Why I Oughta...

Yesterday, I posted a photo of the large Flamed Amadeus Amaryllis bulb and talked about how it was moving faster than the second Christmas bulb we planted in November.  Below, you can see a photo of the current state of the "other one" - named Shine Dream Amaryllis .  The container for this one has moss covering the soil which makes this a little bit more festive/decorated.  They were both bought and planted in early/mid-November , so they're at about five weeks since planted.  Shine Dream *also* has large blooms with the description saying that they can be up-to-eight-inches and take eight-to-ten weeks to 'unfurl'.   This Shine Dream is a little bit behind the Flamed Amaryllis , but the tip of the flower bud has begun to emerge from the bulb, too.  Each stem will get multiple flowers, so here's hoping we get 3-4 stems and the first few flowers in time for Christmas in a week.  

Five weeks ago, we planted a pair of large, single amaryllis bulbs in small clay containers.  I covered both of them again two weeks ago  when they were showing their first signs of growth.  The first one was a Flamed Amadeus and the other one is named Shine Dream Amadeus .  I have watered both of them a few times since (soaking them, but with the loose soil, they drain very rapidly) and put them in a bright, warm spot (on a stone table that has a heat register underneath it).   Of the two, the Flamed Amadeus is moving more quickly.  Below is a photo showing the current state with an elongated flower bud tip (strangely) hasn't fully-emerged from the bulb.  It seems like the bud is super long: Looking back at the original post when we bought these bulbs , I just re-read the description of the Flamed Amadeus which reminded me why this flower bud is strangely large and long:  Flamed Amadeus "produces some of the largest blossoms in the Amaryll...

When I made the evergreen wreath for our front door this weekend, I ended up with a few extra 'piles' or 'bunches' of material that I didn't need to complete the circle.  I layered (from the back) Cypress, Fraser Fir, Magnolia, Boxwood and Eucalyptus in each stack.  A number of them went unused in the wreath, so to start...one of those stacks (or piles or bunches) went into a small-mouthed vase on our counter. You can see it below in the photo.  I cut all the stems for the wreath short, so displaying this in a traditional vase is hard because there's not much base to stick into the water.   Nevertheless, I jammed them in there.  The magnolia leaf is standing upright and proud, but otherwise, it seems to work visually.  Not to mention...the smell...which works just fine.  Here's the most-recent arrangement (Number 5 for 2025).    I have a few more in me before the season ends, I think.  

Yesterday, I posted the first of two Christmas trees that we've put up for 2025.  Here's the Family Room Tree .  Below is the smaller tree (still a Fraser Fir) that lives in the front window in the Green Room.  Nat lights and decorates this one herself and it has a different vibe with all vintage ornaments and white lights.   I hate to admit it (and under cross-examination, I'll deny ever saying this), but I like this tree in this room.   I've been tracking these trees on the blog over the years. This is the 21st tree that I've documented. Here's our 2025 Family Room Tree from Evergreen Acres .  Not shaken/baled.  Here's our 2022 Green Room tree .  Here's our 2022 Family room tree . Here's our 2021 Green Room tree  - about 6' tall.  Here's our 2021 Family Room Tree  - between 8' and 9' tall and picture-perfect shape. Here's our 2020 Green Room tree  - about 6' tall in total and perfectly shaped. Here's our 2020 Family...

A Fraser Fir is usually the answer.  The question?  Which tree to buy.  That is...unless you are able to buy a " High Altitude Noble Fir ".  Then...that's THE ANSWER.  Here, in the Chicago suburbs, we don't see many "High Altitude Noble Firs" around here, so off we went to Evergreen Acres tree farm up in East Troy, Wisconsin. I've posted our trees over the years, but I don't think I posted them recently.  At least, I can't find them in the archives here.  The last post I can find is our 2022 tree .   That is the "Family Room Tree".  Here's the companion post showing the "Green Room Tree" for 2022 .   This year, we bought two trees.  For $176.00.  That included a shake and bale for each tree.  But...we didn't use them.  More on that in the "Green Room Tree" post.   I've been tracking these trees on the blog over the years. This is the 20th tree that I've documented. Here's our 2022 Green Room tree ...

I put together my first (ever) evergreen wreath this weekend.  Using a mix of Fraser Fir limbs from our tree and some Cypress branches and boxwoods from our yard, I created a few dozen 'bunches' of materials.  I watched one wreath-making video (Thanks, Garden Answer) and sort-of figured out how to make the wreath using those 'piles' or 'bunches'.   Nat brought home Silver Dollar Eucalytus and Magnolia leaves from Trader Joes (one bunch of each) and I cut those up and stacked them on each pile.   From there, it was just winding floral wire around the grapevine frame to attach the pile/bunch to the frame.  I moved around the frame, eventually closing-in the whole thing.   Below is a photo of the (my first) wreath hanging on our front door. I'm already thinking about what to do next time and what I like about this first effort. I like the layering and the contrast from the cypress and fir and eucalyptus.  I also like the contrasting colors...

