The main advantage of living in a state where you never get snow is that you can design and invest in a mini paradise looking landscape that will not go 100% dormant during the winter months.

Green and flower colors are always reachable by eye wherever you look and go. The palm trees don’t drop the branches, and you can always go visit your garden to relax on that “me, myself and I” time, with a cup of tea or coffee and a nice book. The hours will pass without you noticing.
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Therefore, let’s just enjoy looking at some of these nice landscapes that Florida residents can benefit from year-round.

We all have to accept the fact that Mother Nature dictates what we can enjoy and when. I was able to capture these container gardens few months ago, when they were in their prime. Today tough, is a totally different story. It’s cold, there’s freezing rain, fog, oh well, total misery; however, no snow yet.
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Still, I don’t want to complaint. I am grateful to be alive and furthermore, able to continue enjoying these beauties, even though they are in simple photos. Smile.

​The trees lost their leaves and the flowers are done until next year. However, we can make art out of the dry leaves, flowers and evergreens. Just take a stroll around your yard or the neighborhood and you will be able to assess what can be done out of nothing to wow your family and friends. Smile. Enjoy the ride.
 
Materials Needed for this project
Approximate cost: ($6.50)
 
1 old yard sale or thrift shop find ($1.00)
3 to 4 dried flowers, whatever you can find (free)
Several twigs from any dormant plant; astilbe, yarrow, etc. (free)
4 evergreens, i.e. needle pine conifer branches (free)
2 yards of festive ribbon ($ 2.00)
1 can of craft metallic gold spray paint ($2.50)
Leftover materials from prior projects ($ 1.00)
 
Directions:
Spray paint the flowers and dry branches.
Make a simple bow.
Follow my slide show to assemble the basket. 

After my last week post about roses, I was excited and decided to capture another montage to share with you.

There are several rose gardens in the country. I have been fortunate to visit some of them. Some are good and others are just hanging in there.

However, one of my very favorite or perhaps the favorite is the Biltmore Estates Rose Garden. Located in the mountains in Ashville, North Carolina, roses of all types enjoy an all-year-round good weather to keep them looking mighty sharp.
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The photos in my post today are not from Biltmore, however, they sure can compete with their roses, don’t you think? 

I love roses, however, I think that they have a mind or their own and right there, they feel as do they are the most important flower in the whole wide world. They are picky and moreover, they are pretentious and arrogant, smile.

I tried many times to grow them and many times I failed to develop a “WOW” rose garden. Therefore, I gave up and now I just enjoy other people’s rose gardens.
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Fall and spring are the best time for roses, they are in their element; beautiful and arrogant, SMILE! Enjoy these beauties now before winter hits your neck of the woods.

Unfortunately, this is the last montage of this series. You can set aside some time this weekend to stroll around your neighborhood and uncover the beauty of what the neighbors came up with this year to ensure that kids as well as their parents enjoy the fall before the winter season begins. Smile!
HAPPY FALL!

I am so amazed at the imagination of the residents in my and nearby neighborhoods. You can enjoy the various montages they display in front of their homes during the season. The displays range from the simplest to the most elaborated. Thanks for your efforts and originality, I enjoy your decorations daily. Smile!

​Fall is a good time to find natural materials in the garden, parks, road, anywhere really. I just realized that my huge fern went dormant this year earlier than in others. I guess that a reason could have been the awful drought that we had and continue to have this year.
 
Anyway, when I saw the dried mess it came to me that I could use it in an arrangement either in its natural form or sprayed in gold.
 
Well, here is the end result. A trip to Walmart for 3 small pumpkins, an old .25 cents yard sale find and a flower and scarecrow that I had in my craft room. Boom, an arrangement was born, smile.
 
You will need: Total ($6.11)
1 small or med. size basket and oasis to stick the flowers. (.25)
Any dried natural material, ferns, astilbe, leaves, … (0)
A seasonal silk sunflower (.40)
½ yard of green ribbon (.50)
1 small about 12” scarecrow ($1.99)
3 small pumpkins @ .99 cents ea. ($2.97)
 
Directions
Stick the dry material in the basket oasis.
Stick the scarecrow and the sunflower.
Tight a bow on the basket handle.
Place the 3 pumpkins in front. DONE!