WEDNESDAY'S WISDOM: The Last Leaf Gardener (LLG) "Accepts" the Social Media Inevitability! LLG Joins Facebook & Twitter – – – posted by the Physocarpus opulifolius (aka Coppertina tree's) flower, today's guest blogger

Remember me? I'm one of the flowers from the Physocarpus opulifolius (Coppertina) tree that grows in the urban (New York City) garden of Patricia Youngquist, the person who maintains this blog The Last Leaf Gardener, and, nearly six months ago to the day, on May 5th (Cinco de Mayo), this tree which I grow upon, authored his first blog entry, which you may refer to by clicking here. 


I had not bloomed at the time, but I learned about the Coppertina's posting soon after I bloomed, around May 19th 2011, because I (along with the other flowers that bloomed with me on the Coppertina) was featured in one of Youngquist's blog entries — on this very blog — titled, My Physocarpus opulifolius (Coppertina) and the Prodigal Son's Brother, which you may refer to by clicking here.


A short time after that, a Monarch butterfly landed on me — as evidenced in the photograph posted below,

and this image  of me is most likely very familiar to you by this time, because it is the one Youngquist currently uses in the 'About' section of this blog (upper left hand corner), and she also uses it so folks can identify her on Flickr as well as tumblr, and, addtionallly, Youngquist uses it for her Gravatar, and I am thrilled — as she has many flowers from her garden to choose from — to be featured in these venues.



Moreover, I was equally thrilled when the butterfly first landed on me, as it, too, could have chosen to "land" on any one of the beautiful things which grow in this garden. I still recall the day the butterfly was flitting about this garden whilst I hoped he would choose to land on me, and, lo and behold, he did! And now, that event — the butterfly looking for a flower and finding me — is going to be the trailer for Youngquist's second garden movie! I can't tell you the plot right now, as I am sworn to secrecy, but if you'd like to see this trailer, it is posted on Vimeo or you may click here.


Meanwhile, as you may recall, dear reader, in Youngquist's first garden movie, The Kiwi Speaks! Fifteen Minutes  of Fame (almost), which was discussed in a prior blog entry that you may refer to by clicking here, and is now available for viewing on Vimeo by clicking here, one of the "partners" of her Actinida kolomikta and Actimida (Kiwi Vines), was the narrator. I must confess I was a little jealous of that vine until I was reassured —  in the aforementioned blog post that includes the Prodigal Son's brother in the title which once again you may refer to by clicking here).


However, I must say that, even though it is fun to be in a movie trailer, and it is gratifying to be featured in the 'About' section of this blog (upper left hand corner) as well as on Flickr and tumblr, and to be her Gravatar, the butterfly is blocking some of my finest features! This is the reason I am so thankful that my image has been chosen — without the butterfly —  to be the representative on The Last Leaf Gardener's just released Facebook (FB) Page, where you will see a photograph of me without the butterfly. You may view it by clicking here  which will lead you to the full FB page, and I have posted a "copy" of the FB image below:

Pretty cool, huh? But I gotta say getting Youngquist to bite the Facebook (FB) bullet wasn't easy, and I'll tell you what convinced her to try FB: As you undoubtedly know, dear reader, my gardener, AKA the main author of this blog, is a big fan of Dagwood Bumstead (the "cartoon" character associated with the comic strip, Blondie). Her appreciation for this character is evidenced by a couple of her prior posts which you may refer to by clicking here as well as here. However, one of Dagwood's recent scenarios (regarding FB) is posted below:

It was Youngquist's realizing, that since even Dagwood Bumstead weighs in on FB, coupled with the things (such as me the Coppertina flower) which grow in her terrace garden convincing her that she should give us FB time, that The Leaf Gardener join the "FB" community!


And believe it or not, Youngquist, a "renaissance soul" is now finally a step ahead of Dagwood Bumstead, because she also set up a Twitter account! The address for it is: @THELLGARDENERNEWYORK and you may visit it by clicking here. I am happy to say that Youngquist also used my FB picture on Twitter! Her twitter slogan is, "Giving voice to what grows in a garden," and I would like to think that I was the inspiration for the slogan as a result of the post I wrote on Cinco de Mayo which I mentioned earlier in this entry however, for your convenience, I have posted another link to that post right here.


