This little bush is what my husband's mother called four o'clocks. I have no idea if it has another name - surely it does. She had one beside the steps outside her back door for all the years I knew her. It looks like this all day and then late in the afternoon, about four o'clock, the blooms open up and it looks like this:
There are several of these here on the campus at Sager Brown where we volunteer in the summer. They get huge and have to be cut back, especially when it rains enough to water it frequently.
Something that has surprised me this summer is how many people from "up north" get out of their cars upon arrival and immediately ask me what this tree is:
To those of us raised in the south this is an everyday sight. It's called a Mimosa tree and when it blooms you'll likely see hundreds of hummingbirds drinking from it..it's one of their favorites.
The little apartment we live in is small but comfortable. Each time I come I try to do something to brighten it up a bit. This year they put new carpet in the bedroom and this week they added this:
We had a microwave before but it sat on the counter to the right of this. With the old microwave, the coffee pot and the toaster we had about 12" of counter space. Now we have about 36"! It's amazing at the difference it made - it looks like a real kitchen now.
I finally finished the last of the right panel of Twas The Night Before Christmas.
I can't decide whether to start on the left side, which is as long as this one and might take me another year to do! or to do the top and bottom panels, which are much smaller and would be not-quite-but-almost-instant-gratification. I do love finishes....they make me feel like I'm making progress. So maybe the small ones. I wonder--if you have a big project and a small project, which do you do first? And why?
And last, but I hope not least, this is my 600th post! Oh my goodness, I never dreamed I had that much to say. Well probably I didn't....I just say it anyway! That means that I need to have a giveaway so if you're interested in this little wool candle mat with holly leaves and berries, just leave me a comment below. Oh and this is just for my followers and/or subscribers so you don't have to blog about it. I'll draw a name on Saturday, July 23rd.
37 comments:
Congratulations on your 600th post!! You don't need to enter me ... I just wanted to wish you happy!! And ... I've never seen a mimosa tree and would dearly love to see one in bloom with the hummingbirds all drinking upon it :) Congrats on yet another finish :) Happy hugs and warm hearted wishes!!
600 Can you beleive it? I'm almost to 100 followers, I need to look at my count.
We had a mimosa tree in our front yard, growing up in Jefferson city. Guess we climbed it too much, on day it split in two.
I can send you my red work if you run out of things to do!
Love your give away too.
Have a blessed Sunday!
Patti
Congratulations on the 600! WOW!! Would love to see the tree and the feeding hummers. We have to artificially feed them. Although we do have a 4 o' clock - pink and a blue that the hummers like, but too close for the cat, so only when she is napping.
That Mimosa tree must be a sight to see with all the hummingbirds eating from it! And congratulations on your 600th post! The candle mat is so cute! Thanks for the chance to win it! :0)
I would love to see the Mimosa with the hummers at it. I'll bet it is gorgeous.
I think I'd tackle the more detailed embroidery first - just my way of doing things.
Congratulations on 600!!!
congratulations on 600 posts! Amazing. I would probably do the smaller stitcheries first - just to get a finish. Thanks for a chance at the giveaway.
Wow congratulations on your 600th post :) I would love a chance to win the candlemat. I just love that Mimosa tree , it is so pretty and I bet it is even prettier when in bloom, I wish we had those tree's up north here in Maine .
Love the candle mat!!! I love mimosa trees. The house where I grew up had a large one in the front yard. I can still remember the sweet fragrance of when I awakened in the summer morning! It also had a perfect Y shape where I could sit and dream the day away--my "thinkin place"!
Cowgirl V
Congratulations on number 600! Woot! Isn't it funny when we all started down the bloggy trail, we never dreamt we would write this long. I know I sure didn't.
I'm an instant gratification girl. I need the finish to encourage me to go on.
I also would have to ask what kind of tree it was. I've seen them in New Orleans but never knew.
Lovin the candle mat!
I had to chuckle. The four o'clocks are weeds here.(at least to the Japanese) The mimosa we have here too, called a nemunoki or "sleep tree" because it closes its leaves at night. It is a pity that Japan has no hummingbirds of any kind because there are lots of plants they would LOVE.
As for the redwork, I tend to do the hardest things first and then get excited when the end becomes more attainable.
As for 600 posts... I've barely been in the blogging world a year so I am a little sad that I have missed so much of what you had to say. 600 more for us late-comers, please
Marlene, as usual, thanks for the lovely floral pics. We have mimosa trees here in NJ. In fact we had one out front of our shore house but had it taken down when we added the addition to the house. Never saw hummers on them though. That must be awesome. I've never seen 4 o'clocks. How unusual!
Congratulations on reaching 600! That's awesome! You don't need to enter me for the candle mat, but I just wanted to congratulate you!
As for the small vs. large projects, I opt for smaller ones especially since I usually work one project at a time and want the finish! Your Christmas redwork one is going to be just FANTASTIC when you complete it! I think the smaller pieces would look nice. Just a question...if you decide to do the top and bottom pieces, what will you do with the left panel? Can it be done to stand alone?
Carol (NJ)
I used to plant 4 o'clocks but the kind I had were flower plants not bushes -I wonder how many varieties there are - bushes and flowers plants (mine were small).
Mimosa trees can be a pain after awhile I think, they seed themselves so much you have them growing all over the place!
Karen
http://karensquilting.com/blog/
The 4 o'clocks are beautiful, as is your new kitchen! Me, I like getting things done QUICK, otherwise, I kind of lose interest.
I've always known those flowers as 4 O'clocks too. As far as projects, I do the small ones first and whittle away at the larger ones when time allows. Your embroidery is just lovely. Congrats on 600 posts!