A little bit over three weeks ago, we planted three Blossom Peacock Amaryllis bulbs in a single container proceeded to tuck them in with a little bit of moss to cover the soil.  These were slightly smaller bulbs than the ones we get at the local garden center and they weren't showing any signs of life, so I wasn't sure what we'd get from them.   After arranging them, we brought them over to my Mom's house where she proceeded to tend to them and put them in a bright spot.   Fast forward three weeks, and these have taken off: All three bulbs have straps of foliage that have arrived and two of the bulbs have a bud that is gaining height.   When they're this tall is when I typically shift to the 'poison phase' of watering.  Instead of pure tap water, these will now get about 10% alcohol mixed with the water.  To (hopefully) stunt the height a little bit (without burning the roots).  Here's a post about how I did this Paperwhite bulbs ....

About three weeks ago, we planted a pair of large amaryllis bulbs in some terra cotta containers (that we had on hand for this very purpose) and had dreams of Christmas blooms.   The first one (without moss) is a Flamed Amadeus Amaryllis that had good roots, but was showing no growth.  Not even foliage tips.  Now, three weeks (or so) later along with a little bit of water, a lot of light and even some warm conditions (these are on a stone table that sits on top of a heat vent in a full southern-exposure window in our dining room), we're seeing the first bud tips emerge from the bulb.  Below is a look at the Flamed Amadeus Amaryllis just starting to show the first bud tip. Shine Dream Amaryllis is the name of the other bulb we planted.  This one has moss around the top of the soil, but was treated the same (water, light, heat).   This one (below) is showing two flower bud tips coming out of the top of the bulb and is a little big further along....

November is the time when the outdoor garden gets put to bed for the year, but it is also the time when I turn to some indoor (seasonal) gardening.  That usually starts with Amaryllis bulbs - or as we call them around here:  Christmas flowers.   Last month, I posted some photos and details of the $10 Amaryllis bulbs that my local Orange Big Box store was carrying and talked about how their smaller (than what we normally buy) size would work well for a 'multiple' bulb container. My mom has this faux birch cache pot that seemed like a perfect vessel for three smaller Christmas flowers.   I figured I'd fill it up and we can deliver it back to her for the season. At the story, I picked-up and handled dozens of bulbs until I could find three that 'felt good' to me.  That meant that they were firm, green, had *some* roots and the foliage wasn't all strap-y and exposed already.  I've had bad luck with Big Box Amaryllis bulbs before (I've also had duds f...

At the Wannemaker's Annual Christmas Open House, we met the Big Guy (of course), ate some grilled foods from Casey's and...came away with two big amaryllis bulbs.  As is the tradition.  Each of my two youngest kids picked out a bulb that there plant as we try (*fingers crossed*) to get some Christmas flowers.  I previously posted some details of amaryllis bulbs at Home Depot this season .  Last year, I planted two bulbs from Wannemakers:  A Double Dream .  And an Exotic Star .   The Exotic Star bloomed right around the New Year .  But, the Double Dream was a total dud.  It sent up a bud tip in March (yes...March!), but then it withered and died.   In 2023, we planted three .  One of them was a dud - Samba. But, the La Paz went off quickly. With a Rilona Amaryllis coming in right in-between.  Blooming in January .   This year, we are trying two new (to us) bulbs.  Here are the two tags of the bulbs they...

'Tis the season for winter, evergreen mixed arrangements around here.  I've made a couple of 'big' ones that ended up at each of our folks houses and some that ended up at neighbor's houses.  A few day ago, I posted a pair that went to my sister's houses .  And, back close to Thanksgiving, I posted a photo of the first one that I put together for our own kitchen counter .   A couple weeks later, that initial one needed a refresh, so I pulled it apart.  And, Nat found this little vintage planter with a wreath on the front that I filled with some floral foam and stuck various evergreen branches to make this arrangement you see below: This has Thuja, pine, fir, boxwood, Alder and painted Birch branches.  

The annual tradition of the Christmas Train is back ahead of Christmas this December.  The KotBT was fumpferhing around with his Lionel O-Gauge train and his new (thanks to his Papa) ZW transformer.  This year might be the year of sorting - what we want to keep (and what works) and what we can get rid-of and likely re-sell via Facebook Marketplace and/or Craigslist.  As expected, he's not that drawn to boxcars, but is mostly interested in the operating cars and rolling stock.