But, if truth be told, giving voice to the things which grow in Youngquist's urban garden has always been the norm. As the matter of fact, even the pumpkins, which were only here in the garden for the Halloween season, were impressed with how we express ourselves, and their thoughts were featured in this past Saturday's blog entry, which you may refer to it by clicking here.


Snippets of what this past Saturday's entry pointed out is that the things — such as myself, the Coppertina flower — which are grown in this terrace garden feeling the freedom to express ourselves, "all started in April of 2010, when [this] blog was only a little over four months old, and one of the beautiful flowers from [Youngquist's] Paeonia suffruiticosa (Tree Peony), posted a photograph of herself with a short narrative. (If you would like to refer to this, please click here.)"

"Meanwhile," last Saturday's post also pointed out that Youngquist's, "Helichrysum bracteatum (Strawflowers), has also "penned" (or shall I say "key-boarded"?) her thoughts too in a blog post which may be found by clicking here, while [Youngquist's] Penniestum setaceum (Purple Fountain Grass), on behalf of herself and [Youngquist's] Acer palmatum, posted a letter requesting assistance, so that an image of them taken by [Youngquist] could be rendered in a manner that it, too, could be used for one of the greeting cards, invitations or event program covers that [Youngquist designs, produces, and sells] within the Card Shoppe Pages (which you can view by clicking here) of [her] web-site, Patricia Youngquist Photo-Art."

I am just a Coppertina flower, so I don't know for certain, but I suspect, that it was this past Saturday's posting (and there is much more to it besides the snippets which I've included here) that made Youngquist realize just how prolific the things which grow in her terrace garden are, and that is another reason she may have decided to set up both Facebook and Twitter and give us more opportunity to share our view points and thoughts!

I do hope she keeps me as her profile picture! Therefore, if you agree with me that this is a cool opportunity for me, and that the things which she grows in her terrace garden were right to convince her to go the FB and Twitter route, please let Youngquist know in the "comments field" of this blog, or go over to her FB page and give it a "like", because if you do either or both of these things, then she'll keep me in the profile picture! 


P.S. If you are new to posting comments on a blog, you may click here for directions.

Friday Follow-Up: bees in bonnets can be good (Follow ups on bees and SAINTS)

According to one source, when one has "a bee in their bonnet", it means that they are "being preoccupied or obsessed with an idea".


And when it comes to the "visiting bees" in my urban (New York City) terrace garden, I have been preoccupied, actually mesmerized, by the bees which have been feasting on my Hyssop plants. This is evident in the array of blog entries I have made on this blog regarding them, including ones that you may refer to by clicking here as well as here and here. Additionally I authored a post related to my "visiting bees" for nybg's (New York Botanical Gardens) tumblr that you may refer to by clicking here. Moreover, I have posted some images of my visiting bees within my Flickr Gallery. They are located in a set called the HYSSOP and the BEE, and you may view it by clicking here.

Even though there are two "visiting" bees that are "captured" in the photograph directly above, the bees which have been coming to my terrace garden are now fewer in number and they appear to be much smaller.



Juan V was over this past Tuesday afternoon, and we surmised that the little bees must be the ones that are sent out when the temperatures get colder. (-;
However, no matter what size they are, the concentrated efforts of my visiting bees are highly appreciated by yours truly.