I have that same embroidery pattern and plan to do it in brown stitchery with tan, grey, black, brown and white blocks. Need to get started. I will mix up doing the large blocks with the small blocks - for me this seems to help the large ones go faster. I am currently finishing up Winter Wonderland in Bluework quilt and then will start the new one.
Love the Mimosa Trees and the Four O'Clocks are abundant and very pretty. A blight is currently affecting the NC Mimosa Trees.
Congratulations on your 600 post - Looking forward to many more. Judy C in NC www.shadetreequilting.com
Congrats big time on Number 600. That is no feeble accomplishment. It takes a lot of perseverance to reach that level. I am only a little over 400 and can't count them times I have looked at a blank screen and moaned--"I've got nothing."
I will have to look up the Mimosa and see it it will survive in north Arkansas.
and to think I just "found" you How many posts ago??? Congrats on 600 and hopefully 600x10 to go! My children always loved climbing the mimosa tree at their grandmothers house and sadly it was blown down during one of our bad storms. My FIL gave me some 4 o'clock seeds when I first moved to Ala. at age 24 and sadly I moved from the rental house where I planted them. He thought it was amazing how the flowers bloomed every afternoon. 4 o'clocks remind me of him and what a funny sweet man he was. I loved him dearly! Loved your post...it brought back some good memories for me!
Blessings
Gmama Jane
That is a sweet little candle mat. We will need something special to add cheer to this house this Christmas. The last of our sweet little grandchildren have just moved to Texas.
Lyn
You know what's funny is I've always lived in the south and have been around lots of mimosas (even had a couple in my front yard) but I've never seen a hummingbird partaking of one. I learn something new everyday! Congrats on the milestone!!
Congrats on the 600th post!! I have those plants--the flowers on mine are yellow and I've always heard them called four o'clocks. Mine are rather tall now, but haven't bloomed yet. Maybe it is too HOT for them, LOL!
Congrats on a 600th post!!!
The four o'clocks remind me of my grandma's flower garden...everyday I would run out there to wait for them to open up...brings back good memories, I need to plant some for my grandkids. We are headed to Arkansas for a long weekend, Eureka and the surrounding area. I hope to go to Rogers to visit the Rabbits Lair...have you been there?
I've never known that blooming plant by any other name than "Four O'Clocks." My mother loved them and we usually had one or two in the yard each year.
Your apartment kitchen is very attractive. Yes, it's amazing how much counter space can be achieved by just moving something UP.
Congrats on your 600th post --- and for completing the right panel of The Night Before Christmas!
I've never seen those before, but they're awfully pretty!
Us Northerners are facinated with any tree that we have never seen before, its almost an affliction at times;)
Congrats on 600 posts! We live in Iowa and my grandmother used to have 4 o'clocks come up every year but I could never get them to grow. They didn't get very big....yours look so neat. It is nice to see your kitchen getting a little bit more room, enjoy!
I am jealous...I keep wanting to start Night before Christmas...what do you think about using red & green floss?????
600 wahoooooo...! ! ! ! !
Congrats on 600 posts and 36" of counter space. I don't know how you did without that much before.
Love your Christmas embroidery. So sweet.
Ohhh look at the beautiful stitching...soon you will be home..can't imagine what you will be doing...and speaking of mimosa tree..this is a first for me...wow....you must have butterflies everywhere...
Congrats on 600!!!!!
I've always heard them called 4 o'clocks too.....very pretty.
We had a mimosa tree in our yard when I was growing up, it was so pretty but I remember Mom complaining about the mess it made!
Oh I just love your four o'clocks! They so remind me of my dear MIL. She had them in her yard, and I had never seen them before. It was always so exciting to go out in the afternoon and see them in full bloom. I should try to find me a bush somewhere and plant one in my yard.
I love your finish! Thank you for sharing your lovelies with us! HUGS to you from hot, hot, hot Texas!
Hello Marlene....Congratulation on 600! Good for you. I have enjoyed each and every one of them! I would tackle the smaller ones first. That would push me to finish the bigger one. Would love to see the hummingbirds in the mimosa tree. We are trying to get the humming birds to come here this year. So far ...we have one lonely hummingbird. She comes at the same time everyday.
Susannah
It looks like a beautiful campus where you are spending your summer volunteering. That is such a great thing that you do.
I love those 4 o'clocks (let us know if you find out the name). I would love to have some, but maybe they don't grow well up north here.
Your quilt is coming along so pretty.
Do you have your machine with you or do you just do handwork while away?
Marlene, I have to tell you that you brought back some really fond memories of my father's four-o-clocks that he had taking over his front yard. Gosh dad was so proud of them and when I would visit we would spent time out there collecting seeds to giveaway. They brought him great joy along with his hummingbirds.
Thanks for my memory today.
Congrats on your 600th post! Wonderful!! I've missed so many blog post this past month from being ill and am just now starting to make my rounds again. Blessings, Mary
Congratulations on your 600th post. I must say, for myself at least, all that you have to write is enjoyable reading. Keep up the good work.
YEAH! to 600 posts! Your red work is gorgeous.
Hi,
I am your newest follower. I can't believe you have had 600 posts. Wow. I have a new blog with only two. But I am planning lots of really fun things to share, so please stop by and visit if you get a chance. My blog is called Ric Rac and Polka Dots. I would love to see you there! I have to make another cup of coffee and sit down at your blog and go through, but gosh, 600? I'm not sure I'll get through all of them today!! :) So glad to have found you. Looking forward to reading your posts! BTW, I just recently purchased the redwork pattern with The Night Before Christmas that you just finished. Good job!!! It looks wonderful. I was quilt shop-hopping yesterday and almost bought a embroidered pillow pattern with the night before Christmas on stitched on the pillow, but controlled myself since I have the other pattern not even started yet. I hope I live to be really old so I can get all my stuff done . . .
Julie
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