don’t know what the name means, but “glossy abelia” sounds so beautiful that the plant just has to match, and it does. As the modifier implies, this abelia, Abelia x grandiflora, is indeed glossy. The tiny one-inch by half inch spearhead-shaped leaves are glossy dark green in summer, turning almost dark copper by fall. Abelia is evergreen, but just barely. Harsh winters will make you wish it would shed those tattered old leaves for bright new ones, and it usually does. Glossy abelia is a moderate growing shrub, reaching twelve feet high by six feet across in six or seven years. We have had these two specimens quite awhile, but we moved them to this present location a couple of years ago, so they have been trimmed back heavily. They trim up into hedges quite well, and like full sun to light shade.
The light-pink blossoms of glossy abelia are small, but the cumulative effect set off by the slick green foliage and copper calices of previous blooms makes it quite showy from mid summer until frost. You may note a resemblance of the blossoms to the blossoms of beautybush, Kolkwitzia amabilis, which was featured a while back on this site. They are both belong to the Caprifoliaceae family, which is made up primarily by the numerous honeysuckle species.
Enjoy a great weekend. As the growing season winds down there is much that needs to be done outside, so get to it. I hope to see you Sunday, as God’s people gather to worship Him.
105. What does God require in the sixth commandment?
That I neither in thought, nor in word or look, much less in deed, revile, hate, insult or kill my neighbor, whether by myself or by another; but lay aside all desire of revenge; moreover, that I harm not myself, nor wilfully run into any danger. Wherefore also, to restrain murder, the magistrate is armed with the sword.
106. But this commandment speaks only of killing?
In forbidding this, however, God means to teach us that He abhors the root of murder, namely, envy, hatred, anger, and desire of revenge; and that all these are in His sight hidden murder.
107. Is it then enough that we do not kill our neighbor in any such way?
No: for in condemning envy, hatred, and anger, God requires us to love our neighbor as ourselves, to show patience, peace, meekness, mercy and kindness towards him, and, so far as we have power, to prevent his hurt; also to do good even unto our enemies.
That all unchastity is accursed of God; and that we should therefore loathe it from the heart, and live chastely and modestly whether in holy wedlock or single life.
109. Does God in this commandment forbid nothing more than adultery and such like gross sins?
Since our body and soul are both temples of the Holy Ghost, it is His will that we keep both pure and holy; for which reason He forbids all unchaste actions, gestures, words, thoughts, desires, and whatever may entice thereto.
nder
our kitchen window grows one of the darkest green shrubs in our landscape. Evergreen and trouble-free, and slightly informal, it needs no special care, and other than nipping back a stray sprout now and again, it has never needed pruning in all of its dozen or so years of gracing it little niche in our world. Perhaps my wife’s favorite shrub, Camellia sinensis is essential here. I believe it has reached its mature height at about six feet, maybe a little bit more. Its top-most branches just barely wave around the bottom of our kitchen-sink window.
Every
morning that little wave reminds us it’s tea time. We wouldn’t even think of trying to harvest the leaves for making that tea. You cannot imagine what intense labor is required, the time involved in curing and processing, and how many tea plants are required to make it all happen. That doesn’t even take into consideration the soil type and climate required to make a great cup of black tea. Various regions in India and China are where tea mainly comes from. The whole enterprise, from harvesting to processing, is done by hand labor. If it were easy, everybody would be growing it. We love it for its dark evergreen foliage, and an extended bloom period in the fall. Notice in this first pic the unopened buds. This soldier will bloom for another two or three weeks, and it has already been blooming for almost a month. A frost toward the end of October may spoil a few blossoms, but any unopened flowers will go ahead and provide perfect blossoms after it warms back up in a day or two.
Our
tea plant has been blooming since mid September, and as you can see by the pics, the honey bees have been having a field day. As the bees gather nectar, their hind legs are picking up pollen as they tromp around the anthers. Officially white, the blossoms are largely hidden by the forest of yellow pollen-laden anthers. Notice in this last pic how much pollen this greedy gut has gathered around his hind legs. I’m sure he had exceeded his DOT weight limits, as he was flying low with his legs dangling down when he flew away. He wasn’t the only one. Even though it was—and has been for some days—a cold and cloudy day, this tea plant was a buzz with honey bees, all in a frenzy to stock up against the soon-to-arrive winter.