The diligence and focus of these special insects is awesome and causes me to think that their very actions of seemingly "obsessing" on my Hyssop plants may be an "explanation" for the aforementioned phrase relating "bees in bonnets" to "preoccupation." My "visiting bees" continue to just focus on what they are doing, ignoring my gardening efforts as well as those of Juan V (which is good since we don't want to be stung). The results of our efforts can be glimpsed in an aerial view that he took of my terrace garden this past Tuesday (posted below). My "visiting bees" are off camera to the left doing their routine work

One of the pumpkins which is part of the Halloween decor can be seen smiling in the upper left portion of the image, but since Halloween is now four days away (including today), it will soon retire for the year, and I am afraid that my visiting bees will soon retire for the year too as temperatures drop. Even though these bees continue to nibble on my Hyssop plants, you can see (in the photographs posted at the beginning of today's blog entry as well as those below),

that the "visiting bees" are blending in more and more with the Hyssop Plants because they have eaten a lot of the "good stuff" (purple foliage) from the Hyssop already, and, also, the purple petals are beginning to drop due to wind which is brought on by  the fall season. Additionally, the Hyssop's petals are being knocked off by the heavy rainfall that we have been experiencing in the tri-state area. Still, because my Hyssop grows in containers, it can dry out even with rainfall, so I am doing my part to continue to hand water my Hyssop plants in an effort to continue their growth as long as possible and to provide "fuel" for my "visiting bees"; besides, as many studies indicate (including a report which you can read by clicking here) most every one knows bees "influence our foods by pollinating our vegetables, nuts, flowers and fruits."


Furthermore, as the aforementioned report points out, "all over the country bees are disappearing. Out of over 2.4 million colonies, over 25% have disappeared so far, and the causes aren't known. The American Apiary Inspectors say that they are talking about bees counting in tens of billions (and) . . . the bee shortage is getting worse now . . . the United States isn't the only country with the same problem. There are plenty of other countries throughout Europe and from other parts of the world."  


Evidently one of the main suspects is  a substance known as Imidacloprid (also known as Gaucho), which is a pesticide that is used all the time in Europe and America . . . (to keep) "pests away from home lawns, golf courses, and residential fountains."  Reportedly (in France) many bees died from being exposed to Gaucho, not because they were directly killed by it as a result of coming into contact with it, but because "they became disoriented by it, and so they had trouble reaching their hives"; the aforementioned article points out that  French beekeepers called the phenomenon, "mad bee disease" — I am here today to say, how could they label this incident "mad bee disease"  when in fact, the ultimate destruction of bees in this matter (making bees disoriented) is brought on by humans, which would make it a mad human disease not a "mad bee disease" — in my humble opinion.


However, the disorientation of bees brought on by being in contact with a side effect of a man-made chemical happens with humans too. I have seen this in the lives of the residents at a "home" where I have been doing volunteer work since 2003, as I indicated in an April 2011 post titled A & P Catholics.


One of the residents whom I'll call Ms. A (not the one pictured in the aforementioned blog entry nor the one seen in a post which you may refer to by clicking here) who lives there, has a habit of going into screaming fits where she seems to be yelling at imaginary people or reliving an awful memory. It only happens from time to time, but when it does the other residents' surmise that Ms. A is having a reaction to medication. They all seem to fear that they are powerless over meds which are prescribed and they live in fear that they will have a similar fate and be disoriented like Ms. A.


While it is true that I don't live in circumstances where I am forced to take meds, I can certainly empathize with the fears of the residents. Once upon a time, in the late 1980's I had a surgical procedure at a well known New York Hospital, and I was heavily sedated. The procedure took place on a Friday and it was one that required my staying in the hospital for a few days. A friend came to visit me and I complimented her earrings to which she replied, "I'm not wearing earrings!" For some reason, we concluded I was too high from the meds which I had been given. I felt out of control but the nurses would not stop giving me meds because my doctor had ordered them. Disoriented as I was, my survival instincts took over, and using the metal IV pole with attached wheels I made my way down the hall to a pay phone, where I made a collect call to my doctor, begging him to notify the hospital to take me off the meds. The next thing I knew it was the following morning and I awoke to find a private nurse siting there — asleep and snoring with a newspaper in her lap. For a number of years since that time, my doctor joked that I had called him  — collect — from the hospital.


