Saturday

Far Out Hippie Style Homes in America.....



Photo: Zillow
This quirky Cincinnati home took 10 years to build.


When hippies retire among the waves of Baby Boomers, where do they hang up their tie-dye? Because not everyone wants a condo on a golf course in Hilton Head, or fits the Florida lifestyle where mall walking is a daily form of exercise to beat the heat and humidity.
Not that there is anything wrong with either of those, but perhaps the answer for anti-establishment types is an off-beat home. Perhaps a dwelling that can fit so seamlessly into the landscape, it’s tough to tell it’s there.
Whether the brainchild of an artist, architect or just someone with a penchant for unusual design, we rounded up some of the most unusual examples of offbeat real estate, with homes that vary from a rotating dome to a grass-covered dune.

 
 
 Students from the University of Cincinnati helped build the home.
 
Price: $349,000
This groovy Cincinnati home for sale (exterior is at the top of the page) took architect Terry Brown more than a decade to pull off. Brown and students from the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning sculpted the home from a variety of mixed materials, including wood, colored glass. shell, and ceramic.


Mushroom Home
Location Pittsford, NY
This home can rotate 360 degrees in five minutes.
Photo: Zillow

This home for sale really turns heads — in more ways than one! Not only is the structure an unusual dome shape, but the house itself actually turns. All it takes is the press of a button and off this house spins on a giant axle. Designed to take advantage of passive solar energy, the New Paltz home can make a full 360-degree rotation in a span of five minutes.




 The grass-covered home includes two separate living spaces.
Photo: Zillow

Hate mowing the lawn? Then this house may not be for you. In addition to the Atlantic Beach property having a grassy front yard, the entire home is covered with the stuff! Built in 1975 by architect William Morgan, the oceanfront dome home is actually a duplex, with two separate living spaces, each with 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom and 750 square feet of living space. The home is two concrete shells dug into a sand dune, “like giant sea shells in the sand dune,


 



this flower-inspired home recently sold for $799,000.
All Photos: Zillow

Actually, the home’s inspiration wasn’t mushrooms, but stems of Queen Anne’s lace. The delicate flower’s underside gave a blueprint for the five interconnected pods that make up this Pittsford home. The pods are 30 feet in diameter and weigh 80 tons. Two pods are sleeping areas, the center pod contains the kitchen and sitting room and a fourth pod is a living and dining area with a fireplace. The fifth smaller pod serves as the deck. All together, the home has 4,168 square feet of highly unique living space. 


 This 2,000-square-foot  home in W Berkeley gets its name from the massive eye-like window on its south side. Finished in 1995 for only $250,000, this house is built to last: Its walls are made of recycled Styrofoam and cement, which — coupled with its rounded design — make it all but impervious to water, fire, termites, and even earthquakes.



For sale: $3.5 million

 Who would have guessed that the late Dick Clark loved unique architecture? The long-time TV host and   mega producer's home is far from the Malibu's typical mock-Mediterranean houses. Built to replicate Fred Flintstone’s own prehistoric pad, the property sits on the bluffs above the Pacific Ocean with 360-degree views of the Pacific Ocean, Boney Island, Channel Island, the Serrano Valley and LA skyline.



Festus, MO
Not all cave living was created equal. And with over 15,000 square feet of living space, modern glass windows, this cave home bears no resemblance to the dank, dark spaces of our forebears. This place combines modern finishes with the cave’s natural sandstone walls. Cool in the summer and warm in the winter, the cave isn’t just a unique dwelling; it’s naturally energy-efficient, too.


all photos, Zillow

I love looking at odd homes and just wondered where would I put the garden if I had the 
Cave House??


"Happy Cinco de Mayo"



 

Friday

"Chocolate Mint"






Keeping a Mint plant handy has been something I've always done.  I enjoy using mint in some foods and as an extra in green salads.  It give such a fresh flavor when added.
This past few months I've had a Chocolate Mint plant in a pot, on my deck in the full sun, and the aroma is outstanding.  


The plant is getting large so I thought to clip it a bit and dry some of the leaves.  But, I have never used Chocolate Mint and had to do a bit of research.  
Do I dry it or just put in a freezer bag then put into the freezer?
How do I store this mint?


