Our Wisteria!

 There has been some chat with the 

photo that I posted on FB of our 

Wisteria Black Dragon.   

This tree and another called Amethyst Falls

were purchased at the same time from

the local WalMart some 15 years ago.

We had them in the back with the Wisteria

Amethyst Fall Vine we got from a couple

in Camas that could no longer keep it 

under control.  Our friends called and asked

if I would come out and dig it up.  We put 

in on the 4 foot chainlink fence on the north

property line.   It lived there until we remove

it and put in the PVC fence.  It's been in a

pot for many years.  My hopes it to plant 

it this winter in a permanent home.

We had the two wisteria treen in the back

in huge pots until we lost the huge tree

out front so with it going the Wisteria

trees got placed out front.  Where they 

have been for over 10 years.  We have

issues with the Amethyst Falls on wanting

to lay down, it's gets some 5 foot bloom

stalks and she is loaded each year.  This 

year we got a few seed pods.   

The trees I purchased were they say a couple

years old.  It took then a few years in the pot

before they bloomed but very few blooms.

They really took off in the front yard and have

been really impressive for the past few years.

This year we stayed away from the trees due

to the bee population!!   You could watch them

go from blooms to blooms, back and forth!

  

It is my understanding these can get about 30

feet tall by 20 feet wide.  So if you want to keep

them under control you will have to hard prune 

them.   These are good in Zones 6 to 9 only so they

say but I would think if it's in a protective area

and a warmer micro climate one could survive.

Very easy to grow and the care should be easy if

they are small.  Unlike the vines that go every

where and a pain to control.

4 years ago I decided to take cuttings and earlier

this year sold the first of the cuttings which were

Amethyst Falls.

I have this issue that I don't sell until they bloom

so the lady that was here first bought then all

and she wanted more!!  

Here is what I'm currently sitting on.  These are cuttings

in one gallon pots that I'll be bumping up into larger pots

this winter when they shed their leaves.    I'll add a current 

photo when I can get out back.  This photo was taken 

this spring after I put down mulch.  

They tolerate clay soil, deciduous, deer resistant,

love rich soils, pollinator friendly, sun or partial

shade with regular watering.

So we are looking at at least 4 to 5 years to have

a nice tree.  I don't recommend them being grown

in pots at all, so get it into the ground!  If dug up

remember to get all the roots or you will have

babies coming up in the spot where the trees were.

I didn't find a patient on either tree that we purchased.

Do a search online for them.

The photo above of the wisteria was early spring

and they have not bloomed.  In Jan I hope to dig them

up as they are now dormant, shape them up and put 

them in 2 gallon pots.  I will not sell until they bloom.

I do have a few seeds from the W. Amethyst Falls.

The bees went to town on this one but the squirrels

bet me to some of the seeds.

What The Heck!!

Another day of skyrocket counts!!  

Didn't know we were that popular nor

that interesting?    Just crazy.  Over

250 views???

11/12/2021 Greenhouse Blooms

 Ya know every once and a while when 

you open the doors the fragrance is really

strong and when you go in one finds a 

lot of bloomers!!  Enjoy!

New Neighbors!!

 The sign is down on the house to 

the east!!    It was reported that the

house sold for $490,000!!  Now tell

me that is crazy!!  Clark County's

GIS list this at a value of $333,887.00,

let me add lower than our value!!

But the funny thing is the old owners

vehicles are still seen coming and 

going.  No one has moved in??

No wonder folks can't afford a house

here.  Or should some one say they

over paid??

12/14/2021

Time for an update.  Sad to say for 

almost a week there has been guys

removing either lead paint or asbestos?

Don't ya just love the little surprises 

that comes with buying older homes?

Hope there was an inspection??

Brugmansia Seeds

 While in the brug house today I

have spotted at least 6 seedpods!!

Some of these will be available for

postage.

Another Day Of Leaves!!

 Another day of leaves and pine 

needles cleanup when I'm about

done the wind kicks up and there

is no way I could finish the cleanup.  

Finally the wind dies down enough

to get the front cleaned up. 

So Sunday I get to work on the 

back again.

Sunday,  3 1/2 hours later I 

finished the cleanup.  Just in

time for the wind to kick up

again.  I took 5 bags of stuff

off the north and 1 bag off

the deck alone.  Allen is 

working on the gutters since

I can't get on the roof.  So 

far he has taken off 3 pickle

buckets!  He took 2 more off.

More Health Issues!!