However, residents stuck in living centers may not have the where-with-all to fight the issue regarding meds that are making them disoriented, and bees certainly are unable to fend for themselves in matters regarding pesticides. The only thing we can do, dear reader, is to pray that society will be kind to one another and to all living creatures. If this seems like a hopeless endeavor to you, than perhaps the saint whose works we honor and commemorate today can help.  After all, this day, October the 28th, is associated with Saint Jude, patron saint of hopeless cases.


As we come to the end of October, a month which begins on a saint's day, St. Thérèse de Lisieux, which was discussed in a blog entry which you may refer to by clicking here, and  has its mid-point  (October the Fifteenth) on another saint's day, Saint Teresa of Ávila, discussed in a blog entry which you may refer to by clicking here , it is only "politically correct' to include Saint Jude, whose intercession has reportedly helped many, including yours truly.


AND AS WE NEAR THE END OF ANOTHER WEEK , WE  WILL SOON BE NEARING THE END OF ANOTHER MONTH BUT NOT BEFORE WE CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN. If you are interested in getting any of my Halloween cards (that have been mentioned in previous posts throughout this month of October) you can view the selections of cards that I have designed for  Halloween via the Card Shoppe Pages of my web-site Patricia Youngquist Photo-Art. A link to the specific location for these cards within the Card Shoppe Pages may be found by clicking here. They are only available in boxed sets on the Internet due to shipping regulations. However, if you live in the New York City area, my Halloween cards may be purchased as "singles" via Gifts by Helen, the woman who sells the painted cat rocks which have been featured in a number of my previous blog posts that you may refer to with a downloadable brochure that can be accessed by clicking here or by referring to the labels menu on the left hand side of this blog entry and referring to either Gifts by Helen or Painted Rocks. Please click here for her vending location and her contact information. If you decide to e-mail her, please indicate in the subject line of your email that you read about her endeavors on this blog. And, if you would like to contact me about any of the content in today's blog post and prefer to leave your questions or concerns in a "comment" as opposed to sending me an e-mail, but you are new to posting things in a "comments field", you may click here for directions.

On Not Being "Eye-Candy" for Halloween

If you have followed this blog, then you have probably surmised from a number of my previous blog posts which you may refer to by clicking here as well as here and here, I am a MUTTS (the name of this comic strip) fan, and I highly encourage you to follow it regularly. If it is not available in your local newspaper, you can always catch it by clicking here.


Like a few of Mutt's characters, Earl and Mooch, a couple of the things which I grow in my urban (New York City) terrace garden, have been noticing happy faced Halloween pumpkins, and they too have been wondering, What's so funny? For example take my Rose, Tropaelum majus (Nasturtium), Hakanechola Macra (Japanese Forest Grass All Gold), and my Strawberry plants, all in close proximity of the Halloween pumpkins that are currently in my garden as seen in the photograph posted below:

One of them (ahem) my yellow rose, became disgruntled the other day when she realized that the New York Botanical Gardens  (NYBG) had posted a photograph of a pink rose with raindrop kissed petals and labeled it as one of their selections for "Morning Eye Candy" and she took it upon herself to post her response on their blog! (Please click here to read it, although you may have to scroll a bit, but you'll recognize her picture immediately as it looks very much like the one of her which is posted below):

In any event, my feisty yellow rose (who also posted on my blog this past May in an entry that you may refer to by clicking here), was taken aback that other roses have been referred to as "Morning Eye Candy" by NYBG, AND, that is why my pumpkins are laughing. If  there's one thing pumpkins know about (because of their presence at Halloween), it's candy, and evidently they do not perceive the term "Eye Candy" to be complimentary. But then my pumpkins are vey well read,and so they laughed and laughed when they told my yellow rose the definition of "Eye Candy";  and I'll quote what they told her (and you can check their source by clicking here) as I was nosey and eavesdropped.



"One: a person or people considered highly attractive to look at, often implying that they are lacking intelligence or depth and Two: something intended to be attractive to the eye without being demanding or contributing anything essential."


