Birthstones: How many of you actually know what your birthstone is? I'm here to advise. January is garnet (red). February is amethyst (purple). March is aquamarine (blue). April (my birthday) diamond (do I need say more?). May is dmerald (green) (my favorite color). June is pearl, which comes from oysters. July is ruby (red). August is peridot (green). September is sapphire (blue). October is opal (iridescent white and black). November is citrinel (orange/gold). December is turquoise (blue/green).
Eleection reflection: Well, because the majority of you voters elected to keep our incumbents, "the good old boys", we're in for four more years of escalating taxes, frivolous spending, crime and drugs, and junk, junk, junk. I'll have the cheese ready for your "whine."
Spontaneous Combustion: I know that you shouldn't store paint or paint rags inside your garage or storage house because they can catch on fire spontaneously. However, after reading a story on Fox News.com, I now know that there are other things that can catch on fire at any time. In Mendota Heights, Minn., a home was destroyed last week caused by a flowerpot. While rare, spontaneous combustion can happen to pots with the right mixture of soil, moisture and heat. Investigators said the soil was in a plastic pot that had become hot after several days of high temperatures and humidity. When it ignited, the wind helped the fire grow and it completely destroyed the home.
Garden report: The drought-tolerant chaste tree is a pest-free plant that combines striking blue, tubular summer blossoms with handsome leaves shaped like an open hand. They grow in almost any well-drained soil, will withstand coastal conditions and are not usually browsed by deer. Many people that have seen my chaste tree immediately thought it was a butterfly bush, but upon examination, you can see that the leaves are very different. I saw my first one at the Botanical Gardens in Savannah on Eisenhower Drive. It was about 15 feet high. Mine is still a bush, but is growing taller every year. It sheds its leaves in winter and is native to Southern Europe and Asia. The leaves are aromatic. I've just discovered that I should be pruning it in late winter, since the blooms appear on the new growth. When visiting a nursery, ask to see this plant and perhaps add it to your yard. You'll love the beautiful blue flowers it produces.