From what I read

Chocolate Mint (Mentha piperita cv.) neither smells nor tastes like chocolate, but rather it is reminiscent of an Andes after-dinner chocolate Mint. Thus, the suggestion of Chocolate is there and is strong enough to make us love it.
Great dried and added to black tea or used by itself, Chocolate Mint also makes a nice addition to chocolate deserts or a surprise addition to breakfast breads.


 Mints develop their best colors and flavors when grown in the sun like this Chocolate Mint. There are two growth phases for mints, at first, in early spring, the stems head up to make flowers. After flower production, the horizontal runners take off and cover a lot of distance in a short time. Bees and Butterflies love mint flowers. 


 I gathered my little harvest and tied it together then hung it in the kitchen window to dry.  I will have to wait for it to dry before testing it in my evening green tea.



 We will see how it works?



My kitchen window is the catch all for my garden clippings. I have a bit of Rosemarry trying to root and a little Roma Tomato that fell off the vine. Garlic, well that is where I keep it all the time. 

  I'm going to try the Chocolate Banana Bread this week. Wonder if I can put in fresh leaves or is it important to use only dry!
I love a good experiment!
Will post more on that another time!



Thursday

My not so Cottage Garden.....



My friend Tracie,  over at Fishtail Cottage 
is having her garden party and I thought I'd join in.  
 Being from South Florida I really don't have a Cottage garden.  It's more tropical, hot and dry.  The soil in my sloping yard is clay and sand.  In the 6 years I've owned this property I've had to replace much of the soil in the garden beds but most of it runs down into the creek and it's become quite a chore each year to add soil.  I have managed to stop the run off from under my deck  that was always a mud puddle  at the last step.  
I added as many stepping stones and pebbles as I could and this past few weeks added 25 little Corsican Mint plants between the stones.  



 Lets hope the little plants take? That would be such a nice scent to step down on. The up coming rainy season will wash it away I'm afraid, but I just don't stop trying. Each year I add a new feature so maybe one day my yard will cooperate.


Being the beginning of Spring, most of my perennials are just coming up and not yet in bloom.  The tropical plants stay green all year and most were pruned last fall so are still small. 
I guess I need to start from the beginning.  This is what the yard looked like when I first moved in.  It was a jungle!


 I hired a man with a machete and he spent two days just cutting down and pulling roots.
 Then one day while driving through a neighborhood I noticed a large pile of brick pavers in the trash.  The homeowners were replacing their driveway and I stopped and asked if I could have the old bricks, and made 5 trips with my trunk loaded, then created garden beds in the yard.  My goal was to plant grass seed only in select areas to help eliminate the water run off.


Below, the trumpet tree is blooming and the bananas are all coming back.


You can see the Lemon Grass right behind the bench.  It's wonderful in cooking!


 The first blooms of  spring.












My garden needs some color so I added some annuals this past week.




Now to wait for mother nature to take over.

I'll be linking up to Tootsie Time at Fertilizer Friday
and
 Fishtail Cottage

Thrifti'n on Thursday 

Stop by these fun blogs and see  how their gardens are coming into bloom  now that spring is in the air.


* * * * *




Me, I just need to sit back and watch my garden grow. I keep telling myself to not buy any more plants, bulbs, or tubers.  "Let it grow and see what is needed!"
(Like that is going to happen)
  Of course I'll need to keep up with the weeds but that's the fun of having a garden!









Wednesday

The Letter "X", how often do you use a word that begins with "X" ?




 During the course of the day not too many of us use words that begin with the letter "X"
I wanted to join "Jenny Matlocks, Alphabet Thursday" and walked around for days thinking
to find a subject about "X".  
It was not easy!
So I thought to post about all the words in the English language that begins with the letter "X"  It may be long but how many do you know and how many of these words do you actually use each day?

To be honest with you, I have not heard of most!

Here go's!

x-axis
X-linked
X-linked dominant inheritance
X-linked gene
X-linked recessive inheritance
X-linked SCID
X-OR circuit
X-radiation
x-ray
X-raying
X-ray diffraction
X-ray film
X-ray machine
X-ray photograph
X-ray photography
X-ray picture
X-ray therapy
X-ray tube
X-SCID
Xanax
Xanthamide
xanthate
xanthelasma
xanthemia
Xanthian
Xanthic
xanthic acid
Xanthide
Xanthidium
xanthine
Xanthinine
Xanthium

 There are more....