"Do you really want to be just another pretty face and not contributing anything substantial?", my pumpkins laughed as they questioned my yellow rose. This gave my rose cause for some reflection, and for now she seems to be content to be a part of the eighty plus things which I grow in my terrace garden, and she's happy that some lovely  images  of her are now on Flickr, which you may view by clicking here and selecting the set titled roses.


As for one of the flowers of my still thriving Tropaelum majus (Nasturtium), who can be seen peeking into the scene in the first photograph of today's blog entry, but, in full view in the image of her posted below,

she and her Tropaelum majus (Nasturtium) comrades are continuing to bloom in full force, producing the same results that they did when they first moved into my garden this past May. They ultimately have continued brining their "Giverny" feel to my place: a situation which I initially blogged about this past June; to read that post and view lovely images of my Tropaelum majus, please click here. To view an array of my Tropaelum majus's images, please visit my Flickr gallery by clicking here and going to the set titled Tropaelum majus (Nasturtium).


My Hakanechola Macra (Japanese Forest Grass All Gold) seen in the lower right hand corner just below one of the pumpkins of the first photograph in today's blog entry, is unfazed by the "eye-candy" reference; then again, perhaps it has more confidence than my yellow rose because its image was featured on my 2010 Christmas card; if you'd like to refer to this, please click here. Then again perhaps my Hakanechola Macra was non-plussed by NYBG's "eye-candy" references, because it was already on tumblr at the time. Wanna see? Cluck here and scroll just a bit to find my photographs of my Hakanechola Macra touting its purple flowers.


As for the Strawberry plants seen in the photograph with the pumpkins, they are being quiet about my pumpkin's insights regarding the term "eye-candy" as they have yet to produce strawberries —  even though they were featured on my blog in a post that you may refer to by clicking here.


Perhaps my pumpkin's wisdom, in pointing out the definition of "eye-candy" comes from the amount of light he has inside of him as indicated in an image of him posted below:

It is faces like his which make you want to spread the cheer at this time of year. My suggestion for doing this? Send a card to those near and dear to you, and preferably send one designed by yours truly because they were produced in such a manner that they fold out into a picture which is suitable for framing. The cards which I have designed for Halloween are available in boxed sets via the Card Shoppe Pages of my web-site, Patricia Youngquist Photo-Art, and if you click here, you will be taken to the exact spot on the page where they are located.


Additionally, since time is of the essence regarding this year's Halloween holiday, if you live in the New York city area, you can purchase them as "singles" via Helen at Gifts by Helen, please click here for location details.


THAT'S IT FOR TODAY BUT AS always, I appreciate it when you weigh in with your thoughts, ideas and reactions on any topic I've discussed. If you are new to posting this type of thing, you may click here for directions.

Raindrops on 'Grace' Leaves . . . .

The leaves of my Continus Coggygria AKA 'Smokey Bush', 'Royal Purple' or 'Grace' have been glistening with the rain drops from the Autumn rain; as evidenced in the photographs within today's blog entry, which were taken between the second and third week of this October in my urban (New York City) terrace garden, where I have had my Continus Coggygria for at least five years.



'Grace's' leaves are always beautiful, but, I find them even more exquisite when they are playing host to raindrops, and allowing them to rest on their surface. This wonderful shrub not only produces amazing flowers in the springtime, but the colors of its leaves are constantly changing. For example, in the month of October, this shrub boasts an array of colors on its awesomely textured branches, and, with the rain-kissed leaves it is a very inspirational sight to behold.

Thankfully, seeing the rain on these leaves has not caused me to run around my garden singing, "Raindrops on Grace leaves" and providing a spin-off to the lyrics "Raindrops on Roses" from the song, My Favorite Things which was popularized in the 1965 movie, The Sound of Music, and I must confess, as un-American, as it may seem, is not one of my favorite things. However, my reasons for this, as they say, are another story . . . 


Meanwhile, the spinning-off lyrics is what it's called when you put a "take" on well known lyrics by substituting your own words. For me, this is an easy habit to fall into, most likely because my father was prone to doing this (as I discussed in a previous post which you may refer to by clicking here). 