10/21/2021

 It seems Life is taking another tole!  I

did great getting the plants put away for

the winter months and other than a slight

pull in the back all went well.  Then the 

storms hit!!  

I deal with leg cramps when I over do it 

when it comes to cleanup of the yard!

Three weeks ago I had cramps so bad

when I got out of bed to take Sable out

I dropped to the floor.   This is the second

time this has happened, the last time it

took my back out and we found out other

issues with the hands.  Hence the first hand

surgery and a second one was to be done

this fall after the plants were put away.

Well my appt. was canceled this past week

and I won't get to see the specialist until

the end of Dec.  Again it was canceled and 

now it's set for the 11th of Jan.

Back to the leg cramps, which if you 

don't get them you are really missing 

out on the painful moments.  They 

will wake you out of a deep sleep 

to the point you have to stand and 

walk to see if you can get it to stop 

hurting. Being an x runner I can tell 

you the night cramps are worse than 

a running cramp.   All the muscle 

relaxers and bio freeze will help 

slowly but it's really painful.   Hence 

the limp and moving slow for a 

few days afterwards.  

But this time it was totally different!!   

The swelling and pain just wouldn't

stop.  Then there was this lump in 

the back of the knee!!  I made an appt.

with my doctor as I couldn't wait until 

Dec. for my yearly checkup.   She knows 

me well and for me to come in, it must

really hurt.   So off to xray, then to 

ultrasound at the other clinic.  Xray 

showed water on the knee, so I know 

the doc said this is one issue that will

have to be drained.

But she was concerned that I might 

have a blood clot or what she stated 

was a 'Baker's Cyst.'    Now I know 

those show up in folks under 50 but 

we all know I haven't seen 50 in

sometime!   But again I'm extremely 

active and just don't sit down much.

I get home from the ultra sound and 

find a message to make an appointment 

with the specialist as soon as I can.  

Which one??    The tech stated that no 

blood clot was found and she kept 

apologizing when she knew it was painful.  

I get home to another message, no blood

clot but yes, a 'Baker's cyst' was found.    

Now I know why the knee wasn't bending 

right and causing me to fall down on the

 back side and no balance.  One good issue 

out of this it was forcing my upper body 

strength to kick in when I have to pull 

myself upward!!

So life is going to be a little slower as 

I don't want to put the brace back on 

or use the crutches,  they will totally 

take the back out again.   

Time to see an orthopedic specialist!! 

Life is just so much fun!!!  

Thank goodness the gardens are

'closed!!'  Yes, again with this

last storm the yard is a total mess

and I have never seen so much 

pine needles ever and more 

leaves than ever!!   We have 

taken 20 bags of pine and leaves

mixed off the yard with 7 bags of

just pine needles from just the north

and east side.  The south and west 

sides will have to wait.

Saw the orthopedic specialist

and now awaiting for the MRI 

appointment.  Just taking it slow 

and resting.  Will only do the 

cleanup if  I can and weather 

permits.  Thank you Toro!! 

11/24/2021

MRI was done today, now we

wait for the doctor's comments.

Got the MRI report, now we wait 

for the doctor to get ahold of me

not good news at all!!

12/6/2021

Appt. with the doctor.  Went in on

crutches and still in pain.   I was 

fitted with a brace and now we 

await for the referral to see a 

specialist as to have surgery.

I was told in the future I will end

up needing a knee replacement.

The MRI report states a complex 

medial meniscal tear with a radial 

component noted adjacent to the

posterior meniscal root.  There is

medial meniscal extrusion.  Moderate

Chondromalacia within the medial and

patellofemoral compartments is seen.

This is consistent with osteoarthritis.

Moderate volume suprapatellar joint

effusion and a small popliteal cyst is

noted.

(There is more to the story but it will

come out later.)

 

12/20/2021

Got in to see the knee specialist 

on Monday early!  We now have

a game plan on what needs to be 

done.   I will be going to sports

med to have a popliteal cyst 

aspiration/intraaticular steriod 

injection but that appointment 

isn't until the 19th of Jan.  I had

them put me on the wait list if there

is an early cancelation.

If the pain still is a problem than 

arthroscopic intervention will be 

the next step.

Thank goodness I have good knee

range!!

1/10/2022

Here are the knee braces I have used for the past

3 months and still a lot of pain.

The above was recommended to me

and when they arrived I was able to

get some relief!   I was able to get

the yard cleaned up with these on!

Still limping!!