All About Vegetation, House Plants, Gardens, Trees ect.

[TPK]

And a few from around my little wood shed.

The window says:

(left side) "Little Garden, Big Dreams,
(right side) Bees, Berries, Flowers, Trees" (in German all these words start with a letter "B" & it sounds much better than when it's translated.

Looks awesome, Tom.

Thanks Buddy!

[TPK]

So, today I worked on my newest outdoor creation. Hardest part of the job was getting the frame mounted to the wall with six small flower pots behind it as "spacers". Picture me inside a very hot wood shed screwing out through the shed wall, through the flower pots and trying to hit the center of a wooden picture frame that is only about 3/4" wide. My wife Silvia and son Shane on the outside of the shed trying to hold and line everything up. But we made it.

The "wooden box" is an old sewing machine drawer that I did napkin technique inside of to add some Roosters to it. I like Roosters! Then there is also a bunt cake form, a copper watering can, a Mokka Cup with a bird on it & a beautiful little fairy sitting on the edge of the drawer. Of course I had to get some "Red, White & Blue" in there as well.

So this is the basic set up. I will be glueing the fairy & Mokka Cup in place tomorrow to prevent them from falling off when it gets stormy. The cacti & other smaller objects may be moved or changed around from time to time whenever I get tired of looking at the same stuff.

Hope you enjoy the pictures & thanks for looking everyone!

.

[TPK]

Few more.

[TPK]

I'm hoping a bird might build a nest inside of the watering can next spring.

But I also plan on building 4 or 5 bird houses before spring rolls around again.

[bighomer]

Outstanding friend Tom, x10.

[bighomer]

Some of the boss's potted plants.

[TPK]

Outstanding friend Tom, x10.

Beautiful pictures Buddy!

Thanks for your comment bighomer! I appreciate it!

I was beginning to think nobody liked it & that I might have bad taste. Maybe it's a bit "too much". But less looks too empty.

My wife & I like it though so I guess that's what really matters.

[TPK]

Some of the boss's potted plants.

Hello bighomer & bighomer's Boss,

First off, let me say, I love your sitting area! Absolutely wonderful!!!

And then I have some questions to your potted plants. Here we go...

First picture, blue pot, purple flowers. Are???

6th picture, purple UFO leaves with white blossoms. Are???

Last picture, cream colored pot, waxy leaves with pink blossoms. Are???

I also see two planted tea kettles. I will have to copy that Idea. Do you remember, did you drill holes in the bottoms of them or not. Just curious if I should drill holes in mine or not.
I guess with or without holes depends on if it stands out in the rain or if it is under a roof. Let me know what you think about that. I'm still kind of unexperienced in taking care of plants.

[bighomer]

The first is petunias, the purple leaf is a shamrock or Oxalis, the pink is a type of mandevilla. Yes theres holes drilled in them, i have idea how old that one is. She loves to repurpose stuff.

[1967redrider]

Looking good, bighomer!


We got our first rain in about 3 weeks last night, the grass was really getting burnt up in the 100° weather.

[bighomer]

Thanks Red, I know what you mean about the dry weather, we got a much needed 8 tenths so we are thankful. My grass hasn't been cut for a couple of weeks but will need it now.

[TPK]

The first is petunias, the purple leaf is a shamrock or Oxalis, the pink is a type of mandevilla. Yes theres holes drilled in them, i have idea how old that one is. She loves to repurpose stuff.

Thanks for the Info my friend! I especially like the Schamrock or Oxalis.

[bighomer]

Friend Tom the oxalis is a tuber, in the winter they die back we store ours in the garage but I honestly believe they'd be okay left out. In the spring we put them out water them good and in about a week they are thriving.

[TPK]

Friend Tom the oxalis is a tuber, in the winter they die back we store ours in the garage but I honestly believe they'd be okay left out. In the spring we put them out water them good and in about a week they are thriving.

Thanks for the Info Joe. I will be looking around to try to find one of them.

[TPK]

Today I worked on two little plant projects in my car port. First project was a set of shelves for my cacti & a few other plants. I just bought 6 more cacti on the Bay today so I needed to get ready for their arrival.

.

[TPK]

My second project was hanging up another sewing machine drawer. Then I added some threads & pins that I picked up in town today. Of course I had to get some "Red, White & Blue" into the decorations. This will also be used for small cacti. Oh, & there is also a small Holland shoe on it as well. Picked it up at a yard sale in the spring time.

