Rita Elliot

This bouquet was created for a wedding in Belgium and I quite like it. It is set in a simple straw basket. The first tier of blooms consist of carnations, the second of roses barely out of the bud stage. Some fluffy greenery and bits of fern have been inserted here and there for an even more graceful look.

Both roses and carnations are in the same 'shocking pink' shade.

NOTE: The carnation on either side of the bouquet are slightly longer than the others so as to give more balance to the arrangement.
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Tree limb

Natural art at a price - photos by Rita Elliott

There is a terrific shop in the Liguanea area where you can buy just about everything. I am a frequent visitor. That's how I noticed a handsome piece of dead wood, a large tree limb, set against the pavement wall, close to garden benches. It looked like an item of modern art. It never made a doubt in my mind that this 'wood art' was there for ornamental purposes only.

However, on a slow but regular pattern, the 'wood art' kept on changing.

So, I asked a shop assistant if this piece of wood was for sale. Indeed it was. 'How much?' I asked. '$12,000', she replied. Suddenly noticing that I looked 'foreign', she reassuringly added: 'Jamaican dollars'
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Getting rid of S&S

By this title, I mean defeating 'slugs and snails' in the garden. Not the most rewarding and pleasant. According to a study published in Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, you can reduce slug and snail damage dramatically by watering in the morning instead of the evening. The study showed that lettuce watered only in the morning endured only 1/5 of the damage that lettuce watered in the evening had.

Yet, I believe it's better to water greenery in the evening and I shall stick to the notion!

Here are some additional guidelines that will help you control the slug and snail population in your garden:

Encourage slug-snacking critters to take up residence in your garden. Toads, turtles, snakes, all prey on slugs.

If you see evidence pointing to the presence of slug and snails in your yard - like your prize caladiums shredded to pieces - avoid dense ground-covers and mulches that provide a hiding place.

Handpick slugs and snails at night. Use a flashlight, and drop them into a bucket of soapy water. Wear plastic gloves, of course!

Cover them with salt and they will dissolve in a little puddle of water.

Line the garden with copper strips. Slugs receive a shock when they touch copper, and they will not cross the barrier. When using this method, make sure you trap the slugs OUT and not IN.

Slugs love beer. Bury a shallow container of beer in the garden, with just the lip above the ground. When they go in for a drink, they will drown in a gulp of happiness.