Xanthocarpous
Xanthochroi
Xanthochroic
Xanthochroid
Xanthochroism
Xanthodontous
Xanthogen
Xanthogenate
Xanthogenic
xanthoma
xanthomatosis
Xanthomatous
xanthoma disseminatum
xanthoma multiplex
Xanthomelanous
xanthomonad
Xanthomonas
Xanthophane
Xanthophyceae
xanthophyl
xanthophyll
Xanthopous
Xanthoproteic
Xanthoprotein
xanthopsia
Xanthopuccine
Xanthorhœa

Surprise, surprise, there's more....
Xanthorhamnin
Xanthorhiza
Xanthorrhoeaceae
Xanthorroea
Xanthose
xanthosis
Xanthosoma
Xanthosoma atrovirens
Xanthosoma sagittifolium
Xanthospermous
xanthous
Xanthoxylene
Xanthoxylum
Xantusiidae
Xavier
XC
xci
xcii
xciii
xciv
xcl

Nope, not done yet.....

xcv
xcvi
xcvii
xcviii
Xe
Xebec
Xeme
Xenarthra
Xenelasia
Xenicidae
Xenicus
Xenicus gilviventris
Xenium
Xenodochium
Xenodochy
Xenogamy
xenogenesis
Xenogenetic
xenograft
xenolith
Xenomania
Xenomi
xenon
Xenophanes
xenophobia
xenophobic
Xenophon
Xenopodidae
Xenopterygii
Xenopus
Xenopus laevis
Xenorhyncus
Xenorhyncus asiaticus
Xenosauridae
Xenosaurus
xenotime
xenotransplant
xenotransplantation
Xenurine
Xenyl
Xenylic

Bet like me, you had no idea there were so many words starting with the letter X

xeranthemum
Xeranthemum annuum
Xeraphim
Xeres
xeric
Xerif
Xeriff
Xerobates
xeroderma
xeroderma pigmentosum
xerodermia
xerographic
xerographic copier
xerographic printer
xerography
xeroma
Xeronate
Xeronic
Xerophagy
xerophile
Xerophilous
xerophilous plant
xerophthalmia
xerophthalmus
Xerophthalmy
Xerophyllum
Xerophyllum tenax
xerophyte
xerophytic
xerophytic plant
xeroradiography
xerostomia
xerotes
Xerox
xerox copy
Xerox machine
Xerxes I
Xerxes the Great
Xestobium rufovillosum
Xhosa
xi
Xian
XII
XIII
Ximenesia encelioides
Xinjiang
Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region
Xiphias
Xiphias gladius
Xiphidium
Xiphiidae
Xiphioid
Xiphiplastron
Xiphisternum
xiphium iris
Xiphius
Xiphodon
Xiphoid
Xiphoidian
xiphoid process
Xiphophyllous
Xiphosura
Xiphosurus polyphemus
Xiphura
Xishuangbanna Dai
XIV
XIX
Xizang
XL
xli
xlii
xliii
xliv
xlv
xlvi
xlvii
xlviii
Xmas
XOR circuit
XOR gate
XT
XTC
XV
XVI
XVII
XVIII
XX
XXI
XXII
XXIII
XXIV
XXIX
XXV
XXVI
XXVII
XXVIII
XXX
xxxi
xxxii
xxxiii
xxxiv
xxxv
xxxvi
xxxvii
xxxviii
XXY
XXY-syndrome
XY
Xylamide
Xylan
Xylanthrax
Xylaria
Xylariaceae
Xylaria mali
Xylaria polymorpha
Xylate
xylem
xylene
Xylenol
Xyletic
Xylic
Xylidic
Xylindein
Xylite
Xylitone
Xylobalsamum
Xylocaine
Xylocarpous
Xylocopa
Xylogen
Xylograph
Xylographer
Xylographic
Xylography

Dang, still more....

