Friday, 21 June 2024

Heads Up - And Down

Once my steam mop died a few months back, I reconciled myself to old school mopping. I have a handle with interchangeable heads- a broom, and a mop. The latter is a flat velcro-ed rectangle which holds a microfibre pad. I lent this to someone who was a having a dirty floor crisis, and unfortunately she thought the pads 
were disposable and returned the handle/head but threw the pads away. 
Fortunately I discovered IKEA Pepprig mop pads fit perfectly, so I bought a pack of two. 
When my steam mop died, I had three triangular pads. I like to mop with one pad and dry with another, so I decided to modify the triangles to fit the rectangular head. 
I just cut off the top section and hemmed it on my machine. The little "ears" actually help with attaching and removing.
That's HEADS UP
HEADS DOWN is in the garden. I have grown more flowers this year and realised the merits of deadheading. The RHS website has lots of helpful tips and pictures about this. [those are not my hands!]
Trimming off the dead flowers certainly does encourage more blossoms. I have plenty of mesembryanthemums in my troughs around the oil tank
At last we are beginning to see some sunshine! Long may it last.
Did you know that in other countries, the mesembryanthemum is also called the "Heartleaf Ice Plant" or "The Baby Sun Rose"? I am growing them simply because my Mum loved them. They are such amazing shades of pink





19 comments:

  1. You could run 'make do and mend' classes!

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    1. That would be fun, but I don't have time right now

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    2. That would be fun, but I don't have time right now

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  2. My Grandpa always grew mesembryanthemums. He said they have such happy little faces!

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    1. Like the daisy/day's eye, they close up at sunset

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  3. I'm glad to hear that the mop head disaster had a happy solution. (Just out of interest, what did the person think you were going to do once they were all thrown away?)
    The flowers-with-the-very-long-name are really stunning! My garden is a MESS this year! Kx

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    1. I decided that in view of the crisis which caused the dirty floors in the first place , it would not be tactful to raise the question!!

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  4. Very resourceful reuse of the mop pads that you already had!
    Yes, deadheading spent flowers encourages the plant to grow new flowers, rather than set seeds.
    The mesembryanthemum is called the common ice plant, over here. It used to be grown as a landscaping plant because it is drought tolerant, but it is now considered an invasive plant, at least in California.

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    1. Why "ice plant" when it loves the sun and heat, do you think?

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    2. Mesembryanthemum crystallinum (common ice plant or crystalline ice plant) has tiny water filled cells on its leaves that glisten like ice crystals in the sun. The trailing ice plant (Delosperma cooperi) looks similar, but, is not considered to be invasive and is suggested as a better alternative to plant.

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    3. Thank you Bless for explaining about the ice

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  5. Another very ingenious adaptation. I love my steam mop. Mesembryanthemums whew what a word, are such happy flowers as long as the sun shines. I have always liked them but didn't know their other names. It seems like summer has arrived touch wood. I met a friend in Lewes East Sussex yesterday for lunch and it was wonderful to feel the sun on our faces. Regards Sue H

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  6. Oh those lovely mesembryanthemum flowers, my mum too loved them and we knew them as Livingstone Daisies .
    Alison in Wales x

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    1. That's a great name - native to Africa, in 1928, a seedseller called Sam Ryder decided to name the in honour of the Scottish explorer

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  7. We know them as Livingston Daisies up here. I love how they close up shop when there's no sun!What an odd night the longest day gave us last night! Light til gone past 11pm then awoken by the beautiful sunrise casting pink shadows in my bedroom at 3.36am!

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    1. There have been some lovely sunsets here recently 🌇

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  8. I've been trying to remind myself to deadhead flowers this year. I don't think it works with my huge poppies, though. I was sad this year when they were ruined by heavy rain, and we didn't enjoy them for long.

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    1. We have had loads of glorious poppies in the fields round us - but they do get battered by the rain

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