However, I never heard my father put a spin on the lyrics from My Favorite Things, but, if he had, it would've most likely been in "agreement" with the opinion of the actor, Christopher Plummer (who played the patriarch in the movie), when he feared the movie, The Sound of Music would be thought of as The Sound of Mucus, as he recently (2010) admitted, in an Oprah television segment, which you may read about by clicking here. 

Putting a spin on lyrics can be creative and fun but having a song or lyrics get stuck in your head can be annoying. The "condition" associated with this syndrome is known as ohrwurms (earworms). In an article by Stephanie Watson (which you may read in full by clicking here), the condition known as ohrwurms or earworms "is what can come about when we listen to a song, it triggers a part of the brain called the auditory cortex. Researchers at Dartmouth University found that when they played part of a familiar song to research subjects, the participants' auditory cortex automatically filled in the rest -- in other words, their brains kept "singing" long after the song had ended . . . the only way to 'scratch' brain itch is to repeat the song over and over in your mind. Unfortunately, like with mosquito bites, the more you scratch the more you itch, and so on until you're stuck in an unending song cycle."

Hopefully, my association with the lyrics, "raindrops on roses", will remain at bay, and I will not finding myself humming a tune associated with a movie that brings up bad memories when I notice the raindrops on 'Grace's' leaves, for I certainly have  been blessed with the opportunity to capture many images thus far, and if you would like to view other photographs of her, please visit the set titled AUTUMN LEAVES in my Flickr Gallery by clicking here. 


Meanwhile, please note that 'Grace' has posed (not seen in today's blog entry nor is it included in the aforementioned set on Flickr) for an image which I've subsequently used for an all occasion greeting card that I have designed. This card is perfect to send when you want your correspondence with those near and dear to you to go beyond communication. I have titled the card, 'Grace" (Smokey Bush) and it is available within the Card Shoppe Pages of my web-site, Patricia Youngquist Photo Art or you can go to the specific page by clicking here.


That's it for today dear reader, and as always, I appreciate it when you weigh in with your thoughts, ideas and reactions. If you are new to posting this type of thing, you may click here for directions. ALSO (apropos of nothing in today's blog entry), if you have been preoccupied with ohrwurms, or anything else for that matter, and still have not had a chance to get Halloween cards — you only have ten days to go — including today — please click here to view my selections of delightful greeting cards to honor the festivities.

Friday Follow-Up: HERE'S THE BUZZ

As you may have noticed, dear reader, this past week, I have included two "extra" postings (Monday Musings on the 17th and Wednesday's Wisdom on the 19th), today (Follow Up Friday) will make it three extra postings outside of my Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday (an occasional special event posting) schedule — a "plan" which I laid out in a blog entry that I made this past January that you may refer to by clicking here.


Because the next several weeks will involve an array of Holidays and special events, and because gardening takes interesting turns at this time of year, and because these topics are often what I discuss in blog entries, I've been asked to include more postings at least until the end of the calendar year.
I am pleased to say that I feel honored and up to the task. Therefore my posting schedule until the end of the year will be as follows:


MONDAY MORNING:
Monday's Musings
TUESDAY MORNING:
If It's Tuesday it must be tumblr.(This was introduced in a blog entry that I made this past September which you may refer to it by clicking here.)
WEDNESDAY MORNING:
WEDNESDAY'S WISDOM
THURSDAY MORNING:
THURSDAY'S THOUGHTS
FRIDAY MORNING:
FOLLOW-UP FRIDAY
SATURDAY MORNING:
SURPRISE


Since today is my first follow-up Friday, I have had to include my new schedule, but, without further ado, here are some follow-ups, and they have to do with the newbie (ahem, new bee), whose image you see at the top of today's blog entry. As you have most likely surmised, from a number of my previous blog posts on bees, which you may refer to by clicking here  as well as here and here and here and here, I seem to have a "bee in my bonnet" when it comes to "using them" as blog topics! It may even seem to you, dear reader, that they have taken over my blog, in the same way as I describe them "taking over" my Hyssop Plants. My visiting bees have (through the efforts of yours truly) even appeared on tumblr, and, if you'd like, you may visit them by clicking here. Additionally, their images have earned them a place in two sets within my Flickr Gallery. One set is called the HYSSOP and the BEE , the other set is called Echinacea; and you may view either of them by clicking here.