Xyloid
Xyloidin
xylol
Xylology
Xylomelum
Xylomelum pyriforme
Xylonite
Xylophaga
Xylophagan
Xylophagides
Xylophagous
Xylophilan
Xylophilous
xylophone
xylophonist
Xylopia
Xylopia aethiopica
Xyloplastic
Xylopyrography
Xyloquinone
Xylorcin
xylose
xylosma
Xylosma congestum
Xylostein
Xylotile
Xylotomist
Xylotomous
Xylotomy
Xylotrya
Xylyl
Xylylene
Xyphophorus
Xyphophorus helleri
Xyridaceae
Xyridaceous
Xyridales
Xyris
Xyris operculata
Xyst
Xystarch
Xyster
XYY
X chromosome
X ray
X rays

I told you it was long..  
I had no idea there were so many!
If you read through this list, can you tell me how many you actually do know?  The Roman Numerals don't count!

X X X X X X

I'm linking up to Jenny Matlocks and am so interested in reading others posts, to see what they come up with!




Tuesday

My Blaze of Glory, Climbing Rose is really growing ..



I do believe the advertisement in the "Jackson and Perkins" catalog is coming to be true. 
In all of 3 months my climbing, potted "Blaze of Glory Rose" has grown quite a bit and is blooming.

This is what it looked like when I first potted it the first week of March.


I was so sure this scrawny little thing would take so much longer to grow.  They told me, "in one season it will climb over 6' tall". 


 Today is May 1st, look how much it has grown. 
It has had 4 roses all ready.


My trellis is smiling and so ready to take the weight of a very large climber.  One bloggy friend told me her mom had the exact rose and she had to get a second trellis, it got so big! 
I love it!
Time to feed this little girl!
I'll post again on her growth later this summer.


"Happy Gardening"

I'm linking up to



Monday

"Happy May Day"






The month of May was come,
when every lusty heart beginneth to blossom,
and to bring forth fruit; for like as herbs and trees bring
forth fruit and flourish in May, in likewise every lusty heart that
is in any manner a lover, springeth and flourisheth in lusty deeds.
For it giveth unto all lovers courage, that lusty month of May.
Sir Thomas Malory, 1485

The origin of the May Day as a day for celebration dates back to the days, even before the birth of Christ. And like many ancient festivals it too has a Pagan connection. 

May Day is a time to celebrate the onset of May, the month that sees the Earth reaching itself ready to burgeon to its maximum capacity. Since the ancient days in England there prevailed a custom of "bringing in the May" on May Day. This was why people would go to the woods in the early dawn. There they picked flowers and lopped off tender branches to bring them in and decorate the houses.
May Day and flowers: It has always been strongly associated with flowers. Partly may be because of their availability in abundance. But that is not all. There are other reasons as well. For instance, the May Garland and beggar girls. Making garland is one of those ancient May Day customs that has survived still today. May garlands, is meant for the coming of summer. May garlands were also used while begging by the kids from door to door. At other times of the year begging would have been an offence. But if it was done at May time with a garland. This is why groups of small girls, crowned with leaves and flowers, went from door to door singing and begging. 






Maypole dance: On the first day of May, English villagers woke up at daybreak to roam the countryside gathering blossoming flowers and branches. A towering maypole was set up on the village green. This pole, usually made of the trunk of a tall birch tree, was decorated with bright field flowers. The villagers then danced and sang around the maypole, accompanied by a piper. 

In Hawaii the May Day is celebrated with the tradition of Lei. A festival of the natives of Hawaii, nurtured since time immemorial, Lei was officially celebrated first in 1929. Lei Day is celebrated in Hawaii instead of May Day. Schools throughout the islands crown their own kings and queens and create courts in celebration, and to honor the people and customs of Hawaii. 

May Day was also celebrated by some early European settlers of the American  continent. In some parts of the United Stater.  May Baskets are made. These are small baskets usually filled with flowers or treats and left at someone's doorstep. The giver rings the bell and runs away. The person receiving the basket tries to catch the fleeing giver. If they catch the person, a kiss is exchanged

* * * * *

As a child I remember my mom always made sweet little May Baskets filled with flowers and put them on the door knobs of her friends homes.  It was a special day to her, it welcomed spring.



"Happy May Day Everyone"