I am so very sorry I missed last week’s Friday Photo. Beside the fact that my main computer was in the shop getting a new keyboard (some of the keyssss kkkept sttticking) and track pad (it’s hard to mimic that in a similar fashion), it was a very busy week. My wife had shot some good ones, and maybe I’ll post a “missing episode” some day if I get the chance. In the mean time, now is the time to make plans to get out in the yard this week end. I looks like the weather is going to finally break around here. Have a good weekend. Live in light of His return, and I hope to see you in church Sunday.
110. What does God forbid in the eighth commandment?
Not only such theft and robbery as are punished by the magistrate; but God views as theft all wicked tricks and devices, whereby we seek to draw to ourselves our neighbor’s goods, whether by force or with show of right, such as unjust weights, ells, measures, wares, coins, usury, or any means forbidden of God; so moreover all covetousness, and all useless waste of His gifts.
111. But what does God require of thee in this commandment?
That I further my neighbor’s good, where I can and may; deal with him as I would have others deal with me; and labor faithfully, that I may be able to help the poor in their need.
“…we have been greatly blessed as a congregation–we are blessed in the songs we are now able to sing, and we are almost equally as blessed by the songs we used to sing.”
ne
other Camellia graces our east flower bed not far from where our tea plant is located. This east bed is one of our favorites because it gets good sun all morning and is sheltered by the harsher afternoon sun. Being up next to the house, extra warmth is provided in winter. This last feature is important to all in the genus Camellia, as most are just barely hardy this far north. A couple of decades ago extensive Camellia hybridization programs were producing varieties that were more cold hardy. One USDA project, headed by Dr. David Ackerman gave us a series of Camellia hybrids, named the “Winter” series. Each selection has the word “Winter” in its name. The one we chose for our landscape was the bright pink variety “Winter’s Star”.
My wife was out Wednesday shooting the lovely fall colors around our place, and noticed the first open bloom of our “Winter’s Star”. We hope you like it. It is not a large shrub, only about 30 inches all around. It should grow a bit larger with time. It will bloom well into November, provided there’s no early winter blast. Any freezing temps overnight will only sully the open or about-to-open blooms; the tight blooms will go ahead and open up on subsequent days.
Have a good weekend, and I hope to see you in church on Sunday.
That I bear false witness against no one; wrest no one’s words; be no backbiter, or slanderer; join in condemning no one unheard and rashly; but that I avoid, on pain of God’s heavy wrath, all lying and deceit, as being the proper works of the devil; in matters of judgment and justice and in all other affairs love, honestly speak and confess the truth; and, so far as I can, defend and promote my neighbor’s good name.
don’t know what the name means, but “glossy abelia” sounds so beautiful that the plant just has to match, and it does. As the modifier implies, this abelia, Abelia x grandiflora, is indeed glossy. The tiny one-inch by half inch spearhead-shaped leaves are glossy dark green in summer, turning almost dark copper by fall. Abelia is evergreen, but just barely. Harsh winters will make you wish it would shed those tattered old leaves for bright new ones, and it usually does. Glossy abelia is a moderate growing shrub, reaching twelve feet high by six feet across in six or seven years. We have had these two specimens quite awhile, but we moved them to this present location a couple of years ago, so they have been trimmed back heavily. They trim up into hedges quite well, and like full sun to light shade.
The light-pink blossoms of glossy abelia are small, but the cumulative effect set off by the slick green foliage and copper calices of previous blooms makes it quite showy from mid summer until frost. You may note a resemblance of the blossoms to the blossoms of beautybush, Kolkwitzia amabilis, which was featured a while back on this site. They are both belong to the Caprifoliaceae family, which is made up primarily by the numerous honeysuckle species.
nder
t least that’s the way I took it.
hris, my son-in-law showed me this funny YouTube video this past weekend. He has a knack for finding the odd.
ne