.

[Waukonda]

My second project was hanging up another sewing machine drawer. Then I added some threads & pins that I picked up in town today. Of course I had to get some "Red, White & Blue" into the decorations. This will also be used for small cacti. Oh, & there is also a small Holland shoe on it as well. Picked it up at a yard sale in the spring time.

.

Nice work, Knife Guy from Germany! That has an all around professional look to it, impressive.

Somewhat off topic.........after noticing your Bosch drill, I am just curious, when you walk into the power tools section of your local stores there, what brands do you see? I am certainly not surprised that you own a Bosch with their reputation for quality, but are there other German brands on the shelf, or European or American?

[TPK]

My second project was hanging up another sewing machine drawer. Then I added some threads & pins that I picked up in town today. Of course I had to get some "Red, White & Blue" into the decorations. This will also be used for small cacti. Oh, & there is also a small Holland shoe on it as well. Picked it up at a yard sale in the spring time.

.

Nice work, Knife Guy from Germany! That has an all around professional look to it, impressive.

Somewhat off topic.........after noticing your Bosch drill, I am just curious, when you walk into the power tools section of your local stores there, what brands do you see? I am certainly not surprised that you own a Bosch with their reputation for quality, but are there other German brands on the shelf, or European or American?

Wow! Good questions! Ten years ago I could have named em all but I haven't been paying much attention to that in the past few years as I haven't needed many new power tools. So here goes from memory. So of course Bosch. I worked for them for 14 years untill our jobs moved to China & Romania. Then I agreed to take a seperation payment and payed off my house with it. Now the house is payed for and I have been moving from one bad job to another ever since.

Ok so here are some names that I know are around. :

Better Brands:

Bosch (Green)
Bosch Professional (last longer, cost more)(Blue)
Makita
Metabo
Dewalt
Fine
Festool
Holz Her
Royobi
Dremel
Flex
Kärcher
Once in a while you'll see a Black & Decker or Milwaukee
I have a smaller Black & Decker circle saw. It's been a good worker for many years now.

Other Brands:

Guide
Einhell
Parkside

I believe these three are made in Germany. Quality is OK. They have all improved over the course of the years. I believe my small electric planer is from Parkside. It has been a good worker as well. I had a SUP Pump from Guide that could have lasted longer than it did. Don't think I have ever had any Einhell tools yet. No wait, I had an Einhell drill that didn't last too long either. You get what you pay for right. Although, I had a high pressure cleaner from Kärcher once that didn't last very long either.

Oh, and chain saws are normally Stihl or Husqvarna. I have a Stihl. But Husqvarna is also good.
And a lot of the lawn mowers have a Briggs & Stratton engine. CAT & John Deere are also around. Now I am getting off topic.

That's about all I can think of right now.

[bighomer]

Well freind Tom it may have been off topic but I for one found it quite interesting, thanks to Ike for asking and you for a detailed answer.

[Waukonda]

Thanks, Tom, a few names there I didn't know. Most everything I own is Milwaukee brand. Whenever we travel, I am always interested in checking out stores and the products they sell, it is refreshing to find that the world hasn't become totally homogenous.

[TPK]

No Problem!

[bighomer]

Dinner plate hibiscus, biggest it's been.

[TPK]

Beautiful Joe!

[TPK]

Did this little project on Sat. The backdrop is an. . ., an old wooden slab that was used to insert & extract loaves of bread in & out of a masonry oven. I used it as a decoration to hang up gardening tools and a few other tools in my car port. Also added a near mint Imperial Ireland gardening pocket knife. I'm sure it will come in handy in the car port.

Add: There is an old hammer at the top & an old wooden level at the bottom that I enjoy working with.
And the grill tongs are now my cacti tongs.

.

[Waukonda]

Did this little project on Sat. The backdrop is an. . ., an old wooden slab that was used to insert & extract loaves of bread in & out of a masonry oven. I used it as a decoration to hang up gardening tools and a few other tools in my car port. Also added a near mint Imperial Ireland gardening pocket knife. I'm sure it will come in handy in the car port.

Add: There is an old hammer at the top & an old wooden level at the bottom that I enjoy working with.
And the grill tongs are now my cacti tongs.

.

Great job,Tom, it looks really nice! You aroused my curiosity and I found the name of that wooden tool.