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Thursday, August 4, 2011

Jade Plant

Hollywood Forever, Kevin
A couple of weeks ago, Kevin of the blog....
asked me if I'd like a cutting from one of his jade plants.
Well, of course I did, thinking about the gorgeous garden that surrounds his 
old Hollywood cottage.
This is his grotto photographed at night.
Magical, isn't it?
I jumped at the chance to have a little of the magic of his garden.
He said he'd send me a clipping..
But the package that came was quite large and the clipping like 12 inches tall.
It looked like a full grown jade plant once I stuck it in a pot.
Nothing like instant gratification gardening.
I'm hope it will do well for me.
He said he has them as large as 5 feet tall in his garden.
Here's Kevin's grotto during the day.
This was his recent whimsical afternoon party in his garden.
I love the parasols in the branches of the trees.
What a great idea this is for instant shade.
His home is amazing. 
I hope you'll go by and take a look at his blog...it is one of my most favorites.
You'll see many photos of his home. 
He recently painted his stairs in variations of blue.
I love this so much. And don't even get me started on the original chain handrail!

I hope you'll go by and explore his entire blog...
So I did a little gardening indoors thanks to Kevin.
Outside I've just about given up.
It's been so hot and dry here that my plants outside are really struggling.
My little wall fountain is managing to grow the money wort in the heat just fine
with daily waterings. But the fern burned up a few weeks ago and the impatiens quit 
blooming a month ago.
I also planted a birdbath and pot with impatiens and grasses but they aren't blooming either.
Notice all my shade grass is dead. I guess I'll be reseeding this fall.
My thai basil is growing like crazy....it doesn't seem to mind the hot sun. 
But all ferns are scorched and they usually do so well on my back deck.
Everything will start to look much better in September, I'm sure...just in time
for it all to die at the end of October.

How is your garden growing?


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16 comments:

Unknown said...

WOW, what a lovely post! Love Kevin's colors in his home and love the garden party. How fun. Thanks for sharing this, I'm heading over to check out Kevin now!

Lisa said...

Whoa - love that grotto. My plants are struggling thru the heat and drought. Very depressing because gardening (along with baking) is my thing.
Lisa

Holly said...

WHOA!!! Kevin's a freak!! I think I love him.

Hollywood forever, Kevin said...

Nita,
Wow! that looks perfect. I should have sent you one a long time ago. It does look like you have had it for years. I love the pot, really, the shape and color is again, perfect.
Sweet words you have spoken regarding the house and garden here in Hollywood. Thank you.
ps. now wait til it blooms at Xmas

Sunny Simple Life said...

That is a grotto!! It is gorgeous. I love the plant in the little pot. Looks like a bonzai planting.

Cindy said...

Sorry to see that your outdoor plants are struggling so. Your new jade plant is lovely! What a sweet gift from Kevin.
Cindy

Olive said...

Burning. Up. We. Are. I have expensive little maple trees out by the road that seem to be dying. I am keeping the flower garden alive with every other day watering at 7AM for two hours but the water bill is horrid. But I planted eight new roses and I do not want to lose them. Kevin's grotto is wonderful. I used to grow jade plants many years ago. I do not do many house plants for lack of space. The money wort in the fountain is beautiful and must be cousin to the creeping jenny I have in urns everywhere.

Amy Chalmers said...

That is so sweet of kevin to do that nita. i love bloggers! well your garden looks better than i figured it might with the withering heat you have been suffering. how do the dogs like it?

Sush said...

I'm grottofied you shared...

Hugs~

BluBabesCreate said...

I love how he kept a lot of the things original! I will be going by to check him out.

Michelle said...

I do love your posts so much! And, as a fellow OKC gal, always relate to them so much. Is that basil in a pot or in the ground? I'm dying to know, as I am needing some basil, but never had much luck with it in pots before.

Nita Stacy said...

Michelle -
I tried to email but your comment did not have email connected to it. So I hope you come back and read. My basil is in a large pot on my back deck. The deck is on the north side of my house and there is a smallish red bud tree that grows up through it. I have the large pot of herbs in the shade of this tree every year and it does just great there. It gets lots of morning sun but is protected from the strong afternoon sun. I have rosemary and thyme in this pot too. I think the reason it always does well for me is that its in such a large pot.

My friend plants her basil straight in the ground with lots of success and it comes back every year too. Mine, I have to replant every spring.

Starr said...

Lovely photos. And what a clipping it was! As I look out onto my grass-less wasteland in my backyard, covered in wood chips and weeds, I can't wait to get some green in it. Years of neglect by previous owners destroyed the yard. Love finding inspiration for our transformation!

Cindi Myers said...

Whoa! I love Kevin's style!
I'm headed over to his blog right now!
Love Jade plants, (Feng Shui = money!) LOL! or that's what I've been told!!!
Your poor impatiens remind me of ALL my hanging baskets! They are really struggling to survive. :(
Take care, XOXO - Cindi

the gardener's cottage said...

that was sweet of kevin. the plant does look great in the pot you picked.

i'd kill for kevin's round entry table.

love his whole house.

xo

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style said...

That is a nice clipping he sent you. That is large and looks like a full grown plant like you said. I will have to visit his blog. Beautiful home that I see so far.