Recycling Perennial Seeds and Paper

Yesterday was an outdoor "clean up and reuse stuff" kind of day.  I finally potted up a bunch of saved perennial seeds, just to see if they might actually sprout.  Seeds saved from my mom's lush gardens, seeds from friends' perennial beds--even seeds I collected from spent flowers at the entrance to a local hospital.  Let's see which ones survive.

Instead of preparing the little pots the "proper" way, with rocks at the bottom to aid drainage, I simply used torn sheets of computer printouts scrounged from the trash in the shed.  Out here in the country we take our trash and recycling to the dump so there is always something available to use.

By the time the paper disintegrates it'll be time to plant the seedlings.

Just Wait For It

My DD loved this tablecloth when she first saw it at a very expensive store.  Being a little tight with money, a family trait, she would not allow herself to pay the approximately $190 price tag for it.  So, she waited.

While waiting several months for it to fall out of favor with the fashionable crowd, the price dropped and dropped.  But, she still waited.

Last week she bought it online, for about $20.  It's really pretty and goes with the other everyday linens and accessories she uses.  She and her husband have friends and family over for meals a bunch, so it'll be enjoyed by many folks.

My DD loves beauty, she loves saving money, and she's patient.

Do it Yourself Walking Tour of Church Hill

I looked all over Google last night for info on a self-guided walking tour of the Church Hill area, but ended up planning my own based on my foggy memories of working at Bellevue Elementary School many years ago.

A girlfriend and I braved the heat for a little while, then retreated to a de-lish lunch at Millie's Diner on East Main Street.

Richmond is still pretty on a 100+ degree day, especially the shady spots.

 This road is directly alongside Bellevue School.  We watched a lady riding a scooter chug, chug, chug up the hill.

 Escaping hydrangeas

 A cobblestone alley

 More alley

 It just keeps getting prettier and prettier

 Spikey wrought iron

 Old stained-glass windows

 Drought warrier

 "The Dancing Man" statue at Bellevue School

 These impatiens are probably watered several times each day

 More hydrangeas

 Intricate grill work on the porch railing

Happy 5th of July to all!