Fiery red...mellow yellow & not so mellow morsels

Caesalpinia pulcherrima

(ses-al-PIN-ee-uh) (pul-KAIR-ih-muh)

or

Red Bird of Paradise

or

Mexican Bird of Paradise

No matter its name, it's a beauty!!! Their lacy tropical and ferny leaves are heavily accented by rich and colorful flowers. I love the daintiness of the leaves and the spiral spiking stamens. The color goes from a rich, deep, fiery red to a beautiful, lemony yellow. The bush itself can be trimmed and shaped to promote thick, healthy bushes and still never fail to bloom. We had them in our yard in Tucson, and when we were getting ready to lock up the house there that we sold, I took the liberty of picking off a seed pod from one of the plants and then, that very next Spring in Texas, I planted the seed along the foundation of the house we bought here. The first year, it sprouted but didn't bloom. Then...by next Spring it was shooting up...and bloomed. But very little. This year, finally it's done pretty well, and produced some nice healthy seed pods so I can cultivate more. They're strong, do well in drought [desert like conditions] and create a landscape attraction for backyard birds!!

Easy to grow

Little water needed

Can be trimmed & trained

Will tolerate light freezing, but should be protected for long cold spells.

We had some of them in Arizona in our front yard that grew to 5 feet or more...while in our back yard, along a walkway, we kept them trimmed to around a foot high....both heights bloomed profusely!!

CONNECTING TO:

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MONDAY MORSELS


After reading a blogger's post the other day regarding Ebay, I was just astounded!!! I had to go out online and find for myself that it's actually a fact!!! As of August 30th of this year, on September 1st, Ebay will ban the sale of anything having to do with witchcraft, tarot, potions, etc. ONE ARTICLE I read. I assume they have contracts 'written up' with the sellers from the onset of their site, Ebay...but I still think it's all kinds of wrong to dictate in such a manner...maybe not. For instance, banning the sale of guns is NOT going to stop people from acquiring a gun. But, what do I know?!! I continue to shake my head in disbelief. What is this world coming to I wonder, in regards to beliefs? Are we digressing back to the days of the the 17th century? The Salem Witch Trials? What happened to our freedoms....for instance, for those that believe...their religious freedoms? I, for one, don't condone, nor do I condemn, the act of witchcraft...in my mind and what I've read in history [historical facts mind you, are not necessarily truths...because I am certain history is just ONE MAN'S opinion, and could be strewn far from the real deal....let me put it this way, FACTS from our history books have been proven to be falsehoods in some cases]; witchcraft is associated with rituals of Satan...but I ask what about Christians? I'm not saying I know, I'm just saying that there is evil found in Christianity also. Are we going to start again...the hanging of these buyers/sellers?

From Ebay's site: [in part]

Category eliminations - ...the following items are also being added to the prohibited items list: advice; spells; curses; hexing; conjuring; magic; prayers; blessing services; magic potions; healing sessions...

Now, for me....looking through my crystal ball, I see in the future, another kind of trial....a Civil Rights Trial Perhaps. Who knows....but I do know that even the Prohibition Days of the good and evils of liquor didn't stop the buying and selling...right?  Or another 'act' that is illegal....prostitution---ummmm, open your eyes and ears people....think:  Our Congressmen!!  Or look at it this way...are they going to tell store owners now that they can't sell over the counter medications?  Heck, think about it in a really broad sense...for instance, toilet paper?  [that could be considered a danger to pets and small children....choking/chewing it?]  Actually, I think Ebay should take a longer look at the crookedness of the seller's postage rates....that's a ripoff.  I don't buy often, I believe in buying locally to keep the city's economy strong...and again, I loathe the seller's postage and handling on Ebay 99% of the time.  Ban that!!!  LOL


On a baseball note: Houston Astros finally....finally fired Brad Mills!!! They should have never hired him in the first place. Astros have broken the all time baseball record [the whole history of baseball] of game losses!!! And another player that they got 'rid of' was Carlos Lee....Carlos was good....but long ago, he needed to go in my opinion.


witch animation borrowed with permission from GLITTER GRAPHICS