While I haven’t started my new “zinnia seed project” yet… my cousin Kim reminded me that it was also time to start my dahlia tubers indoors. Since I didn’t do a good job of digging out & saving the ones from last summer… I had to buy some new ones. So here are the three varieties I’m trying this time around. Can’t wait for them to start growing… can’t wait for warmer days… can’t wait for Summer Blooms!!!

So every year I see lots of zinnias in other people’s gardens… admiring from afar… and wishing that I had planted some sooner! Well this year, I’m going to go for it. First I bought some seed packets. But then a wonderful care package showed up in my mail!!! My best gardening buddy Rosene has set me up with these wonderful little packets of zinnia seeds. So many varieties, so many possibilities! Now I just need to figure out when to plant them inside… so they’re growing well when it’s time to finally transplant them outside! And then to keep my fingers crossed!

Although we’re still dealing with cold temperatures, snow flurries & freezing rain… seemingly changing on a daily basis… it is encouraging to see little sprouts of my variegated iris working their way through in the garden. Spring is coming!!!

As part of our final class of the Fall session, my Intermediate Wheel class did a fun “trading-exchanging-stealing game”… with a category theme of handmade flower pot with a plant in it. Some people were “racing” with the kiln and weren’t quite able to get a plant, but we were pleased their flower pots at least made it out of the kiln in time! Always a fun way to end a great session with fun students!!!

And, in case you’re wondering… I came home with the beautiful red flower pot with a red anthurium flowering in it from Darcy… perfect for the holidays!

Looks like Rosene has her first bloom of the season on her Thanksgiving Cactus… about a week early! Mine is already blooming beautifully right now too! Come to the HOLIDAY HOME SHOW this weekend and you can see my blooms… and perhaps buy a new flower pot for your indoor garden too?! I’m convinced that houseplants prefer handmade pottery flower pots… with drainage holes!!!

Sad, but true... I think this is the final dahlia of the season! I saw it blooming yesterday out in my garden. But when I saw a few little snowflakes this evening, I thought I would bring it inside to enjoy it a little longer. Perfect as a single bloom in one of my stamped & soda-fired ikebana vases!

I’ve always loved sumac bushes… the shapes of the leaves, the structure of the bushes, and most importantly the wonderful color they turn in the Fall. Like this little sumac growing in my front yard!

Cute little flower arrangement in one of my ikebana vases. Beautiful colors & textures celebrating the least of the Fall flowers. Thanks for showing off your garden & floral arranging skills Kristy!

More Fall flowers hanging in there… loving these little “floral firework explosions” of purple asters in my side garden.

After an incredibly warm & sunny weekend… so beautiful… I finally got one of my dahlias to bloom! My fault for not getting it started early enough… and for those who remember, having a tree branch fall on the plant didn’t help either! But it was well worth the wait!

Mental note to self… plant more dahlias & start sooner next year!