The newbie, seen at the top of today's blog post, has her own story for today's blog post. The image of her that you see shows her with some of the succulents in my indoor garden. She is one of the figurines (OK she's a "fake" bee — the non-stinging kind) that have been added to the Halloween decor which I have added to indoor succulent garden, a decorating scheme, that I discussed this past Wednesday, and, if you'd like, you may refer to it by clicking here.


While it's true that my "visiting bees" are still busy in my urban (New York City) terrace garden, indulging in my Hyssop plants, and I have not tired of their presence, I don't want the succulents to feel left out, so I let them have their own version of bees, and, so far, there are four of them, clinging to a few of the assorted succulents which I have in my indoor garden as evidenced in the image posted below (which you may recognize from this past Wednesday's blog entry).

Like the whimsical figurines of the birds (seen to the left and below this passage), which have been placed amongst my succulents and Halloween figurines,

the bee figurines create an ambiance for my succulents, because they are "forced" to live indoors, instead of being able to enjoy being outside.

And, since I have decorated a portion of my terrace garden for Halloween, as evidenced in the images within my Flickr Gallery Set called "trick or treat?" which you may view by clicking here, and have discussed in previous blog posts which you may refer to by clicking here and here, as well as posts on tumblr which you may refer to by clicking here), it was inevitable that my succulents would want Halloween-specific decorations too! Not one to play favorites, I've let both gardens have a bit of Halloween cheer, as seen below in images of both gardens (indoor and outdoor respectively).

It is my hope in sharing a few of my decorating ideas with you, dear reader — although I am no Martha Stewart —  that you will be inspired to decorate for Halloween, AND you still have eleven days  (including today ) to do it; and  whether or not you are inclined to spruce up your outdoor space or living quarters in honor of Halloween, you still have time to send a greeting card to those near and dear to you. I have designed unique greeting cards for such purposes. They are truly special because they fold out into a picture which is suitable for framing! These cards are available via the Card Shoppe Pages of my web-site, Patricia Youngquist Photo-Art, and you may click here for a link to the specific page featuring them!


THAT'S IT FOR TODAY , BUT, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE YOUR HALLOWEEN DECOR SCHEMES, PLEASE POST THEM IN A COMMENT, OTHERWISE REMEMBER, as always, dear reader, I appreciate it when you weigh in with your thoughts, ideas and reactions. If you are new to posting this type of thing, you may click here for directions.

"If it's Tuesday, it must be . . ." tumblr. Week Four:

What do these three photographs have in common?
 
1. They were taken in Patricia Youngquist's (The Last Leaf Gardener) Urban (New York City) Garden
2. Interesting things have been written about them on "nybg" (New York Botanical Garden's) tumblr
3. They are included in Patricia Youngquist's (The Last Leaf Gardener) Flickr Gallery
4. All of the above


If you guessed all of the above, dear reader, you are correct, and your prize is for you to bask in the knowledge that you have mastered my first multiple choice test. And now, I am sure you recall that since today is Tuesday, it must be tumblr, so, if you'd like to read what has been written about these photographs (as per answer #2 in the "test" question), please head over to tumblr by clicking here. 


P.S. As always, I appreciate it when you weigh in with your comments, thoughts, ideas and reactions, so please feel free to share your "stuff" and, if you are new to posting this type of thing, you may click here for directions on how to do so. Meanwhile, if you have not had a chance to extend Halloween wishes to others (and this "holiday" is only fourteen days away, including today) with a greeting card, now is the perfect time to consider my unique collection, because each of my Halloween cards fold out into a picture that is suitable for framing! All of my cards are available in the Card Shoppe Pages of my web-site, Patricia Youngquist Photo Art which you may visit by clicking here.