also apply to classic movie buffs as well as gardeners, knitters, and other dreamers.

I hate to be a killjoy, but please be careful about using products such as Roundup to remove nettles. There have been reports of serious health and environmental issues with this Monsanto product's ingredients, particularly glyphosate.

I'm pretty sure that others have better ways of doing this, but here is what worked for me when I was trying to get rid of stinkweed and thistles in the past:

I have had considerable luck eradicating weeds and invasive plants with well-aimed buckets of hot water (almost boiling, if possible) dumped on the weed, followed by the application of thick sections of the Sunday newspaper over the spot and then the application of a good amount of garden soil, covering the paper completely. The newspaper will break down completely over the course of a few years enriching the planting bed without hurting the earth, and it will often prevent the re-emergence of pesky plants for a long time. The garden soil was followed by a good, (sometimes cedar-scented) natural mulch that will top off things and help to prevent weeds from popping up again or unwanted wind-borne seedlings from sprouting. Mulch is also good since it insulates plants put into the soil from becoming too hot and dry in the summer. It can also help to extend the life of garden annuals as frosts begin in the Fall. After spreading out the mulch, it helps to spray water over the area after setting this up (Pouring water on the spot instead of spraying can wash away the newly set soil and mulch). Re-application of the mulch at the end of the garden cycle in the late Fall helps to prevent further weeds from sprouting next Spring and can protect any bulbs you may have planted there.

One thing I have gleaned over time is that soil gets exhausted after a few seasons of helping our plants to thrive. I usually try to turn older soil over with a shovel and blend in new garden soil, hummus, bone meal, sand, etc. to beef things up before replanting in the Spring. We are still having some nights with a hard frost so I will have to wait until later in May to put anything outside. Darnit!!

Miss M., are you available to travel to my home???

I agree about the Round-Up. I purchased a product called 2-4D, it is probably just as lethal as the RoundUp, but the garden guys at Ace Hardware said it would take care of the problem with no harm to the grass or the pets.

My nasties are in the back yard, not in a garden area. The dogs (2 small but nosy Shih'Tsu's) were kept out of the area for 24 hours. The dandelions are dead, but the thistles needed a second treatment, which still hasn't worked that well. One particularly nasty one did succumb to the first application, but the others are thumbing their noses at me..so to speak...

I will try your suggestions!! thank you.
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