Lacecap Hydrangea

I thought this hydrangea in my front garden was having trouble blooming, I kept feeding it and probably over watering this perennial plant, but today I know different after learning about the Hydrangea macrophylla, I know now, this sweet plant is called "Lacecap". I read on the web, the Lacecap Hydrangea petals of the flower symbolises the mask of love. Lacecaps with their flat, round flower heads are a great addition to a garden.

If you cut flowers like I do, and put them indoors, submerged them completely in cool water for about an hour and then place in water filled vase. If you do not do this, the flowers quickly wilt. But by conditioning them, they will last for days. If they start to wilt in the vase, submerge them again, and they will revive. I love having arrangements of them in my dining room, especially on Sundays.
Many believe the name Hydrangea, with it origin in the word hydra, means that the plant requires massive amounts of water. Actually, the name was given because the seed capsules look like water pitchers.
What a nice morning learning about Hydrangeas.
Bloom for the KING!
QB

Hydrangea Macrophylla

"Endless Summer"
This Mophead hydrangea is in my back garden, the blooms are so big and beautiful this year, that I am going to dry the flowers for the very first time. What I knew about hydrangeas is, they love the morning sun, and lots and lots of water! I also knew they would change colors depending on the soil balance. This is my third year with this shrub you see in the picture, the previous years I had it in the shade, this year I moved it so my shrub would feel the morning sun with shade in the afternoon, and I watered it twice a day, which I did not do last year or the year before. This hardy plant proved to be in it's perfect spot for showing off it's beauty, don't you think?

What I did not know was the name and type, "Endless Summer" mophead hydrangea macrophylla, a deciduous shrub. Most mopheads set their blooms in August, September, and October, just like azaleas. A mophead hydrangea can bloom on old and new wood, which I did not know either, very interesting. For hydrangeas a good fertilizer would be the balance of NPK (10-40-10) nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium. Using a soil acidifier will lower your soils PH for beautiful blue blooms. The flowers can be white, or range from blue to purple to pink depending on the soils PH. In more acidic soils the flowers will be blue where alkaline soils yield pinkish bloom, white flowered varieties do not change color regardless of soil PH. I am now interested in trying to grow a white hydrangea called the "Blushing Bride".

100 Species Challenge

I found a fun idea I'm going to try: The 100 Species Challenge, this sounds wonderful, I wonder how many different species I have in my own back garden?
Here are the rules:

1. Participants should include a copy of these rules and a link to this entry in their initial blog post about the challenge.

2. Participants should keep a list of all plant species they can name, either by common or scientific name, that are living within walking distance of the participant’s home. The list should be numbered, and should appear in every blog entry about the challenge, or in a sidebar.

3. Participants are encouraged to give detailed information about the plants they can name in the first post in which that plant appears. My format will be as follows: the numbered list, with plants making their first appearance on the list in bold; each plant making its first appearance will then have a photograph taken by me, where possible, a list of information I already knew about the plant, and a list of information I learned subsequent to starting this challenge, and a list of information I’d like to know.

4. Participants are encouraged to make it possible for visitors to view their blog to find easily all 100-Species-Challenge blog posts. This can be done either by tagging these posts, by ending every post on the challenge with a link to your previous post on the challenge, or by some method which surpasses my technological ability and creativity.

5. Participants may post pictures of plants they are unable to identify, or are unable to identify with precision. They should not include these plants in the numbered list until they are able to identify it with relative precision. Each participant shall determine the level of precision that is acceptable to her; however, being able to distinguish between plants that have different common names should be a bare minimum.

6. Different varieties of the same species shall not count as different entries (e.g., Celebrity Tomato and Roma Tomato should not be separate entries); however, different species which share a common name be separate if the participant is able to distinguish between them (e.g., camillia japonica and camillia sassanqua if the participant can distinguish the two–”camillia” if not).

7. Participants may take as long as they like to complete the challenge. You can make it as quick or as detailed a project as you like. I’m planning to blog a minimum of two plants per week, on Saturdays, complete with pictures and descriptions as below, which could take me up to a year. But you can do it in whatever level of detail you like.

Thank you Carmen, Bloom for Our KING! QB

Voice of the Martyrs

In March 2008, Pastor KhamLa Namheng and seven Khmu pastors from Udom Sai province in Laos were arrested when entering Thailand to attend meetings. VOM contacts report, “They went the wrong way trying to avoid a police check point. When the police later searched their bags they found two Bibles and some letters. The police claimed the letters were written against the village authority reporting persecution.”
Pastors’ Kham Chan Konekham, Kham La Namheng, Siphone Namheng, Khamnath Namheng, Serth Naphok, Khou Phouphone, Thong Soun Namtam, and Houng Mokbooc were arrested on March 18 when they entered Thailand and were followed by the Laos police. When they were searched two of them had Bibles, and everything they were carrying was confiscated. This arrest was the latest after 15 Hmong families were arrested in Bokeo Province on February 22.



I'm writing KhamLa Namheng today, with words of encouragement, to let him know I'm praying for him and the others with him. My letter will be sent to Lao People's Democratic Republic.
Bloom for our KING!

Graduation Quilt

This quilt was made for our daughter Laura Beth, by her Grandmother, Two Great Aunts and by me, her Mother. My Mother embroidered the sunflowers with little bees and sewed the blocks together, My Aunt Roberta made the large sunflowers with punch art, My Aunt Karen quilted it and did the binding all by hand. I chose the material and printed the pictures of Laura Beth.

This tradition started in 2004 for our eldest son Daniel when he graduated from Saddleback Christian Academy ISP, the theme on his quilt was music. I'll post a picture of his soon.

This is an heirloom that will be treasured and admired for years to come. Specially made for Laura Beth, by her Grandmother, Mother, and Aunt Roberta and Aunt Karen.

Bloom for your KING!
QB

Rugby in Colorado

For the record here were the results on the weekend:

Griffins 23 Eastern Rockies 0
Griffins 17 Heart of America 14
Griffins 15 Texas 5
Griffins 10 Wisconsin 7

James went to Denver Colorado to play for Orange County Rugby Team the "Griffins".
His team did very well winning first place with a nice big trophy. We picked James up from LAX last night, he was tired and happy wearing his U18's Griffins shirt.

Graduation Celebration

In honor of Laura Beth French, Tuesday the tenth of June, two thousand and eight, half past five o'clock in the afternoon. Today! I feel happy for my daughter while feeling strange this is happening. She means so much to me, from the moment she was born. She's gentle, she's calm, she's smart and now getting ready to go Azusa Pacific University.

After the graduation we are going out to dinner at "Maggianos Restaurant" should be very fun with family and friends.

I feel a little over whelmed today, I'm having an open house this Saturday, making plans cleaning the house and back garden preparing for a nice get together with friends from church, close relatives and neighbors and friends. Wow! what a big deal I'm having. I must keep calm and pray for my nerves to relax and to enjoy preparing for a party.

Dear Lord, thank you for this day, and thank you for Laura Beth and my family. You are so good to me. May this day of graduation be a blessing, and may Saturday be honorable to You my Heavenly Father. Lord, please keep me calm while preparing and getting ready for the graduation and for the party. Help me to be wise with what is a priority to work on first, second, third and last. Be with our finances that I spend wisely for our family. I lift all my anxiety to You and I give You myself, knowing You are walking right beside me. In Jesus Name, AMEN