There I was...sitting at a railroad crossing of the BNSF when this Christmas train pulls up.  Did I just get lucky?  I think so .  Below are a number of pics - but they're not great.  Granted...the train was flying by!  You can see the lights, the garland and even...a tree.   Well done, Metra .  Well done.  Here, below is an animated gif of the train:

As is the custom around here, we planted some Amaryllis bulbs in small containers in the time right around Thanksgiving.  We picked this one up - the Double Dream - at Wannemaker's.  Below is the bulb set in the soil and below that is the plant/bulb tag showing the fully-grown pinkish full bloom of the Double Dream Amaryllis.  

The downfall of large department store shopping along Chicago's State Street is well documented.  Marshall Field's becoming Macy's occurred during my lifetime - in 2006 .  That's long enough to kind of forget what Marshall Field's was like, but recent enough to still feel the outrage.   But that outrage really only returns during the Christmas season.  And...that is likely *why* all the changes have been made.  Not enough shoppers have been visiting department stores and not enough are shopping on State Street. Before I talk about what is going on right now, during Christmas 2024, I suppose I should say that we all *should* be grateful that Macy's on State Street still exists at all.  I've covered Marshall Field's (and now Macy's) on State Street in Chicago over the years.    Here's a whole collection of posts .    More on that below the photos.   Macy's calls their State Street Christmas setup 'Santaland ' and it includes...

Menards has moved completely away from Lemax Christmas village buildings and now exclusively carry what I think is their own private label brand:  FG Square .  At one time, I was a Christmas Village guy, but I, umm, went a different direction and have abandoned them completely.  And, I've been happy with that decision.  But, it doesn't mean that I stopped looking at them - especially at Menards.   I often invoke my collecting mantra when it comes to Christmas Villages:  It is enough to enjoy the existence of (Christmas Villages) things without possessing all of them. Here's a few structures: Country Creek ice staking rink, a ski hill called Powder Ridge Resort, Tree house Haven and Prime Cuts Steakhouse.  All lovely.  None of which came home with us.  The animated ski hill is a small-footprint structure that has some good action: Here's a photo of the same ski hill:

My annual Christmastime Disney pin - this year's version is below - featured Santa Mickey Mouse steering a sled chock'd full of presents and lead by just one flying reindeer.  The phrase "Holiday Magic" is at the top and it has a pair of studs in the back due to it being a 'longer' pin (longer than it is tall).  This is an exclusive Disney Pin to the 2023 Very Merry Christmas Party and includes that note on the big green gift tag in in the sleigh.  2023 Disney Very Merry Pin - Holiday Magic I wore it on Christmas Eve and it will now go up with its fellow Christmas Disney pins .

Every year, we've tried to find a way to tip the garbage man (is that what we call him still?) at Christmas.   I've put envelopes taped to the side of the can and done a cash hand-off to the driver, too.  This year, I gave him beer.    I *kinda* know when the truck comes on our block; it is around school-departure time.  So, I was walking in-and-out of the house to peep down the block to see if I could spot him.  Eventually, I heard the unmistakable sound combination of those hydraulics and air brakes that I knew was the garbage man.   I walked down to the sidewalk and as he approached, I gave him this 12 pack of Modelo.  We exchanged "Merry Christmases" and he went on his way.   Is this unique?  No, I don't think so.  Is it better than cash?  I'm not sure.   But, is it something that I'll try to do again next year?   Yes.  Yes it is.  Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals. 

Just a few days ago, I posted photos of the three different Amaryllis bulbs that we're growing this season and showed how the new (to us) Spider variety - La Paz - was way, way, way ahead of the others.  Just a few days later and the La Paz is putting on a full holiday show.    It has three tall, slender (maybe too tall) flower stalks that each have multiple flowers dangling from the top.   See below for the current state: I say 'maybe too tall' because I didn't get around to watering this with an alcohol mix until it was too late, so it shot way up.  I've used a single-prong flower stem support to keep them upright.  As the stalks were growing up, I was able to sort-of 'tuck' them into the support and keep them centered and (hopefully) stop them from flopping over. Here, below, is the Amaryllis support that I use to keep the top-heavy flowers from flopping-over.  It is about 12" tall and I stick it into the soil at the base of the bulb.

Yesterday, I updated my annual Christmas Tree Tracking series with a post about our Family Room tree - a Fraser Fir from Wisconsin .   This post documents the smaller tree in our front room - the Green Room that has far less ornaments.  It is in the front window and is the one that's visible from the outside.  This is...Nat's tree.  The other one is for the rest of us.   I've been tracking these trees on the blog over the years. This is the 19th tree that I've documented. Here's our 2022 Green Room tree - a smaller, but properly-scaled Fraser Fir Here's our 2022 Family Room tree - a perfectly shaped Fraser Fir Here's our 2021 Green Room tree  - about 6' tall.  Here's our 2021 Family Room Tree  - between 8' and 9' tall and picture-perfect shape. Here's our 2020 Green Room tree  - about 6' tall in total and perfectly shaped. Here's our 2020 Family Room tree - about 8' tall in total , but really nicely shaped. Here's our 20...