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Ok, so here's the deal. We planted beans in the middle garden bed and purposely planted Bush Beans so we wouldn't have to stake them. As the beans are growing, we are noticing that the tendrils of the bean plants are getting longer and longer. "Hmmmm", we say, "these beans appear to need staking." And so we begin to problem-solve. Since I'm in the retirement mode and watching my expenses, Janet and I have developed a new mantra. "What do we need; what do we have; what is the next step?" This philosophy has saved us a lot of money.
So Janet looked around at her supply stash and found some boards that are on their way to "rotten". With those, she made the uprights. Then she took a yard tour and found some bamboo that needed to be thinned so she cut about twenty pieces of bamboo. We put these things together and "voila", a bean support structure!! I think it looks like something you would find in Tahiti. I hope we have a good crop.
Several years ago a friend of ours, who was associated with the Fire Department, took us to an old burned out house, burned deliberately in order for firefighters to practice their craft. Once there, we recovered many old antique bricks, old lumber, and these old window frames. We have since used the bricks to create garden paths and tree rings but could not think of a creative way to use these windows. 
Last week, I placed the windows up against the garden fence and that gave Janet a great idea. "Why don't we create windows to the garden?", she said. And so, we did....or she did. Today, Janet mounted the windows up on the garden fence and created windows to the garden. Now, the honeysuckle and the roses can trail all they want and we will have windows that don't need cleaning with a wonderful view.
Even though it is barely winter, I can't wait for spring. I miss my garden and my hummingbirds, the flowers, and the expectation of re-birth. I like the winter and fall because my chores in the garden become minimal. But the spring, when I await the arrival of the hummers and the budding of the trees and perennials....well, you just can't compare that with anything I can think of. These empty pots represent the hope of spring. I dug up all of the roses that refused to bloom. I had already given them three chances. That's all you get in my yard. But I always give a verbal warning so nothing is a surprise to the roses. These pots will be homes for perennials in the spring...perennials that will be attractors to butterflies, caterpillars, and hummingbirds.
This rose is the survivor rose because it was blooming. It is a Knock-Out rose that blooms profusely, needs very little maintenance, and is generally a wonderful plant. I did not dig it up. It will be beautiful in the spring. All I did was to remove the whiskey barrel wooden pot (which had rotted) from around the plant and give it my good wishes.
This blue ball is the only real color in the garden at this time of year. It is the hope of the multi-colors of the spring garden. When that time comes, I will complain about the weeds and the need to water constantly. But for now, I dream about spring.
